This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Barry Meier, author of “Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic,” on Purdue Pharma, makers of the narcotic OxyContin, and the pivotal role they played in “the greatest public health crisis of the 21st Century.”
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Rasu Shrestha, Chief Innovation Officer of UPMC and VP of UPMC Enterprises, the entrepreneurial division of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Shrestha is also Co-Chair of Health Datapalooza, and discusses the need for design thinking and building a culture of innovation to truly transform the health care system.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Eric Topol, renowned cardiologist, geneticist, digital health advocate, and founder of the Scripps Translational Science Institute. They discuss his work developing technologies for the “All of Us” precision medicine campaign at NIH, and the efforts still needed to support true precision medicine initiatives in American health care.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Pulitzer Prize winning Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou, author of “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup,” a riveting account of the scandal he uncovered at Theranos, a health tech startup that promised to revolutionize diagnostic testing. Mr. Carreyrou uncovered company founder Elizabeth Holmes’ widespread deception that duped high level investors and put patients’ lives at risk.
This week hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. David Blumenthal, President of the Commonwealth Fund, a philanthropy dedicated to research supporting a high-functioning health care system. He discusses expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the vital role of the HITECH Act in adoption of electronic health records in the US, and the Fund’s ongoing research comparing US health costs to other countries.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Karen Lynch, President of Aetna, who discusses the proposed merger between the nation’s third largest insurer and CVS, the largest pharmacy chain in the country. Ms. Lynch discusses the potential for transforming the health care system by providing preventive care interventions at the neighborhood pharmacy, fostering more active consumer engagement for better health outcomes.