Our annual Predictions Series kicks off with Ryan Howells, Principal at Leavitt Partners, and Kristen Valdes, Founder and CEO of b.well Connected Health, as they have fun and offer predictions about consumer health in 2026 and beyond. Stay tuned as they share a vision of how today’s health IT policies and investments can make tomorrow’s consumer-centered ecosystem a reality. Spoiler alert: it’s about implementing open standards. 

All that, plus the Flava of the Week about CMS’ health tech ecosystem. What progress did their latest health tech event represent, and how important is the vision of interoperability that they’re creating? 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY 

This show is produced by the Healthcare Rap Community. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare. 

Join today: healthcarerapcommunity.com

(#474)

Our annual Predictions Series kicks off with&nbsp;Ryan Howells, Principal at Leavitt Partners, and Kristen Valdes, Founder and CEO of b.well Connected Health, as they have fun and offer predictions about consumer health in 2026 and beyond. Stay tuned as they share a vision of how today&rsquo;s health IT policies and investments can make tomorrow&rsquo;s consumer-centered ecosystem a reality. Spoiler alert: it&rsquo;s about implementing open standards.&nbsp;
All that, plus the Flava of the Week about CMS&rsquo; health tech ecosystem. What progress did their latest health tech event represent, and how important is the vision of interoperability that they&rsquo;re creating?&nbsp;
JOIN THE COMMUNITY&nbsp;
This show is produced by the <a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">Healthcare Rap Community</a>. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare.&nbsp;
Join today:&nbsp;<a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">healthcarerapcommunity.com</a>
(#474)

Healthcare Rap is the leading podcast about consumer-centered care, a.k.a. how the frontiers of digital, retail, and traditional care can work together to make healthcare easier for everyday people. It ranks in the top 5% of all podcasts globally, has been named a Top 20 Healthcare Podcast, and is one of the longest-lasting shows in the industry, with more than 380 episodes and 6 years on the air. 

Join provocative thinkers Jared Johnson and Zain Ismail as they profile disruptors and trends that are impacting the consumer experience of healthcare. 

The podcast reached new heights in 2024: 
380+ episodes 
250k downloads 
2024 Top Healthcare Podcasts (Bright Inventions) 
#2 on 30 Best Healthcare Innovation Podcasts (Feedspot) 
16 Healthcare Podcasts You Shouldn’t Miss (b2Cast) 
Multiple episodes on Healthcare Now Radio's Top 10 Episodes of the Year 

Topics for 2025: 
Connected fitness 
GLP-1's / weight loss 
Food as medicine / nutrition 
Sleep management 
Mental and behavioral health 
Preventive health and wellness 
Nontraditional care models - direct primary care, retail care, health at home, digital health, functional health, concierge medicine, etc. 
How those nontraditional care models can work together with traditional health systems 
Consumer-facing digital health 
All other consumer-facing aspects of healthcare  

Topics that we don't cover: 
Clinical leadership 
Cybersecurity 
Health information management 
Interoperability 
Revenue cycle 

Healthcare Rap is the leading podcast about consumer-centered care, a.k.a. how the frontiers of digital, retail, and traditional care can work together to make healthcare easier for everyday people.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/healthcare-rap-jared-johnson-zain-ismail-dAvhm_j30sN/">It ranks in the top 5% of all podcasts globally</a>, has been named a Top 20 Healthcare Podcast, and is one of the longest-lasting shows in the industry, with more than 380 episodes and 6 years on the air.&nbsp;
Join provocative thinkers <a href="http://twitter.com/jaredpiano">Jared Johnson</a> and <a href="https://zainismail.com/">Zain Ismail</a> as they profile disruptors and trends that are impacting the consumer experience of healthcare.&nbsp;
The podcast reached new heights in 2024:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>380+ episodes&nbsp;</li>
<li>250k downloads&nbsp;</li>
<li>2024 Top Healthcare Podcasts (Bright Inventions)&nbsp;</li>
<li>#2 on 30 Best Healthcare Innovation Podcasts (Feedspot)&nbsp;</li>
<li>16 Healthcare Podcasts You Shouldn&rsquo;t Miss (b2Cast)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Multiple episodes on Healthcare Now Radio's Top 10 Episodes of the Year&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Topics for 2025:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Connected fitness&nbsp;</li>
<li>GLP-1's / weight loss&nbsp;</li>
<li>Food as medicine / nutrition&nbsp;</li>
<li>Sleep management&nbsp;</li>
<li>Mental and behavioral health&nbsp;</li>
<li>Preventive health and wellness&nbsp;</li>
<li>Nontraditional care models - direct primary care, retail care, health at home, digital health, functional health, concierge medicine, etc.&nbsp;</li>
<li>How those nontraditional care models can work together with traditional health systems&nbsp;</li>
<li>Consumer-facing digital health&nbsp;</li>
<li>All other consumer-facing aspects of healthcare&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Topics that we don't cover:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Clinical leadership&nbsp;</li>
<li>Cybersecurity&nbsp;</li>
<li>Health information management&nbsp;</li>
<li>Interoperability&nbsp;</li>
<li>Revenue cycle&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

The leading podcast about consumer-centered healthcare

Healthcare Rap

Shift Forward Health is the channel for change makers who want to build the Healthcare of Tomorrow. Subscribe to the channel and receive our entire lineup of shows hosted by a diverse collection of forward-thinking experts from around the world. One subscription, all the podcasts you need, all for free!  

Shift Forward Health is the channel for change makers who want to build the Healthcare of Tomorrow. Subscribe to the channel and receive our entire lineup of shows hosted by a diverse collection of forward-thinking experts from around the world. One subscription, all the podcasts you need, all for free!

Shift Forward Health

Shift Forward Health is the channel for change makers in healthcare. We produce thought leadership for early adopters and champions of progress in healthcare, bringing together the perspectives of highly respected leaders in health tech, marketing, finance, and human-centered design. 

Follow Shift Forward Health, and you’ll be subscribed to our entire library of shows, including long-lasting award winners like Healthcare Rap, intriguing perspectives like Healthcare Transformers, and fresh voices including Erica Olenski Johansen, Shiva Mirhosseini, and more. One subscription. All the podcasts you need. All for free. 

Shift Forward Health is the channel for change makers in healthcare. We produce thought leadership for early adopters and champions of progress in healthcare, bringing together the perspectives of highly respected leaders in health tech, marketing, finance, and human-centered design. 
Follow Shift Forward Health, and you’ll be subscribed to our entire library of shows, including long-lasting award winners like <a href="https://shiftforwardhealth.com/show/healthcare-rap/">Healthcare Rap</a>, intriguing perspectives like <a href="https://shiftforwardhealth.com/show/healthcare-transformers/">Healthcare Transformers</a>, and fresh voices including <a href="https://shiftforwardhealth.com/show/trauma-informed-life/">Erica Olenski Johansen</a>, <a href="https://shiftforwardhealth.com/show/paving-the-path/">Shiva Mirhosseini</a>, and more. One subscription. All the podcasts you need. All for free.

2026 PREDICTIONS SERIES: Ryan Howells & Kristen Valdes (#474)

Scott Schuster and Therese Lockemy join Jared for his latest candid conversation about careers and leadership at the intersection of healthcare, marketing, and technology. Even in one of the industry’s most challenging times, they find encouragement and acknowledgement while getting very real about how to navigate unexpected twists and turns. 

All that, plus the Flava of the Week about GoodRx disrupting the GLP-1 marketplace. What could be the ripple effects of their new low-price offerings on consumer health behaviors, and where else might GoodRx take their formula of telehealth and discount prescriptions? 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY 

This show is produced by the Healthcare Rap Community. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare! 

Join today: healthcarerapcommunity.com

(#473)

Scott Schuster and Therese Lockemy join Jared for his latest candid conversation about careers and leadership at the intersection of healthcare, marketing, and technology. Even in one of the industry&rsquo;s most challenging times, they find encouragement and acknowledgement while getting very real about how to navigate unexpected twists and turns.&nbsp;
All that, plus the Flava of the Week about GoodRx disrupting the GLP-1 marketplace. What could be the ripple effects of their new low-price offerings on consumer health behaviors, and where else might GoodRx take their formula of telehealth and discount prescriptions?&nbsp;
JOIN THE COMMUNITY&nbsp;
This show is produced by the <a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">Healthcare Rap Community</a>. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare!&nbsp;
Join today:&nbsp;<a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">healthcarerapcommunity.com</a>
(#473)

Pushing Through Chaos: More Candid Talk About Careers & Leadership (#473)

Jim Murray, Managing Director of the BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence and Innovation, shares how leaders can balance the excitement of AI innovation with the discipline of proper planning, how he helps organizations decide where to invest first, and why adoption might be the only metric that really matters. 

All that, plus the Flava of the Week about the Pharma Direct-To-Patient (DTP) trend. Where are Pharma giants placing their bets, and how aggressively are they pushing to own more of the consumer relationship? 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY 

This show is produced by the Healthcare Rap Community. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare! 

Join today: healthcarerapcommunity.com

(#472)

Jim Murray, Managing Director of the BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence and Innovation, shares how leaders can balance the excitement of AI innovation with the discipline of proper planning, how he helps organizations decide where to invest first, and why adoption might be the only metric that really matters.&nbsp;
All that, plus the Flava of the Week about the Pharma Direct-To-Patient (DTP) trend. Where are Pharma giants placing their bets, and how aggressively are they pushing to own more of the consumer relationship?&nbsp;
JOIN THE COMMUNITY&nbsp;
This show is produced by the <a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">Healthcare Rap Community</a>. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare!&nbsp;
Join today:&nbsp;<a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">healthcarerapcommunity.com</a>
(#472)

The Only Metric That Matters: Jim Murray on AI Adoption Done Right (#472)

Live from HLTH '25: Manuel Hoyer, Head of Industry for Health & Wellness for North America at TikTok, shares what’s driving health & wellness to be one of the fastest-growing categories on the platform, some simple ways to intentionally build trust with health-related content, and how consumers take action based on what they engage with on TikTok. 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY 

This show is produced by the Healthcare Rap Community. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare! 

Join today: healthcarerapcommunity.com

(#471) 

Live from HLTH '25: Manuel Hoyer, Head of Industry for Health &amp; Wellness for North America at TikTok, shares what&rsquo;s driving health &amp; wellness to be one of the fastest-growing categories on the platform, some simple ways to intentionally build trust with health-related content, and how consumers take action based on what they engage with on TikTok.&nbsp;
JOIN THE COMMUNITY&nbsp;
This show is produced by the <a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">Healthcare Rap Community</a>. Come learn how to bridge the gap between sick care and well care as we highlight the consumer POV in healthcare!&nbsp;
Join today:&nbsp;<a href="http://healthcarerapcommunity.com/">healthcarerapcommunity.com</a>
(#471)&nbsp;

2026 PREDICTIONS SERIES: Ryan Howells & Kristen Valdes (#474)

In 2 playlist(s)

Shift Forward Health

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips