The Big Unlock

Latest Episodes:

Episode 211 – Shifting from Episodic Failures to Proactive Population Health in Rural Care Delivery Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Ben Long, MD, Director of Hospital Medicine, Magnolia Regional Health Center and Weston Blakeslee, Ph.D., VP of Clinical Intelligence, DrFirst

In this episode, Dr. Ben Long, Director of Hospital Medicine at Magnolia Regional Health Center and Weston Blakeslee, VP of Clinical Intelligence at DrFirst, break down a critical industry starting point – the reality that one in five new prescriptions is never filled and half of all refills are eventually abandoned. Sharing the results of their peer-reviewed study published in PLOS Digital Health, Dr. Long and Weston offer a grounded blueprint for how resource-constrained community health systems can conquer chronic heart failure readmissions.

The core theme of the conversation underscores an industry-wide shift from reactive, episodic care silos toward a proactive, connected population health management. While automated SMS nudges provide real-time cost transparency and essential medication education, the ultimate force multiplier lies in pairing those digital touchpoints with frontline, nursing-led care navigation. By connecting digital prescribing insights with real-world human validation, this “trust-first” design bridges the gaps between discharge and the home medicine cabinet. Take a listen.

Accelerating Pediatric Digital Health Innovation Through Deep Institutional Collaboration Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Omkar Kulkarni, VP, Chief Transformation & Innovation Officer, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)

In this episode, Omkar Kulkarni, VP, Chief Transformation & Innovation Officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), outlines the stark funding gap in pediatric innovation, which receives less than 1% of digital health investments despite children making up 20% of the population. To combat this, the CHLA-led KidsX consortium unites children’s hospitals nationwide to scale early-stage digital solutions through collaboration over competition.

Omkar suggests that pediatrics requires entirely separate technological blueprints, hence digital tools must be designed for adult caregivers, accommodate strict adolescent privacy laws at age 12, and scale across diverse physiological sizes. He highlights vital innovation pipelines, including AI tools targeting the youth mental health crisis, longitudinal chronic care management, and 24/7 validated conversational interfaces for parents.

For healthcare startups entering this space, Omkar emphasizes that the key to building institutional trust relies on presenting deep, heterogeneous clinical evidence, establishing commercially viable billing frameworks, and practicing deep humility when approaching complex clinical partnerships. He believes that generative AI will not replace clinicians but will instead automate administrative tasks, empowering them to focus on top-of-license, human-to-human care. Take a listen.

Restoring the Intimate Physician Patient Relationship with Ambient AI Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Podcast with Dr. Nele Jessel, Chief Medical Officer, athenahealth

In this episode, Dr. Nele Jessel, Chief Medical Officer at athenahealth, explores the rapid shift in physician sentiment toward AI and why healthcare may finally be reaching a true inflection point in digital transformation. Dr. Jessel explains how decades of EHR-induced administrative burnout initially made clinicians wary of new technology. However, the arrival of ambient note generation changed the game almost overnight, removing immense cognitive load and restoring the intimate, face-to-face physician-patient relationship.

A core theme of the discussion is the critical pivot toward clinician-guided development rather than vendor-driven solutions. Dr. Jessel details how athenahealth uses rapid “pre-alpha” prototyping to tackle the modern challenge of interoperability data-overload, deploying large language models to synthesize complex clinical records into actionable insights at the point of care. While emphasizing that medicine remains an art that requires a human in the loop for diagnostics, she outlines a future where autonomous, agentic AI conquers administrative burdens like prior authorizations. Ultimately, healthcare is reaching a true inflection point, transforming the EHR from a passive data repository into an invisible, intelligent assistant. Take a listen.

This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at ViVE.

Pilot Purgatory to Enterprise Impact and the Unicorn Protocol for AI Success May 26, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Sally Ann Frank, Global Lead – Health & Life Sciences, Microsoft for Startups

In this episode, Sally Ann Frank, Global Lead for Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft for Startups, discusses how AI is moving beyond experimentation toward measurable enterprise impact. She emphasizes that the most successful startups differentiate themselves not just through technology innovation, but through evolving business models, strong customer discovery practices, and a coachable mindset grounded in strategic mentorship.

Sally explores the challenge of “pilot purgatory,” noting that founders must design for production from day one. Establishing clear ROI frameworks and demonstrating early value are essential to maintaining momentum and avoiding the law of diminishing interest often seen in stalled pilots. Looking toward 2026, Sally envisions a “show me the money” era centered on four bridges: expanding global access through virtual technology to democratize care, closing the investment gap in women’s health beyond reproductive care, advancing AI-driven precision medicine through genetics for individualized treatment, and shifting healthcare from reactive treatment toward preventative longevity. Ultimately, the conversation highlights that lasting success in AI will belong to organizations that evolve into trusted advisors, consistently delivering value at every interaction. Take a listen.

This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at HIMSS.

Rural Resilience and Balancing Clinical Care with AI Innovation May 19, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Andrew Porter, CEO, Wayne General Hospital

In this episode, Andrew Porter, CEO of Wayne General Hospital, shares how a community-based health system is navigating the dual pressures of financial sustainability and rural healthcare delivery. Drawing on his unique “three-legged stool” perspective as a clinician, administrator, and academic, Andrew highlights the necessity of staying nimble in a rapidly evolving market.

Wayne General is taking a pragmatic approach to AI by focusing on real problems instead of technology hype. Andrew details the successful implementation of ambient AI documentation, which has improved provider satisfaction and restored the intimacy of the patient-physician relationship. He also discusses leveraging AI partnerships to bring high-sophistication care, such as heart murmur detection, to rural populations. Andrew emphasizes the critical need for AI-driven transformation in the revenue cycle to alleviate the administrative complexity burdening small hospitals. Take a listen.

Reimagining Healthcare Through AI-Native Orchestration and Digital Platforms May 13, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Bharat Sutariya, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer, Oracle Health

In this episode, Dr. Bharat Sutariya, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer at Oracle Health, discusses the radical transformation of healthcare through AI-native digital platforms. As an emergency physician with over 25 years of experience, including leadership roles at Cerner and Deloitte, Dr. Sutariya provides a unique perspective on moving past the “burden” of legacy EHR systems.

The core of the conversation centers on Oracle’s bold bet: moving away from the industry-standard “bolt-on” AI approach. Instead, Oracle is rebuilding the healthcare stack from the ground up, embedding AI into the foundational layer. Dr. Sutariya argues that the future of healthcare technology isn’t just about capturing data but about systems of orchestration. This means AI that doesn’t just transcribe a note but listens to the clinical intent to automatically queue orders, handle referrals, and initiate prior authorizations.

Dr. Sutariya predicts that within a year, the conversation will shift from documentation efficiency to a truly connected, intelligent ecosystem that gives time back to both providers and patients. Take a listen.

This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at HIMSS.

Building Strategy-Driven Technology in Rural Health Systems May 05, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Linda Stevenson, Chief Operations & Information Officer, Fisher-Titus Health

In this episode, Linda Stevenson, Chief Operations & Information Officer at Fisher-Titus Health, shares how rural health systems are driving innovation under significant resource constraints. Leading a 100-bed community hospital with a lean IT team, she highlights the realities of “doing more with less”—from workforce shortages to the critical need for interoperability in coordinating care beyond organizational walls.

Linda challenges the industry’s fixation on AI as a standalone strategy, advocating instead for a problem-first approach: start with the clinical or operational need, then determine if AI is the right fit. She emphasizes that true transformation comes from aligning technology with enterprise priorities, not chasing hype.

She also points to persistent gaps in interoperability and growing cybersecurity risks, particularly in rural settings where vulnerabilities can impact the broader ecosystem. Her message is clear: stay grounded in strategy, focus on outcomes, and prioritize partnership over products to drive meaningful, scalable change. Take a listen.

This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at ViVE.

AI Adoption in Healthcare Must Be Led by Clinicians Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Dr. Ruchi Garg, Chief Medical Officer, Fairview Park Hospital

In this episode, Dr. Ruchi Garg, Chief Medical Officer at Fairview Park Hospital, shares how frontline clinicians are shaping the responsible adoption of AI in real-world care settings. Dr. Garg highlights how COVID accelerated digital adoption, from telehealth to remote patient monitoring, demonstrating that care can be both accessible and efficient when technology is thoughtfully applied.

Dr. Garg underscores that AI’s true value lies in reducing administrative burden, particularly in areas like documentation and prior authorization, where inefficiencies delay care and strain clinician-patient relationships. She notes that ambient AI is already improving accuracy and saving hours for physicians, with the next wave extending into orders, workflows, and care coordination.

However, she emphasizes that successful adoption depends on clinician involvement, intuitive design, and minimizing workflow friction. While AI may take on more clinical decision-making, questions around trust, liability, and human oversight remain central, making it critical for healthcare leaders to actively shape, not resist, this transformation. Take a listen.

This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at ViVE.

AI Should Make Healthcare Feel More Human Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Ed Lee, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Nabla

In this episode, Dr. Ed Lee, Chief Medical Officer at Nabla, shares how AI is moving beyond hype to reshape real-world care delivery. Drawing on his experience at Kaiser Permanente, he emphasizes that the true goal of technology is not efficiency alone, but restoring the human connection in healthcare.

Dr. Lee explores why change management, not the technology itself, is the hardest part of AI adoption, and why clinician involvement from day one is non-negotiable. He challenges the early narrative around time savings, arguing that the deeper ROI of ambient AI lies in reducing cognitive burden, restoring joy in medicine, and rebuilding the patient-physician relationship. He also looks ahead to the next frontier: clinical decision support, diagnosis capture, and chart summarization woven seamlessly into workflows. Dr. Lee’s closing thought is simple but powerful – done right, AI shouldn’t feel technical. It should feel human. Take a listen.

This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at HIMSS.

AI Will Shape Healthcare Through Access and Affordability Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

The Big Unlock · Roy Schoenberg, M.D., CEO, Aileen and Founder and Executive Director, Amwell

In this episode, Dr. Roy Schoenberg, CEO of Aileen and Founder and Executive Director of Amwell, reflects on the evolution of telehealth and shares a bold vision for AI’s role in reshaping care delivery. He argues that telehealth has largely been used as a substitute channel for traditional visits, whereas its true potential lies in redistributing expertise and democratizing access to care at scale.

Dr. Schoenberg sees AI becoming the primary entry point to healthcare, guiding patient journeys through intelligent, cost-driven pathways while working in concert with, rather than replacing, clinical systems. Through his new venture, Aileen AI, Dr. Schoenberg introduces a fundamentally different approach to virtual care: building “staying power” in patients’ lives through deeply personalized, relationship-driven AI interactions, for seniors. By focusing on familiarity, trust, and daily engagement—delivered through simple interfaces like phone calls—Aileen aims to address the growing caregiving gap. Ultimately, he emphasizes that while AI adoption will evolve gradually, its role as a foundational layer in healthcare is inevitable. Take a listen.

This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at HIMSS.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected