Certain cancer rates are on the rise, and outcome inequities remain a major public health concern. Getting into clinical trials is difficult, care is fragmented and treatments can be prohibitively expensive. Meanwhile, research for many cancers is underfunded.

The American Cancer Society is on a mission to end cancer as we know it. Its venture capital and impact investment arm, BrightEdge, invests in early-stage companies developing therapeutics, diagnostics, devices and technologies that share in this goal.

In this week’s episode of “Podnosis,” Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya chats with BrightEdge’s managing director Alice Pomponio about how the organization leans into its expertise in research, patient support and advocacy when working with entrepreneurs, what it looks for in emerging companies and how it measures their impact.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• What will it take to improve the future of cancer care? Clinicians, patients stress better collaboration and reimbursement
• American Cancer Society, Color Health team up to boost cancer screenings for employees
• American Cancer Society, ASCO join forces to create 'credible' online cancer information under one roof

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Employers hold significant power in the healthcare industry. About 60% of people under the age of 65 received insurance coverage through their employer last year, according to KFF.

Kim Thiboldeaux stepped into the role of CEO at the Northeast Business Group on Health in early 2024. The organization's members provide coverage for millions of lives.

In this week's episode of "Podnosis," Thiboldeaux sits down with Fierce Healthcare Senior Writer Paige Minemyer to discuss her goals at the helm of NEBGH and the healthcare topics employers are watching most closely.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• NEBGH: Here's how employers can support cancer patients in the workplace
• Employers seek guidance on mental health benefits: survey
• New NEBGH guide aims to help employers tackle social determinants of health
• Emergency preparedness lessons for employers from COVID-19

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Healthcare worker burnout is a critical issue. Bill Charnetski, EVP of Health System Solutions at PointClickCare, reveals how burnout impacts both patient care and operational efficiency, sharing personal insights from his wife’s experience in skilled nursing administration. He advocates for leveraging health information technology to reduce administrative burdens, enhance job satisfaction, and minimize manual errors. The importance of thoughtful policy-making in supporting healthcare workers and ensuring technology adoption effectively addresses their needs without adding to their workload cannot be underscored enough. A shift in tone towards valuing frontline healthcare heroes and implementing flexible, targeted regulations to improve care and operational outcomes is needed.

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Healthcare providers of all sizes are feeling the impact of burnout, time constraints, and burdensome administrative requirements. This is especially challenging for private practices, which often experience resource and time constraints. Managing these challenges can be overwhelming.

How are practice management companies meeting the evolving needs of healthcare providers?

Practice Better is an electronic health record and practice management software that serves independent health and wellness practitioners. In this week’s episode of “Podnosis,” CEO Kim Walsh shares how the company prioritizes value and the different approaches it takes to best serve its customer base.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• Practice Better adds new tools, billing integration for mental health practitioners
• Elation Health rolls out AI scribing tool embedded in its EHR for primary care docs
• SimplePractice expands into psychiatry with prescription management tool
• 2024 Outlook: How tech, incentives could push measurement-based care in behavioral health

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Specialty drugs bring new hope to patients with complex conditions, but they also present unique challenges.

In this episode of Podnosis, Heath Clendening speaks with Peter Demogenes, Senior Vice President of Product at Optum, about how health plans are adapting to the rapidly changing specialty care sector.

Demogenes explains two common strategies health plans use.

First, individualized management typically sees issues managed on a case-by-case basis, focusing on medical benefits, and utilizing tools to manage costs independently.

Second, holistic management takes a broader view, recognizing the interconnectedness of patients, providers, payers, and stakeholders.

The conversation also highlights the role of innovation, featuring Optum’s Specialty Fusion program. Designed to simplify care for patients with complex conditions, this program not only lowers the cost of expensive specialty drugs but also streamlines treatment decision-making for health plans, helping patients start their therapies sooner.

For further insights into how these innovations are shaping the future of specialty care, listen to the full episode.

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Microplastics are everywhere, including our bodies. Research suggests that ingested microplastics can reduce fertility and increase the risk of cancer and other diseases. However, the full effects of their chemical makeup on human health are not yet known.

Plastic has been used in the healthcare setting since the 1900s. The material does have some benefits, like hygiene and lower cost. At the same time, single-use plastics contribute enormously to healthcare waste and pollute the environment, in addition to the body.

In this week's episode of "Podnosis," two experts break down the history of plastics use in the healthcare sector and what it would take for an organization to phase them out.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• Breathing better: Hospitals begin to phase out major pollutants in patient care
• Industry Voices—Collective action is the key to decarbonizing healthcare
• Hackensack Meridian hospitals first to attain Joint Commission's new sustainability certification
• Most clinicians believe hospitals should address climate change, Commonwealth Fund survey finds

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In this week's episode of "Podnosis," we dive into a discussion with two founders of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI). They share why both local providers and the federal government must play a role in overseeing AI in healthcare.

Brian Anderson, M.D., CEO of CHAI, and Michael Pencina, Ph.D., COO of CHAI and Director of Duke AI Health, tackle the misconception that legacy tech giants can stifle startup competitors through the assurance lab model. They also share updates on the federal AI assurance lab network, revealed first to Fierce Healthcare.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• CHAI releases draft framework of quality assurance standards for healthcare AI
• UMass Chan Medical School, MITRE plan to open assurance lab to test healthcare AI
• HIMSS24: Microsoft, 16 health systems to operationalize AI under new partner network

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When it comes to health and wellbeing, good habits are everything. But forming habits is a challenge and maintaining them can be, too.

To try to help, a growing number of healthcare companies are looking to incentivize consumers to take care of themselves more proactively by forming lasting healthy habits. One such company, Wellth, works with payers to keep their members engaged and healthier.

In this week’s episode of “Podnosis,” Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya interviews Matt Loper, Wellth’s co-founder and CEO. She also chats with John Snyder, the former president and CEO of Sanford Health Plan, where he explains the return on investment the plan saw by working with a vendor like Wellth.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• Wellth reels in $20M to scale up its 'behavioral economics' approach to tackle chronic conditions
• How providers are leveraging patient engagement tools to close gaps in cancer screenings
• WebMD Ignite launches new member engagement platform for payers

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