Straight Outta Health IT – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Cybersecurity in healthcare is no longer just an IT issue. It is a leadership, operations, and trust issue that can disrupt care, expose sensitive data, and test whether an organization is truly prepared for a crisis.

In this episode, Zach Lewis, CIO and CISO at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, shares how AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape and reflects on the real-world ransomware attack that shaped his new book, Locked Up. He explains how threat actors are using AI to accelerate reconnaissance, sharpen phishing attempts, and exploit fundamental weaknesses more quickly, while defenders still need to focus on the basics: identity, access, data protection, patching, and segmentation.

Zach also walks through the moment his organization realized it was facing a LockBit ransomware attack, the decisions that followed, and the hard lessons learned from the response. He discusses why tabletop exercises matter, how security culture must be built through relationships rather than fear, and why data governance is becoming even more urgent in the age of generative AI. The conversation closes with a practical and hopeful look at where AI could create real value in healthcare, from smarter clinical support to more personalized health insights.

Tune in and learn why resilience in healthcare cybersecurity depends on strong fundamentals, transparent leadership, and a clear understanding of how people, data, and technology intersect.

Resources

• Connect with Zach Lewis on LinkedIn here.

• Visit the Homesteading CISO website.

• Get a copy of Locked Up: Cybersecurity Threat Mitigation Lessons from a Real-World LockBit Ransomware Response here. 

The American healthcare system has extraordinary talent, advanced technology, and unmatched spending, yet it too often fails the very people it is meant to serve.

In this episode of Straight Outta Health IT, Gil Bashe, Chair Global Health and Purpose at FINN Partners, bestselling author, healthcare strategist, and former combat medic, joins Christopher Kunney to discuss the urgent themes behind his new book, Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter. Drawing from his experiences in military medicine, family caregiving, health policy, and patient advocacy, Gil argues that the core problem in American healthcare is not a lack of innovation but a loss of humanity, trust, and connection. He explains why healing is more than science and why kindness, empathy, and service must be treated as essential components of care rather than optional extras.

Gil also explores how the system has become overly transactional, from insurance bureaucracy to rushed appointments and fragmented care delivery. He reflects on how patients are often treated like passengers instead of partners, while clinicians are burdened by incentives that reward volume over relationship-building. From social determinants of health and fee-for-service reimbursement to value-based care and patient experience, he makes the case that many of healthcare’s biggest failures are not technical problems, but human ones. He also highlights how leadership decisions, staffing models, and medical education shape whether care feels compassionate or cold.

The conversation also offers a hopeful path forward. Gil shares examples of healthcare leaders and clinicians who create trust-centered environments, treat staff as partners, and model a true service mentality. He argues that rebuilding the healthcare system begins with restoring the relationship between healer and patient, aligning incentives around outcomes and experience, and empowering wise leaders to make people-centered decisions. Ultimately, he calls on everyone in the healthcare ecosystem to remember that medicine is not just about treating illness, but about caring for human beings.

Tune in to hear why fixing healthcare starts with restoring trust, kindness, and humanity to the center of care.

Resources

• Connect with Gil Bashe on LinkedIn here.
• Follow FINN Partners on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.
• Check out Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter here.

Healthcare startups don’t fail because their tech isn’t cool, they fail because they don’t understand how healthcare actually buys, governs, and deploys change. 

In this episode, Sohail Azeem, principal consultant at South Star Consulting, discusses his path from Texas Children’s Hospital operations and NICU leadership to COO/CEO roles, then into entrepreneurship supporting telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and chronic care programs. He explains the most common startup pitfall he sees: obsessing over fundraising before building a real business development engine, a credible pipeline, and a revenue trajectory that meets investor expectations.

Tom Leary, SVP of Government Affairs at HIMSS, breaks down the policy landscape shaping digital health. He discusses the debate around the “One Big Beautiful Act,” concerns about Medicaid impacts, and a major rural health transformation push that states are responding to—often by leveraging digital health. 

Grant McGaugh, CEO of Five Star BDM, shares how building an authentic personal brand can become a growth engine. He explains why “search and social” now determine credibility, how podcasting became his platform for social selling, and why your online narrative must match your real skills to avoid an authenticity gap. 

Lou Mendez, president of the South Florida HIMSS chapter, outlines the chapter’s “three C’s” focus: community, collaboration, and communication; and the conference theme of “Bold Moves.” He highlights how CEOs are now confidently bringing AI strategy to their boards, with repeated emphasis on efficiency, accuracy, and especially patient experience. 

Tune in and learn how to build health tech growth that survives the realities of healthcare!

Resources

• Connect with Sohail Azeem on LinkedIn here.

• Visit South Star Consulting’s website here.

• Follow and connect with Tom Leary on LinkedIn.

• Email Tom directly here.

• To learn more about HIMSS’ policies, email them here or visit their website here.

• Connect with Grant McGaugh on LinkedIn.

• Explore 5 Star BDM’s website.

• Listen to the Follow the Brand podcast here.

• Follow and connect with Lucianil Mendez on LinkedIn.

• Find out more about the HIMSS South Florida Chapter on LinkedIn and their website.

AI, interoperability, and real-world readiness are converging to define the next era of healthcare IT. 

In this episode, Shaman Akhtar, Mike Costa, and Tom Stafford break down the challenges and opportunities shaping healthcare IT, as well as the growing need for true downtime resilience.

Shaman Akhtar, senior leader at ELLKAY, discusses how interoperability remains a “data plumbing” problem, warning that even with HL7 and FHIR, vendors still “speak different dialects,” creating ongoing challenges in exchanging patient information and even between emerging AI tools and agents.

Next, Mike Costa, Client Relationship Executive at Impact Advisors, reflects on the journey from EHR implementation to true optimization, arguing that many organizations have barely unlocked the value of their systems and that AI and ambient technologies could finally help harvest that potential while addressing persistent adoption and operational challenges. 

Finally, Tom Stafford, Healthcare Strategist at CDW and a recovering CIO, explains how CDW evolved from a logistics company into a turnkey healthcare partner, helping systems with security, cloud, and, especially, downtime resilience so they can safely operate when core systems fail. 

Together, they highlight common themes from the South Florida HIMSS Integrate Conference, ranging from regulatory and political pressures to the promise of AI, demonstrating that leaders across payers, providers, and vendors are grappling with similar issues. 

Tune in and learn how interoperability, optimization, and resilience are reshaping healthcare’s digital future!

Resources

• Connect with Shaman Akhtar on LinkedIn.
• Follow ELLKAY on LinkedIn here and explore their website.
• Connect with and follow Mike Costa on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Impact Advisors on LinkedIn and visit their website.
• Email Mike directly here.
• Follow and connect with Tom Stafford on LinkedIn.
• Discover more about CDW•G on LinkedIn and their website.
• Email Tom directly here.

What if the key to curing today’s most complex diseases has been hiding in plain sight inside electronic health records all along?

In this episode of Straight Out of Health IT, Vish Srivastava, CEO of Century Health, explores how artificial intelligence can unlock the vast potential of real-world healthcare data that has long been trapped inside electronic health records. He explains why traditional clinical trials, although essential, often fail to accurately reflect how treatments perform across diverse, real-world patient populations, and how this gap hinders innovation. Drawing from both his professional journey and the personal experience of losing his grandfather to Alzheimer’s, Vish shares what motivates his mission to better understand disease progression and accelerate breakthrough treatments.

Vish breaks down what real-world data actually is, why more than 80% of it remains unstructured, and how fragmented EHR systems have made research slow, expensive, and inaccessible. He describes how observational studies and patient registries can take years and cost millions due to manual chart abstraction, and how carefully validated AI can now automate this process, turning clinical notes, PDFs, and imaging data into high-quality research-ready insights. The conversation also highlights how this approach can broaden research beyond historically narrow clinical trial populations.

Ultimately, the episode addresses the crucial issues of trust, bias, and patient privacy. Vish discusses how AI can either perpetuate or correct historical biases in healthcare data, why transparency and published validation are essential, and how strict de-identification and governance frameworks protect patient privacy. Together, these advances point toward a future where real-world data fuels faster, more inclusive, and more impactful medical research.

Tune in to hear how AI is reshaping clinical research and bringing us closer to treatments that truly work for real patients in the real world!

Resources

• Connect with Vish Srivastava on LinkedIn here.

• Follow Century Health on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.

Brilliant digital health ideas die every day, not because of technology, but because founders ignore the legal and regulatory realities of healthcare.

In this episode, Dr. Stephanie D. Barnes, Senior Counsel at Nixon Law Group, discusses how digital health entrepreneurs can navigate the complex intersection of law, regulation, and innovation without jeopardizing their company's growth before it scales. She shares her journey from traditional health law to innovation and explains why every startup must first understand who pays for their solution, as reimbursement drives everything from design to go-to-market strategy. 

Dr. Barnes breaks down the implications of software becoming a regulated medical device, how FDA scrutiny increases as products move closer to clinical decision-making, and why MSO/PC structures and corporate practice of medicine laws are critical for anyone deploying virtual care or owning clinics across state lines. 

She clarifies the risks of Anti-Kickback, Stark, and False Claims for RPM, telehealth, and SaaS models, and demonstrates how poor contracting, governance, and entity structure can compromise limited liability or deter investors. 

Finally, Dr. Barnes highlights her passion for supporting women and Black founders who receive a tiny fraction of venture capital. 

Tune it and learn how to build legally sound, scalable digital health solutions that can actually stay in the market long enough to save lives!

Resources

• Connect with Stephanie Barnes on LinkedIn here.
• Follow Nixon Law Group on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.
• Subscribe to Nixon Law Group’s newsletter here.

The mother needs care too, not just the baby.

In this episode, Brittany Starobin, founder of Haven Postnatal Retreat, discusses how her own battle with postpartum depression, including suicidal thoughts, led her to create a space that prioritizes mothers’ recovery during the “fourth trimester.” She explores the U.S. maternal health crisis, particularly its disproportionate impact on Black and Brown women, and how systemic inequities, lack of support, and cultural stigma contribute to worsening outcomes. 

Brittany explains how Haven combines trauma-informed care with data-driven practices, monitoring vital signs like blood pressure to detect postpartum preeclampsia early, and integrates mental health screenings, therapy, journaling, and partner education. The retreat offers both luxury and purpose: creating a model to prove that comprehensive postpartum care improves outcomes and deserves broader access. 

She also highlights the importance of supporting fathers, fostering community among mothers, and educating families about recognizing mental health warning signs. This episode brings empathy and innovation together to reimagine maternal wellness as both a personal and public health priority.

Tune in and learn how one woman’s personal struggle turned into a mission to revolutionize postpartum care through compassion, technology, and community!

Resources

• Connect with Brittany Starobin on LinkedIn here.

• Follow Haven Postnatal Retreat on LinkedIn here and visit their website.

• Learn more about Haven Postnatal Retreat on Instagram and TikTok.

• Email Haven Postnatal Retreat directly here.

Family caregivers are the unsung heroes holding America’s healthcare system together.

In this episode, Dr. Barry Jacobs, a clinical psychologist, family therapist, and author of The AARP Caregiver Answer Book, discusses the emotional, financial, and logistical realities faced by family caregivers, who often serve as the silent backbone of elder care in the U.S. 

Dr. Jacobs shares his deeply personal journey, from losing his father at 15 to years of caring for aging parents and in-laws, revealing how these experiences shaped his lifelong mission to support caregivers. He delves into the various roles caregivers play, from medical advocates and financial organizers to emotional anchors, and how unprepared most are for the demanding marathon of caregiving. 

Dr. Jacobs and host Christopher Kunney delve into the internal family conflicts that caregiving can trigger, the importance of teamwork, and the common mistake of denial when facing aging and illness. He also examines government and community support systems, new Medicaid models that compensate family caregivers, and the emergence of digital caregiving technologies that integrate human connection with data-driven support. 

Finally, he closes with wisdom on adaptability, self-care, and learning as the keys to surviving and thriving as a caregiver.

Tune in and learn how to strengthen families, embrace technology, and prepare for the emotional journey of caregiving!

Resources

• Connect with Dr. Barry Jacobs on LinkedIn here.

• Follow Health Management Associates on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.

• Buy Barry’s book The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers here.

• Get The AARP Caregiver Answer Book by Barry on Amazon here, or check it out on the AARP website.

• Contact Barry here.

• Learn more about WellLink on LinkedIn and explore their website.
  

What if technology could be the key to healing trauma instead of deepening it?

In this episode of Straight Out of Health IT, Dr. Brook Bello, a champion against human trafficking, a national policy advocate, a technology thought leader, and founder of the More too Life Foundation, and the visionary behind VR Eval Incorporated and the Coming Home Platform, shares how she’s redefining trauma recovery through innovation. As the visionary behind VR Eval Incorporated and the Coming Home Platform, Dr. Bello is building an AI-driven, trauma-informed ecosystem that connects survivors, veterans, and justice-involved individuals to care, community, and hope. Her mission is clear: ensure that technology liberates, not enslaves.

Through her powerful personal story of survival and resilience, Dr. Bello reveals how lived experience inspired her to develop tools for “scalable compassion,” using digital case management, gamified therapy, and AI to expand access to mental health and social services, especially in underserved regions. She discusses how her platform helps providers and survivors alike, bridging the growing gap between those who need care and the shrinking number of professionals available to give it.

Dr. Bello also introduces the concept of prescription gaming, a new frontier in “tech for good,” where digital experiences are intentionally designed to calm, heal, and restore. With AI-enhanced learning, job readiness features, and therapeutic pathways, her vision reimagines how millions can find connection and recovery through technology.

Tune in to hear how Dr. Brook Bello is using innovation to transform trauma into healing and technology into a force for liberation!

Resources

• Connect with Dr. Brook Bello on LinkedIn here and visit her website here.

• Learn more about the More Too Life Foundation, soon to be More To Living, on LinkedIn and their website here!

• Learn more about the VR Eval Coming Home platform on LinkedIn here and explore their website here!

• Get a copy of Dr. Brook Bello’s books, Shame Undone here, and the Fine Heart Table Book here!

Disciplined, purpose-driven innovation, anchored in governance, data, and the human experience, beats shiny-object hype.

In this mega-episode, Lisa Fry, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at SCP Health, discusses “purposeful innovation” that reduces clinician burden and elevates patient experience: ED-volume prediction to align coverage, early pilots of ambient scribing, and patient-preferred models like hospital-at-home. She explains the guardrails, an enterprise architecture review board, commitments to core platforms, and stage-gated pilots with predefined success metrics, to avoid the “tyranny of the urgent” and scale only what works. 

Nancye Feistritzer, DNP, RN—VP, Center for Care Delivery & Innovation at Emory Healthcare, talks about how bold initiatives, including the Apple hospital work and implementing Epic on Apple devices, succeed only when they explicitly align with an organization's strategy, mission, and values. 

Nick Yaitsky, Board Member for TAG Digital Health, urges outcome-first AI roadmaps: accept that healthcare data is imperfect, mitigate bias by fine-tuning models to local populations and even individual patients, and build trust in the same way we came to trust GPS, through consistent, measurable results and governance. 

Olga Ryzhikova, Founding Partner at Kepler Team, tackles adoption by starting integration where clinicians work (SMART on FHIR/SSO), designing modern user experiences, and favoring ambient, low-click workflows so tools remain in use. 

Ron Strachan, Global Healthcare CIO Advisor, addresses rural access, noting that resilient, low-bandwidth virtual care and platform economies can “meet patients where they are.” His own brain-tumor journey underscores how imaging precision and reliable infrastructure can change outcomes. 

Finally, Wes Whitaker, AVP of Growth Strategy & Data Analytics, shows population health at scale: unifying EHR, eligibility, claims, and ADT into a modern cloud/Databricks stack, then applying predictive models to anticipate ER visits, target outreach, drive attribution, and prove ROI, while tightening security with role-based access. 

Together, their message is clear: govern hard, integrate early, pilot fast, measure relentlessly, and scale empathetically. 

Tune in and learn how to innovate with rigor, scale with empathy, and deliver measurable value!

Resources

• Connect with Lisa Fry on LinkedIn here.
• Follow SCP Health on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.
• Follow and connect with Nancye Feistritzer on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Emory Healthcare on LinkedIn and their website.
• Connect with and follow Nick Yaitsky on LinkedIn.
• Discover more about the TAG Digital Health Society on LinkedIn and explore their website.
• Follow and connect with Olga Ryzhikova on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about the Kepler Team on their LinkedIn and explore their website.
• Connect with Ron Strachan on LinkedIn here.
• Explore Zoom’s website and learn more about them on their LinkedIn.
• Follow and connect with Wes Whitaker on LinkedIn.
• Discover more about Premise Health on their LinkedIn and visit their website.