Ryan Starks

🚀 Great to see Blaze.tech featured in the Black Opal Ventures inaugural impact report! This report provides a great snapshot of the impact of their portfolio companies on driving better health outcomes through innovation.👇

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Yunu started with a question - 'What is the biggest problem we can solve with our collective experience?' We landed on #imaging in #clinicaltrials. It's a major milestone for us to be able to give back and accelerate the good in such a deserving area as #pediatric #oncology #research. Children's Oncology Group

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I love this story! CirrusMD is using Writer to help patients navigate their benefit plans to improve the quality of care they receive. The future is here! Companies are finally starting to bring generative AI to mission-critical workflows. This is how AI will help us offer better products and services to our customers everyday. "At the end of a chat, a provider would love to say, “Hey, did you know you have access to digital physical therapy? I think that could really help with your back pain.” But manually matching benefits to each patient’s health situation and coverage is incredibly tedious and time-consuming. With Writer, we built and deployed our AI-powered benefits navigation workflow in under four months. It automatically reviews chat history and provides personalized health benefit recommendations covered by the patient’s plan. We integrated this directly into the CirrusMD chat experience via API, making it easily accessible for our physicians." After over a year of experimenting with DIY AI, Writer’s full-stack platform helped CirrusMD bring this to life quickly, with more workflows following. Special shout out to Writer's customer marketing team of Deanna Dong and Cecilia W. for shining a light on great stories like this one. https://lnkd.in/eyuZPGTJ

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 "Life in Motion" There is no set it and forget it. It’s a constant balancing act, shaped by our choices, challenges, and dreams. That’s what this new feature from UCLA Anderson Women "Life in Motion" is all about. We'll explore the insights and stories of some of the most accomplished women in our alumni community. Their reflections on everything from defining success to navigating leadership and life are inspiring. Listen to Satiya Witzer's perspective on "What is Success?" 👇 📌 Follow us at UCLA Anderson Women for more and to join the conversation. #LifeInMotion #AndersonWomen #Leadership #MBA #SuccessStories

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This article from McKinsey & Company published this week is spot on in terms of where healthcare has opportunities to improve consumer experiences (particularly digital) and learn from other industries on how to provide that experience. The 3 trends they highlighted are particularly interesting: - Trend 1: Consumers are spending more on health and wellness but are not satisfied and want more innovation - Trend 2: Consumers trust the healthcare industry with their data, but organizations underuse it - Trend 3: Consumers are actively shopping and making trade-offs What struck me is that trends 1 and 2 are nascent opportunities where consumers are practically begging for better experiences and trend 3 is a stark warning/threat if they dont! https://lnkd.in/e6_ABwU9?

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In healthcare, data alone doesn’t mean much. The real magic happens when we turn that raw data into "actionable insights"—and that’s where the real impact on patient care begins. At NirogGyan | Smart Health Reports & AI, I’ve personally seen how converting complex lab data into simple, meaningful insights can completely change how patients and doctors interact. It’s not just about presenting results—it’s about giving people the power to understand their health and take action. Whether it’s catching early warning signs or fine-tuning treatment, those insights are what drive proactive healthcare. Data is just the start. What we do with it is what truly makes a difference. #HealthData #PatientCare #ActionableInsights #NirogGyan #HealthTech

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Generative AI is transforming healthcare, and we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface. 🚀 I had the opportunity to attend an insightful #HLTH2024 session featuring Daniel Yang, MD, VP of AI and Emerging Technologies at Kaiser Permanente, Parminder Bhatia, Chief AI Officer at GE HealthCare, Bianca Diana Anghelina, Founder of AILY LABS, and Rohan Ramakrishna, MD, Neurosurgeon and Co-Founder of Roon. Here are some standout insights: 🔹 AI to Alleviate the Supply and Demand Problem Dr. Yang emphasized that the traditional 1:1 clinician-to-patient model is not sustainable with the growing demand for healthcare services. "We’re not going to train our way out of this problem." AI is key to augmenting clinicians, moving toward a 1:Many model, empowering patients to self-manage their care with enhanced support. 🔹Unlocking Data to Drive Proactive Care Parminder shared that 90% of health data remains untapped. With AI, we can unlock this data to move from reactive to proactive care, improving patient outcomes and making healthcare more efficient. 🔹 Integration is Key to Success Rohan Ramakrishna emphasized the need for AI to seamlessly integrate into clinical workflows, using EHR in-basket management as an example. While AI can improve these processes, the technology still has work to do in minimizing errors and ensuring clinicians can rely on it for better patient care. 🔹 AI Enhancing the Patient Experience Kaiser Permanente's deployment of Ambient Scribe to over 25,000 doctors has not only eased administrative burdens but also improved patient satisfaction. Patients reported feeling more transparent communication and greater insights into their clinical care. This AI tool has allowed providers to refocus attention on the patient, strengthening trust in the care process. 🔹 Trust in AI is Critical Trust also continues to be a recurring theme. As Daniel Yang said, "Explainability is a proxy for trust—if we understand how AI works, we trust it." Transparency, particularly in clinical settings, is crucial to earning patient trust. Rohan Ramakrishna echoed this by stating that radical transparency is a must when deploying AI in healthcare. Generative AI presents an incredible opportunity to revolutionize healthcare, but it must be handled with care to ensure safety, equity, and ethical application. #HLTH2024 #AIinHealthcare #GenerativeAI #HealthcareInnovation #Trust #FutureOfHealthcare #BeyondtheBedside #PatientExpereince

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⚕#Podcast Slice of Healthcare: Empowering Customer-Centric AI In Healthcare Innovation⚕ Check out this 15-minute podcast, guest hosted by Aasim Saeed, MD-MPA of Amenities Health at #HLTH2024 and featuring #Pegasus startup leaders, Val Brown of Strolll , George Tomeski of Helfie and Ankur Teredesai of CueZen. Topics covered: 💡 Direct-to-Consumer AI in Health: Explore how consumer-oriented AI technologies allow patients to monitor conditions via mobile devices, reducing the need for traditional healthcare visits. 💡Personalized Healthcare at Scale: Learn about AI’s role in customizing treatment plans for millions, moving beyond standardized care to personalized solutions. 💡Augmented Reality for Patient Recovery: Discover how AR tech is enhancing rehabilitation for conditions like Parkinson’s by tailoring exercises to individual patient journeys. 💡Microsoft Pegasus Program: Insights on the Microsoft Pegasus Program’s impact in connecting health startups with healthcare systems for accelerated innovation and scale. 💡Challenges for Startups in Healthcare: A discussion on balancing innovation with adaptability within the existing healthcare framework. Thanks, Jared S. Taylor and team for your partnership! Derek Haynes Vikas Arora Bethany Cordes Jared Prins Tom Davis Andrea DeCamp Sylvie Atkins Ted Roduner Microsoft for Startups Microsoft for Healthcare #AIinHealth #PatientExperience #PersonalizedMedicine #AR #rehab #Innovation #Healthcare #HealthcareOnLinkedIn #startupsuccess

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MiSalud Health just snagged $8M in funding, led by Samsung Next with backing from Ulu Ventures, Magnify Ventures, and Lowercase Capital. For a company literally named “My Health,” they’re taking the phrase from a statement to a movement. At a time when healthcare feels more like a maze than a lifeline for underserved communities, MiSalud is cutting through the noise with culturally aligned care that actually meets people where they are—on their phones, in their language, and with solutions tailored to their needs. This isn’t just about telehealth—it’s about crafting a healthcare model that understands a patient’s culture as much as it understands their condition. With bilingual consultations, personalized care plans, and a focus on chronic condition management, MiSalud delivers more than check-ups—it’s delivering trust. Their same-day appointment model isn’t a perk; it’s an antidote to the slow and siloed systems that leave millions waiting for care they can’t afford to delay. The result? A 90%+ patient satisfaction rate and a footprint in key markets like California, Texas, and Florida, with plans to scale nationally. The team behind this is as sharp as their product. Bismarck Lepe knows how to scale—whether it’s building Ooyala or guiding Wizeline to success, his track record isn’t just a string of wins; it’s proof that execution eats hype for breakfast. Pair that with Wendy Johansson’s design-driven ethos—honed at Amazon and Publicis Sapient—and you’ve got leadership that turns vision into velocity. Together, they’ve built a platform that’s as technically sound as it is deeply human. Samsung Next and their fellow investors aren’t throwing cash at a feel-good project. They see the numbers. Healthcare inequality isn’t just a moral crisis—it’s a $4.5 trillion inefficiency. MiSalud is showing how solving access issues isn’t charity; it’s good business. By aligning patient outcomes with economic incentives for employers and payers, they’re proving that equitable care can also be scalable care. The bigger picture here isn’t just about a company or a round of funding. MiSalud is setting a standard for how businesses should think about the intersection of culture, community, and commerce. The healthcare industry loves its buzzwords, but MiSalud skips the jargon and gets straight to the heart of the matter: fixing what’s broken and serving those who’ve been left behind. #Startups #StartupFunding #HealthCare #TeleHealth #ChronicConditions #PatientCare #Technology #Innovation #Techcosystem #StartupEcosystem #VentureCapital

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General Session, Day 3 @ #HCCAci discussing AI in #healthcare. “Often the legal and compliance folks are the last to know - it’s going live tomorrow. It's important that we understand...what is the big data deal that underlies this relationship? There is the proposed arrangement and the primary use case. What the organization put in and then what gets spit out. But then there is what's going on on the background - the secondary uses of that data that you've disclosed. And different organizations have very different risk tolerances in terms of these allowed secondary use cases." https://lnkd.in/gQ5xh7n3 #AIRisk #AI #RiskManagement #Compliance #Privacy #DataGovernance

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Facing a tight labor market and increasing patient care demands? Find out how the smart integration of technology, from #AI to a unified platform, is enabling healthcare organizations to not only survive but thrive in this new era. #TeamWDAY

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https://lnkd.in/gDPEDrN5 Great quick article for any #CMO of a startup or #privateequity backed tech company. "Which is why business leaders talking to data-driven board members stick with what can be measured – marketing’s contribution to the near-term pipeline. However, that only tells half the story, and honestly, it does marketing (and the value of your board) a disservice." What if you could tell the other half of the story in financial terms that board members do understand? Revup Marketing, Inc. #MarketingROI

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I never realized the magnitude of the clinical and financial impact care teams could have by finding and addressing clinical #malnutrition until I started working with Josiah Meyer. Most leading hospitals identify less than 1/3 of the patients where they could make a difference (and even then do it too late to change LOS) falling short of ideal care while also missing out on material revenue. I'm really looking forward to speaking with Richard Riggs about how Cedars-Sinai has fundamentally changed the game here. Their team achieved remarkable outcomes for patients and for the hospital. What I find exciting is that HealthLeap AI allows all hospitals to function as if they had a top-tier data science team and software development team, especially in areas where we can show the current reality of AI making a difference. If you'd like to learn more or have a nutrition or medical leader at your hospital interested in amplifying the impact care teams can have - with continuous high precision screening of 100% of patients and workflow automation to reduce effort - please join us! #healthcare #innovation #AI

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#MedTech is experiencing adolescent growing pains in its journey to achieve efficient, reliable RWE from #PostMarketSurveillance, with #EUMDR and FDA playing the role of supportive but firm regulatory parental figures. There isn't a crystal ball or one-size-fits-all answer here... but there IS a better approach. Thank you, MedTech Intelligence, Rich West, Inga Hansen, for giving Amelia Hufford and I the opportunity to join this important industry dialogue, and present aiSurveillance technology for your consideration. What are your RWE challenges? Have your devices moved out of their parents' house yet? Will they survive and thrive on their own?

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One key reason why healthcare technologies like AI, telemedicine, and software haven't structurally lowered costs or broadened access for the entire system after decades of experimentation (excluding pure financial engineering of payer contracts) is the limited reimagining of care delivery itself, with asynchronous telemedicine as a notable exception. In the same way that digitizing physical paper failed to exploit the capabilities of a new computing medium for word processing, hosting physician-patient conversations over video does not transform the actual delivery of care. In telemedicine, many of the inputs (e.g., clinician time) and therefore cost structures of in-person care persist, which is why we often see fee-for-service telemedicine companies struggle to achieve economies of scale (i.e., growing revenues non-linearly while growing costs linearly). Until we deconstruct the components of a medical appointment – from intake and triage, to chart review, history gathering, physical examination, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up – we will continue to be underwhelmed by the disconnect between the transformative potential of these technologies and real-world patient/system impact. I’m optimistic that the emergence of reliable and performant medical AI agents will urge us to perform this deconstruction and redesign the fundamental building blocks of a “medical appointment.”

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I’m continually amazed by the strides we’re making in healthcare through the power of generative AI, as discussed at #HLTH2024. The insights shared by leaders like Daniel Yang, MD, and Parminder Bhatia not only underscore the transformative potential of AI but also highlight the challenges we must navigate    #HLTHUSA #AIinHealthcare #GenerativeAI #HealthcareInnovation 

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Really enjoyed this conversation with Rodrigo Hutt and my fellow panelists on The Health Catalyst Podcast. We dive into early-stage company building, the puzzle methodology of leadership team designs, and executive assessment and referencing practices. Take a listen and tell me what resonated with you below! #teambuilding #futurebackwards #executivesearch #talent

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Healthcare inequities impact us all, but data gives us the power to make a difference. Eron Kelly’s latest Forbes article highlights how social drivers of health (SDOH) are reshaping how we approach care. From new CMS measures to improving clinical trial diversity, these steps are critical for advancing equitable outcomes. This is an insightful look at how data is driving change. https://ow.ly/MI0A30sIPPS #SDOH #HealthEquity

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What are some of the ways Kaiser Permanente is using AI? One of the most exciting areas for AI and technology is in supporting our clinicians to manage some of the administrative burden that they face on a day-to-day basis. Kaiser Permanente, to the best of my knowledge, is deploying the largest implementation of the clinical AI scribe technology in the country. The purpose is to generate a first draft of the clinical note from a recording of the patient’s encounter. If we look five years into the future, what do you think AI will be doing in healthcare? We often treat people as a member of a larger population. I think there’s a future state in which we really are moving toward much more personalized care, where the entirety of not just our medical record, but our activities, the foods we eat, are really being used and leveraged to inform diagnoses and interventions that are customized to the individual. 

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