Empowered Patient Podcast

Dr. Kevin de la Roza is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist and entrepreneur who has developed the Vocera Ease app that allows for care team members and family to stay in touch during the hospitalization of a patient.  Especially in the time of COVID-19 and changes in access to the waiting room, this app is a valuable one-way communications tool so that nurses and doctors can share real-time updates and videos and initiate a video chat with family members to keep them aware of progress while their loved one is in the hospital. @VoceraEase. @Vocera #COVID19 Vocera.com Download the transcript here.

Cam Deemer, President, DrFirst shines light on the world of drug pricing and the lack of cost transparency for both doctors and patients. DrFirst is working with Prime Therapeutics, a PBM primarily focused on BlueCross and BlueShield, to integrate their data and provide drug price transparency to now 90% of covered lives. Cost is the number one reason people do not fill a prescription and patients are more likely to abandon an expensive prescription. Doctors and patients need to have an informed conversation about costs of therapy versus benefits of a particular drug. @DrFirst  #pricetransparency #medadherence #medicaladherence DrFirst.com Download the transcript here

Matt Shields was a healthy, competitive athlete and designer of the world's largest telescope when he had a widowmaker heart attack. Saved by the implantation of an Abbott XIENCE stent, Matt was able resume his active life in Australia. During his convalescence, Matt realized that his knowledge about component tracking from his work looking into space could be applied to supply chain management in the healthcare world. Working with Abbott and healthcare professionals in Australia and the US, Matt and team are harnessing the power of Salesforce to deploy an app that provides real-time informatics to dramatically change the way stock is managed including those XIENCE stents. @epicheartsmatt  @AbbottCardio #XIENCE #DES #DAPT #CardioTwitter #Abbott EpicHearts.com.au Download the transcript here

Gabe jones, CEO and Co-Founder Proprio Vision is working with a diverse team to bring a robotic surgical navigation system using mixed reality, AI and immersive tech to the medical field to help make super surgeons.  Proprio's technology exponentially improves instrumental accuracy, surgical navigation by creating 3D canvas of a patient's brain and spine. Gabe is a former Wall Street M&A broker who spent time with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation before turning his time to Proprio and the application of transformative Light Field Imaging technology. @proprio_vision #LightFieldimaging #AI #GatesFoundation Propriovision.com Download the transcript here  

Dr. Scott Sigman, orthopedic surgeon and co-founder OrthoLazer Centers has learned how effective the laser can be from his work on acute injuries, chronic inflammatory conditions and around the time of surgery.  As a result, he decided to pursue the idea that laser could be used to treat the cytokine storm in patients suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia. Using an FDA approved laser Scott is pursing early trials with the help of other researchers to test the idea of using laser for COVID-19 to block the formation of the cytokine. #COVID19 #Pneumonia #LaserTherapy #cytokinestorm OrthoLazer.com Download the transcript here

Mark Campbell, Vice President, Clinical Solutions RxBenefits on their technology-enabled prescription benefits services being offered to self-funded employer groups who are managing their own benefits. COVID-19 has driven changes in enrollment and demand for services as well changing the number of prescriptions and average cost of a prescription and might have a dramatic impact for employers in 2021. #pharmaceuticals #PBM #PBO #genericdrugs #COVDI19 RxBenefits.com Download the transcript here.

Dr. Nishi Rawat, Senior Vice President, Appriss Health and Co-Founder OpenBeds shines a light on the challenges of finding appropriate substance abuse disorder and mental health treatment especially in light of the additional challenges from COVID-19. Instead of a clinician facing network, development of a consumer friendly interface allows the patient and their caregivers to have access to information to make an informed decision about the right level of treatment. #StandUpForRecovery #RecoveryMovement #FindHelpwithTC OpenBeds.net recovertogether.withgoogle.com Download the transcript here

Rahul Aras, CEO, Iterion Therapeutics, describes their lead product Tegavivint, a potent selective inhibitor of nuclear beta-catenin, a high-value oncology target because of its role in cell proliferation, differentiation, immune evasion and other aspects of cancer development. An early clinical study in patients with the rare disease Desmoid tumors has showed that their tumor stabilized and reversed in size.  Progress is being driven by recent understanding of the role of TBL1 in driving oncogenic activity of beta-catenin. #IterionTherapeutics #Tegavivint #cancer #DesmoidTumors #nuclearbetacatenin #TBL1 Iteriontherapeutics.com Download the transcript here  

Ryan McQuaid, CEO and Co-Founder, PlushCare describes the digital longitudinal primary care platform they have developed to promote strong relationships between doctors and patients. With an eye to moving telehealth to the next level, PlushCare is focusing on improving healthcare intelligence, preventative actions and ongoing and chronic conditions instead of the historical transaction-based dispatch model of care.  COVID-19 is accelerating the interest in virtual primary care with a significant increase in visits for mental health. @PlushCare #telehealth #COVID19 #digitalhealth #telemedicine PlushCare.com Download the transcript here  

Bernard Gilly PhD, CEO and Co-Founder, GenSight Biologics talks about the innovative gene therapy treatments GenSight is developing to fight blinding diseases. Bernard sheds light on treating Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a mitochondrial rare disease as well as retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Their goal is to change the lives of patients who are either losing their sight or have lost their sight because of a neurodegenerative condition in their retina. @GenSightBio #blindness #LHON #RP #retinitispigmentosa #augmentedvision GenSight-Biologics.com Download the transcript here.  

Scott McFarland, CEO, IntegriMedical has taken on the challenge of needle phobia and safe and secure disposal of sharp objects in clinics and in the field.  Needle-free technology is allowing healthcare professionals to quickly administer vaccinations with a greener approach allowing regular biohazard disposal. Working with vaccine and biologic manufacturers this needle-free approach may be instrumental in the rapid deployment of a COVID-19 vaccine. #MedicalDevice #PatientSafety #LifeScience #MedTech #Innovation #COVID19 #vaccines Integrimedical.com Download the transcript here

Melvie Berkery, Executive Director, St. Marie's Hospice in Detroit talks about the complexities and issues surrounding End of Life Care particularly when healthcare has been upended due to COVID-19.  With a mission to help patients and family members make this transition, Melvie explains their philosophy about providing physical, emotional, social and spiritual support.  She also reflects on how technology is being embraced by patients and caregivers and the need to address the End of Life Care needs of the African-American population. #EndofLifeCare  #hospice StMarieshospice.org Download the transcript here.

Jill Sisco, President, Acromegaly Community talks about her experience with acromegaly beginning in her early twenties. She reveals how difficult it is to diagnose this condition, available therapies, and advancements in turning injectable medications into oral treatments. As a patient advocate for those who suffer from this rare disease, Jill has created five closed Facebook groups to support men, women, and family and loved ones who are affected by acromegaly. #acromegaly #pituitary #raredisease #PatientAdvocate #PatientAdvocacy Acromegalycommunity.org Download the transcript here

Dr. John Poothullil, is an expert on diabetes and cancer as well as an author.  He talks about his newest book When Your Child Has Cancer and what we have learned about the causes and possible treatments for cancers that strike children.  With an eye to improving the immune system of the child, Dr. John reminds us that precancerous and cancer cells often are found in the body but the immune system is designed to destroy them.  He also provides tips for caregivers of children with cancer to empower all to join in the fight for recovery. #cancer #childhoodcancer #childhoodcancerawareness DrJohnHealth.com Download the transcript here

Jim Archetto, Vice President Gaumard Scientific describes the range of simulators available to train healthcare professionals in routine medical procedures as well as rarely seen scenarios.  Simulation becomes vital in the education process during these days of COVID-19. Life-like patient simulators are being used to train physicians and nurses to insert an IV, deliver babies, treat newborns, and respond to adult critical care needs. These medical robots are changing the face of healthcare education. @GaumardinFocus  #COVID19 #medicalrobots #medicalsimulators Gaumard.com Download the transcript here.  

Craig Fraser, CEO and President, Windtree Therapeutics talks about acute heart failure, the number one reason for hospitalization in people over 65 and the fact that there has been little innovation in trying to improve cardiac function. Developing a novel dual action drug called istaroxime, Windtree is addressing both parts of the cycles of the heart - increasing blood pressure and also lowering the heart rate. After using a diuretic, administration of ista is producing positive data for better function of the heart. @windtreetx #AHF #HeartFailure #cardiovascular Windtreetx.com Download the transcript here

Maryvonne Hiance, President, and Christian Policard, Board Member, HealthTech For Care talk about the upcoming HealthTech Innovation Days taking place virtually as well as in-person in Paris. Attendance is expected to dramatically increase over the participation at the first event held last year, in part driven by the needs revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the ability of international investors, scientists, and pharma and biotech experts to participate online.  The key mission is to drive collaboration and funding for the next generation of medical therapies. @HTID_Paris #HTID #healthtechforcare #innovation #conference HTID-Paris.com Download the transcript here.

Spiro Rombotis, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals dives into the insights about cell cycle check point control that have led to the development of fadraciclib, a potent orally and intravenously available inhibitor of CDK2 and CDK9 cancer pathways. Drawing on the vision of the company's founding scientist, Professor Sir David Lane, the mission of Cyclacel is to provide cancer patients with a treatment that allows them to live with their cancer and not die from it. #Cyclacel #fadra #cancer #solidtumors Cyclacel.com Download the transcript here  

Fred Colen, Chief Executive Officer, Neovasc sheds light on the four classes of angina and how the quality of life deteriorates for patients suffering from symptoms. Looking for the fundamental reason for the chronic condition of refractory angina has led Neovasc to address the small blood vessels inside the myocardium, the muscle of the heart. With their interventional cardiology procedure, the implanted device increases the pressure inside these small arteries and  improves all symptoms.   @neovasc #RefractoryAngina #angina #heartdisease Neovasc.com Download the transcript here

Brian Culley, CEO, Lineage Cell Therapeutics talks about the risk we all face from developing age-related macular degeneration - both wet AMD and dry AMD. While there are treatments for wet AMD, currently there is no interventional approved treatment for dry AMD. Lineage is developing a ground-breaking treatment for dry AMD that includes injecting new retina cells into the back of the eye which then multiply and repair and even reverse the damage to the eye. @LineageCell #AMD #WetAMD #DryAMD #eyehealth #celltherapy LineageCell.com Download the transcript here.