The Health Care Blog

Interview with Al Waxman, Psilos Group

Al Waxman is a healthcare entrepreneur who these days runs the Psilos Group, a venture firm that invests in health care services, health care IT and device and instrumentation companies. Among their better known investments are Active Health Management, Health...
August 24, 2009 in Health 2.0, Marketplace, PHRs, Physicians, Podcasts, Policy, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

Frances Dare explains HITECH, really well

By Matthew Holt Frances Dare from Cisco is a buddy of mine who has more and more been their student of what's going on in Washington. Given that we just saw the biggest piece of health care IT legislation ever...
March 4, 2009 in Electronic Medical Records, Health 2.0, Matthew Holt, Physicians, Podcasts, Policy, Policy/Politics, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cisco's Frances Dare talks about Congressional action on health IT

By Matthew Holt Frances Dare is someone I've know for a long time in the health care IT world (sorry, Frances!). That means that she's seen the painfully slow developments in many aspects of health IT since the 1990s, and...
August 26, 2008 in Electronic Medical Records, Matthew Holt, Podcasts, Technology, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview with Trizetto & Eliza

By Matthew Holt Due to poor planning on my part, this morning I was up scandalously early to talk with Gene Drabinksi, who runs the CareAdvance unit of Trizetto, and Alexandra Drane, President of Eliza. Last week they announced a...
July 16, 2008 in Health Plans, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview with Sandeep Agate, REACH Call

By Matthew Holt We don't talk much about traditional telemedicine at THCB, but remote care is not just for consumers. There's also huge possibilities for clinicians to use these technologies to tap into expertise that can make specialty care more...
July 8, 2008 in Matthew Holt, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew's top podcasts this year

By THCB STAFF The Health Care Blog is working hard to bring readers more excellent content, but the downside of that is great posts and podcasts quickly get buried. Here's a quick list of Matthew's top podcasts this year. Adam...
July 1, 2008 in Health 2.0, Matthew Holt, Podcasts, Technology, THCB | Permalink | Comments (3)

Podcast with Marston Alfred, founder and architect of SugarStats

By Jen McCabe Gorman Marston Alfred, founder and chief architect of SugarStats.com chatted recently with me about his relatively new, Web-based program that allows diabetics to track their health statistics online. Alfred described SugarStats as a portable PHR specifically for...
June 10, 2008 in e-patients, Health 2.0, Online Communities, Personalized Medicine, Podcasts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kaiser tiptoes into HealthVault & tells THCB about it, with UPDATE

By Matthew Holt Kaiser Permanente signed on this morning for a pretty extensive pilot with Microsoft, allowing its 159,000 employees to copy their online health records into HealthVault. This is a big coup for Microsoft and a fairly ambitious move...
June 9, 2008 in Electronic Medical Records, Google, Health 2.0, Matthew Holt, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (11)

The Long Baby Boom

By Matthew Holt Last Friday I had a great chat with healthcare futurist Jeff Goldsmith about his new book, the Long Baby Boom. We discussed the policy and cultural issues of retirement, Medicare, Social Security, immigration, end-of-life care and meaning...
June 8, 2008 in Podcasts, Policy, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview with Kerry Hicks, HealthGrades CEO

By Matthew Holt HealthGrades has been busy. The publicly traded, pure-play provider ratings company is changing the way it offers ratings, it's publishing a book, and it's starting to rate drugs. It's not alone. Last week, Consumer Reports announced it...
June 2, 2008 in Health 2.0, Podcasts, Quality, Technology | Permalink | Comments (2)

Caring.com & Trusera -- two Health 2.0 newbies talk

By Matthew Holt Two of the more interesting newcomers in the Health 2.0 scene gathered around the electronic watercooler, which is THCB's podcast series, to talk about what they're up to and why they are worth looking at. Andy Cohen...
May 29, 2008 in Health 2.0, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

Podcast with Silverlink and IncentOne

By Matthew Holt Those of you regular THCBers are by now probably bored with me going on about the problems (and opportunities) with incentivizing people in health care to do the right thing. So today Silverlink which does automated voice...
May 13, 2008 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview with Joseph Kvedar, Partners Center for Connected Health

By Matthew Holt Joseph Kvedar is the director of Center for Connected Health, which is part of the Partners HealthCare System's empire in Boston (that's Mass General and the Brigham for you old-schoolers). Joe emceed the conference I spoke at...
May 7, 2008 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (2)

TECH/HEALTH 2.0: Eliza & Silverlink, strategic healthcom 2.0

So the gang is all in San Diego getting ready for the Health 2.0 conference which starts Monday (gulp, that's today!) Feverish last minute preparations are apace. I spent some time on Saturday morning talking to two people at the...
March 3, 2008 in Health 2.0, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (2)

TECH: Drugs & technology--Allscripts and SafeMed

To finish off the last but not least of my HIMSS interviews, here are two companies that both announced being part of the Google ecosystem on the Thursday of HIMSS. One is well known and a leader in ePrescribing and...
March 2, 2008 in Pharma, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (3)

TECH: Location tracking, RadarFind's view

I’m still hot on location tracking. The idea is that if you can locate devices like pumps and wheelchairs and eventually staff and patients, hospitals should become much more operationally efficient. But this market which is now 4–5 years old...
March 1, 2008 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

TECH/PODCAST: Microsoft speaks health care

Microsoft has made some big strides in health this past year. You can easily argue that a) its search has outpaced Google (following the acquisition of Medstory), b) that it’s making strides in the provider market with the renamed Amalga...
March 1, 2008 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

TECH: Interview with Newt Gingrich

The controversial and not-shy-with-his-opinions former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has been very active in recent years promoting the automation of health records and EMRs. But he’s never been a great pains to stress how that would get done...
March 1, 2008 in Podcasts, Policy, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

TECH/PODCAST: ICW's Jeremy Coote

ICW is a German-based consumer facing record company, that is dominant in Germany and several Eastern European countires. Over here they decided that their skills lie in integrating data from disparate systems, very much a Health 2.0 trend (which is...
February 26, 2008 in Health 2.0, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST: American Well's Roy Schoenberg

Ever since I saw Roy Schoenberg (of American Well)'s view of the future of patient to physician communication I've been waiting to bring it to you on THCB and the Health 2.0 Blog. And finally I was able to get...
February 19, 2008 in Health 2.0, Podcasts | Permalink | Comments (1)

PODCAST/TECH: Interview with Todd Cozzens, CEO of Picis

Todd Cozzens is the CEO of Massachusetts-based Picis, a company that's made a lot of headway in selling clinical automation software to operating rooms, emergency departments and ICUs in American hospitals and abroad. Last week I got the chance to...
February 4, 2008 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/HEALTH 2.0: Interview with Tony Miller, Carol

One of the most interesting new Health 2.0 companies is Carol--a Minnesota start-up that is aiming at the heart of the health care system. It's trying to create "care packages" that will in the end (if it works) change how...
January 29, 2008 in Health 2.0, Podcasts | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST: Interview with Michael O'Neil GetWellNetwork

This podcast I did with Michael O'Neil who is the founder of GetWellNetwork. Michael had an episode of cancer relatively early in his adult life and although he was the recipient of great medical care from one of our nation's...
January 8, 2008 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST: Overtreated, Shannon Brownlee explains all

I am so so far behind getting my transcripts of podcasts up here that it’s not funny. But this was one of the most recent and one of the most fun that I’ve ever done. It was a discussion with...
December 3, 2007 in Podcasts, Policy | Permalink | Comments (12)

Best of: AthenaHealth's Jonathan Bush on the end of software

AthenaHealth's Jonathan Bush was patient enough to talk through two interviews with me. The first died in a software flameout--the second crashed my computer, but thankfully the recording was still there after my very fearful restart! Jonathan explains AthenaHealth's business...
September 16, 2007 in Health 2.0, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (3)

BEST OF: JD Kleinke talks about PHRs, Omnimedix and the Dossia controversy

JD Kleinke is always one of the more controversial and fun people in health care policy and health care IT. He doesn't just write about stuff--he also gets really involved. From his early days at HCIA to his more recent...
September 16, 2007 in Podcasts, Policy, Technology | Permalink | Comments (4)

BEST OF: Interview with Shawn Jenkins, CEO BenefitFocus

When I was contacted by the PR folks representing BenefitFocus I found out that they'd quietly put into place the original 1995 business plan of Healtheon--connecting employers and health plans electronically around enrollment and billing. (Remember The New New Thing?)...
August 31, 2007 in Health 2.0, Health Plans, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

PODCAST/QUALITY/TECH/HEALTH PLANS: Disease management, technolgy and the future of health care--Gordon Norman tells all

Gordon Norman is Exec VP and Chief Science Officer at Alere Medical, formerly head of DM at Pacificare and a font of knowledge and opinion about disease management, technology, the role of health plans, and the chances for overall change...
August 6, 2007 in Health Plans, Podcasts, Quality, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

PODCAST: Fine art and healthcare--a conversation with David St Clair, MeDecision

A while back I got a rather unusual email from MEDecision-- an interesting tech company I've interviewed before on THCB. It was actually quoting their CEO David St Clair who'd just seen Malcom Gladwell and it said this: Picasso was...
August 1, 2007 in Podcasts, Policy, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECHNOLOGY: Shiftwise Founder Jason Lander

Shiftwise wants to become the Travelocity or the Orbitz of the nurse staffing business by bringing web-based solutions to a field that has been dominated for years by agencies using outdated technology. By allowing HR managers to match available staff...
July 31, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (2)

PODCAST: Kelsey-Seybold tries to reinvent direct contracting

Kelsey-Seybold, the big multi-specialty group in Houston, TX, has plunged into direct contracting with employers in recent years. You wouldn't expect that type of activity in Texas from a physician group, so I talked to Dr Patrick Carter, the medical...
July 27, 2007 in Physicians, Podcasts | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECH: HEALTH2.0/TECH/PODCAST: Interview with Venky Harinarayan, Founder Kosmix

Here's this week's interview is with Venky Harinarayan, Founder and (unofficial) CEO at Kosmix. Kosmix wants its new RightHealth site to be the "unofficial home page for health". He'll tell you about categories and "broad" searching, the intricacies of the...
June 14, 2007 in Health 2.0, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECH: Interview with Luis Machuca, CEO Kryptiq

We had Luis Machuca CEO of Kryptiq on a podcast from WHCC talking about his company's health plan earlier in May. But he didn't get to talk much about his company's business or technology. This interview rectifies that, and it's...
June 13, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/CONSUMERS/TECH: Interview with Joseph Kvedar, Partners' Connected Health guru

This is the transcript of the podcast interview I did with Joseph Kvedar, from Partners Center for Connected Health. Coincidentally this past Tuesday in NYC, the Center, along with Continue Health Alliance and others, sponsored a meeting about the use...
May 14, 2007 in Consumers, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECH: Interview with Chris Hobson, Orion Health

Last week THCB picked up a new sponsor, as evidenced by the banner to the right. Orion Health provides messaging, interoperability and clinical work-flow solutions. So I thought that it might not be a bad idea to interview Orion to...
April 24, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/PHYSICIANS/QUALITY: Interview with David Seligman, CEO of Best Doctors

Here’s the transcript of the interview earlier this week with David Seligman, CEO of Best Doctors. Pretty interesting especially for those of you thinking about how to improve health care quality on a national and perhaps nationally branded level. (By...
April 12, 2007 in Physicians, Podcasts, Quality | Permalink | Comments (4)

PODCAST/PHYSICIANS/QUALITY: Interview with David Seligman, CEO of Best Doctors

This is an interesting podcast (well aren't they all?). I interviewed the CEO of Best Doctors, David Seligman, about his network of second opinion providers and a whole lot more. They're having quite a bit of success selling the service,...
April 10, 2007 in Physicians, Podcasts, Quality | Permalink | Comments (0)

TECH/PODCAST: RHIOs, physician messaging et al--the word from Axolotl's Ray Scott

Here's the transcript of last weeks podcast with Axolotl's CEO Ray Scott. Essential stuff if you care about health data and information exchange--which for some reason some people seem to think is important! Matthew Holt: It's Matthew Holt. I'm back...
April 9, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

TECH/PODCAST: RHIOs, physician messaging et al--the word from Axolotl's Ray Scott

Ray Scott is CEO of Axolotl. Ray is a British egghead (a math whiz) who somehow got himself dragged over to California in the mid-1990s. Since then, and quietly building on a great success in the oddball Northern California surfing...
April 3, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCASTS/HEALTH PLANS/TECH: Interview with Stan Nowak, CEO of Silverlink

Stan Nowak is President and CEO of Silverlink which does automated phone calls on behalf of health plans. It's a lot more complex and much more interesting than you might think, and it really is closing the loop for those...
March 28, 2007 in Health Plans, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/CONSUMERS/TECH: Interview with MaryAnn Stump CEO, Consumer Aware--HealthFacts.org

This is the transcript of my interview last month with MaryAnn Stump CEO, Consumer Aware. Consumer Aware is the BCBS Minnesota subsidiary that puts out the web site HealthCareFacts.org which ranks and rates hospitals and clinics. Unfortunately I had some...
March 15, 2007 in Consumers, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (2)

PODCAST/TECH: Bryan Dieter , CEO of Purkinjie--EMR for the masses?

Here’s the transcript of my interview with Bryan Dieter from Purkinjie, who have a new EMR/practice management product for the smaller physician market. The only thing that I didn’t notice but did get picked up by one of my savvy...
March 13, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECH: John Capobianco, President of Medecision "making the unknown known"

Here’s the transcript from interview with John Capobianco from Medecision talking mostly about the “payer-based health records” they’re developing with several big health plan customers, and distributing to providers. The audio podcast is here. Matthew Holt: Matthew Holt with The...
March 12, 2007 in Health Plans, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

PODCAST/TECH: Interview with the Cisco health care brain trust--Transcript

This is the transcript of my interview at HIMSS with Cisco’s health care team leaders Jeff Rideout & Frank Grant. The audio podcast is available here. Matthew Holt: This is Matthew Holt with The Health Care Blog. It's another podcast...
March 9, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

PODCAST/CONSUMERS/TECH: HealthFacts

BCBS of Minnesota has set up an interesting approach to transparency and measuring provider performance. They've created a site called HealthCareFacts.org for consumers to look at and compare provider details, set up a subsidiary called Consumer Aware to run it,...
March 6, 2007 in Consumers, Health Plans, Podcasts, Quality, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

PODCAST/TECH: Medecision interview, "making the unknown known"

Next I talked with John Copabianco, President of Medecision. They've been helping some big payers roll out payer-based health records, building on their core utilization and care management business. Here's his take. I'll be doing a little more later today...
February 28, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECH: Interview with the Cisco health care brains trust

Then I got the Cisco health care brain trust together (Jeff Rideout and Frank Grant) who told me why Cisco really cares about health care. I wasn't too contentious with them, but then again they are an occasional client--and anyway...
February 28, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECH/CONSUMERS: Bob Lorsch from My MedicalRecords.com

Next I had a good combative chat with Bob Lorsch who's sunk a lot of money into MyMedicalRecords.com and believes that a standalone personal medical record company can survive and prosper. I'm somewhat skeptical, so it was fun to get...
February 28, 2007 in Consumers, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (2)

PODCAST/TECH: Purkinjie--EMR for the masses?

My next interview is with Bryan Dieter, CEO of Purkinjie. Not as well known as Allscripts but with a new product to market aimed at the problem area of the small physician practice, and a new round of $10m in...
February 28, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

PODCAST/TECH: Allscripts CEO Interview--What's the future for eRx and EHR?

Two really interesting conversations today. First a chat with Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman. Find out what he thinks about Barack Obama, the dot-com boom and the bust, and ePrescribing. Not necessarily in that order. He also brought HIMSS doc of...
February 28, 2007 in Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (4)