Podcast with Amrit Kirpalani: Improving Surgical Care from Readiness to Recovery

In this launch episode of The Surgical Journey, host Lisa T. Miller sits down with Amrit Kirpalani, Founder and CEO of NovaNav, to explore what truly shapes the surgical care experience for patients and care teams. Amrit shares the personal story that led to the creation of NovaNav, inspired by his mother's knee replacement surgery and the fragmented, paper-heavy perioperative process many patients face. The conversation dives into where surgical care commonly breaks down: before surgery, after discharge, and in the critical moments in between. Together, Lisa and Amrit discuss patient anxiety, variability across health systems, the burden on clinical staff, and why consistency and clear communication are so difficult to achieve in complex surgical environments. They also explore how data, technology, and AI can help reduce administrative workload, support better decision-making, and allow care teams to focus more on patient care. This episode sets the foundation for our podcast series, offering listeners a thoughtful look at the challenges, opportunities, and future of perioperative care.   Episode Contents 0:00 NovaNav Introduction 1:00 Guest Introduction: Amrit Kirpalani, CEO and Founder 2:30 The catalyst behind creating NovaNav 7:05 Fragmented care and common patient friction points 12:44 Beyond intraoperative excellence: pre-op and post-op opportunities to reduce clinical and financial risk 18:00 Pre-op actions that improve post-discharge outcomes 20:36 Change management: introducing a new model within health systems 25:44 NovaNav Use Case: pre-op interventions to reduce readmissions 29:24 Why patients adopt technology that makes their lives easier 31:24 30-day readmission use cases 33:33 The role of AI in healthcare in 2026 38:35 Wrap-up