Ron Barshop - Podcast Details

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Primary Care CuresEpisode # 218 – Doug Farrago MD is an OG Pioneer in DPC – Co-Founded DPC Frontier, Two Blogs and 6 Books on the Matter. Calls National DPC – DINO’s. Listen in as We Disagree on Their Values vs Mom and Pop Local DPC. In this episode, Ron chats with Dr. Douglas Farrago, Author, Keynote Speaker, Retired Medical Doctor and Inventor of the Knee Saver which is currently in the Baseball Hall of Fame and the CryoHelmet used by athletes for head injuries as well as migraine sufferers. Throughout their chat Dr. Farrago and Ron discuss their differing opinions on DPC and where they align as the ‘rebel alliance’ against the status quo of today’s healthcare and insurance systems. Douglas Farrago MD is board certified in the specialty of Family Practice. He is the inventor of a product called...2024-04-1233 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 202 – Andy Thompson is COO of the Largest Independent Pediatric Group and a Former Leader at VillageMD. Here We Learn About Key Quality Metrics, Full vs Partial Risk VBC, Deep Data and the Critical Importance of the Independent Caregiver. In this episode Ron chats with Andrew Thompson, COO of Pediatric Associates. Here they discuss whether the large health systems deliver better or worse outcomes than independent physicians. They also examine the influence of big healthcare systems, the rise of value-based care, and the monopolies that dominate the industry. Throughout the episode, Andrew and Ron explore the pivotal role of primary care in our healthcare system and discuss the pervasive corruption in the world of big healthcare systems. Andy Thompson joined Pediatric Associates as the practice’s Chief Operating Officer in November of 2022. As Pediatric As...2023-09-0837 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 200 – Primary Care Cures Celebrates its 200th Episode with Host Ron Barshop A lot has changed in healthcare since Ron Barshop started the podcast in 2019. On this 200th episode of Primary Care Cures, Ron reflects on the multitude of conversations he’s had with thought leaders from across the country, the growth of the podcast, the current retail disruptor wars in healthcare, federal complicity, and who is profiting from the massive headwinds healthcare has faced since the start of the podcast and specifically since the beginning of the pandemic. Ron Barshop was Executive Vice President of Phone Power where he grew an inbound telemarketing tax service firm from 5 to 50 employees in unde...2023-08-2427 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 196 – Dr. Keith Smith Launched the First Transparent Bundled Price Surgery Center Which has Now Served 100,000 Since 1997 and has Made its Mark Affecting System Pricing and Reducing Costs 20-60% for Employers and Consumers with Quality Metrics Unsurpassed. In this episode Ron brings Keith Smith, Medical Director at Surgical Center of Oklahoma back on the show to discuss the importance of transparent pricing in healthcare and how he helped to pioneer that movement. He also discusses how other organizations are copying the Surgery Center of Oklahoma pricing model, how the government is not doing enough to make a positive change in healthcare, the importance of direct contracting and free market competition, and more. In 2009, Dr. Smith launched a website displaying all-inclusive pricing for various surgical procedures, a move that has gained him and...2023-07-1139 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #155 – All-In Bundled Pricing Surgery at 10-20% Cost of the Bigs? 300+ Procedures? Infection Rates, Complication Rates, Readmits that Plunge to Nil? Yup, When the Very Best Team Up at the Newest Market Surgery Center like Wellbridge Surgical. Meet Dr. Ron Piniecki it’s Co-Founder. This episode features Dr. Ron Piniecki, Co-Founder at WellBridge Surgical. Here, he discusses what inspired him to launch WellBridge, being mentored & inspired by Keith Smith, the future of free market surgery centers in the US, the importance of competition in healthcare, and more. Transplanted from New Orleans, Dr. Piniecki graduated from Indiana University Medical School and practices anesthesiology in Indianapolis, IN. His inspiration to co-found WellBridge was based on his belief that all patients have a fundamental right to understand the care they are receiving and what that service will cost. Gaining understanding of the p...2022-03-1934 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #150 – These Ten Lies in Healthcare are Really the Ten Opportunities. Here is Who and What is Being Fixed on the Fringes in 2022 in Primary Care and by Extension, Healthcare with Ron Barshop, Host of the Show. Here is who and what is being fixed on the fringes in 2022 in Primary Care with Ron Barshop, Host of the Show. Here is the 2022 edition of the popular yearly “10 Lies” episode of Primary Care Cures. Read the Transcript The post Episode #150 – These Ten Lies in Healthcare are Really the Ten Opportunities. Here is Who and What is Being Fixed on the Fringes in 2022 in Primary Care and by Extension, Healthcare with Ron Barshop, Host of the Show. appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2021-12-3140 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 133 – Dr. Marion Mass Speaks Plainly and Loudly About Abuses in Healthcare that do not Advance the Sacred Doctor Patient Connection. She Teaches Us All How to be Stronger and Fight for What’s Right in this Show. In this episode Ron welcomes Dr. Marion Mass back on the show to discuss what has changed in her work and the industry as a whole since her last appearance. Here, she does a deep dive into the Medicare Advantage carve out, transparent pricing, medical debt, and more. Marion also discusses what it is like to be an outspoken advocate while still working for a major system and gives advice to those who also want to become advocates. In addition, Ron and Marion explore large organizations like the AMA and their impact on how healthcare is practiced.2021-08-2737 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 129 – 24 Million Patients Globally – 3 Million US – Agree Babylon Health Deserves 5 Star Ratings Over 90% of the Episodes of Primary Care…Watch Them Go Public this Month. Chief Medical Officer Darshak Sanghavi Lays Out How “Babylonians” Accomplish this With Only 1,300 Primary Care Providers. This episode Ron chats with Darshak Sanghavi, Global Chief Medical Officer for Babylon Health. Here, they discuss the Babylon health model of taking on full capitated risk for their patient population. He also does a deep dive into how their model includes more than primary care by including a significant amount of behavioral health. Darshak explains the organizations commitment to preventative and proactive care utilizing cutting edge AI, but also giving people access to high quality care when they need it. He also shares with Ron the importance of having happy and engaged patients and providers. 2021-07-3034 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 123 – Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal is Editor-in-Chief at Kaiser Health News, Which Started a Press Snowball Effect by Outing UVA‘s Aggressive Legal Strategy Chasing Thousands for Bills they Generated. It is Over Now, but a Dozen Other Press Outlets did the Same. Hear What Will be Her Encore! Her Book “An American Sickness” Offers Strategies to Protect Yourself from the Bigs. In this episode, Ron chats with Elisabeth Rosenthal, Editor-in-Chief at Kaiser Health News. Here she discusses her career in healthcare journalism and what she views as the most important stories that she has ever covered. She also does a deep dive into the shady practices of some of the bigs and how despite that, there are organizations out there that are doing things right and making a positive difference in American Healthcare. Ron and Elizabeth even discuss some potential topics for her to cover in the future. Elisabeth Rosenthal, Editor-in-Chief, joined KHN in September 2016 after 22...2021-06-1833 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 118 – Welcome Back Clinton Phillips, Who Started Medici to Take Virtual Care to a New Level for What Now Has 4,000 Providers and Exceeds 13 Million Patients at 1 in 3 Fortune 100 Companies. In this episode, Ron welcomes Clinton Phillips back on the show. Clinton is the Founder & CEO of Medici and Founder of 2nd.MD. Here he discusses how the healthcare landscape has changed during the pandemic and how his organization was uniquely situated to grow and meet the needs of patients by providing cutting edge virtual care. Clinton also talks about the different types of employers they work with and how they ensure that their clients have a dedicated team of docs for their staff to utilize, thus being able to develop a real relationship with their docs...2021-05-1433 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 117 – Direct Contracting is Much Larger than Anyone Thinks. Here’s The What, The Who and The Why it’s Inevitable and Unstoppable with your Host Ron Barshop. In this episode Ron chats about his experiences with direct contracting and his insights into how it is a better way to do healthcare in America. He discusses how direct contracting is better for the doctors, consumer, payer and how it lowers costs for all along with is better for population health. The outcomes from those with direct care are undeniable. Direct care patients have 30%-60% less meds, stays in hospitals, ER vists, imaging, specialist visits, and procedures than non direct care patients. He also dives into how giving patients better and more convenient access to their...2021-05-1112 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 100 – There are So Many Gold Nuggets That Guests Have Shared with Our Host, Ron Barshop. So, He Will Distill Them Down in the Annual Ten Lies in Primary Care (and by Extension Healthcare) Show. Here is What You Can Expect in 2021…. These ten lies in healthcare are really the ten opportunities. Here is who and what is being fixed on the fringes in 2021 in Primary Care with Ron Barshop, Host of the Show. Ten lies 2021: Independent PCPs are soon dinosaurs. You gotta work for a big. There are not enough PCPs. Our health always declines or at best maintains – as individuals, and as a nation. Costs of care only rise. COVID almost singlehanded killed our hospitals. There is no Superman or Wonder Woman to save us. Docs are powerless to radically reverse bad habits. Money sol...2020-12-2518 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 96 – Praveena Jaidev MD is One of 127,000 Foreign Medical Graduates Who Struggle to Join the American Medical Workforce Despite Severe Shortages. She’s Doing Something About it in Congress. In this episode, Ron chats with Praveena Jaidev, a Hospitalist at SwedishAmerican and Member of Physicians for American Healthcare Access, a group dedicated to increasing healthcare access in underserved communities. They advocate for legislative solutions to protect Immigrant Physicians. Here she discusses the difficulties foreign born doctors face while trying to work in America and how they are often more willing to work in rural or underserved communities. She also talks about the importance of The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, which would help foreign born doctors and nurses get their green cards, helping with severe physician and...2020-11-2724 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 95 – Michael Akinyele was the First Chief Innovation Officer for the VA with its 390,000 Employees and Offers his Perspective Where Primary Care is Going and Who is Driving the New Model. In this episode Ron chats with Michael Akinyele, Former and Founding Chief Innovation Officer for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Here they discuss Michael’s time at the VA and how he brought innovation to the system and some of the issues the VA faces. He also talks about the Mission Act, Veteran Suicide, different healthcare models, the future of care and more. Mr. Michael Akinyele, MBA, SES, is the former, founding Chief Innovation Officer of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest federal civilian agency with a ~$250Bn budget and...2020-11-2032 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 94 – Meet Doug Aldeen an ERISA Attorney and National Activist Bucking for Fundamental Change as More Self-insured Employers Turn to Their Health Spend to Uncover Buried Treasure of 20-60% Savings and Better Outcomes for Employees. In this episode Ron chats with Doug Aldeen, General Counsel and ERISA Health Care Attorney. Here they do a deep dive into how employers are changing they way they are looking at health benefits for their employees due to the crazy rate at which costs are rising and how COVID-19 is speeding up this change. They also discuss how the current way the American healthcare system is built is a sick care system, built to “feed the beast”. They also touch on referenced based pricing, how most urgent care facilities are owned by large health systems, the impo...2020-11-1328 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 92 – MRSA and C. diff Should Not Have Messed with Jeanine Thomas Who Leads the MRSA Survivors Network, Which is Outing the Bigs Who Prefer to Bury THIS Epidemic Much Worse than COVID-19 In this episode Ron chats with Jeanine Thomas, President/ Founder of MRSA Survivors Network, National Spokesperson for MRSA, MRSA Expert and Consultant. Here, they discuss the evolution of her long battle with MRSA. She also goes into detail about how that experience turned her in to an advocate for other MRSA survivors. Since founding the MRSA Survivors Network, she has lead the fight against MRSA and helped its survivors be heard. Jeanine is a true voice for change! Ms. Thomas has been a marketing executive in international travel and tourism for over 20 years. She has...2020-10-3037 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 89 – Wait! The Origin of Virtual Primary Care was Born the Day After the Birth of the iPhone? Meet Dr. Jay Parkinson the Original Creator and a Pediatrician Who Grew Sherpaa and Now as a Principal at Crossover Health Serve Up Primary Care and More at Amazon, LinkedIn and More at Their Places of Business. In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Jay Parkinson, Chief Designer at Crossover Health. Here they discuss what inspired him to create a virtual primary care platform. They dive into how it combined the scalability and accessibility of telehealth with the continuity found in traditional primary care and enables their primary care doctors to manage 95% of the conditions a traditional office-based primary care doctor can manage. They look at how the platform has grown and evolved over the years and what difficulties they faced along the way. Jay also looks towards the future of not only his...2020-10-0832 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 88 – Dr. Trent Talbot Overcame his and his Grandfather’s “Irreversible” Conditions by Deep Diving into Non-Traditional Solutions. Hear how The MediSearch Institute was born. In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Trent Talbot. Trent is the Founder of The MediSearch Institute. Here they discuss how Trent and his grandfather both suffered from chronic conditions for which they thought were untreatable. Trent discovered that through serious research into a patient’s entire medical history and talking to experts from multiple specialties all over the world, patients with even the most confusing and difficult diagnoses can find solutions. He created The MediSearch Institute to help these kinds of patients. Primary care docs, specialists, and hospitals do not always have the bandwidth or resources to...2020-10-0125 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 87 – Marshall Allen of ProPublica is as Respected as Healthcare Journalists Come. Shortlisted for the Pulitzer, He Exposes the Egregious Behavior of the Bigs. Learn What Drives Him Here. In this episode Ron chats with brilliant healthcare journalist, Marshall Allen. Here they do a deep dive into the insights Marshall has gained into some of the shadier practices in the healthcare industry from his journalistic work. Marshall talks about what inspired him to leave his career as a pastor and become an investigative journalist. Marshall talks about his series from 2018 – 2019 called “The Health Insurance Hustle” which focused on the rising costs and absurdities of health insurance in America. Ron and Marshall also debate whether the CEOS of major health systems are deserving of multimillion dollar a year s...2020-09-2647 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 86 – Dr. Clive Fields of VillageMD and Walgreens Agreed to a Billion Dollar Partnership in July. 500-700 Clinics Over 5 years. Meet the Visionary Who is Taking Primary Care to the Next Level. In this episode, Ron chats with Dr. Clive Fields, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer at VillageMD. Here they discuss Clive’s career and how VillageMD was founded with the sole purpose of helping independent physicians succeed in the transition from fee per service to value-based care. They also look at how COVID-19 has changed the primary care landscape and where value-based care fits in the pandemic era and beyond. Clive explains the importance of the new partnership between Walgreens and VillageMD, and much more. As Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of VillageMD and an esteemed pr...2020-09-1832 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 85 – Mark Henderson Leary is an EOS (Entrepreneur Operating System) Ninja who can Help you Take your Practice Back with Tools, Scorecards, and Systems That Just Make Sense. In this episode Ron chats with Mark Henderson Leary, an Entrepreneurial Operating System expert. Here they discuss how EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) works as a system of tools to help businesses run better and more efficiently. It focuses on areas such as: having all of the leadership at an organization on the same page, having a healthy and functioning team, creating a culture of honesty and accountability, and more. Mark explains the scorecards and key metrics he uses to track the teams and team members to ensure that they are achieving the desired results through the correct...2020-09-1329 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 84 – Wait! Dr. Anand Mehta was the First Medical Director at Walmart Health’s Pilot Clinic in Dallas, Georgia. Hear How They Offer Transparently Priced Affordable Care for What Might Someday be Their 2 Million Daily Customers. In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Anand Mehta, Medical Director for the Flagship location for Walmart Health in Dallas, GA. Here they do a deep dive into the new Walmart Health and Wellness model. They offer Primary Care, Dental, Behavioral Health, Optical, Hearing, Labs, Imaging, and Pharmacy all in one location. Anand talks about the significance of having all of those services in one convenient location at a low cost. This model could be a good way to encourage patients with chronic conditions who do not seek healthcare services frequently enough to utilize them more often.2020-09-0433 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 83 – Over 91 Million Americans Have a Rare Condition or Genetic Disorder that Lands Them in the Cracks and Crevices of Misdiagnosed Care. Today, They can Have a Graphic Timeline Thanks to Katie McCurdy of Pictal Health. In this episode Ron chats with Katie McCurdy, the Founder of Pictal Health. Here she discusses her journey with her own autoimmune disease and how it inspired her to create Pictal Health. Her platform enables patients to share invisible symptoms, mental health issues, and other complex health problems with their families and providers. She also talks about success stories that patients have had using the platform. Katie is a designer, autoimmune patient, and founder of Pictal Health. She created a new way for patients with complex health issues to tell their stories visually – so they fe...2020-08-2723 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 82 – Which COVID-19 Test is the Best? Here is a Tour de Force. Meet Dr. Amy Altman, a Former DOD Consultant for Biodefense with a PhD and a Master’s in Microbiology, Now at Reliant Immune Diagnostics as its Chief Operating Officer. She has answers. In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Amy Altman. Amy is the COO of Reliant Immune Diagnostics. Here, they dive into world of COVID-19 testing. They discuss the three different main types of testing along with the pros and cons of each, how testing has evolved throughout the pandemic, antibodies, and more. They also look at how the coronavirus is an RNA virus as opposed to a DNA virus, and what the difference is. Dr. Altman joined Reliant Immune Diagnostics in April 2018 and is currently the Chief Operations Officer. She has over 20 years of experience...2020-08-1936 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 80 – Jeanne Teshler, CEO of Wellsmith has “Run the Three Minute Mile” by Reversing Type 2 Diabetes 30% in Several Clinical Trials. In this episode, Ron chats with Jeanne Teshler, CEO of Wellsmith. Here, they discuss how Wellsmith works as a digital health platform. The platform enables people to make smart decisions regarding their health. It also provides doctors with important data to give them insights into how to best treat their patients. Jeanne talks about the importance of getting doctors to be cheerleaders for a whole health model and the difficulties with this in a fee for service payment model. Jeanne encourages healthcare consumers to take control of their own health and her goal is to provide them...2020-08-0526 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 79 – HuffPost called it! RubiconMD is One of the Five Companies Redefining Healthcare. Meet its Co-Founders Gil Addo and Carlos Reines, and hear why. In this episode Ron chats with Gil Addo and Carlos Reines, Co-Founders of RubiconMD. Here they do a deep dive into their platform and how it is changing primary care. RubiconMD helps to alleviate unnecessary visits to specialists by providing timely eConsults to primary care providers. These same-day eConsults can even be done with multiple specialties at the same time saving the patient a lot of time and money. Their platform is especially powerful in direct primary care and value based care. Gil is the CEO and Co-founder of RubiconMD. He has appeared in Inc...2020-07-3037 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 78 – John Sculley, Former CEO of Apple & President of Pepsi is now Chairman of the Board and CMO of RxAdvance, a Tech Driven PBM that Outlines who Wins as Technology Replaces and Restores our Creaky and Broken Sickcare System In this episode, Ron chats with John Sculley, Chairman and CMO of RxAdvance. John is also the former CEO of Apple and President of Pepsi. Here, they do a deep dive into the world of PBMs and what makes RxAdvance special. RxAdvance is the first cloud-based Pharmacy Benefit Management platform. Pharmaceuticals and their related therapies and specialty drugs account for $750 billion of expense a year. It’s the single largest cost of the US healthcare system. RxAdvance’s machine learning, disruptive innovation will be one of the most important better ways to give chronic care patients a high...2020-07-2448 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 77 – Dr. Marion Mass is an Urgent Care Pediatrician who Collaborated to Lead a Movement with 8M Followers Today. She is a Living Prescription for Doc Led Activism and Courage. In this episode Ron chats with the physician advocate, Dr. Marion Mass. Marion is an Urgent Care Pediatrician and Co-Founder of the Practicing Physicians of America. Here they discuss how she got into advocacy, and how many physicians justifiably feel pressured to keep their mouths shut. She talks about what it is like to stand up to big medicine in Americana and the need to push them towards transparency. They also discuss the current pandemic and its effects on both healthcare and the mental health of the nation. Marion is a mother, a pediatrician, a...2020-07-1528 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 76 – Wait! You are One of 500,000 Members with a Direct Primary Care Doc and You Don’t Know about Sedera? Learn How Medical Cost Sharing is the Perfect Pairing for DPC with Jamie Lagarde, its CEO and Why This was the Fastest Growing Company in Fast Growth Austin Last Year. In this episode Ron chats with Jamie Lagarde, CEO of Sedera, a medical cost sharing organization. Medical cost sharing is non-insurance where all members share funds for medical care. There is no provider network, and there is no insurance company. Here they do a deep dive into how medical cost sharing works and what differentiates it from an insurance company. They also talk about affordable it is and how it provides a much better “bang for your buck” than health insurance. Here, they also explore how medical cost sharing works alongside direct primary care and how the two...2020-07-0930 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 75 – Dr. Lee Gross is the Voice of Direct Primary Care in the White House, Congress, CMS, HHS, and IRS. Hear the games Bigs play. In this episode, Ron chats with Dr. Lee Gross, the Founder of Epiphany Direct Primary Care. Here they do a deep dive into a more affordable and more effective model of healthcare. This model is built around direct primary care and price transparency. Dr. Gross also talks about the success he has had working with a rural hospital in South Florida. Lee is a pioneer in healthcare who is consulted by policy leaders from the local to the federal level. He has even provided formal testimony for the US Senate and provide consultation to CMS, HHS, and...2020-07-0334 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 74 – Ashley Bacot and Kenneth Aldridge Get Real and Right Down to the Metrics that Make Rosencare a National Model that Changes Everything. In this episode Ron welcomes back Ashley Bacot and Kenneth Aldridge of Rosencare. Here, they do a deep dive into what makes the Rosencare model special. They discuss how their healthcare model gives them a financial, recruiting, and retention advantage over their competitors. They offer a whole health model for their employees that includes primary care, mental health, wellness classes that focus on fitness and eating right, and much more. Since 1991, Rosen Hotels & Resorts has offered an innovative in-house healthcare program that has saved the company approximately $340 million (as of April 2018), affording the opportunity to pr...2020-06-2421 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 71 – Save a Rural Hospital, Save a County Says Carl Schuessler, an Uber Creative Benefit Advisor with Mitigate Partners Who Teaches Nearly Broke but Highly Rated Rurals Exactly How to Save Millions Building Their Own Local High Value Network with the Stakeholders – County, School and Local Pharmacy, Local Doc – Brick by Brick. In this episode Ron chats with Carl Schuessler, Managing Principal, BenefitStrategies, LLC. and Mitigate Partners, LLC. Here they discuss how to bring back “neighborhood healthcare” to communities, eliminating the counterproductive barriers, getting back to to the “Marcus Welby, M.D.” way of healthcare. Carl talks about his experience removing PBM, the TPA, and BUCAHs from the healthcare equation. They do a deep dive into how healthcare can transform for the future, and how it already has transformed in some areas. Carl runs an intentionally small “concierge” consulting firm offering a unique approach to benefits management to a select...2020-06-0429 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 70 – Dr. Marty Makary is the Bestselling Author of Game Changing “Unaccountable” and More Recently “The Price We Pay”. What is Next in Healthcare Post COVID-19? What is Working Today? In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Marty Makary, Johns Hopkins surgeon, thought leader and Professor of Public Health. Here they discuss primary care in a sea of change during COVID-19 and what it will look like after the pandemic. Hear a deep dive into the importance of preventative primary care and how transactional care does not align with better outcomes. They talk about how fee for service is an outdated model that will be replaced. The coronavirus pandemic is putting a spotlight on many of the broken aspects of healthcare, explored here. Makary is...2020-05-2835 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 69 – James Dunavant of the Free Market Medical Association is at the Cutting Edge of Transparency and Entrepreneurial Alternatives that Repair Healthcare One Employer at a Time. In this episode Ron chats with James Dunavant, the Executive Director of the Free Market Medical Association. James is a champion for price transparency and the free market medical movement. Here they discuss the rising costs and worsening benefits in healthcare. They do a deep dive into what the free market with transparent cash pricing looks like and how it benefits every party involved. The FMMA Matches a willing buyer with a willing seller of valuable healthcare services. That is the goal of everyone involved in this movement. They help identify patients willing to pay...2020-05-2133 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 68 – Everything you Thought you Knew About Back Pain is and was Wrong. Meet Cathryn Jacobson Ramin who Wrote the Definitive Book on the Industry. In this episode Ron talks to Cathryn Jakobson Ramin. Here she does a deep dive into her book, “Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting On the Road to Recovery”. Cathryn struggled with backache and sciatica for years. She turned her journey in the back pain industry into investigative journalism, uncovering many secrets around the political, psychological, and economic influences on various treatments. She uncovers and shares many of the problems with the industry and its effects on back pain patients. Cathryn Jakobson Ramin is an Investigative journalist and author of “Crooked” a new book abo...2020-05-1335 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 67 – Tom Banning, CEO of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, has a Broad Perspective on How COVID-19 is Decimating 4000 Members. Here is What’s Happening on the Ground. In this episode Ron chats with Tom Banning, CEO of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians. Here, they do a deep dive into how COVID-19 is affecting family physicians and their practices. Primary care physicians are being hit hard financially by the pandemic as they are seeing less patients and less patients in person. The economic effects of the pandemic and the American response to it is putting the spotlight on the broken fee for service payment model. Other models are being explored that would be better for physicians, patients, and their employers. Tom Banning...2020-05-0631 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 66 – Al Lewis, CEO of Quizzify has a 100% Renewal Rate for Major Employers Subscribing to his Healthcare Quizzes. Educated Employees Spend Less by Knowing More from the Guy who has Written 50,000 Questions Endorsed by Harvard In this episode Ron chats with Al Lewis, the CEO of Quizzify. Here they discuss how the Quizzify platform enables employees to become more educated in healthcare and their healthcare spending. Their platform has even received endorsement from Harvard! Al dives into the importance of making intelligent yet humorous trivia questions. Quizzify helps healthcare consumers to arm themselves with knowledge to help prevent against unnecessary testing or fight against surprise billing. Ron and Al have a brilliant conversation on unique and creative ways to educate healthcare consumers. Al wears multiple hats, and not just to cove...2020-04-2929 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 65 – Wait! Tucker Max is Giving Away his Book Writing Workshop? Meet One of Only Four American Authors Who Had 4 Simultaneous NYT Best Sellers. Cooped Up but Writing your Signature Book is all About Using this Time well. Here’s How. In this episode Ron chats with the famous author and Co-Founder of Scribe Media, Tucker Max. Here they discuss his writing career and how it has evolved since his college years. He talks about the depression he felt after the movie about him struggled to perform to expectations, how he overcame that depression and started Scribe Media, his family, direct primary care, and more. He also dives into how, historically, some brilliant works of literature were born from people being cooped up in quarantine during pandemics. Tucker Max is the co-founder of Scribe Media, a c...2020-04-2346 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 64 – Wait! Chen Medical Panel Size is 400-500 and in Soon is in 10 States with Over 70 Providers Serving Mostly Medicare. Yes, I’m Talking Medicare! Learn How with Dr. Gordon Chen, Chief Medical Officer of ChenMed. In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Gordon Chen, the Chief Medical Officer of ChenMed. Here they discuss the growth of ChenMed and what makes it so special when it comes to senior care. They also cover the importance of constant and convenient communication with a primary care provider and having them involved in all care. Gordon also discusses how Coronavirus is evolving healthcare in areas such as increased telehealth usage. Dr. Gordon Chen is the Chief Medical Officer of ChenMed, a physician-led primary care practice whose goal is to deliver affordable care and superior...2020-04-1528 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 63 – Time Travel? Milan, Italy is Only Weeks Ahead of the US on the Pandemic Curve. Here is Where we are Headed Explains Rene Wiertz, the CEO of 3T Cycling Who Pivoted in 3 days to Making PPE. In this episode Ron chats with Italian entrepreneur Rene Wiertz. Rene is the Founder and CEO of 3T Cycling. Here they discuss how the coronavirus impacted Italy and what it is like living there as well as being a business owner. In the face of the pandemic, Rene retooled some of his factories to produce PPE for Italian healthcare workers. He also gives advice for listners on what Americans can expect in the coming weeks. Read the Transcript The post Episode # 63 – Time Travel? Milan, Italy is Only Weeks Ahead of the US on th...2020-04-0929 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 62 – Wait! A Near Perfect C19 Solution? A Virtual Primary Care Giving People the Right Care at the Right Time. Meet Dr. Brad Younggren, Chief Medical Officer at 98point6. In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Brad Younggren, the Chief Medical Officer at 98point6. 98point6 is a text first based Primary Care that meets patients where they are at, on their own phone. Here they discuss the importance of offering a technology like theirs and having it available in non-traditional settings. Brad dives into what differentiates their platform from traditional primary care, especially when it comes to patient convenience and experience. They also talk about mobile medical devices, having virtual doctor visits, platforms like this in the age of coronavirus, and much more. Brad...2020-04-0629 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 61 – Wait! I Can Learn from a World Class Communications Expert How to Best Relate While Cooped Up? Andrew Poles has Coached Tens of Thousands in the Art of Clear Authentic Communications in Tough Times In this episode Ron chats with Andrew Poles, Co-Founder of Impact Speaking Lab. Here they discuss communication in the world of healthcare, especially when it comes to the current COVID-19 pandemic. He dives into the importance of communication when we are all stuck at home and the importance of micro-gatherings and human interaction even while remote. Andrew Poles has been a professional seminar leader and is a former senior program leader for one of the world’s largest personal and professional growth, training, and development companies, having coached tens of thousands of people in individual an...2020-03-2632 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 60 – Wait! I Change my Questions, Change my Life? Meet an American Treasure Cal Fussman, Who Has Interviewed for Esquire your Favorite Pols, Celebs, and Sports legends. If They Go by One Name (Oprah) He has Interviewed Them. In this episode Ron chats with author, interviewer, and keynote speaker, Cal Fussman. Here they talk about the big questions in healthcare. Cal shares numerous anecdotes about healthcare while sharing stories from is extremely interesting career. He also emphasizes how important it is to take care of the physicians who take care of us. For over four decades, Cal Fussman has interviewed hundreds of the world’s most influential individuals: Muhammad Ali, Jack Welch, Mikhail Gorbachev, Serena Williams, Jeff Bezos, Jimmy Carter, Kobe Bryant, Richard Branson, and the list goes on. Now, as a...2020-03-2036 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 59 – Meet Dr. Brian Forrest, The Original Direct Primary Care Doc Who for 20 Years Has Trained Hundreds in 34 States and Offers his Best DPC Practices In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Brian Forrest. Here they discuss the effect coronavirus is having on the healthcare and primary care community. They also discuss what makes Direct Primary Care so special and popular among primary care docs, calue based care, and much more. Dr. Forrest is the CEO and Founder of the Access Healthcare Direct DPC network. In 2001, he founded Access Healthcare, the first DPC family medicine practice in the country. He is one of the founders of the DPC Summit and has mentored physicians in 34 states to transition to DPC. He...2020-03-1641 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 58 – Medici Now Has 13 Million Members, 1/3 of F100. 2nd Opinion is a Virtual 2nd Opinion Platform that has 20,000 Docs on its Platform and Specialists from the Top 17 Hospitals. Meet Clinton Phillips Medici’s Visionary CEO and Founder. In this episode Ron chats with Clinton Phillips, CEO of Medici. Here they discuss a wide variety of topics such as why he founded Medici, the evolution of his career, the importance of a second virtual opinion, the importance of technology, and much more. Clinton Phillips is currently the founder and CEO of Medici, a global healthcare communication platform. Medici has raised over $40m dollars, has acquired DocBookMD and Chiron Health and now has over 20,000 doctors communicating on its platform monthly. In 2005, Phillips created the Aspen Back Institute at the St. Regis. Backed...2020-03-1126 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode # 57 – Meet the Medical Futurist! Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Singularity University NASA Ames lecturer. WHO, too. He advises 10 Big Pharmas and was featured on CNN, National Geographic, Forbes, Time, BBC, New York Times, and more. Meet Dr. Bertalan Meskó. In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Bertalan Mesko, PhD. Here they discuss the future of healthcare! They dive into such topcis as wearables, A/I, 3D printing, and more! They discuss how these technologies and more will change the future of primary care and healthcare as a whole. Dr. Mesko is The Medical Futurist and the Director of The Medical Futurist Institute analyzing how science fiction technologies can become reality in medicine and healthcare. As a geek physician with a PhD in genomics, he is also an Amazon Top 100 author. He is also a...2020-03-0430 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #56 – AHealthcareZ is a Phenomenon on LinkedIn for Hundreds of Short 4-5 Minute Healthcare Deep Dive Videos. Infotainment at its Best, Meet Dr. Eric Bricker, Chief Medical Officer at AHealthcareZ In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Eric Bricker, Chief Medical Officer at AHealthcareZ. Here he discusses the platform of AHealthcareZ, which provides healthcare finance training videos with up to 80,000 views per month. Eric also dives into what is and isn’t working in primary care and how to offer the right financial model. He talks about what makes direct primary care special from the physician, employer, and consumer perspective. Read the Transcript The post Episode #56 – AHealthcareZ is a Phenomenon on LinkedIn for Hundreds of Short 4-5 Minute Healthcare Deep Dive Videos. Infotainment at i...2020-03-0234 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #55 – Aging is Actually a Disease, Not a Natural State. It is Likely Reversible. WHO Agrees Thanks to NYT Best-Seller and Harvard researcher, Dr. David Sinclair In this episode Ron chats with the brilliant expert in aging Dr. David Sinclair. Here David discusses is work into understanding aging and how to slow it down. He also discusses the safety of different approaches, the importance of eating less frequently, when humans can expect to have their lifespans significantly increased, and more. David A. Sinclair, Ph.D., A.O. is a Professor in the Department of Genetics and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School. He is best known for his work on understanding wh...2020-02-1930 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #54 – Rosen Hotels by The Numbers has Half the Healthcare Costs of Peers Since the 90s. Employee Turnover is 1/5th the Industry Average. Why? Free Healthcare (Less a $5 Copay) and a 12,000 sf Free On-site Primary Care Clinic and Workout Gym. Meet Ashley Bacot and Kenneth Aldridge, Master Disruptors and Leaders of RosenCare. In this episode Ron chats with Ashley Bacot and Kenneth Aldridge. Ashley is the President at ProvInsure and Kenneth is the Director of Health Services for Rosen Medical Center. Here they discuss RosenCare. Since 1991, Rosen Hotels & Resorts has offered an innovative in-house healthcare program that has saved the company approximately $340 million (as of April 2018), affording the opportunity to provide associates incredibly low premiums and innovative programs. The plan features on-the-clock visits to primary care doctors and a variety of specialists at the onsite. company-owned and operated Rosen Medical Center, A Place for Healing and Wellness...2020-02-1332 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #53 – Robots Emitting Broad Spectrum UV Light Bathe Hospital Surfaces, Stopping Pathogens that can Cause Hospital Associated Infections in their Relentless Tracks. Meet Morris Miller, CEO of Xenex. In this episode Ron chats with Morris Miller, CEO of XENEX. Xenex is a world leader in automated room disinfection. Through the use of Xenon technology and innovative hospital disinfection protocols, the company has helped hospitals achieve significant infection reduction results. Here they discuss the benefits of automated disinfection, how it can combat antibiotic resistant or rare diseases, reduce hospital contracted infection rates, improve outcomes, and more. As CEO, Morris is responsible for the company’s overall business strategy and oversight of day-to-day operations. Originally from San Antonio, TX, Morris is a graduate of...2020-01-3029 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #52 – Simple Q: Who offers the best healthcare at the fairest cost? Bill Hennesy answers that 30,000 times a day. Learn here how Pratter Reports are ultimate transparency. In this episode Ron chats with Bill Hennessey. Here they do a deep dive into healthcare price transparency. Healthcare consumers are upset that every year health insurance costs are increasing at an exponential rate, while they get bills in the mail they cannot understand. Consumers feel that their hands are tied! The Pratter Report aims to change that as the ultimate tool in healthcare transparency. Bill Hennessey, MD, is the CEO and Founder of Pratter, a medical cost savings and transparency company. Dr. Hennessey is both an MD and a serial entrepreneur, a practicing physician f...2020-01-2729 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #50 – These Ten Lies in Healthcare are Really the Ten Opportunities. Here is Who and What is Being Fixed on the Fringes in 2020 in Primary Care and by Extension, Healthcare with Ron Barshop , Host of the Show. In this episode Ron reflects on what he has learned from the first year of the show. This episode is a can’t miss deep dive featuring musings and thoughts from talking to the real change agents in primary care. He digs into subjects such as direct primary care and what it has done for his organization, the future of benefits, driving down costs, patients as consumers, and much more! He even shares some of his favorite quotes from the show so far. Read the Transcript The post Episode #50 – These Ten Lies in Heal...2020-01-1531 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #49 – Employers and Patients Want the Best surgeon Regionally at the Fairest Price. That’s Where Sano Surgery Steps In. That’s All They Do. Nationwide. Dutch Rojas, their CEO Knows his Way Through the Maze and After This Interview you Will too Have That Confidence with a Call to Dutch. In this episode Ron chats with Dutch Rojas. Dutch is a healthcare entrepreneur dedicated to making medical treatments affordable and accessible to all. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Sano Surgery, a bundled priced network as well as the Founder of Everyone Health, a consumer marketplace to purchase medical treatments. Dutch immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands and served in the US Marine Corps from 1995 to 2002. Here they discuss nurse and provider retention, direct contracting, proven ways to drive down the cost of healthcare, evangelizing low cost with high quality at fewer locations...2020-01-0729 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #48 – Nursing Can Rescue Healthcare Shortages. This Leader is on the Vanguard Rescuing Nursing with Rebecca Love In this episode Ron chats with Rebecca Love. Rebecca Love, RN, BS, MSN, FIEL is a nurse entrepreneur, inventor, author, TEDx Speaker and first nurse featured on Ted.com. Here they discuss the importance of nurses. Their role can and should be so much more than just a helper to a doctor. They are the end users of many healthcare products and see where they can be improved based on how they are actually used. She encourages nurses to embrace their entrepreneurial side and explore ways they can fix the problems in healthcare. Rebecca, was...2019-12-3032 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #47 – A PBM with Transparent Pricing for Employers with Vinay Patel In this episode Ron chats with Vinay Patel. Vinay is the Founder of Self Insured Pharmacy Networks (SIPN). Here Vinay discusses how he ended up in pharmacy, what a PBM is, how they work, and the pharmaceutical industry. He also dives into the importance of growing from the floor and working their way up to be come a threat to the traditional pharmacy model. The ultimate goal is to drive down the costs of healthcare for consumers. Vinay is a pharmacist executive with a 12 year career focused on population health and community pharmacy operations. His b...2019-12-2025 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #46 – More famous in India than DeBakey and Cooley are in the US, meet India’s Finest Cardiologist, Now Available for You! With Dr. Devi Shetty In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Devi Shetty. Devi is the Chairman of Narayana Health and Founder of Health City Cayman Islands. Here he discusses working long hours for a job that you love, technology, volume, and specialization to drive down costs. They also dive into medical tourism as an alternative to having an expensive procedure, with similar outcomes, in the United States. Dr. Shetty is a true visionary and pioneer in healthcare. Dr. Shetty is a cardiac surgeon with around 34 years of experience. After completing his MBBS from the University of Mysore in 1978...2019-12-1630 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #45 – Value Based Care Deconstructed with Dr. Chris Crow, CEO of StratiFi Health & President of Catalyst Health Network In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Chris Crow. Here Chris does a deep dive into value based care and all of its different forms. Ron helps Chris to break it down in a way that healthcare outsidser, who only think of “value based care” as a hot buzz word, can understand. This episode seperates hype from reality and what is truely possible. Christopher Crow, M.D. CEO of StratiFi Health and President of Catalyst Health Network, is a nationally recognized healthcare innovator. Dr. Crow created StratiFi Health and launched Catalyst Health Network after founding Vill...2019-12-0933 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #44 – Benefits Advisors are Not All Alike – Gunning for Employer Savings, Meet Michael Menerey, Senior Vice President and Benefits Consultant with Alliant Insurance Services In this episode Ron chats with Michael Menerey. Senior Vice President and Benefits Consultant with Alliant Insurance Services and a partner in their Employee Benefits Practice. Here they do a deep dive into the problems with the business of healthcare and on the ground solutions that are actively working to fix them. They touch on a wide variety of topics such as paying primary care docs more, bringing the cost of care down, legacy organizations that may not have the patients best interest in mind, and more. This episode is a must listen between two excellent podcast...2019-11-3041 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #43 – This Doc Shows How Millions of Tweets Can be a Thing for You Too with Dr. Dana Corriel, Founder of SoMeDocs In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Dana Corriel. Dana is the Founder of SoMeDocs. Here she discusses the power of social media in medicine, her role as a social media influencer in healthcare. She also talks about the positives and negatives of social media, but that overall a positive tool for good. Dana believes that medicine lags behind other industries when it comes to social media, but that it may be part of the solution to fixing what is wrong with medicine and specifically primary care. Dr. Dana Corriel is a board certified internist...2019-11-2231 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #42 – Half of All Direct Primary Care Launches Start with a Surfer in Wichita, Kansas with Kirk Umbehr, Direct Care Transition Expert at Atlas MD In this episode Ron talks to Kirk Umbehr is the Direct Care Transition Expert at Atlas MD. Kirk Specializes in helping doctors transition to an insurance free medical practice called direct primary care. Here they discuss the work of Atlas MD and how Kirk and is brother Josh were pioneers in the Direct Primary Care movement. Kirk explains the benefits of DPC and why he feels the movement should be growing and why there should be more DPC clinics across the country. He answers common questions, such as how interested are pediatricians and OB-GYN docs i...2019-11-1736 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #41 – Independent Physicians Can Now Surivive and Thrive with Dr. Chris Crow, CEO of StratiFi Health & President of Catalyst Health Network In this episode Ron talks to Dr. Chris Crow. Chris is the CEO of StratiFi Health and President of Catalyst Health Network. Here he discusses what inspired to go into medicine and on his current path. He dives into why independent physicians are important to the ecosystem of healthcare. He also covers burnout, value-based care, chronic care management, and more. Christopher Crow, M.D. CEO of StratiFi Health and President of Catalyst Health Network, is a nationally recognized healthcare innovator. Dr. Crow created StratiFi Health and launched Catalyst Health Network after founding Village Health Partners...2019-11-0839 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #40 – Why an Eminent Family Practice Teacher Converted to the DPC Model with Dr. Alex Lickerman, Founder & CEO of ImagineMD In this episode Ron talks to Dr. Alex Lickerman. Alex is the Founder, CEO, and a Direct Primary Care Physician at ImagineMD. Here he discusses why he left the large group model to be an independent physician and pioneer in direct primary care. He dives into the benefits of the direct primary care model and how it is not just concierge medicine for the rich. DPC providers are much less prone to burnout and it is an attractive model to encourage more medical students to go into primary care. Here Alex presents his argument for direct primary...2019-11-0134 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #39 – Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC Part 2 In this episode Ron gets the chance to chat again with Direct Primary Care expert, Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC. In this episode he talks about how we went directly into primary care out of college and what his work week looks like, including blogging and youtubing the DPC message. He stressed the importance of relationships with small businesses and reaching the public via social media. Paul touches on how he has been successful in growing his business without brokers so far. He discusses what it takes start a DPC practice, the importance of a...2019-10-2534 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #38 – Healing the Practice of Medicine with Dr. Torie Sepah, Co-Founder of Physician to Physician In this episode Ron talked to Dr. Torie Sepah. Torie is the Medical Director of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at Imperial Health Holdings Medical Group and Healthplan, Physician & Co-Owner at Pasadena Neuropsychiatry Center, and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California. Here she discusses a wide variety of topics around physician burnout and wellness. Torie was born in Iran and immigrated to to the US at the age of seven, in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution. She grew up in the SF Bay area, primarily in the city of South San Francisco. For u...2019-10-1833 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #37 – Culture as a Ladder into the Treehouse of Success with Will Scott, Author and Culture Czar In this episode Ron interviews Will Scott. Will is passionate about creating environments where people thrive so that they can be the best that they can be. A self-proclaimed Culture Czar, Will has studied, researched and adopted corporate culture strategies in several of his own companies, as well as helped multiple other businesses with their implementations. Each one has its own remarkable story. Will leads workshops and speaks regularly on the subject of corporate culture using his proprietary 9-step process for taking organizations from simply having Core Values to truly having a Valued Culture. Author...2019-10-1125 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #36 – Permanente Medical Group Innovation Double Award Winner on Clinical Decision Support with Dr. Uli Chettipally In this episode Ron chats with Uli K. Chettipally, MD., MPH. Uli is an emergency physician, researcher, author, speaker, and an innovator. He is passionate about delivering artificial intelligence-enabled solutions to physicians to improve patient outcomes. His work with CREST Network in developing a clinical decision support platform earned him the Pioneer award for innovation from Kaiser Permanente. He also received the Morris F. Collin award for his research with his team from The Permanente Medical Group. He is the author of the book, “Punish the Machine! The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare”. To connect with Dr...2019-10-0529 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #35 – Ancillary Cornucopia with Michael Berg, President and Co-Founder of Ancillary Medical Solutions In this episode Ron talks to Michael Berg. Michael is the President and co-founder of Ancillary Medical Solutions. He has spent 13 years in the medical sector, 10 in medical ancillaries. He is also an expert in medical ancillaries, publisher of the Comprehensive Medical Ancillary Catalog with 50+ ancillary verticals. Read the Transcript The post Episode #35 – Ancillary Cornucopia with Michael Berg, President and Co-Founder of Ancillary Medical Solutions appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-09-2926 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #34 – Using a Fresh Platform to Reduce Surgical Costs 30-60% with Ralph Weber, President of MediBid In this episode Ron talks to Ralph Weber Ralph Weber, REBC, CLU, GBA, Founder and President, MediBid Inc. Ralph has been a Healthcare Consultant since 1996 working primarily in the Canadian and US Markets. By 2009 Weber saw healthcare payers reaching the saturation point and started developing cost containment concepts to reduce healthcare spending for employers. Later that hear Weber founded MediBid Inc, with a group of physician investors. Being ahead of the market allowed development of concepts and perfecting of marketing strategies as well as tactical methods to increase competition among bidders. Weber is a frequent speaker at...2019-09-2536 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #33 – PharmacoGenomics – The Wise Path to Prescribing with Kristine Ashcraft, CEO of YouScript In this episode Ron chats with Kristine Ashcraft, B.S., MBA. Kristine is a molecular biologist by training and is CEO and founder of YouScript. She has worked in the precision medicine space since 2000 and was recently named one of the 25 leading voices in precision medicine. Kristine has authored multiple publications on the clinical and economic benefits of pharmacogenomic testing including one lauded as one of the most influential publications at an AMIA meeting. She has been interviewed by numerous media outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and NBC Nightly News and has...2019-09-1425 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #31 – Transparent National Imaging Platform with Dr. Cristin Dickerson, CEO of Green Imaging In this episode Ron talks to Dr. Cristin Dickerson. Cristin is the founder of Green Imaging. She initially practiced at Diagnostic Clinic of Houston where she served as two-term president of the 50 physician clinic and was a self funded employer. She is currently practice as a partner in Radiology Group of Houston at Medical Clinic of Houston (Sunset Clinic). She founded Green Imaging in 2012 to provide affordable, high-quality medical imaging for uninsured and high deductible patients in Houston and rapidly expanded the company to provide services nationally for self funded employers and healthcare marketplaces. She...2019-09-0730 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #30 – Teaching Docs How to Launch with Dr. Arlen Meyers, CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Arlen Meyers. Arlen is an emeritus professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, a lecturer at the University of Colorado Denver Business School and President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs at www.sopenet.org Here they discuss the world of entrepreneurs in medicine. Read the Transcript The post Episode #30 – Teaching Docs How to Launch with Dr. Arlen Meyers, CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-08-2431 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #29 – Patient Assistance Programs – Unlocking Deep Med Discounts with Mike Bechtol, Director of Membership for Redirect Health In this episode Ron chats with Mike Bechtol. Mike is the Director of Membership for Redirect Health. He drives initiatives to educate employers and individuals nationwide about Redirect Health’s simple and affordable way of doing healthcare. He also innovates new processes and program benefits to bring more value to members, ensuring they have a positive healthcare experience and that all needs are met. Mike deeply understands the relationship between care and cost, especially the fact that quality care can and should be affordable. This belief is what drives him to motivate his team of en...2019-08-1741 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #28 – Blazing the Path for Direct Primary Care as an Employee Benefit with Dr. Clint Flanagan, CEO of Nextera Health In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Clint Flanagan. Clint is Board Certified in Family Medicine and has over 14 years experience as an ER physician and maintains certificates in Advanced Cardiac and Advanced Trauma Life Support. He completed medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center then went on to residency at St Mary’s Family Medicine Program in Grand Junction, Colorado. He’s a diplomate of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Flanagan is the founder of Nextera Healthcare, the first Direct Primary Care company in Colorado and has been a local Primary Care physi...2019-08-0935 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #27 – Direct Primary Care Pioneer and Thought Leader with Dr. Josh Umbehr, Founder of Atlas MD In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Josh Umbehr. Josh is the founder of Atlas MD. Atlas MD is a Direct Primary Care Clinic that represents his ideal medical practice where he is able to shrug off the burdens and restrictions of government and insurance regulation so he can focus solely on patients and their needs. Read the Transcript The post Episode #27 – Direct Primary Care Pioneer and Thought Leader with Dr. Josh Umbehr, Founder of Atlas MD appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-08-0246 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #26 – This Republican Embraces Single Payer Initiatives with Dr. Joseph Jarvis, Global Healthcare Consultant and Author In this episode Ron talks to the author of The Purple World, Dr. Joseph Jarvis. Born and raised in Arizona, Dr. Joseph Q. Jarvis received his college education at Brigham Young University and his medical and public health professional degrees from the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is board certified in public health/general preventive medicine and occupational and environmental medicine. His years of family practice (in Salt Lake City, Washington DC, and Reno) were largely in areas of low income, with most of his patients being uninsured. Dr. Jarvis has...2019-07-2643 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #25 – First of Three Direct Primary Care Thought Leaders with Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC In this episode Ron talks to Dr. Paul Thomas. He is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Southwest Detroit. His practice is Plum Health DPC, a Direct Primary Care service that is the first of its kind in Detroit and Wayne County. His mission is to deliver affordable, accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond. He has been featured on WDIV-TV Channel 4, WXYZ Channel 7, Crain’s Detroit Business and CBS Radio. He has been a speaker at TEDxDetroit. He is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine and now a Clinical Assistant Professor. Fin...2019-07-1831 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #24 – Surgical Transparency with Free Market Pioneer and Thought Leader Dr. Keith Smith, President of The Surgery Center of Oklahoma In this episode Ron talks to Dr. Keith Smith. Keith is a board certified anesthesiologist in private practice since 1990. In 1997, he co-founded The Surgery Center of Oklahoma, an outpatient surgery center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, owned by over 90 of the top physicians and surgeons in central Oklahoma. Dr. Smith serves as the medical director, CEO and managing partner while maintaining an active anesthesia practice. In 2009, Dr. Smith launched a website displaying all-inclusive pricing for various surgical procedures, a move that has gained him and the facility, national and even international attention. Many Canadians and uninsured...2019-07-1328 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #23 – Pioneering Simplicity in Medical Adherence with Ron Riewold, CEO of Averlent In this episode Ron talks to Ronald Riewold. Mr. Riewold has extensive experience in operating and developing both public (Amex and NASDAQ) and private companies. Specifically, his expertise is in field or practice-level health care company operations. He was a top executive of six companies since 1978, three in the finance and real estate sector, and three in the health care and technology arena. Mr. Riewold has completed over fifty mergers in the health care industry. After successfully growing a financial services company and real estate development company as CEO, Riewold entered the healthcare arena full...2019-07-0430 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #22 – How Rethinking the Healthcare Spend Slashed Premiums and Worker’s Compensation Nearly in Half with Cole Johnson, CEO of Paul Johnson Drywall In this episode Ron talks to the President and CEO of Paul Johnson Drywall, Inc., Cole Johnson. Here they discuss how the use of Redirect Health helped Paul Johnson Drywall recruit and retain top talent. Paul Johnson Drywall, Inc. is a 50-year-old specialty trade contractor. Although Paul Johnson Drywall previously offered health insurance – an anomaly in the construction industry – participation was low. The majority of the workforce viewed the previous health insurance plans as unnecessary, confusing and outrageously expensive. The labor force sought out quick-fix healthcare solutions, such as visiting hospital emergency departments for non-emergency injuries or illn...2019-06-2526 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #21 – Burnout Macro Overview with Dr. Paul DeChant, Senior Advisor with Simpler Healthcare, an IBM Watson Health Affiliate In this episode Ron chats with Dr. Paul DeChant, MD, MBA. Paul is an experienced physician executive, C-suite coach, and expert on physician burnout. He has years of experience as a practicing family physician and a physician executive leader in large healthcare systems. He was the CEO of the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation and he now works as a senior advisor with Simpler Healthcare, an IBM Watson Health affiliate, providing executive coaching to health care leaders pursuing Lean transformations in their organizations and providing thought leadership on clinical operations and innovation. Read the Transcript The...2019-06-2031 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #20 – Our Future Medtech is Here with Jeroen Tas, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer of Royal Philips In this episode Ron talks to Jeroen Tas, the Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer of Royal Philips. Jeroen is an experienced global executive and entrepreneur with a track record of leading innovation in the healthcare, information technology and financial services industries. He clearly sees the tremendous value that information technology and data can add to managing health. Leading the company’s global Innovation & Strategy organization, he is responsible for M&A strategy planning, R&D, solutions design, medical affairs, sustainability, technology platforms, ventures and emerging businesses. Creating a pipeline of innovative business propositions Jeroen will leverage em...2019-06-1431 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #19 – Telehealth 2019 Report with Nora Belcher, Executive Director of the Texas e-Health Alliance In this episode Ron chats with Nora Belcher. Nora is the Executive Director of the Texas e-Health Alliance, a non-profit advocacy group that she started in 2009 to give health information technology stakeholders a voice in public policy. The Texas e-Health Alliance serves as the state’s leading advocate, from local communities to the national level, for the use of information technology to improve the health care system for patients. She is widely considered to be one of the state’s leading experts in telemedicine, having worked on the issue for over 20 years in a variety of roles. During...2019-06-0634 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #18 – Surprising Problems in Radiology and the AI Solution with Ron Vianu, CEO of Covera Health In this episode Ron talks to Ron Vianu. Ron is a serial entrepreneur and problem-solver by nature. He’s spent the last 20+ years founding ventures in the healthcare, technology, and insurance spaces. Currently, he is CEO at Covera Health, a clinical analytics company. Covera partners with physicians to deliver high-quality care through accurate diagnoses – putting patients on the most direct path back to health and reducing medical costs. Covera Health’s first solution, its Radiology Centers of Excellence Program, operates in all 50 states, and serves Fortune 500 self-insured employers and health plans like Walmart. Read t...2019-05-2834 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #17 – Patient-centric Ancillaries Offer High Value with Ches Williams, Co-Founder of Frontera Strategies In this episode Ron talks to Ches Williams. Ches is the Co-Founder and Partner of Frontera Strategies, LP. He is also the Co-Founder of Frontera Search Partners. Here they discuss a wide variety of issues around primary care and the importance of ancillary services. Frontera is the leading provider of ancillary diagnostic testing services for physicians throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Frontera Search Partners is a healthcare staffing and recruiting firm providing services for hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities. Read the Transcript The post Episode #17 – Patient-centric Ancillaries Offer High Value with Ch...2019-05-2230 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #16 – The Incredible Value of the Independent Doc with Marni Jameson Carey, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Doctors In this episode Ron talks to Marni Jameson Carey. She is the executive director of the Association of Independent Doctors, a national nonprofit designed to support America’s independent doctors, stop the trend of health-care consolidation and, thus, reduce health-care costs. An award-winning journalist, Ms. Carey worked as senior health reporter for Tribune Media, writing for the Los Angeles Times and the Orlando Sentinel before taking on her role at AID in 2014. She is also past president of a medical marketing firm, author of four books, a nationally syndicated columnist, and frequent TV guest and speaker...2019-05-1419 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #15 – Expert Rehab Ancillary for Pennies VS Surgery with Dr. Jason Garrett, Vice President of Clinical Development at Airrosti In this episode Ron talks to the Managing Vice President of Clinical Development at Airrosti, Jason Garrett, DC. Airrosti, headquartered in San Antonio, is a health care group that employs and trains skilled providers who are expertly trained to deliver high quality, outcome-based soft tissue and joint (musculoskeletal) care. Read the Transcript The post Episode #15 – Expert Rehab Ancillary for Pennies VS Surgery with Dr. Jason Garrett, Vice President of Clinical Development at Airrosti appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-05-0618 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #14 – Big Healthcare is not the Answer for Patients with Marni Jameson Carey, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Doctors In this episode Ron talks to Marni Jameson Carey. She is the executive director of the Association of Independent Doctors, a national nonprofit designed to support America’s independent doctors, stop the trend of health-care consolidation and, thus, reduce health-care costs. An award-winning journalist, Ms. Carey worked as senior health reporter for Tribune Media, writing for the Los Angeles Times and the Orlando Sentinel before taking on her role at AID in 2014. She is also past president of a medical marketing firm, author of four books, a nationally syndicated columnist, and frequent TV guest and sp...2019-05-0334 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #13 – Health Insurance is Obsolete with Janis Powers, Author & CEO and Founder of Longitudinal Health Care In this episode Ron talks to Janis Powers about a wide variety of topics including why health insurance is obsolete, Longitudinal Health Care plans, The Powers Report Podcast, and her new book Health Care Meet the American Dream. Janis is the CEO and Founder of Longitudinal Health Care, a company on a mission to eliminate health insurance. Their vision is to leverage advancements in genetics and predictive analytics to project the diseases and conditions their customers will develop over the course of their lives. She is also a keynote speaker, bestselling author, and host of h...2019-05-0329 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #12 – Nonpartisan Market-Based Fixes that Work with Dave Chase, Thought Leader & Founder of Health Rosetta In this episode Ron talks to Dave Chase. Dave is the co-founder of Health Rosetta, which aims to accelerate the adoption of simple, practical, nonpartisan fixes to our health care system. He is also the author of “The CEO’s Guide to Restoring the American Dream.” (Health Rosetta Media, September 2017). Here they talk about a wide variaty of topics such as benefits brokers, the future of healthcare, and more. Download the Transcript The post Episode #12 – Nonpartisan Market-Based Fixes that Work with Dave Chase, Thought Leader & Founder of Health Rosetta appeared first on Primary Care Cur 2019-04-2534 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #11 – A New DNA Test for Microbes May Make Current Tests Obsolete with Dr. Crystal Icenhour, CEO of Aperionomics In this episode host Ron Barshop talks to Crystal Icenhour about how she and her company plan to disrupt healthcare. Crystal R. Icenhour, PhD received her PhD in Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine from the University of Cincinnati Medical School of Graduate Studies in 2002. She conducted postdoctoral research in the Thoracic Diseases Research Unit at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine from 2002-2005 and in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Duke University Medical Center from 2005-2006. Dr. Icenhour has been involved in local and national postdoctoral associations including the Mayo Research Fellows Association Executive Committee (Pr...2019-04-1930 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #10 – The Future of Med Tech is Here and Now with Dr. Robin Farmanfarmaian, Author, Consultant, Speaker In this episode Ron Barshop talks to guest Robin Farmanfarmaian about the future of technology in healthcare. Robin is a professional speaker, entrepreneur, and angel investor, driving high-level business development for cutting-edge medical and biotech companies poised to impact 100M patients. With over 100 speaking engagements in twelve countries, she educates audiences on technology, the future of healthcare, patient empowerment, building thought leadership, and more. Keeping within the empowerment theme, Robin also works with entrepreneurs and executives who want to become thought leaders in order to accelerate their career and business goals. Her first book, “The Patient as CE...2019-04-1221 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #9 – What’s Wrong with American Healthcare and What’s Up with the Fixes with Dr. Josh Luke, Author, Podcaster, Main Platform Speaker, & 5X Hospital CEO In this episode host Ron Barshop talks to Dr. Josh Luke. He is a veteran hospital CEO, a ForbesBooks Featured Author, a leading international speaker and a faculty member at the University of Southern California. Dr. Luke’s is on a mission to use his years of knowledge and experience to help others break free from the entrapment of the current healthcare delivery model. At age 32, Dr. Luke became a hospital CEO and has since served as the CEO of several hospitals and rehab centers. He has extensive experience in and knowledge of America’s heal...2019-04-0534 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #8 – Every Docs Guide to Being a Thought Leader wtih Dr. Robin Farmanfarmaian In this episode Ron Barshop talks to guest Robin Farmanfarmaian about how to transform doctors into thought leaders and speakers. Robin is a professional speaker, entrepreneur, and angel investor, driving high-level business development for cutting-edge medical and biotech companies poised to impact 100M patients. With over 100 speaking engagements in twelve countries, she educates audiences on technology, the future of healthcare, patient empowerment, building thought leadership, and more. Keeping within the empowerment theme, Robin also works with entrepreneurs and executives who want to become thought leaders in order to accelerate their career and business goals. Her first book, “Th...2019-03-2819 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #7 – Ancillaries that Solve Multiple Problems with Chris Light, EVP at Principle Health Systems In this episode Ron talks to the Executive Vice President at Principle Health Systems, Chris Light. They do a deep dive in to the numerous ways adding ancillary services can improve primary care. They discuss things like improving outcomes, revenue, and reducing burnout. Read the Transcript The post Episode #7 – Ancillaries that Solve Multiple Problems with Chris Light, EVP at Principle Health Systems appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-03-2222 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #6 – Solutions Actually Working in Primary Care with Dr. David Berg, CEO of Arrowhead Health & CEO of Redirect Health In this episode host Ron Barshop interviews the CEO of Arrowhead Health, Dr. David Berg. This is the final of a three-part series where they dive into physician burnout, fixing the business model, and the overall state of primary care. They discuss how Dave ended up where he is today and solutions to some of the biggest problems facing both primary care and healthcare as a whole. Read the Transcript The post Episode #6 – Solutions Actually Working in Primary Care with Dr. David Berg, CEO of Arrowhead Health & CEO of Redirect Health appeared first on...2019-03-1430 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #5 – Blockchain as a Waste and Burnout Eraser with Leah Houston, MD, Speaker and Thought Leader In this episode Ron talks to Leah Houston, MD. Leah is a board-certified Emergency Physician. While practicing emergency medicine across the US for nearly 10 years she recognized a common problem: uncompensated administrative burdens related to physician employment and credentialing are a leading cause of administrative waste and physician burn out. She began HPEC in 2018 when realizing that Blockchain could solve the obstructive regulatory problems in healthcare with its distributed ledger technology. HPEC is building a platform that will give every physician a self-sovereign digital identity attached to their credentials in order to create the Decentralized...2019-03-0721 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #4 – Technology as a Bridge to Restoring Sanity with Dave Smith, Futurist & CEO of Strategic Pathways In this episode host Ron Barshop interviews the healthcare futurist, technology expert, and CEO of Strategic Pathways, Dave Smith. They do a deep dive into the role technology plays in both the current state of primary care and its future. They discuss topics like EHRs, transcriptions, telehealth, and education. Read the Transcript The post Episode #4 – Technology as a Bridge to Restoring Sanity with Dave Smith, Futurist & CEO of Strategic Pathways appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-03-0136 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #3 – Fresh Thinking of the Economics of Each Patient with Dr. David Berg, CEO of Arrowhead Health In this episode host Ron Barshop interviews the CEO of Arrowhead Health, Dr. David Berg. This is the second of a three-part series where they dive into physician burnout, fixing the business model, and the overall state of primary care. They discuss solutions to some of the biggest problems facing both primary care and healthcare as a whole. Read the Transcript The post Episode #3 – Fresh Thinking of the Economics of Each Patient with Dr. David Berg, CEO of Arrowhead Health appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-02-2040 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #2 – Ancillaries Answer Burnout and Factory Medicine with Jon Boski, CEO of Medcillary In this episode host Ron Barshop interviews the President and Founder of Medcillary, Jon Boski. They discuss the importance of and value that can be had by adding ancillary services to a primary care clinic. This can help to reduce burnout and increase revenue. Read the Transcript The post Episode #2 – Ancillaries Answer Burnout and Factory Medicine with Jon Boski, CEO of Medcillary appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-02-1920 min

Primary Care CuresEpisode #1 – Redirect as a Model Primary Care Experience with Dr. David Berg, CEO of Arrowhead Health In this episode host Ron Barshop interviews the CEO of Arrowhead Health, Dr. David Berg. This is the first of a three-part series where they dive into health insurance, the inaccessibility of healthcare, and the overall state of primary care. They discuss solutions to some of the biggest problems facing both primary care and healthcare as a whole. Read the Transcript The post Episode #1 – Redirect as a Model Primary Care Experience with Dr. David Berg, CEO of Arrowhead Health appeared first on Primary Care Cures. 2019-02-1453 min