Florida is among the fastest-growing states in the U.S. Demand for healthcare is also growing. Predicting community needs can help organizations be better prepared to serve patients.

To understand what health systems in Florida are thinking about when it comes to architecture and design, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks to Michael Compton, director of healthcare, Florida, at Barge Design Solutions.

Compton shares the projects he takes on as a board-certified healthcare architect and predicts what the next few design trends might be in the state.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• 'We can't do this alone': Hospitals share lessons from Hurricane Helene to prepare for extreme weather events
• Kaiser Permanente launches renewable energy microgrid at California hospital
• Florida health system tackles expansion challenges to meet growing demand

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The hype around artificial intelligence in healthcare has yet to fizzle out. The technology offers a significant opportunity for healthcare organizations to reduce complexity and inefficiencies in the system. However, there are plenty of risks to navigate, too.

In this episode of "Podnosis," Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sits down with Sandeep Dadlani, CEO of Optum Insight and former chief technology officer at UnitedHealth Group, to discuss how the industry giant is deploying AI today and the guardrails that are necessarily in place to keep patient data safe.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• UnitedHealth taps Sandeep Dadlani to lead Optum Insight unit
• AI Pulse: Microsoft rolls out updated 'Copilot for health' feature; athenahealth embeds agentic AI into athenaOne platform
• AMA launches initiative in bid for AI policy leadership
• Optum unveils new AI-powered claims processing platform

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In this sponsored episode of Podnosis, host Chris Hayden speaks with Dr. Jigar Patel, Chief Medical and Product Officer at Claritev, about one of healthcare’s biggest financial blind spots—revenue leakage.

Dr. Patel explains why hospitals often lose up to 15–25 cents of every revenue dollar through inefficiencies, under-optimized contracts, and fragmented data systems. He shares how lack of analytics expertise and opaque reimbursement models especially impact community and rural hospitals, and how initiatives like price transparency are beginning to level the playing field. Dr. Patel also introduces Claritev’s CompleteVue, a solution that helps CFOs and revenue leaders identify leakage points, benchmark reimbursement rates, and strengthen contract negotiations.

Tune in to learn how health systems can use data to improve reimbursement integrity, reduce administrative waste, and sustain financial health in an increasingly complex payer landscape.

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There is a newer wave of middlemen in the self-insured market: alternative funding programs.

The for-profit vendors claim to help employers save money on expensive specialty medications by obtaining them for free or at a steep discount through alternative sources. While they may sound promising, some healthcare experts describe them as sneaky, harmful to patients and in a gray zone ethically and legally.

Last week, Fierce Healthcare published an investigation into the business model and consequences of alternative funders. In this episode, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya describes her reporting process and findings with Executive Editor Heather Landi.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

A new wave of middlemen offers 'alternative funding' for specialty drugs. Patients bear the risks

As large employers back away from self-insurance, small- and medium-sized ones embrace it: EBRI

Out-of-pocket spending on prescriptions grew even after accounting for rebates: study

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Amid a breakneck pace of regulatory changes under the Trump administration, healthcare stakeholders are scrambling to keep up. Experts are sharing learnings and doing their best to understand how the policies of today affect the sector.

Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya chats with two executives with a front-row seat to those conversations: Maria Ghazal, CEO of the Healthcare Leadership Council; and Robert Andrews, CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance.

Both organizations recently had meetings with their members to debrief on policies like President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Most Favored Nation and more.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• White House announces new prescription drug website, TrumpRx
• How the shutdown impacts healthcare: Reductions in force begin at HHS, with some hiccups at CDC
• New Medicaid federal work requirements mean less leeway for states
• Federal government enters shutdown, virtual care programs expire

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Millions of Americans are affected by cancer each year. For many, hair loss is among the most distressing side effects of chemotherapy treatment, causing some to put off or refuse chemo.

A revolutionary technology exists: scalp cooling, which involves wearing a cold cap during treatment to restrict blood vessels and reduce how much chemo reaches the hair follicles.

Rossalynn Ripper, a breast cancer survivor, was able to use scalp cooling to prevent hair loss during her treatment. Now, she advocates for her home state of Maryland to pass a bill requiring insurers to cover the treatment.

Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks to Ripper and her oncologist, Young Lee, M.D., of Luminis Health, about why scalp cooling is important to treatment access and what barriers remain.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• CMS rolls out new payment model on improving cancer treatments
• Accelerating solutions to cancer through impact investing
• More patients are surviving cancer, but incident rates rising among women and younger adults: ACS report

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Payment integrity is top of mind as insurers face growing pressure to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse. Successful programs require investment in technology and expertise to analyze trends and identify abnormalities. The team at Optum Insight works closely with insurers across the healthcare system to examine this data

In this episode of "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare senior writer Paige Minemyer sits down with Steve Yurjevich, CEO of the payer market at Optum Insight, to discuss the challenges and solutions in this space.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• 'Well-intentioned, poorly executed waste': How tech companies aim to reduce billions in wasteful spending
• New Mountain Capital merges Apixio, Varis and The Rawlings Group in $3B deal
• CMS sets up real-time medical fraud center with DOGE; Federal contractor rolls out commercial tool
• Industry Voices—We need to fight fraud the right way

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The Democratic Women’s Caucus, a coalition of 96 lawmakers, advocates for women’s economic prosperity, healthcare access and safety.

In this week’s episode of "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare staff writer Emma Beavins speaks with Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Rep. Kelly Morrison of Minnesota about their policy agenda, including the impact of Medicaid cuts, the fight for abortion and birth control access, and efforts to work with Republicans on healthcare reform.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• Fighting maternal and infant health inequities
• UnitedHealth report: Disparities persist in maternal, infant health
• Most states saw hospital obstetric service shutdowns from 2010-2022, with rural states hit hardest
• Gates Foundation invests $2.5B to spark women's health innovations
• The business case for investing in women’s health
• CMS selects states for Medicaid maternal health model
• Maternal mental health in the spotlight

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