Wei-Li Shao returns to talk about Omada Health’s IPO, the rapidly evolving landscape of GLP-1 therapies, market complexities associated with AI-driven innovation, and what it all tells us about consumer behaviors. 

All that, plus the Flava of the Week comparing funding trends from Rock Health and Fitt Insider’s latest reports. Where are checks being written for digital health, and what parallels are we seeing in the greater wellness landscape? 

ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE 

Exciting news! We’re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what’s next and get their perspective in front of the industry. 

Interested in being part of it? Contact jared@ulteradigital.com. 

(#501) 

Wei-Li Shao returns to talk about Omada Health&rsquo;s IPO, the rapidly evolving landscape of GLP-1 therapies, market complexities associated with AI-driven innovation, and what it all tells us about consumer behaviors.&nbsp;
All that, plus the Flava of the Week comparing funding trends from Rock Health and Fitt Insider&rsquo;s latest reports. Where are checks being written for digital health, and what parallels are we seeing in the greater wellness landscape?&nbsp;
ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE&nbsp;
Exciting news! We&rsquo;re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what&rsquo;s next and get their perspective in front of the industry.&nbsp;
Interested in being part of it? Contact jared@ulteradigital.com.&nbsp;
(#501)&nbsp;

Healthcare Rap is the leading podcast about consumer-centered health. Hosts Jared Johnson and Zain Ismail spotlight the consumer POV in healthcare and highlight innovators bridging the gap between traditional sick care and preventive well care. It ranks in the top 5% of all podcasts globally and is one of the longest-lasting shows in the industry, hitting 500 episodes and 8 years on the air in 2026. 

Healthcare leaders learn the latest ways that healthcare is being designed, marketed, and delivered to consumers. And health consumers learn how these options work and why they might be right for them and their loved ones. 

It's more than a show; it's a mission. 

Topics for 2026: 
Connected fitness 
GLP-1's / weight loss 
Wearables
Longevity and diagnostics 
Food as medicine / nutrition 
Preventive health and wellness 
Digital Front Door 
Nontraditional care models - direct primary care, retail care, health at home, digital health, functional and integrative health 
Digital health and consumer brands making waves and new entrants making a splash 

Topics not covered: 
Clinical leadership 
Cybersecurity 
Health information management 
Interoperability 
Revenue cycle 

<a href="https://healthcarerap.com/"></a>Healthcare Rap is the leading podcast about consumer-centered health. Hosts Jared Johnson and Zain Ismail spotlight the consumer POV in healthcare and highlight innovators bridging the gap between traditional sick care and preventive well care. It ranks in the top 5% of all podcasts globally and is one of the longest-lasting shows in the industry, hitting 500 episodes and 8 years on the air in 2026.&nbsp;
Healthcare leaders learn the latest ways that healthcare is being designed, marketed, and delivered to consumers. And health consumers learn how these options work and why they might be right for them and their loved ones.&nbsp;
It's more than a show; it's a mission.&nbsp;
Topics for 2026:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Connected fitness&nbsp;</li>
<li>GLP-1's / weight loss&nbsp;</li>
<li>Wearables</li>
<li>Longevity and diagnostics&nbsp;</li>
<li>Food as medicine / nutrition&nbsp;</li>
<li>Preventive health and wellness&nbsp;</li>
<li>Digital Front Door&nbsp;</li>
<li>Nontraditional care models - direct primary care, retail care, health at home, digital health, functional and integrative health&nbsp;</li>
<li>Digital health and consumer brands making waves and new entrants making a splash&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Topics not&nbsp;covered:&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.

Wei-Li Shao on Omada's IPO & the Rapidly Evolving GLP-1 Market (#501)

Join the celebration of reaching 500 episodes! Jared and Zain point to insights that have stood out as consumer-centric healthcare has evolved, and connect the dots for what’s coming next, from how perceptions have shifted over the years, to how preventive health has moved from the margins to the middle, what role the health tech ecosystem is playing, and what it all means for everyday people engaging in their health. 

All that, plus the Flava of the Week about the Movement of Consumer Health. What’s driving the greatest momentum that we’ve ever seen in this space, and how are we influencing the industry to grow its adoption? 

ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE 

Exciting news! We’re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what’s next and get their perspective in front of the industry. 

Interested in being part of it? Let’s talk. 

(#500) 

Join the celebration of reaching 500 episodes! Jared and Zain point to insights that have stood out as consumer-centric healthcare has evolved, and connect the dots for what&rsquo;s coming next, from how perceptions have shifted over the years, to how preventive health has moved from the margins to the middle, what role the health tech ecosystem is playing, and what it all means for everyday people engaging in their health.&nbsp;
All that, plus the Flava of the Week about the Movement of Consumer Health. What&rsquo;s driving the greatest momentum that we&rsquo;ve ever seen in this space, and how are we influencing the industry to grow its adoption?&nbsp;
ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE&nbsp;
Exciting news! We&rsquo;re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what&rsquo;s next and get their perspective in front of the industry.&nbsp;
Interested in being part of it? Let&rsquo;s talk.&nbsp;
(#500)&nbsp;

#500: The Quest to Make Healthcare Preventive, Personalized & Retail-Like

Ron Books, CEO of Net Health, talks about how he believes that AI is the only thing that can save the human element in healthcare, examples from the wound care and rehab therapy spaces, and how Arizona is becoming a health tech hub. 

All that, plus the Flava of the Week about the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem’s First Wave event. How significant was it to see demos from more than 50 companies that are making good on their pledge to create a fully digital, patient-centered health system, and what’s your part in helping consumers understand and trust what’s possible now? 

ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE 

Exciting news! We’re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what’s next and get their perspective in front of the industry. 

Interested in being part of it? Let’s talk. 

Reach out to jared@ulteradigital.com. 

(#499) 

Ron Books, CEO of Net Health, talks about how he believes that AI is the only thing that can save the human element in healthcare, examples from the wound care and rehab therapy spaces, and how Arizona is becoming a health tech hub.&nbsp;
All that, plus the Flava of the Week about the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem&rsquo;s First Wave event. How significant was it to see demos from more than 50 companies that are making good on their pledge to create a fully digital, patient-centered health system, and what&rsquo;s your part in helping consumers understand and trust what&rsquo;s possible now?&nbsp;
ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE&nbsp;
Exciting news! We&rsquo;re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what&rsquo;s next and get their perspective in front of the industry.&nbsp;
Interested in being part of it? Let&rsquo;s talk.&nbsp;
Reach out to jared@ulteradigital.com.&nbsp;
(#499)&nbsp;

Ron Books on Human-First AI & Arizona Becoming a Health Tech Hub (#499)

Frank McGillin returns to share key lessons for digital health founders to partner with academic medical centers, curated from his time leading The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic. 

All that, plus the Flava of the Week about Rock Health’s newly minted research on consumers’ use of AI chatbots. How quickly are health-related AI searches growing, and what actions tend to come next? 

ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE 

Exciting news! We’re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what’s next and get their perspective in front of the industry. 

Interested in being part of it? Let’s talk. 

Reach out to jared@ulteradigital.com. 

(#498) 

Frank McGillin returns to share key lessons for digital health founders to partner with academic medical centers, curated from his time leading The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic.&nbsp;
All that, plus the Flava of the Week about Rock Health&rsquo;s newly minted research on consumers&rsquo; use of AI chatbots. How quickly are health-related AI searches growing, and what actions tend to come next?&nbsp;
ANNOUNCING THE RAP COLLABORATIVE&nbsp;
Exciting news! We&rsquo;re launching the Rap Collaborative, a curated group of founders, builders, and operators working together to grow the adoption of consumer-centered health. Through content, community, and co-creation, members help shape what&rsquo;s next and get their perspective in front of the industry.&nbsp;
Interested in being part of it? Let&rsquo;s talk.&nbsp;
Reach out to jared@ulteradigital.com.&nbsp;
(#498)&nbsp;

Wei-Li Shao on Omada's IPO & the Rapidly Evolving GLP-1 Market (#501)

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