Jeff Ruby - Medika Life

The Medika Life 50 – The Most Influential Voices in Health for 2022

Medika Life — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 12:01:06 +0000

For the 2022 Medika Life Top 50 Healthcare Influencers list, we have sought to identify voices – some expected and many new – that carry significant weight, both within their fields of expertise and across the health ecosystem. In particular, this year we sought to include the voices of patient advocates and ambassadors for those who need care and advance innovation.

All who have been selected for the 2022 Influencer List effect change and champion care and innovation. All are driven to improve people’s wellbeing and create a better, more accessible, more equitable health system. All express and share bold ideas and look to engage the health sector in conversation.

To compile our listing, Medika Life analyzed data from varied sources and used analytical tools to assess individuals’ social impact and reach. We examined numerous factors, including potential influencers’ effectiveness in engaging others and supporting healthcare improvement through original content. We have tried as much as possible to filter out the effects of Covid-19, which gave prominence to voices that were embedded in the frequent and changing news flow. We made the difficult choice to ensure new names (more than 50%) were featured on the 2022 listing. We sought to look at candidates’ overall contributions past, present, and, hopefully, future, to biomedical innovation, patient care, and wellness.

It was a challenge to select only 50 names for this listing. There are hundreds of committed and qualified individuals who were considered worthy. They work as advocates, change agents, innovators, and business leaders, and though not all could be chosen, we are eager to engage and support them and will highlight many others in the coming year.

We considered geographies – Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. We wanted to ensure that patient voice was present as partners at the table. We looked to ensure diversity and equity. Also, for the first time, media were included. We wanted to focus on people with ideas and the courage to share those thoughts and stand by ideals that include equitable and accessible care.

My thanks to my friend, mentor, and the Medika.Life Founding Editor-in-Chief Dr. Robert Turner for assisting me in this difficult process. Had he not been on the review committee, he would have most certainly appeared on this list of influentials.

[Please also refer to the list alongside, of the 2021 Most Influential Voices in Healthcare. These individuals also continue to have an impact and are important to watch, follow, amplify and engage. To that end, they retain their “Voice of Influencer” as Medika Top 50 alumni. We will also be preparing our lists of influentials in digital health, environmental health, health innovation, and mental health.]

Gil Bashe, Editor-in-Chief, Medika.Life

Download your Selection Certificate

If your name appears on the list below, we’ve prepared individual graphics for you to display on your website, blog, or social media to celebrate your selection. It’s well deserved and an acknowledgment for your efforts and dedication to better healthcare. You can download your certificate by clicking here. A sample appears below.

The Medika Life 50 – The Most Influential Voices in Healthcare for 2022

Here is our Medika Life roster of 50 people to follow – not ranked; all-important voices – to have on your radar screen for the years to come – follow their content and voices – advocates for patient care and health innovation:

John Nosta

Founder of NOSTALAB – Innovation Theorist

First and foremost, John is a thinker – never frightened to confront and exchange ideas. He is a thinker embracing the world of science, medicine, and innovation. John is the founder of NOSTALAB—a global digital health think tank recognized for its inspired vision of transformation. John is ranked as one of the leading voices in medical innovation and technology and well established as a top global strategic and creative thinker. He is also one of the most popular speakers around the globe, offering an insightful perspective on the future of innovation.

John’s focus is on guiding companies, NGOs, and governments through the dynamics of exponential change and the diffusion of innovation into complex systems. We appreciate his readiness to enter the fray and challenge the status quo. As important, he is a guide and mentor to many making him a given Medika Life Top 50 Influencer.

John is also a Medika author and you can follow his thoughts on healthcare via his dedicated column on this platform.

Jamey Edwards, MBA

COO, StartUp Health – Entrepreneur who Advocates for Start-Ups

Jamey Edwards is long known as a visionary leader in the health information and technology start-up space. His background makes him ideally suited to his new role as chief operating officer at StartUp Health. Many remember him from his past position as CEO and Co-founder of Cloudbreak Health (which merged with UpHealth and went public via SPAC in 2021). Jamey has been an active member of the health transformation community, offering his wisdom and experience – always available to help others and support their journey.

In his new role at Start-Up Health, Jamey put his 25 years of experience in healthcare, investment banking, and private equity to great use by helping entrepreneurs leverage his real-world experience to support the needed work to heal an unhealthy system of care. Continuing that mission, Jamey is now also a member of the Galien Foundation “Incubator, Accelerator and Equity” Judging Committee, where standards of excellence for the category will be set. Jamey is an advocate for many – an influencer for innovation that can improve patient care.

Michelle Longmire, MD

Physician and CEO at Medable Inc. – Making Drug Development Accessible

Dr. Longmire is mission-driven to accelerate the development of new therapies for disease. A Stanford-trained physician-scientist, Dr. Longmire has identified critical barriers to drug development and founded the pioneering company Medable to offer a new approach to drug development that harnesses clinical trial technologies to remove traditional roadblocks to participation and radically accelerate the research process. She is among the new leaders appearing in the evolving field of decentralized clinical trials.

More than a CEO and courageous business visionary, she is an advocate for diversity in drug development. Dr. Longmire is a change agent for the future of innovation and her leadership approach enables Medable to tap into the talents of some of the best and brightest from different industries – consulting, consumer marketing, bench science, and digital technologies – to advance the company’s mission. Her influence is seen through her ability to forge partnerships across the health ecosystem, most recently with pharmacy chain giant CVS. Dr. Longmire is present and always eager to listen and help others connected to the mission of making clinical trials for new therapies easily accessible.

Daniel Kraft, MD

Chair, XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance Task Force – Physician-Scientist and Inventor

A Stanford and Harvard-trained Physician-Scientist innovator and investor with more than 25 years of clinical, research, biotechnology, and entrepreneurial experience. Chair of Medicine at Singularity University and Founder and Chair of Exponential Medicine, Dr. Kraft brings needed expansive thinking to academic settings and medicine. Beyond creativity, he demonstrates the validity of his ideas in multiple publications and patents secured and shares ideas through his faculty positions at Stanford Medical School and UCSF (clinical faculty: Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation). He serves as chair of the XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance Task Force. Aspen Institute Health Innovation Fellow.

Singularity University and Exponential Medicine are unique cross-disciplinary programs that explore how rapidly advancing, convergent technologies can shape the future of healthcare and it fits Dr. Kraft’s expansive approach to health. Daniel is also an advisor to several leading biomedical and digital health startups. If academics and medicine were not enough, Dr. Kraft has put in his time in service to the nation as US Air Force National Guard Veteran having served as a unit Flight Surgeon. Inventor, teacher, advocate for patient care, and organizer, Dr. Daniel Kraft is certainly an influencer.

Amir Kalali, MD

Physician-Scientist and Convener of Communities that Advance Life Science

Dr. Kalali is a physician-scientist, recognized globally as a leading innovator at the intersection of life sciences and technology, and a convener of collaborative high-impact forums. He is a board director of both private and publicly traded companies and advises companies in the life sciences and technology sectors, universities, and investment groups. If the life-science industry had a Yoda, it would be Dr. Amir Kalali!

Dr. Kalali is the Co-Chair of the Decentralized Trials and Research Alliance (DTRA), Chairman and Founder and Chief Curator of the CNS Summit, a forum dedicated to the future of life sciences, and was the Founding Chairman, and sits on the Executive Committee of the International Society for CNS Drug Development (ISCDD), one of the first independent non-profits to bring together leaders in drug development to collaborate, and on the Executive Committee of the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM). Both a neurologist and psychiatrist, Dr. Kalali is also an author, mobilizer, board member, corporate advisor, and host to industry change agents. Consider most neurology medications today and it would not be a surprise to learn that Amir had a hand in their clinical development program. If you want to be at your best, attend one of his gatherings, your social and intellectual circle of amazing people will expand greatly. If you follow him (or will follow him) on Twitter, his short bio says it all: “I might be up to something.” Be assured Dr. Kalali is always exploring new territory.

Michael Bidu, MBA

Co-Founder and CEO of INTERFACE Health Society, Innovation Advocate

Michael Bidu is the Co-Founder and CEO of INTERFACE Health Society, a not-for-profit virtual digital health technology accelerator based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Interface Health is a platform and community that cares about innovators, the future of health, and making a difference in the world. This is where you can find the right solutions, connections, and resources, anytime, anywhere – which means faster access, reduced costs, improved experiences, and better outcomes for everybody.

Michael is also the Co-Founder and CEO of MYND Therapeutics Inc. a Vancouver-based digital health company that is disrupting the global wellness and healthcare industry by focusing on physical, mental, and behavioral conditions. The company makes science-based, immersive, socially engaging digital therapies that work virtually anytime, anywhere. The 1st product is scheduled for the market in 2022. What is more evident about Michael is his extraordinary support for entrepreneurs and ensuring their voices are heard.

Junaid Bajwa, MD

CMS at Microsoft, Patient Champion Harnessing Innovation to Improve Care

Dr. Bajwa is the Chief Medical Scientist at Microsoft Research and a practicing physician in the NHS (the UK’s National Health Service). He was previously the Global Lead for Strategic Alliances and Solutions for the Global Digital Centre of Excellence at Merck Sharp & Dohme, where he led a range of strategic initiatives to improve patient care, including the establishment of internal partnerships across the enterprise and external partnerships across the health care ecosystem.

Dr. Bajwa cofounded “VelocityHealth” as Europe’s first prevention-focused digital-health accelerator, in partnership with Telefonica, and led his team to deliver the “NHS Testbed” in partnership with Verily Life Sciences (part of Alphabet), which the Health Service Journal recognized as the “Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS” in 2018. Junaid is first and foremost a physician and dedicated to applying health innovation to ensure access to care.

Yele Aluko, MD, MBA

Chief Medical officer at EY – Voice for Equity in Healthcare

Proven MD/ MBA physician executive and corporate leader. Multiyear experience in healthcare clinical and administrative strategic planning, program growth, and development. Seasoned health equity practitioner with a focus on solution development and deployment. Prior clinical practice in interventional cardiology specializing in complex coronary and structural heart interventions, known for his empathetic and disciplined manner and his equally strong focus on consensus, team building, accountability, mentorship, and innovation.

Dr. Aluko is trained as a structural heart cardiologist and served as senior vice president of heart and vascular services at a 15-hospital integrated regional health care system in the Southeast USA. There, his responsibilities included governance of an enterprise-wide clinical strategy overseeing cardiovascular service line vision, growth, clinical integration, physician alignment, and standardization of clinical, operational, and business processes. He is an expert on what works and what doesn’t in the US health system.

He is board certified by the Canadian Board of Internal Medicine and is triple-board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Most important, Dr. Aluko is an expert in social determinants of health and addressing issues of health disparities that result in health inequities and care outcomes. Yele is one of those incredible minds that after spending a few hours talking with him, you hope he will influence the highest levels of the health ecosystem.

Stacy Hurt, MBA, MHA

Patient Engagement Consultant, Patient Ambassador

Stacy Hurt, MHA, MBA, is a leading voice for patient voice and care. She is an award-winning 20-year healthcare executive, caregiver to her intellectually and developmentally disabled son, and she is a Stage IV colorectal cancer survivor. Stacy serves as an advocate for patients around the world for the inclusion of their voice in shared clinical decision-making. Now, as a Patient Consultant, she helps pharma/tech companies and health systems shift from fee-for-service to a value-based care model by connecting to consumers through first-hand lived experience and strategic expertise.

Stacy has been a HIMSS Digital Changemaker and is on the #TelemedNow thought advisory panel for telehealth expansion. Her clients include Parexel, Red Hat, Promega, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Bayer. Ultimately, Stacy makes the business case for including a patient perspective with industry/clinicians and their customers. Stacy is a powerful voice for innovation that ensures patients are engaged in the process. In fact, she is pioneering the territory to make sure that every company involved in health innovation recognizes that patient advocates must be welcomed and respected members of the process. She’s courageous and persistent in so many ways, it’s likely Stacy Hurt will succeed!

Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH

Executive Vice President, Health and Wellness, Walmart

Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH, is a board-certified physician with subspecialty training in cardiology and is the EVP of Health and Wellness at Walmart. Previously she was the President of Consumer Solutions and Chief Medical Officer at Cambia Health Solutions. She has held roles as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Product Development for other national health systems and pharmacy retailers. She has a demonstrated track record of launching innovative healthcare products that enable organizations to capture and maintain market share. Dr. Pegus has held leadership positions with Walgreens and other health giants.

She is on the board of the American Heart Association and is the past-Chair of the Association of Black Cardiologists. She has been recognized as a leader in pragmatically addressing gaps in care and cost across underserved populations utilizing data-driven, innovative solutions to improve health and care fragmentation. Dr. Pegus has an extensive background in health provider systems, public health, professional association, private equity, and more. Walmart made a wise decision tapping Dr. Pegus for this new role – a decision that may likely benefit every community near a Walmart.

Hesham A. Hassaballa, MD, FCCP, FAASM

Associate Regional Medical Director – Critical Care – The Voice of Reason

Hesham Hassaballa, MD, FCCP, FAASM is a practicing intensivist with more than 17 years of clinical practice. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Hassaballa is a Regional Medical Director for Sound Physicians’ Critical Care practice in the Midwest. He leads and oversees clinical operations in multiple ICUs in the Midwest, and he is Medical Director of Respiratory Therapy at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL. At Rush-Copley, Dr. Hassaballa chairs hospital committees is part of the Medical Staff Leadership, and has delivered solid improvements in process and outcome metrics, including ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay of ICU patients, and mortality. Dr. Hassaballa is also a Regional Innovation Leader for Critical Care, and he is also a Physician Advisor and serves on the Education and Advisory Board for Advisory Services.

He’s an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Course Director for Rush University Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine for the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Medicine. He serves as a peer reviewer for the Society of Critical Care Medicine. He has presented research a number of times at national meetings, and he has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. Moreover, Dr. Hassaballa is a prolific writer, with articles appearing in newspapers and websites globally, and has published a medical thriller, “Code Blue.” Dr. Hassaballa is among the founding editors of Medika.Life. More so, his writings are a must-read and come from the heart.

Craig Lipset, MPH

Advisor, Educator, Mentor, Innovator – Decentralized Clinical Trials Pioneer

Craig Lipset leads at the forefront of innovation in clinical research and medicine development. He is an advisor to technology and biopharmaceutical companies, leading universities, and the venture community, bringing vision and driving action at the intersection of research, digital solutions, and patient engagement. Craig was the Head of Clinical Innovation and Venture Partner at Pfizer, on the founding Operations Committee for TransCelerate Biopharma, and on the founding management teams for two successful startup ventures (Perceptive Informatics and Adnexus Therapeutics). During that time, Craig designed and launched multiple industry firsts — from the first fully remote/virtual clinical trial for a new medicine to the first returning of results and data to research participants.

He now serves on the Board of Directors for the Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance where he is Founder and Co-Chair, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, and the MedStar Health Research Institute, and, as well as on the Editorial Board for Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science. In response to the statement, “Patients should have a seat at the drug development table,” Craig responds: “Have a seat at the table? It’s their table.” Craig influences the conversation every time.

Rachel Hodgdon

President and CEO, International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) – Creating a Healthier Planet

Rachel Hodgdon is President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation on a mission to improve human health and well-being through people-first places. Included in her IWBI leadership responsibilities, Rachel leads its Standard Development, Education, Research, and Credentialing divisions.

A widely sought-after expert and inspiring speaker, Rachel’s game-changing contributions to green building have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Parenting Magazine, FOX News, CNN, and in leading industry publications including Metropolis, Grist, and GreenBIZ. Rachel has also guest-edited Green Building & Design magazine. Rachel is at the forefront of raising awareness in environmental and planetary health tirelessly mobilizing leaders to create safe, welcoming healthy spaces. Uniting for-profit, not-for-profit, and academic leaders in the conversation for a healthier future makes her a must watch and follow.

Levi Shapiro, MBA

Founder, mHealth Israel – Global Health Tech Ambassador

Levi Shapiro is Head of the Digital Health Program at the Hebrew University BioMED MBA program and teaches Digital Health in prominent programs like Stanford BioDesign. As the Founder of mHealth Israel (8,000+ members), he leads Israel’s largest community of health technology innovators. His articles appear in leading industry publications. He holds Board positions with health technology startups and acts as a strategic advisor to prominent global healthcare organizations. If you have not attended one of Levi’s “Meet-Ups,” you’re missing something big! Levi makes and shares connections!

Levi also maintains the mHealth Israel LinkedIn community (12,000+ members). In a career spanning Beijing, Tokyo, Milan and Tel Aviv, Levi launched new business units (IBM), new products and services (Toyota), and a variety of technology startups. He is an investor and Board Member in Israeli health tech startups and formerly a General Partner in the venture capital firm, Veritas. Mr. Shapiro holds degrees from Tulane (BA), Cornell (Asian Studies), and MIT (MBA). Speak to him in Japanese – he’ll surprise you!

Artur Olesch

Digital Health Journalist, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of aboutDigitalHealth

Artur Olesch is a Berlin-based freelance journalist and correspondent for digital health-related topics. He is the founder of aboutDigitalHealth.com and editor-in-chief of ICT&Health International and OSOZ News. An author of 500+ articles and health-IT reports, content writer, an influential voice on social media. He mentors startups and guides healthcare organizations aiming to develop digital strategies. If anyone knows what is happening in the world of digital health, it’s Artur!

Artur is as gracious with his time as he is with his insights. If you are not following him on Twitter and reading his articles, you’re most certainly missing out!

João Bocas

CEO at Digital Salutem, DigitalHealth and Wearable Expert

João is a wearables expert and a globally recognized Top 100 Global Digital Health Influencer. His passion lies in helping others, sharing experiences, transferring knowledge, working collaboratively, and passing on the latest innovation trends from the digital health world. He is a thought leader in wearables, digital health, IoT, and healthcare innovation, including AI (artificial intelligence), robotics, and ML (machine learning ).

João explores the intersection of technology in modeling business models and shaping consumer behavior. His YouTube channel is a big hit in the digital health category and he’s now moved to sharing content in a regular LinkedIn blogpost. He also analyses the impact of disruptive innovations and shares future trends in the marketplace. His passion lies in helping others succeed.

Shazia Ahmad

Clinical Trial Engagement Expert, Rare Disease Advocacy Professional

A passionate leader with a desire to improve healthcare, clinical research practices, support strategy, and implementation on clinical programs with a special interest in rare and orphan indications, neuroscience, oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory and women’s health. A seasoned thought leader in the rare disease space and driven to ensure the patient journey and diagnostic experience is implemented in every program.

In her current role as Senior Director, Head of Patient & Physician Services at UBC, Shazia is driven to bring innovative solutions to clinical trial execution and outcome measurement. develop and support patient programs that address both disease-specific and cross-disease challenges, increase disease awareness, decrease time to diagnosis, increase access to therapy, and improve the clinical trial experience. Someone who knows the government research system, Shazia is a person to have on your side.

Allyson Ocean, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Patient Ally

Dr. Allyson J. Ocean is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, medical oncologist and attending physician in gastrointestinal oncology, Solid Tumor Division, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and practices medical oncology at The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health. Board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology, Dr. Ocean’s primary interest is in the biology and treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. She has published numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and abstracts and is an active member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Team.

Dr. Ocean is now leading numerous clinical trials investigating radiolabeled antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, oncolytic viruses, and targeted therapies in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Ocean is the founding Medical Advisory Board Chair of Michael’s Mission, a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of life for colorectal cancer patients through research, education, and patient support. Her work with patient activist Anne Glauber, who dedicated the last years of her life to creating a “crowd-source” clinical trial community for patients with pancreatic cancer, called Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer, reinforces that Dr. Ocean will not accept a deadly diagnosis as a given. Allyson is a champion for patient participation and someone to have on your side and follow.

Jeremy Lim, MD

CEO AMILI, Southeast Asia’s First Precision Microbiome Company

A/Prof Jeremy Lim (Fulbright 2002/3) is CEO and co-founder of AMILI, the Southeast Asian region’s first gut microbiome company centered in Singapore. A medical doctor trained in surgery and public health, Jeremy was most recently a partner in the Oliver Wyman Health and Life Sciences practice in Asia, which he founded in 2013.

He contributes back to his alma mater as Director of LIGHT, the global health institute for the NUS School of Public Health, and teaches global health systems reforms and digital health. He also writes regularly for both the scientific and popular media and in 2013 authored “Myth or Magic: The Singapore Healthcare System,” a book on the Singapore health system and the lessons for health reform efforts in other countries.

Rafael J. Grossmann, MD, FACS

Surgeon, DigitalHealth Innovator, Educator, Communicator – VR Pioneer

Throughout his career, Dr. Grossmann has focused on tapping the paradoxical power of technology to coexist with better, more humane medical care. He’s not just talking the talk, he’s certainly walking the walk!

Rafael is the world’s first doctor to use Google Glass technology during live surgery. This event catapulted him into the digital medicine ecosystem, as a disrupter of established medical paradigms and traditional ways of practicing and educating. He continues to be a powerful change agent in healthcare. He is a healthcare futurist, a full-time practicing surgeon, and a pioneer in adapting health technology to advance patient care. Dr. Grossmann is also an advisor and consultant to several companies, including Magic Leap, Animares, Nanox. Vision, Hippo Health, and other startup enterprises in the technology landscape. He’s lectured at MIT Media Lab, Stanford, Google, Deloitte, and many other pivotal digital-health industry players. When it comes to test driving tomorrow’s health tech, expect to see Rafael Grossman behind the wheel!

Amy Abernethy, MD, PhD.

President, Clinical Studies Platforms at Verily Life Sciences

Dr. Amy Abernethy is the President of Verily’s Clinical Studies Platforms, where she oversees the company’s clinical evidence generation platform product vision and related clinical research portfolio. Dr. Abernethy was recently Principal Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Agency’s acting Chief Information Officer. Prior to her role at the FDA, Dr. Abernethy was Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, and Senior Vice President of Oncology of Flatiron Health.

Before joining Flatiron, Dr. Abernethy was Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and directed the Center for Learning Health Care in the Duke Clinical Research Institute and Duke Cancer Care Research Program in the Duke Cancer Institute. Dr. Abernethy is a hematologist/oncologist and palliative medicine physician who has authored more than 500 publications. She holds a BA in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, an MD from Duke University School of Medicine, and a Ph.D. in Evidence-Based Medicine and Informatics from Flinders University in Australia. Amy is a physician, scientist, and advocate for innovation that can unite patients with a health system that is geared to meet their needs.

Renzo Guinto, MD

Co-Founder of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health

Renzo Guinto, MD DrPH is the Chief Planetary Health Scientist and Co-Founder of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Concurrently, he is Associate Professor of the Practice of Global Public Health and Inaugural Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine in the Philippines. He also holds appointments at the Copenhagen School of Global Health and Ateneo School of Government.

An Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leader and Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow, Dr. Guinto is a member of the Lancet–Chatham House Commission on Improving Population Health post-COVID-19 (University of Cambridge); Lancet One Health Commission (University of Oslo); Advisory Council of Global Health 50/50 (University College London); and Editorial Advisory Board of The Lancet Planetary Health. He advises various organizations including the World Health Organization; World Bank; USAID; International Organization for Migration; Health Care Without Harm; and Philippine Department of Health.

He obtained his Doctor of Public Health from Harvard University and Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines, Manila. In 2020, he was included by Tatler Magazine in its Gen.T List of 400 leaders of tomorrow who are shaping Asia’s future. His influence – albeit quiet – is powerful.

Jen Horonjeff, Ph.D

CEO Savvy Cooperative, Ph.D., Patient Advocate for Human-Centered Design

Jen Horonjeff, PhD, is a patient advocate and Founder and CEO of Savvy Cooperative. Savvy is the first patient-owned public benefit co-op that helps companies build inclusive health innovations by gathering diverse patient insights. Dr. Horonjeff was named one of the 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs of 2018 by Entrepreneur Magazine, alongside Elon Musk, Chance the Rapper, and Reese Witherspoon. Jen is committed to human-centered design in healthcare and has firsthand knowledge as both a patient and professional.

Always thinking about the voice of the patient, Dr. Horonjeff grew up with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and survived a brain tumor as an adult. She is also a patient-centered outcomes researcher, a human factors engineer, an FDA Consumer Representative, and serves on the Board of Directors of The Sequoia Project. She earned her Master’s in Ergonomics and Biomechanics and Ph.D. in Environmental Medicine, from New York University. Jen continues to give patients a platform to ensure their voices are heard and valued. At JP Morgan in 2019, she made sure to get the attention for her POV by appearing in a hospital gown to underscore the inequity of the physician/patient relationship. She is an advocate for a health system co-designed with patients.

Michael Rosenblatt, MD

Senior Partner, Flagship Pioneering – Ambassador of the Patient in Life Science

Dr. Michael Rosenblatt joined Flagship as Chief Medical Officer from Merck, where he was executive vice president and the company’s first chief medical officer from 2009 to 2016. Drug development pioneer, hospital executive, and educator, he has held key appointments as Dean of Tufts University School of Medicine; the academic chairs as Robert H. Ebert Professor of Molecular Medicine and George R. Minot Professor of Medicine, at Harvard Medical School; senior vice president for academic programs of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and director of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Dr. Rosenblatt is the holder of 19 patents and is the author or co-author of more than 180 peer-reviewed papers and commentaries.

Born in a displaced person’s camp to Holocaust survivors, has given “Mike” a world-view that places the needs of the patient front and center. During his tenure at Merck as chief medical officer, he secured a direct connection to the Merck board to ensure patient concerns would have a voice. A leader in drug development, he is the recipient of the Fuller Albright Award for his work on parathyroid hormone, the Vincent du Vigneaud Award in peptide chemistry and biology, and the Chairman’s Award from Merck. He is a member of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, and the research advisory committees of the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Boston. Mike is a medical Renaissance person.

Mike also serves as a Co-Chair of the Galien Foundation Prix Galien Awards Committee for his leadership work in public health and drug development. Those that know Mike can attest to his attention to the urgency of people’s needs.

Sachin Jain, MD, MBA

President and CEO, SCAN Group and Health Plan – Patient Care Innovator

Dr. Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA, is President and CEO of SCAN Group and Health Plan, where he is charged with leading the organization’s growth, diversification, and emerging efforts to reduce healthcare disparities. SCAN revenues top $3.4B and the organization serves 220,000 patients.

Dr. Jain is a respected thought leader in health care delivery. His interest in the system has led him to work in the White House, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and pharmaceutical giant Merck before going to the provider side of the industry at Caremore. He is recognized as a “Top 50 Most Influential Clinical Leader” and “100 Most Influential People in US Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare. In 2018, LinkedIn named him its top voice (#1) for healthcare. But there is more. Dr. Jain is a Forbes contributor and front-and-center advocate for putting the patient at the center of the health system. Most important, where and when change is needed to improve patient care, expect to see Dr. Sachin Jain as part of the conversation.

John Whyte, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Officer at WebMD – Shifting America from Sick Care to Self Care

WebMD Chief Medical Officer. Visionary, results-driven senior executive, physician, writer, healthcare policy expert, and innovative communicator with more than 20 years of professional experience providing healthcare leadership and policy development, Dr. Whyte blends big issue public health with personal and compassionate care.

Dr. Whyte is a board-certified internist and completed an internal medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center. He earned a master of public health degree in health policy and management at Harvard University School of Public Health. Before arriving in Washington, DC, Whyte was a health services research fellow at Stanford and an attending physician in the department of medicine. He has a strong handle on the balance that must be found between public health, public education, and private enterprise as partners. Dr. Whyte continues to put patients first and takes care to work in the clinic along with his WebMD responsibilities.

At a time when people feel resigned to their genetic destiny, Dr. Whyte is using his knowledge and abilities to inspire people to self-care and wellness. He now has two consumer health bestsellers available titled Take Control of Your Cancer Risk and Take Control of Your Diabetes Risk.

Dr. Whyte is now a Medika.Life author and you can follow his ideas and counsel on healthcare via his dedicated column.

Zubin Daruwalla, MD

PwC Singapore Health Industries Leader – Giving Life-Saving Ideas Structure

With the paradigm shift toward governments introducing telemedicine worldwide, Dr. Daruwalla has been involved in numerous studies looking at how telehealth can play a greater role in improving patient care and outcomes. He dedicates his talents to serving as an advisor to a number of Med and HealthTech start-ups so that patients will have easier access to care.

His extensive cross-cultural experiences from having lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Singapore exposed him to a wide variety of cultures and life experiences. Having obtained full registration with each country’s respective medical council, he continues his clinical work and research with current interests being in healthcare consulting and as a thought leader in the digital health and medical education spaces. With strong administrative and organizational skills, he is always looking at new and exciting opportunities to put his skill set to use so that entrepreneurs are able to blend their passions with sound processes.

Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD

CEO and Co-Founder, Lapsi Health, Digital Health Executive and Educator

Dr. Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD is a Medical Doctor from the Netherlands and Peru, an expert in Digital Health he holds positions of Business Director, Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer for different Medtech and Digital Health companies in Europe and the USA. He is currently the Global Ambassador for Medical Education in Digital Health for Medscape. Dr. Jhonatan Bringas is also on the Board of Directors and sits on the Advisory Board of several companies.

Watch him in his new venture called Lapsi Health. Lapsi is a medical startup, developing novel technology that enhances the usage of data in medicine. The technology and its patient-centered application is a bold idea and can impact care for millions. Global citizen, health-tech entrepreneur, educator and patient-access advocate secured Jhonatan berth on this year’s list.

Jeff Livingston, MD

CEO MacArthur Medical Center – Medical Journalist and Blogger

A nationally recognized thought leader, speaker, writer, blogger, and practicing physician who is considered an expert in the use of social media to educate patients, using new and innovative technology to improve care outcomes and the patient experience. Jeff is the founder of BeingWell on Medium and his efforts led to the creation of Medika.Life. Through his work, he created a platform for health professionals in medicine and allied health to share ideas from the trenches.

A partner at MacArthur Medical Center, since 2003 he serves as the company CEO. He has served previously as chairman of the ObGyn Department at Baylor Scott and White in Irving, Texas. Currently, he serves on the Board at THR Harris Methodist HEB and is the medical director at Texas Health Surgery Bedford. Livingston continues to speak, consult and provide leadership strategies to physicians, practice leaders, and health IT decision-makers throughout the United States. Jeff has been profiled in USA Today, Wired, Computer World, and Physicians Practice, among others, for his innovative use of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels to communicate with patients to better meet their health needs, educate and improve the patient experience.

Dr. Livingston serves as medical director for Silicon Valley HealthTap, Inc. an interactive health 2.0 network employing mobile health technology to connect doctors with patients. He also serves as medical director for the FQHC Collins Clinic in Fort Worth.

Professor Sam Shah

Chief Medical Strategy Officer, Digital Advisor, Specialist, Public Health

Sam is Chief Medical Strategy Officer for Numan and is one of the most respected voices in the UK on the topic of digital health. He is Honorary Chair and Professor of Digital Health within the Faculty of Future Health, College of Medicine and Dentistry with Ulster University. Sam serves as Chief Clinical Digital Advisor for Orcha and board advisor within healthcare and technology. He is a clinician and previously Director of Digital Development for NHS England and has a background in primary healthcare, public health, and research.

Sam uses his leadership voice to connect technology with access to health services; optimize the consumer experience and improve system efficiency. Sam has overseen the development of NHS 111 Online in England. He always has his vision for a better health system centered around improving people’s lives and remains one of healthcare’s most affable and approachable influencers.

Mark Chataway

CEO Hyderus / Leader Baird’s Communication Consultants – Public Health Champion

Mark always works to ensure that private enterprise considers public health urgencies. Expert in communications on health and medicines, Mark is known for his fearless counsel to mega biopharmaceutical companies on topics of global public health around preventing non-communicable diseases and ensuring prompt planning and response to infectious disease.

His many years of experience in communications on developing international health issues and managing international development programs, around AIDS and reproductive health have earned him world acclaim. Through the years, he has worked with noted clients such as International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Hewlett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, WHO, and Worldvision. Mark is dedicated to tackling issues for a more equitable world. What is most impressive is that Mark makes collaboration to improve people’s well-being his priority and platform. That is a heartfelt skill more and more leaders must embrace.

Aman Gupta, MBA

Managing Partner: Asia-Pacific, SPAG – Bringing Health Innovation to the World

Aman Gupta, is co-founder of PR Agency SPAG, and has been recognized for his global work in the PR and communications industry. He was the first Asian leader to be named to the TED Fellow 2003 list and has been listed as one of the ‘Top 25 Innovators’ by PRovoke Media, Asia-Pacific, for shaping influence and engagement in an era of dramatic marketing and communications disruption. He was also listed in the PR Week Global Powerbook (2016-17) as one of the most influential PR professionals around the world. Aman has been honored as ‘Communicator of the Year’, by the Industry Association at the Fulcrum Awards 2017.

Based in Mumbai, Aman extends his reach to others around the world and is dedicated to building a voice for Asian-based healthcare companies outside the region. His efforts have also led to SPAG serving as the representative for major North American health companies headquartered in Asia. Aman Gupta gives voice to global health innovation and is committed to public health. As Asia becomes more and more important to the conversation of global health, expert Aman to be part of those discussions.

Christine Von Raesfeld

CEO, People with Empathy; Online Community Leader, HIMSS Future50

Few people with a cause walk the talk as boldly and graciously as Christine Von Raesfeld, founder and CEO of People with Empathy. Christine is a pillar of patient advocacy and allyship in the rare and chronic disease community. Through the lens of her lived experiences in healthcare, she has become a champion for patient voices, diversity and inclusion in clinical research, and equitable patient-sponsor partnerships.

Christine brings her unique perspective and honed expertise to countless roles as a featured speaker for numerous conferences dedicated to the rare disease community and disease awareness initiatives. Christine is a dedicated voice for progress with her patient advocacy interests and stimulates dialog on a range of topics important to patients, clinicians, and industry as moderator and host of Health.Reconsidered on Clubhouse. Christine is there for others always and unites people and ideas to improve access to care.

Rasu Shrestha MD MBA

Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Executive VP at Atrium Health

Rasu B. Shrestha, MD, MBA, leads the Atrium Health enterprise strategy, including planning and tactical direction for strategic roadmap and beyond. In addition, he spearheads a renewed focus on innovation, launching new healthcare inventions, discoveries, and ideas to benefit our patients and the communities Atrium Health serves. He also provides executive leadership for corporate communications and marketing, as well as enterprise analytics, showcasing Atrium Health as a meaningful, national brand that leverages the power of data and insights.

Dr. Shrestha is a respected thought leader and visionary in the field of healthcare information technology and was recently recognized as “Executive of the Year” by Healthcare Dive and was acknowledged as one of the “Top 20 Health IT Leaders Driving Change” and as a “Top Healthcare Innovator” by InformationWeek. In addition, he is on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and is the Chairman of the HIMSS Innovation Committee, and Co-chair of Health Datapalooza. While he has numerous clinical and corporate credentials, he exhibits an interest in others’ efforts to improve patient care and sees himself as a constant ally in their efforts.

Lori Rose Benson

Executive Director, Hip Hop Public Health – Public Health Change Agent

With more than 25 years of experience in public health and education, Lori joined Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) in 2017 as the organization’s inaugural Executive Director. Her experience in developing and scaling innovative health, fitness, and wellness programs is aligned with HHPH’s vision to empower youth around the globe with the knowledge and skills to make healthier choices, reducing preventable health conditions and the rising tide of childhood obesity.

Executive leader in the public health, education, wellness, and sports sectors with strong community and organizational ties within New York City, New York State, and across the country. Lori has mobilized a diverse community of educators, entertainers, and health professionals empowering youth with the transformative power of hip-hop. Together with outstanding partners and popular musicians, Lori is changing the beat on how to reach communities with life-saving messages. Watch Lori and Hip Hop Public Health continue to reach people on their terms and to their beat.

Ritesh Patel

Senior Partner, Global Digital Health, FINN Partners – Digital-Health Evangelist

When it comes to uniting people around ideas, expect to see Ritesh Patel in the center of the circle. After seven years at Ogilvy, Ritesh joined FINN Partners in July 2021 as its first global leader for digital health and continues his healthcare digital evangelism uniting academic settings, healthcare companies and industry communities. He consults with clients on digital transformation and connects their ideas and solutions to customers and consumers. Ritesh is a courageously bold spokesperson and shares ideas on numerous forums. A natural collaborator, he is passionate about sharing knowledge with peers and clients on the future of digital in healthcare. Born in Keyna, raised in the United Kingdom, and having relocated to the United States, he takes his ideas on the road speaking at a wide variety of digital and healthcare-centered events across the world.

At heart, he is always a Digital and Social Evangelist. With more than 20 years of Digital Experience, his background includes Online Marketing, Advertising, Sales, CRM, and E-Business. His focus is primarily on digital strategy, tools, platforms, and ecosystems in Healthcare. When he’s not talking digital, expect to find him at his restaurant in New Jersey that specializes in British Indian cuisine. Ritesh is the health sector’s Renaissance person.

Eugene Borukhovich, MBA

Co-Founder and COO YourCoach Health – Global Champion for Self-Care

Eugene is a serial intra- and entrepreneur, executive, venture builder, speaker, and board advisor with a focus on digital health. Eugene is Chairman & COO YourCoach. Along with being co-founder of YourCoach Health, he is the founder of Initium Impact Ventures. Prior to YourCoach, Eugene served as a Global Head of Digital Health at Bayer, and he has also co-founded and sold a doctor rating startup and a consulting company. His work is urgent and important!

By the year 2030, there is estimated that facing a myriad of illnesses resulting from poor self-care, people will look outside the traditional health system to address their needs. Perhaps as many as nine billion people in the world will seek access to global squads of health coaches to heal holistically, mind, body, and soul rather than succumb to non-communicable disease. Eugene sees self-care instead of sick-care as the needed path to sustain lives. He’s ready to engage. Watch what he says and does – it may save your life.

Jeff Ruby, JD, MBA

Co-Founder/CEO, Newtopia, Mobilizing Companies to Employee Wellness

Jeff Ruby is a health innovator and entrepreneur who is passionate about shifting the focus of health care from sick care to keeping healthy people healthy. As a health innovator and global thought leader, he is championing hyper-personalized and engaging strategies to deliver proven, scalable, and sustainable habit change and disease prevention by engaging companies to secure more benefits and outcomes for their employee community.

Jeff is seeking to sustain and save people’s lives by getting their workplace communities to play a larger role in employee healthcare. He’s right! With companies and employees footing more and more of the health insurance burden, perhaps it’s time that employers took a more active role in their staff’s wellbeing.

Joanne Yoong, PhD

Senior Economist and Director, CESR-East

An experienced economist and interdisciplinary researcher with a past history in the finance, health, and think tank industry underwritten by a Stanford Ph.D. in economics. Joanne is a behavioral economist that has established a world-class reputation as both an outstanding academic and a practitioner. She is a Senior Economist at the University of Southern California, where she directs the Center for Economic and Social Research in Singapore. She also holds a concurrent appointment at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

She is a recognized expert in program evaluation across sectors, bringing creative, data-driven solutions to community organizations, governments, and the private sector. Joanne is considered by many leading figures in healthcare to be integral to the wave of changes sweeping through the industry and Medika Life will explore her tireless and innovative efforts in an upcoming Voices of Healthcare feature article.

Ogan Gurel, MD

Innovation Leader, Author, Keynote Speaker, Bioelectromagnetics – Educator

Dr. Gurel is the Chief Science Officer for FLITE Material Sciences and holds academic appointments at the Solbridge International School of Business and DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology). He also serves as a Venture Partner at The Yozma Group and as Chief Marketing Officer for Eidware / SoundMind (Seoul), with previous roles at NovumWaves (Seoul), Nessa Hearing (Singapore); holds additional appointments as Honorary Fellow (University of Melbourne) and Visiting Professor (Libera Accademia Belle Arti–Italy).

Never resting on his laurels, Dr. Gurel was Chief Innovation Officer at Campus D, a Seoul-based startup incubator/Fab Lab, and served more than four years as a Director in the CTO office at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT). His business experience spans executive, marketing, clinical, and R&D domains, with expertise in medical devices, digital health, medical imaging, and biopharma while his academic research focuses on protein electrodynamics and terahertz medicine.

He doesn’t just hold onto his knowledge, he shares. Ogan is known for his amazing course called “Mini-Medical School (Mini-MD) a comprehensive, intensive overview of all of medicine, presented for marketing and sales business leaders where he covers the field of medicine – from the perspective of a physician in a few short weeks. It offers the “business side” of life science a glimpse of medicine from the healer’s perspective. Teacher and influencer, we welcome Dr. Gurel to this year’s Medika Life Top 50.

Kellie Lease Stecher, MD

OBGYN, Author, President and Co-Founder Patient Care Heroes

Physician, M.D., OBGYN, Author, Educator, Policy Consultant, Passionate, Determined, Persistent. Dr. Stecher is an advocate for justice, and a leader in the fight against institutional sexism. Her memoir, titled “Delivering” was released in October 2021. Patient Care Heroes was started as a simple social media post to tell the story of a physician hero who ultimately died as a result of caring for her patients with COVID-19, ultimately launching a national conversation about all those in healthcare who risk their lives going to work and providing care for their neighbors.

Kellie is its co-founder and president. Dr. Stecher is an advocate for reproductive rights, healthcare access, mental healthcare access, and gender and racial equity. She continues to work as an OBGYN.

Sedric Degbo, MD

CEO at REMA Medical Technologies, Collaboration that Saves Lives

Based in Benin, Dr. Degbo is engaged in building Africa’s largest medical community on REMA. The intent is to connect African healthcare professionals for better medical decisions. Its approach is to improve the quality of medical decisions by interconnecting all healthcare professionals practicing in Africa through a mobile application enabling them to share knowledge, experiences, and collaborate in real-time about patient cases, to make better decisions and save more lives. Thousands of medical cases are resolved each year via the “REMA” platform, which is used daily by doctors, midwives, and nurses from all over Africa.

Dr. Degbo has won several international awards in Africa, Europe, and America. His expertise is recognized by international health organizations and pharmaceutical groups, which he advises in their development strategies on African markets. In terms of social commitment, he devotes part of his time to promoting youth entrepreneurship and the 3rd sustainable development goal, in particular through conferences or by volunteering on the board of directors of non-profit organizations such as Bluemind Foundation for mental health.

Matthew Herper

Senior Writer, Medicine, Editorial Director Of Events at STAT – Words that Matter

It’s likely not a worthy STAT conversation unless Matt Herper is one of the event moderators. Since he came on the life science scene more than two decades ago he has reported on medical innovation — both its potential and pitfalls — writing about the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of medicine, from Avandia to Vioxx to Zytorin. Some stories left experts pondering about the science, and there are plenty of reasons to consider questions that raise the collective drug safety bar. We have seen his evolution through the years and applaud his efforts to consider all sides. Matt’s dedication to the field of biopharma reporting is exceptional.

Matthew was with Forbes for 18 years before taking the plunge and being one of the earlier top-tier health reporters to join the then-fledgling STAT staff. His decision and its impact accelerated the shift of science journalism from print to digital. We expect more great things will come from the keyboard of Matthew Herper.

Gregg Masters, MPH

Executive Producer at Healthcare Now Radio and Champion for Edgy Ideas

Recognized as a thought leader in healthcare social media and public health, known on social media by his Twitter handle @GreggMastersMPH, Gregg is a champion of voices seeking to improve the health system. He was there as a supporter during the nascent ramp-up of major social media platforms including Fierce Health, Health Information Technology by Health Data Management, and more. Gregg models best practices in digital content development, curation, distribution, and brand amplification. He mentors colleagues in both the strategic and the purposeful day-to-day application of interactive digital media tools from ‘lean’ to turnkey private-label branding.

Gregg is best known through his support for others as producers of numerous HealthcareNow Radio shows including PopUpStudio.productions, PopHealth Week, The AMCP Podcast series Powered by PopHealth Week, ACO Watch, Health Unabashed, HealthInnovationMedia.com fka HIBC.tv, JustOncology.com. He hosts (or co-hosts) several Internet radio programs including ‘This Week in Oncology’, ‘This Week in Accountable Care’ and ‘This Week in Health Innovation.” When there are people who need to be heard be assured Gregg is elevating their voices to the sector.

Todd Eury

Founder/CEO, Pharmacy Podcast Network – Giving Pharmacy Voice

Pharmacy could not have a stronger advocate for the discipline that touches almost every chapter of life – community care, hospitals, senior care and drug development. Todd is their ambassador. He has tapped podcast, digital publication, and professional development to unite the community among America’s most trusted profession – pharmacy.

As founder and executive producer of the Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN), he has built a community of more than 100,000 monthly listeners across more than 30 podcast channels. Todd has transformed the use of audio to improve education, patient care, and professional development. Setting new quality standards in content development with the provider in mind to support evidence-based information in audio form. Building community and elevating the voice of this critical care professional isn’t just a job for Todd – it’s his passion.

Brian Wallach, JD

ALS Patient Advocate, Activist, Inventor, Lawyer

Brian is an attorney and ALS patient who conveys his humanity and as a result, calls upon us to exhibit our empathy and engage. In the aftermath of his ALS diagnosis in November 2017, he and his wife founded “I AM ALS,” a patient-led, patient-centric movement to lead the fight for a cure to the disease and Synapticure to remake the broken, disconnected care system. He is also an associate at the leading law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. From 2014 to 2018, he served as an assistant United States attorney in the Northern District of Illinois.

From 2011 to 2013, he was senior vetting counsel in the Obama White House, responsible for overseeing the vetting process for nearly all Senate-confirmed executive branch appointees and all presidential appointments as well as working on congressional oversight investigations. Brian shares his thoughts about parenting with ALS and his desire to keep pushing himself and our entire health community to press forward and imagine a cure.

Mike Rea

CEO, IDEA Pharma – Challenger of the Drug Development Status Quo

Mike Rea heads Idea Pharma and was voted one of the Top 10 Innovators in the pharmaceutical industry. He is the creator of the annual “Pharmaceutical Innovation Index” and an industry expert in drug development positioning. His thinking and approach have supported more than 25% of the 50 fastest-growing drugs during the past five years and positioned four of the 10 blockbuster launches of 2017. Mike sees the blank space between the notes – in drug development and music. Perhaps it’s his varied interests that help Mike see things differently. He owns an independent record label called Medical Records, his citation on Wikipedia is for establishing the UK college American Football league, and he loves to find some mud and watch his three (or is it four) dogs have fun.

Mike urges biopharma developers to reflect early on how their medicines might reach more people earlier. He suggests that pharma leaders should not make regulatory approval their singular goal – rather, recognize that a successful approach – smart thinking – can lead to more people being helped by medical miracles. Mike is all about making drug development more productive – for patients.

John Lynn

HITMC Founder – Ambassador for Health Information Marketing

John Lynn is the founder of the Healthcare IT Marketing and PR Conference community better known as HITMC. His energies and focus are centered around enabling wonderful people to connect and plan for a better future and the fragmented health ecosystem is easier for its stakeholders to navigate. John is the founding editor of the blog network HealthcareScene.com, which encompasses five blogs containing almost 11,000 articles that have been viewed more than 18 million times.

He is also co-founder of two companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com and serves as an advisor to multiple healthcare IT companies. John is an ambassador for the growing health information marketing community and in a growing sector of health, expect to see his influence expand. He influences through kindness and concern for others.

Erica (Olenski) Johansen

The Healthcare Futurist and Storyteller of the Patient Journey

Erica is a powerful storyteller, and she has much to share and we must listen. She is part of a new wave of caregiver and patient health influencers whose voices have become more sought so that the health ecosystem – the patchwork and fragmented networks that serve as economic and information gatekeepers – begins to bend to their needs. Erica’s words on “A Vignette of Life as a Pediatric Cancer Mom” or “Where Did My Hair Go,” remind us that we are all vulnerable and rely on each other for support – emotionally and as fellow patient-care advocates.

Her words and her support of the arts as part of therapy help us all image healthcare delivery as more caring and personal. Erica recognizes that people, culture, and technology must find common ground for the sake of our soul and survival. Erica is a must connect and follow – to follow her words and vision for a kinder health system.

Matthew Zachary

CEO and Co-Founder OffScrip Health

Matthew Zachary is a 25+ year cancer survivor and the CEO and Co-Founder of OffScrip Health. He also founded Stupid Cancer and created the first health podcast called The Stupid Cancer Show, which amassed a global listenership with more than four million listens and counting. People Magazine calls him “the people’s voice” in healthcare. As the Founder of the award-winning nonprofit Stupid Cancer, he is recognized as the driving force behind creating the Young Adult Cancer Movement and impacting the lives of millions of people in their teens, 20s, and 30s.

Called “The Howard Stern” and “The People’s Voice” of healthcare, Matthew is now focused on creating the first patient engagement company focused on audio as a transformational medium to improve patient outcomes. His platform hosts wonderful people sharing their ideas with millions of listeners. People like oncologists and cancer survivor Mark Lewis, MD, are part of his growing network of podcast programs that cover rare diseases, health disparities, and more. Matthew’s energy knows no boundaries and his influence is felt through his words, actions, and edgy platforms.

We hope you find this list useful and its members inspiring. More and more, seeing health disparities and the challenges facing health innovators seeking to enter the complex and fragmented health ecosystem, these Influencers seek change and use their voices to advocate for ideas that improve people’s care.

The speed and efficacy with which meaningful policy changes and practices are implemented across the healthcare sphere are influenced to a large degree by voices on this list, our 2021 list, and countless others connected to these people.

Let’s do our part to ensure they are heard. Follow and engage with these outstanding people seeking positive change. Also, follow the people they follow – those people are future candidates for the Medika Top 50 list. Again, with a roster of 50 people, it’s impossible to include everyone we considered – there were hundreds. That is why we urge everyone to visit past lists.

In April, Medika Life plans to release its Top 50 Health Companies List for 2022 featuring fearless innovators who are seeking to advance access to care and accelerate diagnosis and alternative approaches to treatment.

Spot a broken link, typo or name misspelled?

Our apologies! While due care has been taken in compiling this list and adding social media links, sometimes things go wrong or a name is misspelled. Please do get in touch to address typos, amendments, or omissions by reaching gil.bashe@medika.life or robertturner@medika.life. Thanks in advance.

The post The Medika Life 50 – The Most Influential Voices in Health for 2022 appeared first on Medika Life.

Treating Lifestyles . The Structural Gap in Patient Care

Jeff Ruby — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 07:13:40 +0000

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to recede in the United States, the health care system is shifting more of its attention from the immediate threat of this infectious disease back to the ongoing threat of chronic diseases, which have long been the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S., as well as the leading drivers of the nation’s $3.8 trillion in health care costs.

Six in 10 American adults have a chronic disease, and a significant percentage of these conditions could be prevented with lifestyle change. Studies suggest that up to 90% of type 2 diabetes, 80% of coronary artery disease, 70% of stroke and 70% of colon cancer are potentially preventable through a reduction in five key lifestyle risk factors: unhealthy diet, inadequate physical activity, overweight, smoking and excess alcohol consumption.

Considering the unhealthy habits many of us picked up during the pandemic (decreased exercise, increased snacking, heavier drinking), compounded by stress and loss of sleep, we can expect a further surge in chronic disease — and the associated personal and financial costs.

How are we going to address this growing problem before it overwhelms our health care system, our economy, and our ability to compete and lead the world by the power of our example?

A lack of primary prevention

Much of the problem lies in the expectation that our existing health care infrastructure is going to solve this problem. Physicians don’t have the training or time to create personalized habit-change plans and ensure that patients follow them, nor are they adequately reimbursed for practicing lifestyle medicine.

While medical education is shifting to incorporate more behavior-change best practices into curricula, most physicians — aside from the key role they play in preventive screenings and identifying patients at risk — continue to focus on sick care rather than on keeping healthy people healthy.

The lack of primary prevention and consistent support for incremental habit change for healthy people represents a massive structural hole in our health care system and our society in general. And it’s a hole that physicians cannot and should not be expected to fill on their own.

The one-on-one personal coaching needed to help individuals achieve long-term successful habit change requires greater frequency of contact than is possible with typical health provider relationships, and although behavior change clearly results in long-term cost savings, it does not fit the fee-for-service model that most providers still operate under.

An opportunity for insurers and payers

The savings do, however, represent an opportunity to introduce the needed paradigm shift via insurers and corporate payers, who currently bear a large share of the cost of managing expensive chronic conditions once they have developed.

The front line in this battle should not be when patients are in the hospital dealing with symptoms, but much earlier — before unhealthy habits have had a chance to negatively affect people’s health.

Insurers and payers certainly recognize the value of promoting a healthier workforce, and they frequently offer preventive health programs for their members and employees. However, traditional health improvement and prevention efforts tend to be one-size-fits-all curriculum-oriented programs — modeled on our learning and education system — that rely on participants’ own motivation to find what works for them and stick with it. Unfortunately, it’s human nature to look for quick-fix solutions, particularly when it comes to lifestyle change and losing weight.

Many people give up if they don’t see the results they want right away. Traditional efforts also rely heavily on willpower, which is rarely enough when it comes to the complex issue of weight loss. An effective plan must also take into account a wide range of individual circumstances and characteristics, including the person’s medical history, genetics, social determinants, personality, intrinsic goals, readiness to change, and many other factors.

Habits are by definition cultivated over time, and sustainable behavior change requires one-size-fits-one coaching and support — in the context of a trusting personal relationship — to build confidence in making small incremental changes and keep individuals engaged, motivated and accountable over the long term. Fortunately, support for habit change is a role that lends itself well to a virtual environment, with telehealth coaching sessions complemented by smart remote monitoring tools such as fitness trackers and smart scales, along with the right gaming and curated social health community. This makes participation more convenient and accessible for employees while reducing costs for payers.

A new partner in health

In short, support for habit change is a task best suited to a new and different type of health specialist that insurers and payers can partner with to overcome lifestyle-related chronic disease. Just as there are many physician and allied health subspecialties that address the diverse aspects of diagnosis and treatment of various illnesses and health conditions, we should look to embrace a new (and virtual) front line of healthy habit change providers that can address primary prevention and effective habit change — working with and alongside physicians and the existing “sick care” infrastructure.

It’s time to fill that structural gap. The health of our families, neighbors, and country is at stake

The post Treating Lifestyles . The Structural Gap in Patient Care appeared first on Medika Life.

It’s Time to Apply COVID-Scale Urgency to Noncommunicable Diseases

Jeff Ruby — Fri, 28 May 2021 00:49:15 +0000

As the United States begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, reformers of all stripes are calling on the nation’s political and business leaders to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to implement meaningful change on many fronts so that the new normal will be better than the pre-COVID status quo.

Among the problems that the pandemic has drawn attention to is the high prevalence of underlying chronic health conditions in the U.S. population. These conditions — including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease — are more than contributors to worsen COVID-19 outcomes; they are also a growing long-term threat to the country’s health, productivity and national security.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 88 million American adults (1 in 3) have prediabetes, 60% of adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease and 40% have more than one, and these chronic diseases are the leading drivers of America’s soaring health care costs ($3.8 trillion in 2019).

The COVID-19 pandemic grabbed our attention because the impact was immediate and we all felt at risk. Even most people who were not personally concerned about the danger to their own health were at least conscious of the risk of coming into contact with the virus and needing to quarantine or, worse, passing the virus on to someone more vulnerable. We responded quickly to this new infectious disease and became hypervigilant.

It’s time to transfer some of that same urgency to addressing chronic noncommunicable diseases. Pre-COVID, noncommunicable diseases were responsible for nearly 90% of deaths in the U.S. While provisional data from the CDC identify COVID-19 as the third-leading cause of death in 2020, the first and second were heart disease and cancer, respectively, with stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease and diabetes also in the top 10.

Many of these diseases (and the physical, mental and economic costs they entail) are preventable. The World Health Organization states that eliminating the four major behavioral risk factors for chronic disease — unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol — would prevent 80% of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancer.

In many ways, the rising tide of chronic disease is similar to the issue we face with climate change: while we all recognize that it’s serious, and we know we need to act, because the impact is not immediate it’s hard to overcome inertia and introduce the significant structural changes that would really make a difference.

COVID-19 generated a burst of attention for communicable disease, but there’s no equivalent pressure forcing immediate action on noncommunicable disease. Social scientists and psychologists who study risk perception have long observed how we react strongly to sudden, acute risks (say, a wildfire bearing down on our town) but become habituated to chronic, ongoing threats (gradual warming of the planet or the risk of car accidents, for example).

But we don’t need to become desensitized and accept a high level of chronic disease and its spiraling costs to health insurers as inevitable. The pandemic proved that both individuals and organizations can change their habits to protect people’s well-being.

President Biden’s recently proposed American Families Plan includes a variety of provisions aimed at reducing the financial impact of illness and making health care more affordable, such as the establishment of a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program and reducing health insurance premiums and deductibles for those who buy coverage on their own. However, with roughly half of Americans obtaining their health insurance through their employer, significant efforts are needed to decrease corporate health care costs as well.

If we really want to reduce costs, we need to tackle the problem at its root by reducing the need for care. We must take a step back and look for ways to support early intervention before people develop preventable chronic conditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has primed corporate America for a mindset shift in terms of health care plan design and benefits. Companies recognize the need to place a higher priority on employee health and wellbeing, and Congress should offer tax credits to incentivize organizations to turn these good intentions into reality.

Encouraging the adoption of proven evidence-based preventive care benefits that address unhealthy behaviors before they lead to chronic disease will have a much greater long-term impact than tinkering with the edges of condition management for the health insurance market.

We can’t let complacency set in as soon as the pandemic is over, because business as usual is unsustainable and threatens America. Let’s leverage the lessons learned from COVID-19 to prevent both communicable and noncommunicable disease — after all, there is only one health we need to safeguard. We must act now to help keep the American workforce healthy, reduce employer health care costs, and prevent the increasing incidence of chronic disease from overburdening the health care system and the economy.

The post It’s Time to Apply COVID-Scale Urgency to Noncommunicable Diseases appeared first on Medika Life.

Jeff Ruby, Founder & CEO, Newtopia

Medika Life — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 06:54:24 +0000

We’re delighted to introduce Jeff Ruby, a health innovator and entrepreneur who is passionate about shifting the focus of health care from sick care to keeping healthy people healthy.

His mission has its roots in personal loss; his father died of cancer at a young age. When Jeff discovered that the cancer was largely a result of lifestyle choices, it demonstrated how unhealthy behaviors go unaddressed until it is too late to intervene.

It led to the realization of how backward our traditional health care system has become: it’s really a reactive sick care system that treats people after they’ve already become sick, rather than a proactive health care system that works to keep people healthy and prevent illness through primary prevention.

Jeff’s belief in the critical importance of prevention led him to establish several innovative health care startups prior to founding his current company, Newtopia, a tech-enabled habit change provider that helps health insurers prevent disease and save costs through sustainable habit change instead of late-stage condition management.

As Jeff says:

Health care providers often offer patients lifestyle-related platitudes — eat healthier, exercise more, get more sleep, reduce stress — but they are not trained or incentivized to take the time to really get to know their patients and their unique needs and work with them to make the daily choices that will build new, incremental healthy habits. So how do we make sure that these recommendations actually turn into change in people’s lives? A new front door and front line is required. Changing and stacking habits requires both a hyper-personalized approach (taking into account factors such as genetics, medical history, social determinants of health, behavioral profile and personal preferences, for example) and a strong human connection supported by technology to ensure inspiration, build confidence and accountability..

Jeff is committed to helping health insurers re-envision their investment in health and realize the greater returns of creating pro-health and pro-wellbeing workplace cultures. By addressing the unhealthy life choices that are a major risk factor for many noncommunicable diseases –
including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke – health insurers can proactively intervene to change the trajectory of chronic disease development, saving lives and reducing costs.

According to Michael Palmer, the former Chief Innovation and Digital Officer at Aetna, and current Newtopia Board member:

Jeff proved his solution works – for Aetna he netted out over $1,500/year in medical cost savings per member per year, kept over 70% of them engaged to achieve their goals, and materially reduced risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease for a large percentage of our at-risk people. We even co-published the results of a randomized controlled trial – and Aetna would only put our stamp of approval on a solution that is proven safe, effective and economically beneficial. In addition to finding the secret sauce of personalized habit change, Jeff has built an inspiring team of health coaches, technologists and habit change gurus who will likely change the trajectory of healthcare for good.

Click to visit Netopia

Prior to founding Newtopia in 2008, Jeff was co-founder and chief operating officer of Cleveland Clinic Canada, a collaboration between the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Canyon Ranch, and Canada’s leading destination for preventive health and lifestyle management; co-founder and chief operating officer of Life Screening Centers Inc., a cancer screening and prevention company; and co-founder and head of operations of Genetic Diagnostics Inc., an early-stage biotechnology company commercializing a new genetic diagnostic testing platform.

Jeff holds a joint Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and Schulich School of Business in Toronto. He received his bachelor’s degree from Western University in London, Ontario.

If you’re interested in the push to create a more sustainable approach to health care, Jeff is someone you’ll want to have on your radar. If you’d like to connect with him, you can do so via the links below.

Getting in touch with Jeff

The post Jeff Ruby, Founder & CEO, Newtopia appeared first on Medika Life.

Businesses Take Heed - Time to Embrace Preventive Care

Jeff Ruby — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 01:44:39 +0000

The spread of the COVID-19 virus continues. The infection itself is a risk, but it masks two critical health care challenges Americans face: the continued rise of chronic non-communicable diseases and escalating health care costs. One feeds the other.

Both are rising at an unsustainable rate, with nearly half of the U.S. population suffering from an expensive chronic condition. COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of prevention and how vulnerable we all are. It also sets the stage for a further uptick in noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease due to unhealthy habits that have become worse during the pandemic.

Health insurers are footing much of that ticket when it comes to covering the costs.

This will have tragic consequences. According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases kill 41 million people each year, accounting for 71% of all deaths globally.

Despite all our medical advances, our “sick care” system will not be able to handle the waves of noncommunicable disease set to wash over America. Americans are at risk. So are employers and insurers who believe that they can solve the ills of their members by plugging holes in the boat. COVID-19 is the tip of the public health iceberg that could sink the boat entirely.

Offering ‘sick care’ doesn’t do the trick

The current system waits until we become ill before it kicks into action — instead of inspiring us to stay healthy and preventing us from becoming sick. There’s a missed opportunity to address potential issues with preventive care, with people often receiving diagnostic treatment from providers after their health problems emerge.

To some degree, this is a product of market dynamics; after all, the most lucrative medical treatments are delivered when health problems are most pressing. But this approach jeopardizes individuals’ well-being and places the cost on health insurers — many of whom are employers.

Chronic disease in particular is costly for employers, in terms of direct physical, mental and emotional health costs and lost productivity. For U.S. payers, the average annual health care cost per member is $3,400 for a healthy employee; that figure rises to $15,000 to $20,000 for an employee with diabetes or heart disease, according to an Aetna study.

Health care spending is projected to rise more than 5% annually over the next decade and accounts for about one-fifth of the U.S. economy — and much of that spending can be attributed to chronic conditions that could be managed by helping people make healthier lifestyle choices.

Preventive care today

The medical community recognizes that the costs of late-stage care is best addressed sooner to create a more sustainable health system. That’s why everyone from providers to insurers must reconsider preventive care.

Preventive care matters because it can lower health care costs by preventing, reversing, or slowing a disease before it becomes urgent. There are already many public health campaigns encouraging everything from quitting smoking to routine checkups to the importance of mental wellbeing.

Despite these efforts, a 2019 report by the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that much work is still needed to encourage preventive action in the U.S.

Even though four in five Americans have health insurance, one in four didn’t get a routine checkup last year. Nearly 3.31 million people reported that they have never had a checkup in their life. These alarming statistics were captured before COVID-19 discouraged many from going to the doctor, so we can expect both 2020 and 2021 numbers to be significantly worse, leading to further substantial increases in chronic sickness and costs for an already overburdened health system.

But preventive care means much more than just annual checkups, vaccinations, and screenings to catch disease at an early stage. More importantly, it means working with individuals proactively to help them establish healthy lifestyle habits that will reduce their risk of developing chronic disease in the first place.

The health that corporate America pays for today is backward. The focus on footing the bill for sick care for employees (or members) — instead of offering primary lifestyle prevention to keep our people healthy — costs individuals, businesses, and society a fortune and is completely unsustainable. It’s the equivalent of working to restore loyalty to an unhappy customer instead of focusing on delivering a world-class experience from the first touchpoint and keeping customers happy and loyal along the entire customer lifecycle.

In a savvy world, preserving the best aspects of our current pharmaceutical-and-surgery-based crisis intervention and disease care system while refocusing our public health systems on primary prevention is a smarter investment for companies that offer employees health benefits. Programs and solutions would address an individual’s health needs well before they reached the most damaging and threatening stages. The experience would be inspiring, convenient, and personalized for each individual, while health care providers would be compensated for positive outcomes for their patients. Everyone would win.

That sounds an awful lot more like ‘health’ care.

Private-sector saviors

There have certainly been efforts to explore this possibility. Decades ago, President Nixon warned that the U.S. health care system was unsustainable and would, without prompt administrative and legislative action, break down. Every successive administration has promised similar revolutionary changes, but we still face many of the same challenges.

Corporate employers and both private and public payers need to take the initiative in moving us toward a health system that works for everyone to keep healthy people healthy. After all, 49% of the population get their insurance from an employer.

Employers have the ability to offer preventive health programs that help employees avoid disease and embrace healthy lifestyle choices. Benefits should go beyond generic gym membership discounts and proactively encourage behaviors that prevent disease and foster health.

Forward-looking companies have long sought to demonstrate their commitment to employee health and resilience, using their benefit and incentive programs to assist in recruitment and retention efforts as well as lower health costs. Today, that commitment is more important than ever.

As the long-term health outlook for the general population grows more serious, employers can deliver the preventive health care measures that the current system hasn’t been able to sufficiently provide. They can bring together the best of human and digital technology to promote healthy habits among at-risk employees, drive more sustainable outcomes, and lower costs.

Business leaders need to take action and put employees’ well-being first. Maybe it’s not the ‘system’ that should heal itself; rather, the corporations that are the paying customers. Health and care aren’t just two words. They need to be the guiding principles that accelerate the transformative changes our country needs.

The post Businesses Take Heed - Time to Embrace Preventive Care appeared first on Medika Life.