Shows
VolsteadlandVolsteadland Live at the CC ClubVolsteadland Live at the CC ClubIn this special Volsteadland Live episode, Amy and Heather take the stage at the legendary CC Club in Minneapolis for a raucous, revealing, and sometimes emotional journey into the life and myth of Isadore “Kid Cann” Blumenfeld. Joined by authors, filmmakers, musicians, and descendants of the men who ran the town, we dive into the bullet-riddled underworld of Prohibition-era Minneapolis—and the family lore that still surrounds it.Chapter Markers00:03:53 Ron de Beaulieu00:15:36 Michael Greenberg00:30:13 Paul Maccabee 00:43:49 Marc Percansky01:02:50 Sherwin...
2025-05-111h 58
Digital Health HeavyweightsEpisode 3: Steve Bluemenfield, Global Head of Partnerships and Alliances at Willis Towers WatsonWelcome back to the Second Season of the Digital Health Heavyweights Podcast for our Third Episode. Today, Norm Volsky interviews Steve Blumenfield, the global head of partnerships and alliances at Willis Towers Watson. Steve shares his journey from strategy consulting to benefits consulting, discussing the evolution of the healthcare landscape, innovations in the early 2000s, and the challenges faced by health plans in engaging consumers. He reflects on his experiences in the PBM industry, the importance of building partnerships, and the trends shaping digital health today. Steve also offers insights into the future of benefits consulting, the role of...
2025-02-0449 min
Cinematic Sound Radio PodcastThe Flagship Show: All Request Christmas Special 2024Today we present our third ALL REQUEST CHRISTMAS SPECIAL on the CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST.
Since launching the CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST Patreon in April of 2021, we've offered our patrons exclusive perks based on the tier they signed up for. One of those perks is participating in all request programs. If you want to join in future all-request shows, please head over to our Patreon page, and join the community in any tier that is $5 USD/month or above. Once you do, you can participate in all upcoming all-request programs.
For this third Patreon All...
2024-12-242h 04
Cure for the Common Co.AndHealth: Reversing migraine and autoimmune conditions with behavioral and clinical care40 million people in the US suffer from chronic migraine, yet there are only 2,000 headache specialists to care for those living with this condition. In this episode, WTW’s Steve Blumenfield and Andre Burkholder speak with Matt Scantland about how AndHealth provides a new kind of specialized care, becoming the patient’s main health provider and addressing the root cause of the issue through clinical discovery, coaching, and support.
2023-04-0346 min
Cure for the Common Co.KardiaComplete: Making heart health personal through proactive technology and clinical supportKardiaComplete is putting the spotlight on heart disease, the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. WTW’s Steve Blumenfield and Siupo Becker speak with Archana Dubey about how AliveCor is transforming cardiovascular care via KardiaComplete, a comprehensive heart health enterprise solution, designed to drive improved health outcomes and reduce the cost of cardiac care by addressing established disease and reducing the risk of disease progression.
2022-12-0848 min
Cure for the Common Co.Joshin: Changing disability and neurodivergence support in the workplace1 in 5 people worldwide have a neurodiverse diagnosis resulting in different ways of thinking, processing, and communicating, but 80% of product and customer experiences don’t work for people with these needs. WTW’s Steve Blumenfield and Rebecca Warnken sit down with Melissa Danielsen to discuss how Joshin is closing the gap for the neurodiverse and disabled communities through tech-enabled specialized care, support, and education.
2022-07-1345 min
Benefits, with Purpose!Joshin: Changing disability and neurodivergence support in the workplace1 in 5 people worldwide have a neurodiverse diagnosis resulting in different ways of thinking, processing, and communicating, but 80% of product and customer experiences don’t work for people with these needs. WTW’s Steve Blumenfield and Rebecca Warnken sit down with Melissa Danielsen to discuss how Joshin is closing the gap for the neurodiverse and disabled communities through tech-enabled specialized care, support, and education.
2022-07-1345 min
Cure for the Common Co.Spring Health: Reimagining mental health solutions through data-backed careWhat if the guesswork was taken out of the mental health care journey? With the continued rise of mental health conditions, there has never been a greater need for advancement in this space. WTW’s Steve Blumenfield and Erin Terkoski Young talk with April Koh about how Spring Health is delivering a new approach to personalized psychiatry using data potentially revolutionizing access to quality mental health care and the effectiveness of treatment.
2022-04-2752 min
Cure for the Common Co.Brightline: Bringing pediatric mental health into focusNearly one in five children in the U.S. have a mental, emotional or behavioral health problem in any given year, but only 20% are receiving care. Shortages in child and adolescent mental health care are severe, but Brightline is changing that. WTW’s Steve Blumenfield and Siupo Becker talk with co-founder and CEO Naomi Allen about how her company is helping employers support the children of parent-employees and, in turn, how that’s improving the wellbeing of employees.
2022-03-2153 min
Cure for the Common Co.Bind: A personalized health plan with clarity on price and quality (updated)Is it possible to uncomplicate health insurance while providing savings for both employees and plan sponsors? In this episode, Steve Blumenfield and Regina Ihrke speak with Dave Dickey to uncover how Bind is providing an innovative and personalized solution that focuses on bringing cost and coverage transparency. This gives members the information they need, upfront, so they can efficiently purchase the care that best meets their needs.
2022-02-0244 min
Cure for the Common Co.Carrum Health: A center for health care Centers of ExcellenceBy looking at health care holistically as well as the practical side of price, Carrum Health has developed a Centers of Excellence solution that delivers value-based health care instead of the standard fee-for-service model. In this episode, Sach Jain talks with Steve Blumenfield and Drew Hodgson about Carrum’s mission to deliver a best-in-class network that employers can leverage to deliver better, more appropriate care at manageable prices.
2021-12-0847 min
Cure for the Common Co.Centering the health plan around primary care with CentivoEmpowering employees to select their own health plan fosters an enhanced member experience. In this episode, Steve Blumenfield and Drew Hodgson talk with Ashok Subramanian about how Centivo, a primary care centric health plan innovator, is helping to change the health care delivery landscape by bringing high-quality, personalized and affordable care to members and employers. This model promotes better member engagement, thus positioning employers to remain competitive in the war for talent.
2021-10-1549 min
Cure for the Common Co.Digestive Health Part 2: Oshi Health’s clinical, whole-person viewWhat would you give up for one month of relief from a chronic condition? Digestive health sufferers’ top survey responses include cellphone, Internet … even sex! The discussion of digestive health and solutions continues in this podcast with Sam Holliday, Chantell Sell and Steve Blumenfield. The trio discuss Oshi Health, an end-to-end clinic-based care model that treats the whole person in a cost-effective way that serves employees, employers and boosts overall health and productivity.
2021-09-2238 min
Cure for the Common Co.Digestive Health Part 1: Vivante Health’s digital solution for gut healthA stigmatized condition, 70 million people suffer in silence from digestive health issues, resulting in an average of 35 lost workdays per person, every year. Steve Blumenfield and Christina Prosser talk with Bill Snyder about the approach Vivante Health is taking — leveraging clinical pathways rooted in evidence-based medicine — to balance employers’ health care costs while at the same time addressing employees’ symptoms and improving their overall health outcomes.
2021-08-2338 min
TD Cowen InsightsRecapping Cowen’s 6th Annual FutureHealth Conference with Steve BlumenfieldRecorded on 07/07/21
In this episode, Charles Rhyee, Cowen’s Health Care Technology Analyst speaks with Steve Blumenfield, Head of Strategy and Innovation for Health and Benefits North America at Willis Towers Watson. Together they take a look back at this year’s 6th Annual Cowen FutureHealth Conference, held virtually this past June, and discuss the wide range of topics covered during the conference, including behavioral telehealth, chronic care management, women’s health and caregiving, and telehealth. As part of his role at Willis Towers Watson, Steve Blumenfield helps develop high potential new practice areas and curates the digita...
2021-07-1936 min
Cure for the Common Co.Democratizing access to cancer care with AccessHopeArguably, cancer is the scourge of our times. In this episode, Harlan Levine shares with Steve Blumenfield and Ron Fontanetta how AccessHope has democratized employee access to leading-edge cancer information and world-class care. By identifying the most complex patients and partnering with health plans, AccessHope’s program supports employers’ efforts for early intervention with high-risk employee patients who need the right care. Along with this podcast, you can learn more by listening to AccessHope’s on-demand webcast.
2021-06-0251 min
Cure for the Common Co.How Dow Jones and US Foods deploy innovation“This is how we’ve always done it” doesn’t work anymore when it comes to offering employee benefits, and employers need to step up to increase employee engagement and get the most from their investment. In this episode, Steve Blumenfield talks with benefits leaders Kim Duck and Joe Toniolo about the ways they and their organizations are breaking away from traditional thinking around wellbeing and benefits to deliver programs that meet employees where they are.
2021-04-0923 min
Cure for the Common Co.Putting health care in employees’ hands (MediBid)If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you applied normal business principles to the purchase of health care, wonder no more. Ralph Weber shares with Steve Blumenfield and Courtney Stubblefield the power that comes from combining transparency with competition in health care. From dramatically reduced out-of-pocket expenses to mitigating potentially higher-cost future procedures, you’ll hear how health care in the United States doesn’t have to be as complicated as it is today.
2021-03-0137 min
Cure for the Common Co.Leveraging data to drive your employee benefits (Springbuk)Instead of simply telling you your employee population’s health behaviors, what if your data went a step further and gave you targeted areas to focus your attention? Steve Blumenfield and Thi Montalvo talk with Rod Reasen about the possibilities for HR to leverage predictive analytics to drive data-driven decisions you make about your employee benefits and wellbeing programs. The trio discuss where data collection has been — and where it’s going.
2021-02-0343 min
Cure for the Common Co.Employer approaches to the burden of student loan repayment (Tuition.io)On average, it takes 21 years to pay off student loan debt, and that has a direct effect on employees’ long-term financial goals. In this podcast, Steve Blumenfield talks with Scott Thompson, Lydia Jilek and David Amendola about the innovative steps employers are taking to help bolster employees’ financial wellbeing. Hear the struggles that both employers and employees are facing in trying to build financial resiliency, and the benefits of finding the right solution.
2021-01-0450 min
Cure for the Common Co.Health care transformation in a pandemicGiven this year’s pandemic and economic uncertainty, it’s natural to expect a dip in venture capital investments in health care-related startups, but that hasn’t been the case. In fact, the first six months of 2020 revealed some of the highest investment levels. Venture capitalists Lynne Chou O’Keefe and Steve Kraus join Steve Blumenfield to discuss the future of health care and how they see it transforming to the benefit of both employees and employers.
2020-10-2815 min
Cure for the Common Co.The role of resilience in employee wellbeingAs organizations regain their footing from the COVID-19 pandemic, employees’ emotional wellbeing has become a focal point. meQuilibrium’s Jan Bruce talks with Willis Towers Watson’s Steve Blumenfield, Suzanne McAndrew and Julie Stone about the value of resilience in a time of uncertainty and the importance of helping employees cope with their stress and get control of their lives to be more successful — both at work and at home.
2020-09-2250 min
Cure for the Common Co.Paid time off and paid leave during the crisis, COVID-19 edition.COVID-19 forced employers to think about and make changes to paid leave, paid time off and disability programs and policies — employee benefits that haven’t changed very much in the past decade. Willis Towers Watson experts Alex Henry and Rob McGee talk with Steve Blumenfield and Julie Stone to address the challenges and opportunities employers must consider regarding these programs both today as well as for the future.
2020-07-2422 min
Cure for the Common Co.Testing and contact tracing as part of your workplace strategy, COVID-19 editionAs employers move toward reopening the workplace, vendors in the testing and contact tracing space are emerging every day. Steve Blumenfield and Julie Stone talk with Paul Matthews about what employers should look for in testing options, which vendor offerings may be on the horizon, and the best way to manage the overall employee experience as workforces emerge from stay-at-home orders.
2020-07-1726 min
Cure for the Common Co.The pandemic’s impact on behavioral health care and delivery, COVID-19 editionThe pandemic, sheltering in place, social distancing, feelings of isolation: All have had an impact on the emotional and mental health of employees at every level of the organization. Willis Towers Watson’s Mandie Conforti and Steve Blumenfield talk about how employers can address what employees are feeling while working within the limits of the current behavioral health marketplace. Hear real-world examples and get ideas for how you can support the mental wellbeing of your talent.
2020-06-2523 min
Cure for the Common Co.Chronic condition management for vulnerable populations, COVID-19 editionCOVID-19 has added a new layer of vulnerability for employees and dependents who are managing chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and other health issues. Willis Towers Watson thought leaders Jan Wuorenma, Kara Speer, Julie Stone and host Steve Blumenfield discuss the specialized issues these populations face and share ideas about the support systems and tools employers can provide to help these populations keep their health issues in check.
2020-06-1728 min
Cure for the Common Co.Re-imagining employee communications, COVID-19 editionWhether your workforce is still primarily disbursed or you’re preparing to re-open your worksites, COVID-19 has created a new set of employee communications challenges that require a nuanced and targeted approach. Lindsay Stortz, Julie Stone and host Steve Blumenfield discuss innovative approaches you can take to ensure your messages reflect sensitivity and awareness of different employee populations’ needs. Also, hear how this crisis has created an opportunity to temporarily — or permanently — look at how you reach employees.
2020-06-0820 min
Cure for the Common Co.In the trenches with employee benefits, COVID-19 editionMarco Diaz, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Benefits at News Corp, talks with Mark Hope, Senior Director in Willis Towers Watson’s Health and Benefits Consulting business, and Cure for the Common Co. host Steve Blumenfield about how News Corp’s employee benefits team has been managing — and succeeding — through COVID-19. Hear how a strong foundation of employee benefits has led to rapid adoption of telemedicine options, the ways that communication has improved at every level, and how News Corp is preparing to bring employees back to physical worksites by leveraging risk stratification.
2020-05-1932 min