Digital Health Heavyweights
This conversational podcast brings you exclusive interviews with all the Heavyweights in Digital Health. Hosted by Norm Volsky, a top industry headhunter, whose team helped scale companies including Livongo, Hinge Health, Lyra, Virta, Progyny and many more. This series will bring listeners insights into the latest trends, technologies, and strategies driving the digital health revolution.
In each episode, Norm sits down with some of the most influential and innovative leaders in healthcare technology today from legendary founders who have built successful companies, venture capitalists who have led funding rounds, HR/Benefits leaders at forward thinking companies, Consultants and Brokers at the top benefits consulting firms, and other impactful visionaries challenging the status quo in healthcare. Listeners can learn from the industry greats who have created what we now know as health benefits, and who are changing the face of healthcare as we know it.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, a tech enthusiast, a start-up founder, benefits aficionado, jobseeker in Digital Health, or simply curious about the future of healthcare, Digital Health Heavyweights has something for you.
Digital Health Heavyweights
Episode 17: Nick Reber, founder and CEO of Garner Health
Welcome back to another great episode of the Digital Health Heavyweights podcast! This week our host Norm Volsky interviews Nick Reber, founder and CEO of Garner Health. They discuss Nick's personal journey into healthcare, his experiences at Oscar Health, and the innovative approaches Garner Health is taking to transform the healthcare system. The conversation delves into the challenges of healthcare spending, the importance of quality over cost, and the insights gained from analyzing the largest claims database in the US. Nick emphasizes the need for better incentives in healthcare and the role of data in improving patient outcomes. In this conversation, Nick Reber discusses the complexities of healthcare provider compensation, the innovative reimbursement model of Garner Health, and the importance of data solutions in navigating healthcare fragmentation. Stressing that in the current broken healthcare system "there's zero correlation between cost and quality". He emphasizes the need for high-performance teams, dispels common misconceptions about healthcare options, and shares insights on maintaining personal health as a CEO. The discussion also covers predictions for the future of digital health and the traits necessary for successful founders in this space. Learn about Garner's goal to transform the healthcare economy! "It's all about results." Tune in to find out more! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more amazing Digital Health content, just like this!
Takeaways
💡 Nick's personal experience as a patient inspired his journey into healthcare.
⚙️ The healthcare system is plagued by inefficiencies and misaligned incentives.
📉 Oscar Health's early challenges included high medical loss ratios.
🔍 Transforming healthcare requires understanding the root causes of problems.
🏥 Quality of care is often unrelated to the prestige of providers.
📊 Garner Health aims to provide better data on provider performance.
🎯 The importance of aligning patient incentives with healthcare outcomes.
💸 Healthcare spending is often disconnected from actual quality of care.
🤝 Building a large claims database requires strategic partnerships and timing.
📐 Innovative metrics are needed to evaluate healthcare providers effectively.
🩺 Hospitals have varying degrees of control over their salaried doctors.
📈 There is a growing demand for data-driven insights in healthcare.
💰 Garner Health's reimbursement model incentivizes employees to choose recommended doctors.
🔗 The DataPro solution helps providers understand patient referrals better.
🚀 Future innovations at Garner will focus on improving data and user experience.
🧩 Healthcare fragmentation complicates employee benefits management.
🧠 Successful healthcare teams require deep operational understanding.
❌ Common misconceptions include the belief that price equals quality.
✅ Creating seamless healthcare experiences is essential for patient satisfaction.
💼 Garner has achieved significant cost savings for employers.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Nick Reber and Garner Health
04:12 Experiences at Oscar Health
07:23 Key Learnings from Oscar Health
10:25 Innovative Approaches to Healthcare Spending
15:16 Quality vs. Cost in Healthcare 18:55 Founding Garner Health
23:25 Challenges in Building Garner Health
24:54 Building the Doctor Recommendation System
29:02 Navigating Provider Compensation and Hospital Control
31:56 Understanding Garner Health's Reimbursement
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