Episodios

  • #525 Beyond Urgent Care with Lorenzo Amaya | ShiftShapers
    Aug 12 2025

    Recorded at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, David A. Saltzman talks with Lorenzo Amaya, Vice President of Business Development at Integrated Source One. They explore the nationwide physician shortage, the challenges of quality care and timely access, and how innovative solutions like on-site, near-site, and mobile clinics are changing healthcare delivery for employers and employees alike.

    Lorenzo shares his journey from banking to telemedicine, and how Integrated Source One works to remove friction from care — making it more affordable, proactive, and accessible no matter where employees are. The conversation dives into proactive healthcare strategies, the role of virtual primary care, and meeting patients where they are with flexible delivery models.

    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
    🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com


    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

    📌 The Physician Shortage Is Real
    Patients are waiting months for appointments, creating a bottleneck in care.

    📌 Quality and Access Go Hand in Hand
    Lorenzo explains why true care solutions must address both simultaneously.

    📌 Virtual Care Is Here to Stay
    From chronic condition management to urgent needs, telehealth is becoming the norm.

    📌 On-Site, Near-Site, and Mobile Clinics Reduce Friction
    Flexible care delivery can keep employees healthier and out of the ER.

    📌 Proactive Care Saves Costs
    Continuous access and preventive screenings stop expensive, episodic events before they happen.


    ⏱️ In This Episode

    00:00 Live from Ascend: Introducing Lorenzo Amaya
    02:00 From banking to telemedicine and healthcare innovation
    04:30 The scope and causes of the physician shortage
    07:30 Quality of care and reimbursement challenges
    10:00 The telehealth boom post-COVID
    13:00 Generational comfort with virtual healthcare
    16:00 Streamlining access for better patient experiences
    19:00 On-site, near-site, and mobile clinics explained
    23:00 Cost and feasibility considerations for employers
    26:00 Serving underserved and rural areas
    29:00 Proactive care vs. urgent care
    33:00 Employer adoption and employee education
    37:00 Reducing ER visits and plan costs
    40:00 Frictionless care for better outcomes



    Más Menos
    21 m
  • #524 Breaking the Mental Health Bottleneck with John Troutman | ShiftShapers
    Aug 5 2025

    Recorded live at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, this episode of ShiftShapers features John Troutman, Vice President of Business Development at Mind Club America. Host David A. Saltzman and John discuss the “mutual mystification” surrounding mental health solutions—and how employers and advisors can start cutting through the noise with real access, real engagement, and real outcomes.

    From personal burnout to a professional mission, John shares how his experience as a former pastor helped shape his drive to help a million people get the mental health support they need. The conversation unpacks access issues, poor utilization reporting, stigma, and the vital importance of employer-led engagement.

    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
    🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com

    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

    📌 Access Delays Are Still the Norm
    Even with growing awareness, many plans make employees wait 3–5 months for help. Mind Club offers care within 2 business days.

    📌 Engagement Starts at the Top
    Mental health solutions are most effective when leadership participates first and normalizes use among employees.

    📌 Mental Health Month ≠ Mental Health Action
    Awareness isn’t enough. Employers must embrace solutions that proactively support emotional well-being year-round.

    📌 Most Utilization Reports Are Useless
    John explains why vague or absent reporting leaves employers in the dark about what they’re actually paying for.

    📌 Proactive Care Beats Reactive Cleanup
    Mind Club encourages regular mental fitness with assessments, gamification, and behavioral nudges before crisis hits.

    ⏱️ In This Episode
    00:00 Live from Ascend: Introducing John Troutman
    02:00 Burnout, personal healing, and a mission to help a million people
    05:30 What is “mutual mystification” in mental health?
    08:00 The real-world problems with EAPs and plan access
    10:30 Access in two days—not months
    12:00 Predictive vs. reactive mental health models
    15:00 How Mind Club’s app keeps users engaged
    17:30 Messaging employees: Start with leadership
    20:00 Why reporting and data transparency matter
    23:00 How to start the mental health conversation with skeptical employers
    27:00 What employers want: happier, healthier teams
    30:00 Looking ahead: personalization, AI, and robust networks
    34:00 Mind Club’s flexibility across funding models
    36:00 Final thoughts on solving the mental health crisis



    Más Menos
    18 m
  • #523 Getting Unstuck with Reuven Shelef | ShiftShapers
    Jul 29 2025

    In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman sits down with Reuven Shelef, CEO of Out of the Box Consulting and creator of the Untangling Complex Challenges methodology. Reuven shares why our brains default to negativity when faced with uncertainty—and how to move from emotional reactivity to clarity and action.

    With a blend of logic and emotional insight, Reuven helps leaders and teams understand how to recognize internal blockers, reframe stress, and break through stuck patterns—professionally and personally.

    More from Reuven Shelef: https://ReuvenShelef.com/


    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
    🔗 Learn more at http://BenePower.com

    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

    📌 Negativity Comes First—By Design
    Our brains are wired for survival, not solutions. Recognizing this helps us shift toward creative thinking.

    📌 You’re Not Powerless
    Reuven explains how we can reclaim control—even when external systems and policies feel overwhelming.

    📌 The Story Is the Stress
    Often, it’s not the facts that hurt us—it’s the story we tell ourselves about those facts.

    📌 Getting Unstuck Starts With Awareness
    A simple process of brain dumping and categorization reveals surprising root causes—and new options.

    📌 Leaders Must Create Space
    Inviting authentic conversation and emotional safety at work can unlock powerful transformation.

    ⏱️ In This Episode
    00:00 Why people get stuck under pressure
    02:00 Childhood conditioning and survival wiring
    04:30 Different brains, different blockers
    07:00 Logical vs. emotional approaches to problem solving
    10:30 What we can control (and what we can't)
    13:00 The danger of unchecked internal stories
    15:30 Reuven’s tools: fact vs. meaning, brain dumps, and mapping
    18:00 Spotting hidden challenges
    20:30 Leading with empathy and creating psychological safety



    Más Menos
    24 m
  • #522 Actionable Insights: From Claims Data to Member Experience with Ramesh Kumar | ShiftShapers
    Jul 22 2025

    In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman talks with Ramesh Kumar, CEO and co-founder of zakipoint health. Ramesh shares how a personal mission to help his father navigate healthcare led to a professional pursuit: transforming overwhelming claims data into actionable insights for employers, advisors, and members.

    The conversation explores the evolution of predictive modeling, the growing importance of fiduciary responsibility in plan design, and how AI-powered platforms are helping advisors simplify benefit decisions and improve outcomes. Ramesh offers real-world examples of how data can shape plan strategy, change behavior, and improve care—before costs spiral out of control.


    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower

    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com


    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

    📌 Claims Data Is the Starting Line—Not the Finish

    TPAs can’t block it. Advisors must request it. With the right tools, data can reveal inefficiencies and drive smarter decisions.

    📌 Predictive Modeling Meets Personalization

    Ramesh explains how modern AI doesn’t just stratify risk—it tailors messages and care nudges to drive better action at the member level.

    📌 Fiduciary Awareness Is on the Rise

    High-profile lawsuits and rebate opacity are forcing plan sponsors to demand better data—and use it.

    📌 AI Is Rewriting the Navigation Experience

    Agentic AI will soon act as your members’ personal guide—making healthcare access faster, smarter, and more human (even if it’s not human).

    📌 Member Engagement Must Be Proactive

    You can’t educate after the ER visit. The future belongs to platforms that reach members before the bill comes.


    ⏱️ In This Episode

    00:00 Introduction to Ramesh and zakipoint health

    02:00 From personal mission to industry disruption

    04:00 The problem with too much (bad) data

    06:00 Turning claims into strategy: risks, costs, gaps

    08:30 How fiduciary pressure is reshaping advisor roles

    10:00 Making healthcare navigation member-centric

    14:00 Predictive modeling and behavioral segmentation

    16:30 Agentic AI and rethinking healthcare workflows

    19:00 AI in mental health, coaching, and chronic care

    20:45 What's next for advisors and tools

    22:00 Ramesh’s 5-year vision: frictionless healthcare access



    Más Menos
    23 m
  • #521 Education and Communication For Advisors with Sally Pace | ShiftShapers
    Jul 15 2025

    In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman welcomes Sally Pace, CEO of Connect Healthcare Collaboration and co-founder of The Granite List—a platform built to help benefits advisors compare point solutions with clarity and confidence.

    Sally shares how her background in storytelling and communication led to the creation of employee engagement strategies that bridge the gap between tech and human connection. From clinical and benefits advocacy to empowering advisors with transparency tools, Sally emphasizes how trust, education, and personalization are reshaping the future of benefits.

    👉 Learn more or create a free profile at: www.thegranitelist.com

    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
    🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com

    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

    📌 Don’t Wait for Enrollment to Start Educating
    Sally explains why the most effective strategies involve consistent, year-round communication—not just an annual packet.

    📌 Real Advocacy Requires Real People
    Benefits are confusing. Using high-touch, concierge-style advocates helps employees actually use what’s offered.

    📌 Data Is Powerful, But Not Enough
    AI can identify needs—but human guidance drives understanding and usage. Together, they make an unstoppable team.

    📌 Fiduciary Pressure Is Rising
    With plan sponsors increasingly held accountable for engagement, education is no longer optional—it’s essential.

    📌 The Granite List Gives Advisors a Clearer View
    Point solutions are overwhelming. The Granite List brings organization, community insight, and streamlined comparison to the marketplace.

    ⏱️ In This Episode
    00:00 Introduction to Sally and her background
    02:11 Lessons from HGTV and marketing communication
    04:00 Building human-centered engagement tools
    06:00 The staggering underutilization of benefits
    08:40 Why AI needs a human touch to work
    10:50 Making enrollment an opportunity, not a hurdle
    12:30 Advisors and the fiduciary conversation
    16:00 Birth of The Granite List platform
    18:00 Helping advisors and consultants vet point solutions
    20:00 Transparency and personalization in benefit design



    Más Menos
    23 m
  • #520 Democratizing High Performance Health Plans with Dave Chase | ShiftShapers
    Jul 8 2025

    In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman welcomes Dave Chase, co-founder of Health Rosetta, a movement that has become a national force in transforming employer-sponsored healthcare.

    Dave shares the deeply personal story that drove him to create Health Rosetta and the powerful framework that emerged—one focused on transparency, outcomes, and economic sustainability.

    The conversation explores how Health Rosetta empowers benefit advisors and employers to break free from the traditional health plan model, the crucial role of data access, and the open-source tools now available through Nautilus Health Institute. Dave also unveils the evolution of RosettaFest from an internal network event into the premier gathering for high-performance health plan innovators across the country.

    👉 Join RosettaFest 2025 in Denver: https://rosettafest.org/
    👉 Explore open-source tools from Nautilus Health: https://www.nautilushealth.org/

    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
    🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com


    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

    📌 A Personal Tragedy Sparked a Movement
    A system failure that devastated a friend’s life inspired Dave Chase to create a new framework for health plans.

    📌 It All Starts with the Health Plan Contract
    Perverse incentives and system dysfunction stem from opaque, outdated plan contracts—Health Rosetta sets a new standard.

    📌 Training a New Class of Benefit Professionals
    Health Rosetta focuses on empowering benefit advisors with the tools and standards to drive measurable change.

    📌 The TPA, PBM, and Hospital Contracts Matter Most
    Dave breaks down the three most critical contracts and how employers can renegotiate smarter, data-driven deals.

    📌 Nautilus Health Is Open-Sourcing the Playbook
    With $4M+ of legal, contracting, and tech investment, Health Rosetta is giving away the tools others would keep locked up.

    📌 Unfettered Data Access Is a Game Changer
    Claims transparency isn’t optional anymore—especially under the Consolidated Appropriations Act.

    📌 RosettaFest Is the Epicenter for Innovation
    Once closed-door, RosettaFest now brings together employers, advisors, clinicians, and tech innovators for radical collaboration.


    ⏱️ In This Episode

    • 00:00 Introduction to Health Rosetta


    • 01:02 Founding Story and Inspiration


    • 02:11 Building the Framework and Ecosystem


    • 08:28 Challenges and Pushbacks


    • 16:08 New Developments and Future Plans


    26:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    Más Menos
    28 m
  • #519 Addiction, Outcomes, and Accountability with Joanna Conti | ShiftShapers
    Jul 1 2025

    In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman speaks with Joanna Conti, founder and chairman of the nonprofit Conquer Addiction. Joanna’s journey began when her own daughter faced life-threatening alcoholism, prompting a years-long search for effective treatment—and an urgent realization: no one was measuring long-term success.

    Joanna shares the results of her groundbreaking research following over 100,000 addiction patients, and exposes the massive gaps in transparency, accountability, and outcomes in today’s treatment centers. She also unveils how employers and families can now access verified recovery data to choose truly effective care—and how a new bundled care model is reshaping the rehab industry.

    Conquer Addiction Website: https://conquer-addiction.org


    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower

    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
    🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com


    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode


    📌 Most Treatment Centers Don’t Track Outcomes
    Joanna explains why fewer than 1% of rehabs conduct post-treatment follow-ups—and how Conquer Addiction is changing that.


    📌 Verified Success Rates Vary Widely
    While the average recovery rate is 36%, Joanna’s research shows some centers achieve 50%+ and others less than 15%.


    📌 Aligning Incentives with Accountability
    New bundled-rate models require rehabs to offer relapse support—creating better outcomes and real transparency.


    📌 Employers Bear the Cost
    Substance use disorders can cost employers $25,000 per year per employee—before treatment even begins.


    📌 A National Claims-Based Registry Is Coming
    Joanna’s team is building a predictive model using de-identified claims data to rank treatment center effectiveness nationwide.


    📌 Hope and Progress
    Joanna’s personal story ends with hope: her daughter is thriving after 13 years in recovery—and now four kids of her own.


    ⏱️ In This Episode

    00:00 Introduction to Treatment Duration and Outcomes

    13:59 Accessing Treatment Center Data

    14:31 Challenges in the Treatment Industry

    14:51 Aligning Incentives for Better Outcomes

    16:32 Financial Struggles of Treatment Centers

    16:58 Using Data to Identify Effective Treatment Centers

    17:56 The Role of Compliance and Legislation

    18:35 Developing a National Claims Registry

    19:28 Predictive Modeling for Treatment Effectiveness

    20:40 Sharing Data with Rehabs and Payers

    21:42 Future Goals and Conclusion

    Más Menos
    23 m
  • #518 Quality-Based Healthcare with Kate Grohall | ShiftShapers
    Jun 24 2025

    Why Reducing Variation = Better Outcomes

    In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman welcomes Kate Grohall, co-founder and Vice President of Value-Based Solutions at Holista. Kate shares her powerful journey from working with patients in a teaching hospital to building a transformative platform focused on reducing variation in care, cost, and outcomes.

    She unpacks how Holista restores trust in the provider-patient relationship, leverages real-time communication tools to improve outcomes, and helps employers drive change by demanding value—not volume.


    🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
    BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
    🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com


    🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode


    📌 Quality = Reducing Variation
    Kate defines healthcare quality as reducing unpredictability across cost, outcomes, and patient experience.


    📌 C Still Equals MD
    Most consumers can't distinguish between top- and bottom-tier physicians. Holista’s proprietary vetting process closes that gap.


    📌 Restoring the Provider-Patient Relationship
    Holista rebuilds what’s been lost by re-emphasizing relationships and collaboration across care teams.


    📌 Real-Time Care Prevents Crisis
    Through a patient app and nurse engagement, Holista helps patients avoid unnecessary ER visits and complications.


    📌 Incentives That Actually Change Behavior
    Forgiving copays and reducing premiums for high-value care choices gives patients immediate financial benefits.


    📌 Employers Take the Wheel
    Employers are stepping out of the back seat and demanding better results—and Holista helps them drive smart, sustainable change.


    ⏱️ In This Episode

    00:00 Introduction to Better Health Outcomes

    00:47 Kate Grohall’s Journey into Healthcare

    03:12 Understanding Quality in Healthcare

    05:19 Challenges in Reducing Variation

    06:50 Provider and Patient Experience

    08:57 Quality Metrics Beyond Standards

    13:13 Real-Time Communication in Healthcare

    14:41 Changing Behavior and Incentives

    21:31 Future of Healthcare and Technology

    22:56 Employers Taking the Driver's Seat

    24:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts



    Más Menos
    26 m