From Fragmented Data to a More Connected Healthcare System with Sarah Ahmad, CEO of CAQH

Provider data may sit behind the scenes, but when it is fragmented or outdated, it creates friction across the entire healthcare system. In this episode, Sarah Ahmad, CEO of CAQH, shares how three decades of experience across payers, care delivery, data, and innovation prepared her to lead a critical healthcare data infrastructure organization. She explains how CAQH supports healthcare administration through provider and member data, enabling smoother care delivery and more accurate reimbursement. Sarah also discusses CAQH’s transition to a for-profit model owned by 12 health plans, highlighting how it strengthens the mission while enabling growth and innovation. She reflects on how career setbacks shaped her leadership and outlines a vision for giving providers greater control over their data. Tune in to learn how better provider data management can reduce friction, improve efficiency, and help build a more connected healthcare ecosystem. Resources: Connect with and follow Sarah Ahmad on LinkedIn. Follow CAQH on LinkedIn and explore their website here.

Getting mental health care is not only about having enough clinicians. It is also about having systems that help people get in the door, get treated, and stay on track without delays. In this episode, Dominik Middelmann, co-founder and CEO of mdhub, discusses how everyday operational issues can slow access to behavioral health care. He explains how missed calls, excessive paperwork, disconnected systems, and billing issues can get in the way of helping people, even when clinics have open appointments. Dominik shares how mdhub was built to bring many of these tasks together into one system, using AI to support scheduling, documentation, and payment workflows. He also explains why trust matters when using AI in mental health care, especially regarding privacy, security, and reliability, and offers practical advice for organizations trying new AI tools. Tune in to learn how better systems and carefully designed AI can make mental health care easier to access and deliver. Resources: Connect with and follow Dominik Middelmann on LinkedIn. Follow mdhub on LinkedIn and explore their website here.

What if the future of sales means customers decide to buy before they ever speak to you? In this episode, Charles Gaudet, CEO of Predictable Profits, discusses how companies can achieve predictable growth rather than chasing unsustainable rapid expansion. He explains how the modern AI-driven buyer’s journey is changing sales, with customers increasingly making decisions before speaking with a salesperson. Charles emphasizes the importance of clearly defining your ideal customer, communicating a unique value proposition, and building systems to create, capture, and nurture demand. He also highlights a growth framework, optimize, systematize, and innovate, and stresses the value of mentors and data-driven decision-making for entrepreneurs. Tune in to learn how businesses can adapt to an AI-driven buyer’s journey and build systems that create predictable, scalable growth! Resources: Connect with and follow Charles Gaudet on LinkedIn and visit his website! Follow Predictable Profits on LinkedIn and discover their website!

What if patients could use AI to successfully challenge insurance denials and regain access to the care they need? In this episode, Zach Veigulis, Co-Founder & Chief AI Officer at Claimable Inc., discusses how his company uses AI to help patients appeal denied medical insurance claims and regain access to care. Drawing on his experience as the former chief data scientist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs innovation center, Veigulis explains that while billions of medical claims are processed each year, a significant portion are denied and almost none are appealed. Claimable addresses this gap by enabling patients and healthcare organizations to quickly generate evidence-based appeal letters that incorporate medical history, clinical guidelines, and legal protections, achieving about an 80% success rate in some conditions. By empowering patients to exercise their legal right to appeal and involving employers or regulators when appropriate, the platform aims to reduce care abandonment, improve access to treatment, and alleviate administrative burdens on physicians. Tune in to hear how Claimable is empowering patients, reducing physicians' administrative burden, and helping more people get the treatment they deserve! Resources: Connect with and follow Zach Veigulis on LinkedIn. Follow Claimable on LinkedIn and explore their website!

Compliance works better when documentation supports care in real time instead of becoming a burden after the fact. In this episode, Paige Dustmann and Derek Staub discuss how fraud, waste, and abuse pressures are reshaping behavioral health compliance for providers, payers, and managed care organizations. Paige explains how Monolith Health helps teams capture services, assessments, and treatment planning in real time, reducing paperwork and improving audit readiness. Derek highlights how changing regulations, random audits, and documentation gaps can put even well-intentioned providers at risk, emphasizing the need for stronger systems and clearer communication with MCOs. Together, they explore how better workflows, state-aligned lesson plans, and proactive compliance tools can protect organizations while ensuring clients receive care that meets their real needs. Tune in and learn how better documentation, stronger compliance systems, and clearer payer-provider communication can reduce risk and improve behavioral health care delivery! Resources: Learn more about Monolith Health on their LinkedIn and visit their website here.

Connectivity becomes transformational in healthcare when it helps providers extend their expertise, close access gaps, and support care beyond the hospital walls. In this episode, Robin Goldsmith, Practice Leader for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Verizon Business, shares why connectivity is no longer just infrastructure. It is becoming a strategic foundation for healthcare delivery. Drawing on nearly two decades in the space, Robin explains how the pandemic exposed major gaps in access for patients without reliable devices or networks, and why that moment clarified the role telecommunications can play in healthcare transformation. He discusses the growing pressure on providers to improve patient and clinician experience while managing thin margins, workforce shortages, and rising demand for more distributed care. Robin also highlights how stronger network infrastructure, better partnerships, and new models for rural health, remote monitoring, and even robotic surgery can help health systems expand access and move care closer to patients. Tune in to learn how connectivity is helping healthcare become more responsive, more distributed, and more equitable. Resources: Connect with and follow Robin Goldsmith on LinkedIn! Follow Verizon Business on LinkedIn and explore their website! Listen to the Healthcare of Air by Verizon here.

In healthcare innovation, capital alone is not enough. Real scale happens when strong solutions are matched with the right partnerships, a clear path to profitability, and disciplined execution. In this episode, Peter Micca, Managing Partner at Caduceus Capital, shares how his transition from building Deloitte’s digital health technology practice to leading a healthcare investment firm shaped his perspective on scaling businesses. He explains why Caduceus Capital is creating more than a fund by combining capital with go-to-market support, partnerships, and direct access to healthcare stakeholders. Peter outlines what sets companies apart in a more selective investment landscape, emphasizing the need for clear ROI, scalability, and a path to profitability. He also highlights the healthcare innovations that excite him most, particularly those that empower physicians, expand access, and lower costs. Tune in to learn why the future of healthcare innovation belongs to companies that pair strong technology with practical value, smart partnerships, and measurable outcomes. Resources: Connect with and follow Peter Micca on LinkedIn! Follow Caduceus Capital Partners on LinkedIn and explore their website!

Operational efficiency in ASCs improves fastest when manufacturers and distributors align on standardization, supply reliability, and hands-on implementation support. In this episode, Tracy McQuay of Medtronic and Kevin Humphrey and Emily Barnhart of Cardinal Health discuss how their long-standing collaboration helps ambulatory surgery centers reduce complexity while maintaining clinical quality. Emily explains Cardinal’s Performance Plus™ program and how joint planning, KPI scorecards, and added inventory strengthen service across Medtronic’s product lines. Kevin shares how ASC-focused teams support new center builds, optimize layouts, and drive savings through purchasing reviews and vendor consolidation. Tracy highlights a “not a transaction” kickoff model, capital-light tech integration, and examples like rapid suture conversions and Microstream™ capnography standardization to simplify supply chains and relieve cost pressure. Tune in to learn how tighter collaboration between suppliers and distributors can make ASC operations simpler, more resilient, and more cost-effective. Resources: Connect with and follow Tracy McQuay on LinkedIn. Follow Medtronic on LinkedIn and discover their website! Follow and connect with Kevin Humphrey on LinkedIn. Follow and connect with Emily Barnhart on LinkedIn. Follow Cardinal Health on LinkedIn and discover their website!

Healthcare interoperability only works when patient data is not just accessible, but trustworthy, contextualized, and actionable. In this episode, Abhi Sindhwani, Chief Growth Officer at Particle Health, shares how his own experience coordinating care for his mother after a stroke exposed the painful reality of fragmented records across health systems and state lines. He explains why interoperability is still broken, why simply giving patients access to raw data is not enough, and why healthcare organizations need validated, enriched, and structured information they can actually use. Abhi also discusses how Particle Health helps care teams access longitudinal patient records, receive meaningful alerts, and use AI-generated discharge summaries to reduce friction, improve trust, and help clinicians work at the top of their license. He highlights the importance of portability, the risks of information blocking, and the need to refocus the system around the patient. Tune in to learn how better data flow can create better care experiences for patients, providers, and the broader healthcare ecosystem.  Resources: Connect with and follow Abhi Sindhwani on LinkedIn. Follow Particle Health on LinkedIn and explore their website!

Application decommissioning only creates lasting value when health systems treat it as a long-term operating discipline rather than a one-time IT cleanup effort. In this episode, Jason Rose, CEO and Board Member of Clearsense, explains why application decommissioning has become one of the most important financial strategies for health systems facing margin pressure, rising costs, and growing demands for innovation. He shares that many organizations are carrying bloated application stacks filled with redundant, legacy, and “zombie” systems created by mergers, EHR rollouts, cloud migrations, and years of technical debt. Jason also discusses how Clearsense and Trinity Health built a programmatic approach to application rationalization that has already removed hundreds of applications and is approaching $100 million in software licensing cost savings. By combining governance, procurement planning, data extraction, curation, and decommissioning into an “assembly line” model, organizations can move faster, reduce risk, and create permanent savings that fund future priorities. Tune in to hear why application rationalization is no longer optional, and how health systems can turn it into a repeatable strategy for cost optimization and operational transformation. Resources: Connect with and follow Jason Rose on LinkedIn. Follow Clearsense on LinkedIn and explore their website!