Dr Tom Meets...

Stephen Klasko’s career doesn’t follow a straight line. From disc jockey, to OB-GYN, medical school dean, health system CEO, and venture investor, this unconventional arc is what gives him the vantage point to dissect American healthcare not as a critic on the sidelines, but as someone who has run one of the largest academic health systems in the country and tried to change it from the inside. This conversation moves from maternal health inequities and malpractice pressures to employer sponsored insurance, perverse financial incentives, and why the U.S. spends more than any other country while outcomes lag. Klasko reflects on leading Thomas Jefferson University, redesigning incentives around health inequities, partnering with venture, and why technology alone won’t fix a system built around sick care. He argues for training a different kind of clinician, rethinking insurance at the state level, and even launching a “911 Commission for Healthcare” to confront structural failure head-on. Key Themes & Topics: From DJ to Dean: Klasko’s unconventional path into academic leadership Maternal health in the U.S.: high spending, poor outcomes, and structural inequity Medicaid cuts, hospital margins, and the financial siege facing nonprofit systems Selling to health systems: why startups must tie innovation to measurable cost, quality, access, and margin impact The case for a 911-style commission to rethink U.S. healthcare from first principles Links & Resources Connect with Stephen Klasko: For everything Stephen Klasko: https://sklasko.com/ Stephen Klasko (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sklasko Stephen’s books, including ‘UnHealthcare: A Manifesto for Health Assurance’: https://sklasko.com/books/ General Catalyst: https://www.generalcatalyst.com/ Connect with us: Find all things Heidi at heidihealth.com Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn Connect with Dr Tom Kelly on LinkedIn Connect with Christina Farr: LinkedIn Second Opinion Media website Lifers Podcast Twitter/X Instagram

For decades, medicine rewarded stability, hierarchy and certainty. Now, a growing subset of clinicians are stepping away from traditional pathways to build companies, invest in startups and reshape healthcare from the inside. Dr Tom and Christina Farr, sit down with Rebecca Mitchell to unpack what’s changed. From “burning the boats” and letting medical licenses expire, to building venture firms powered by frontline clinicians, this conversation explores why medicine is producing a new archetype: the clinician founder.  They examine founder psychology, product led growth in healthcare, storytelling as a strategic advantage, and why the next era of healthcare innovation may be led by doctors who want more agency, not an escape route. Key Themes & Topics: The emergence of a new clinician archetype: operator, investor, builder “Burning the boats” and walking away from safe, prestigious medical careers The mindset shift behind high potential clinician founders Product-led growth in healthcare  Storytelling as founder leverage Clinician powered investing and why capital allocation needs frontline insight Links & Resources Connect with Rebecca Mitchell: Rebecca Mitchell’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalynnmitchell Clinician powered venture firm, Scrub Capital:  https://scrubcapital.com/ Connect with us: Find all things Heidi at heidihealth.com Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn Connect with Dr Tom Kelly on LinkedIn Connect with Christina Farr: LinkedIn Second Opinion Media website Lifers Podcast Twitter/X Instagram Resources: Doximity (example of physician PLG model) https://www.doximity.com  

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