EPISODE · Feb 24, 2026 · 36 MIN
She Treated Patients, Built a Startup, Now She Transforms Hospitals ft. Dr. Anna Sala | Episode 6
from The Health Innovation Playground · host Yousef H. Ahmed and Tamila Ulan
Dr. Ana Sala, Head of Innovation at Vall d'Hebron Hospital, shares her unconventional journey from Allergy Specialist to Health tech founder to Institutional innovation leader.In this episode, Ana reveals why 90% of healthcare startups fail, the brutal truth about regulatory barriers in Europe, and why her anaphylaxis startup had to close despite proving the solution worked. She breaks down what innovation units actually do in hospitals, shares success stories from AI-powered pathology to CPR monitoring patches, and paints a vivid picture of healthcare's future—liquid hospitals, digital twins, and AI that lets doctors be human again.Whether you're a healthcare professional curious about innovation, an entrepreneur navigating the med-tech maze, or just fascinated by how medicine is evolving, this conversation is packed with hard-won insights from someone who's lived on both sides of the innovation divide.Follow Dr Anna Sala on Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annasalacunill/Subscribe to our newsletter: https://healthinnovationplayground.substack.com/
What this episode covers
Dr. Ana Sala, Head of Innovation at Vall d'Hebron Hospital, shares her unconventional journey from Allergy Specialist to Health tech founder to Institutional innovation leader.In this episode, Ana reveals why 90% of healthcare startups fail, the brutal truth about regulatory barriers in Europe, and why her anaphylaxis startup had to close despite proving the solution worked. She breaks down what innovation units actually do in hospitals, shares success stories from AI-powered pathology to CPR monitoring patches, and paints a vivid picture of healthcare's future—liquid hospitals, digital twins, and AI that lets doctors be human again.Whether you're a healthcare professional curious about innovation, an entrepreneur navigating the med-tech maze, or just fascinated by how medicine is evolving, this conversation is packed with hard-won insights from someone who's lived on both sides of the innovation divide.Follow Dr Anna Sala on Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annasalacunill/Subscribe to our newsletter: https://healthinnovationplayground.substack.com/
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She Treated Patients, Built a Startup, Now She Transforms Hospitals ft. Dr. Anna Sala | Episode 6
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