Is accessible healthcare a mythical unicorn, or is it something we can work together to attain in the foreseeable future?

Believe it or not, Walmart is at the forefront of the mission to make it possible, and their EVP of Health & Wellness, Dr. Cheryl Pegus, sheds some light on this.

In this episode of A Healthier Future, Cheryl explains why the notion of providing accessible healthcare is dear to her heart and how Walmart’s mission aligns with that.

On the surface, Walmart is an American retail corporation mainly comprising a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores. However, it’s an incredibly health-centric organization with a mission to serve the numerous communities in which it resides.

Cheryl also explains why it’ll take a collective effort to make healthcare services more accessible. She explains the different ways organizations can serve as doorways to the basic care needed in the communities they serve.

Cheryl talks about the importance of asking for help and working together, regardless of the goal. In her words, “this is the biggest key for whatever success I've ever achieved.”

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Cheryl’s vision when she first went to medical school
• How access to medical care affected her decision to become a doctor
• How race affects access to medical care
• Walmart’s community-focused mission
• How Cheryl’s path led to her working at Walmart
• Why it’s vital to work together as a medical community
• Cheryl’s vision of a transformed health system
• Walmart’s role in encouraging good health
• Cheryl shares the inspiration behind her cookbooks
• Why Cheryl advises people not to shy away from asking for help

Key Links:

• Walmart: https://corporate.walmart.com/
• Intermountain Healthcare: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/

What will the future of healthcare look like? While we don’t have a crystal ball, ZS is trying to predict and prepare for the health issues of the future.

ZS is a professional services firm that helps companies develop and deliver products that drive results, but its main area of focus is the healthcare industry. ZS uses data and innovation to help improve healthcare technology now and in the future.

CEO Pratap Khedkar joins A Healthier Future to shed some light on ZS’s work, why he first became interested in healthcare, and his thoughts on AI as a tool for good. Pratap shares how he thinks healthcare can be improved by looking at individuals, not averages, and how that can help tackle the issue of health inequity.

Tune in to the full episode to hear more about data, AI, health equity, and why ZS is on a mission to “transform global healthcare.”

Listen to learn:

• What ZS does in the healthcare space
• How AI can help the future of healthcare
• How Pratap first became interested in healthcare
• Why Pratap wanted to create a new vision for ZS
• Pratap’s thoughts on health equity and the problem with averages
• How AI could help healthcare facilities in third-world countries
• Why Pratap recommends always “being restless” and looking for new projects

Key Links

• ZS
• Intermountain Healthcare

What does health equity mean to you?

For Dr. Steve Neeleman, Founder of HealthEquity, it’s a way to bring healthcare to all those who need it, not just those who can afford it.

Inspired by his own family’s health concerns and insurance quibbles, Steve created a company that bridges the gap left by insurance. While insurance can cover the bigger medical expenses, HealthEquity helps with the smaller issues that insurance doesn’t always cover. By helping people save for future health issues, HealthEquity helps people avoid tricky financial situations.

Steve joins this episode of A Healthier Future to give us a window into his background, his family life, and what led him to start HealthEquity. We hear his thoughts on doing good as an entrepreneur and how he’s helping Intermountain Healthcare with its Primary Promise fundraising efforts.

Listen to learn:

• How Steve’s upbringing inspired him to become a doctor
• What led him to start HealthEquity
• Why diversity is so important
• How social-economic status affects people’s ability to get the right healthcare
• What our Primary Promise program aims to do to help children in need
• Why entrepreneurism is a chance to do good

Key Links

HealthEquity: https://healthequity.com/

Primary Promise: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/primary-childrens/about/primary-promise/

Intermountain Healthcare: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/

Community is an overlooked part of our health and wellbeing. But with a loneliness epidemic on our hands, many of us feel more isolated and disconnected than ever.

Nextdoor, the popular neighborhood app, is on a mission to change that. Co-founder Prakash Janakiraman joins the A Healthier Future podcast to share his vision for bringing communities together and why he wants to build a “counterculture of kindness.”

Prakash explains why he thinks community and social connection are fundamental to our physical and mental wellbeing.

We also hear what led Prakash down this path, where the inspiration for Nextdoor came from, and how his positive upbringing helped shape who he is today.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How Prakash’s upbringing shaped him
• How Nextdoor works
• Where the inspiration behind Nextdoor came from
• Why community is so important to health and wellbeing
• How Nextdoor boldly lives by its values
• How Nextdoor uses machine learning to keep its community positive
• Prakash’s advice for other entrepreneurs
• How Prakash and Nextdoor try to create “good trouble” everyday

Key Links:

• Nextdoor
• Intermountain Healthcare

With all the systematic social divisions at play, how do we actively address inequity in healthcare?

As a strong advocate for equity in healthcare and across the board, our guest this week on A Healthier Future weighs in on this topic.

Kenneth C. Frazier, Executive Chairman at Merck, joins the podcast to explore different approaches to promoting equity in healthcare and society at large. Ken shares his inspiration behind joining General Catalyst and how their responsible approach to innovation contributes to equity in healthcare.

He stresses the role of leaders and businesses in blurring the lines across race, gender, and social class (among other constructs). Ken also grazes the topic of history and its role as common ground as opposed to a cause for division. He ties it all together with some words of wisdom for young people looking to get ahead in life, and leaders looking to make a difference.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why responsible innovation is necessary for healthcare
• How Ken’s background influenced his decision to become a change-oriented leader
• How the OneTen Initiative is creating a more equitable workforce
• Why history is a platform for common ground
• How business owners can contribute to a more equitable society
• Ken’s words of advice for young professionals and business leaders

Key Links:

Intermountain Healthcare

General Catalyst

Merck

Ken’s LinkedIn

Aging is not just about lifespan – it’s about health span as well.

Being 100 years old is a huge achievement but being 100 can look very different for different people. Amanda Rees, Co-Founder and CEO of Bold, is on a mission to help people improve their lives and health as they age.

Amanda joins A Healthier Future to tell us how Bold supports people with science-backed, low-intensity workout programs to help improve balance and strength. She explains a bit about her background and why being a caregiver to her grandmother was a huge inspiration behind the idea to start Bold.

Amanda also talks about her experience as an entrepreneur, what she believes the keys to success are, and her tips for making a business idea work.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How caring for her grandmother inspired the idea behind Bold
• Why improving aging healthcare is about prevention and encouraging movement
• Bold’s mission for improving health while aging
• Amanda’s tips for success as an entrepreneur

Key Links

• Bold
• Amanda’s LinkedIn
• Intermountain Healthcare

Innovation is the golden ticket to improving clinical efficiency, and someone who knows that all too well is Frans van Houten, CEO of Philips.

Frans joins this episode of A Healthier Future to talk about his background, what his upbringing taught him about innovation, and how it relates to his vision of success.

Frans explains what he did when he became CEO of Philips and why the company decided to make healthcare technology a major focus in a highly-competitive tech market.

He also dives into the all-important topic of sustainability and why he firmly believes that businesses can be both profitable and sustainable. Frans explains why Philips became a carbon-neutral company and why younger workers increasingly prefer to work at sustainable companies.

We round off the talk with a bit of discussion on managing a healthy work-life integration and why you need to love what you do to be a successful CEO.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• What Frans learned about innovation in his upbringing
• His vision on real success
• Why Philips pivoted into a focus on healthcare technology
• Where Frans gets his tenacity from
• How to innovate in healthcare
• Why sustainability in business is so important
• How to maintain a good work-life integration

Key Links

• Philips
• Frans’ LinkedIn
• Intermountain Healthcare

What do we really need from healthcare? One thing that’s often overlooked is the need for a little fun. After all, play is not just for children. People of all ages can benefit.

In fact, according to this week’s A Healthier Future guest, those who are older are in need of play just as much as (if not more) than anyone else.

Ted Fischer, Co-Founder & CEO at Ageless Innovation, joins the podcast to talk about how his Joy For All products help elderly people and those with dementia in home care or care units. Joy For All Companion Pets are designed to bring comfort and companionship to elderly loved ones in addition to traditional care.

Ted talks about how he got started on his journey to create positive change as a serial entrepreneur, what his upbringing taught him about giving back in business, and how his work extends to mentorship programs to help young people. He also shares some words of wisdom for young entrepreneurs looking to make a difference and succeed in business.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why “play” is a basic human need
• How Joy For All products help the elderly
• How Ted first got started as an entrepreneur
• What Ted learned from his upbringing about business
• How doing good has been a transformative experience for Ted
• Why Ted is an avid fitness enthusiast
• Ted’s advice for young entrepreneurs
• What’s in store for Ted and his company in the future

Key Links

• Ageless Innovation
• Joy For All
• Ted’s LinkedIn
• Intermountain Healthcare