Healthcare Empowered

For years, tech companies have monetized "anonymized" patient data because stripping 18 identifiers made it completely legal under HIPAA. Today, Artificial Intelligence can re-identify those patients with terrifying accuracy. The rules are changing.In this episode, Wade sits down with Jordan Johnson, founder of Bridge Oncology and appointee to the National Committee on Vital Health and Statistics (NCVHS). Jordan shares an inside look at how the federal government is rushing to build guardrails around AI in healthcare and update HIPAA standards that haven't been touched since 2003.They also dive into the FTC's aggressive shift toward investigating "vertical monopolies", where massive vendors control the equipment, the software, and the staffing of a clinic, and how Direct Virtual Supervision is becoming the ultimate telehealth strategy to save rural healthcare margins.Episode Chapters:00:00 The Push to Update 2003 HIPAA Standards03:26 Mandatory Cybersecurity for Medicare Participation?05:18 How AI is Defeating HIPAA De-Identification08:27 The FTC Shifts Focus to Vertical Monopolies12:54 Vendor "Block Out" Tactics in Healthcare15:12 How Telehealth is Saving Rural Oncology Margins18:11 Direct Virtual Supervision Explained

The "buy everything" days of healthcare M&A are over. In this episode, Wade sits down with Anna Brewer, Partner at JTaylor, to discuss the shifting landscape of healthcare acquisitions. With shrinking margins, increased state regulations, and heightened scrutiny, buyers are using due diligence as a weapon to drive down purchase prices.Anna explains the fatal flaw of the "asymmetrical negotiation" - where buyer's counsel actively hunts for compliance gaps and messy financials to retrade the Letter of Intent (LOI) - and breaks down exactly what you need to do to get your managed care rates and balance sheets "sale ready" before you ever go to market.Episode Chapters:00:00 How I Got Into Healthcare 20+ Years Ago01:18 Using Data Analytics in Healthcare M&A02:04 Client Profiles and The Universality of Preparation04:44 2025/2026 Healthcare M&A Market Outlook07:43 The Surgery Center Acceleration vs. Private Equity Pickiness09:48 Regulatory Headwinds and State Scrutiny12:18 The Economics of Consolidation13:38 Alternative Revenue Streams (Cash Pay & Med Spa)16:25 Burnout and Administrative Burden17:41 The ASC Runway for Surgeons18:56 The Shift to Hospital Joint Ventures21:31 Complexity and Risk Management in JVs22:37 Mutual Dependence in Healthcare Partnerships25:50 Anna’s "Sale-Ready" Checklist28:53 Buy-Side Scrutiny vs. Sell-Side Due Diligence31:49 Binding LOIs and Retrading EBITDA34:17 Private Equity Preference for Advising Teams35:37 How to Contact Anna Brewer

Healthcare has been the number one targeted industry for cyberattacks for 13 consecutive years. Now, the federal government is finally overhauling the rules - and the penalties for non-compliance are steeper than ever.In this Q1 2026 HIPAA update, I break down the massive regulatory shifts hitting the healthcare industry right now.I covers the newly proposed HIPAA Security Rule that eliminates "optional" IT controls, the February 2026 Notice of Privacy Practices deadline that most clinics have already missed, and the exploding legal risks surrounding Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. From staff members putting PHI into public ChatGPT servers to class-action wiretapping lawsuits over AI medical scribes, the compliance landscape has completely changed.Episode Chapters:(00:00:00) Q1 2026 HIPAA Landscape Overview(00:02:35) The Proposed HIPAA Security Rule Overhaul(00:07:25) Mandatory Patching & IT Vulnerability Rules(00:09:09) The Missed Notice of Privacy Practices Deadline(00:12:29) The Massive Legal Risks of AI in Healthcare(00:14:44) AI Scribes and Wiretapping Class Action Lawsuits(00:17:24) OCR Enforcement & Multi-Million Dollar Fines(00:22:09) Vendor Breaches and Tracking Pixel Liability(00:26:11) Legacy Email Systems: The Ticking Time Bomb(00:31:24) 6 Immediate Action Items for Your Clinic

Many chiropractors believe they can simply operate a cash-only practice or have patients sign an ABN form to avoid dealing with Medicare. According to the law, they are completely wrong.In this episode, Wade sits down with Lisa Maciejewski-West from Gold Star Medical, a billing and compliance expert with 44 years of experience in the chiropractic field. Lisa breaks down the harsh reality of Medicare compliance: chiropractors are statutorily prohibited from opting out of Medicare.They discuss the massive compliance risks chiropractors take by operating under the radar, the difference between Participating (PAR) and Non-Participating (Non-PAR) elections, and why offering "free" or discounted non-covered services to Medicare beneficiaries is actually a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.Episode Chapters:(00:00:51) The "Opt-Out" Myth for Chiropractors(00:03:42) How to Handle Medicare Patients at the Front Desk(00:05:17) Enrolling in Medicare: PAR vs. Non-PAR(00:09:03) Understanding Covered vs. Non-Covered Services(00:11:30) The Anti-Kickback Risk of "Free" Exams(00:12:56) When to Actually Use an ABN Form(00:15:38) How Well-Meaning Patients Trigger Audits(00:21:48) Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare(00:26:38) Criminal and Civil Penalties for Non-Compliance

When you want to scale a healthcare service nationwide, what is the best business model?Jason Green, the entrepreneurial force behind Brain Restore Centers (BRC), initially thought the answer was licensing. He gave clinics a powerful toolkit of brain rehabilitation protocols and told them to run with it. It failed.In this episode, Wade and Jason break down exactly why Joint Venture (JV) structures are the ultimate scaling tool in healthcare. They discuss why expecting busy providers to build a new service line from scratch is a recipe for disaster, and how BRC shifted to a "done-for-you" JV model. By forming a true partnership where the business systems, marketing, and P&L are shared, BRC ensures that adding a new service line never wrecks the doctor's core practice.Episode Chapters:(00:00:00) The Mission of Brain Restore Centers(00:03:02) Defining Brain Health and Cognitive Decline(00:06:46) The Three Pillars of BRC Infrastructure(00:11:15) Treating ADHD, Burnout, and Dementia(00:16:10) Bridging Biohacking and Conventional Medicine(00:18:06) Building Clinical Credibility and Uniformity(00:21:33) The 60-Day Partner Clinic Onboarding(00:25:30) Why Our Licensing Model Failed(00:28:33) Surrounding Yourself With High-Caliber Professionals(00:30:49) The "Video Game" Entrepreneur Cheat Code(00:32:19) Stop Trying to Brute Force Business

Every year, drug and device manufacturers spend between $12 and $15 billion on financial relationships with healthcare providers.Is it just "lunch," or is it buying influence?In this episode, Wade sits down with Aaron Narva, Founder and CEO of Conflixis, to uncover the reality of conflicts of interest in the healthcare industry. They move beyond the "compliance checklist" to look at the hard data found in Open Payments.Aaron reveals that 70% of reportable relationships go undisclosed to hospital systems and breaks down the staggering ROI of industry payments - where $1 spent on a provider often correlates to $7 in increased spending the following year.In this episode, we cover:(00:00:00) Introduction to Aaron(00:03:00) The Gap: Why hospital COI policies fail to capture reality.(00:09:40) The $12 Billion Economy: Understanding the Open Payments database.(00:19:00) The "Ozempic" Effect: Data correlating payments to prescription volume.(00:27:00) The ROI of Influence: How industry turns $1 into $7.(00:33:00) Physician Advice: Why you must check (and correct) your Open Payments data.(00:37:00) Risk Management: Moving from "form collection" to data intelligence.

Scaling a business is difficult; scaling a clinical outcome is nearly impossible without the right systems.In this episode, Wade sits down with Dr. Chad Glines and Dr. Caleb Braddock to deconstruct the operational systems that allowed them to grow Genesis Back & Neck to 81 locations.They discuss the transition from "working in the business" to "working on the business," the importance of standardizing clinical protocols (the "Chick-fil-A" model), and why investing in legal and leadership structures early is the only way to avoid chaos as you grow.Chapters:(00:00:00) Intro(00:07:02) The Scaling Epiphany: Moving from manual labor to management systems.(00:12:24) The "Chick-fil-A" Model: How to guarantee the same patient experience in 27 different states.(00:14:00) Genesis University: Creating an onboarding system to train partners remotely.(00:26:50) Tech Stack: The internal communication tools that keep 81 clinics compliant and connected.(00:30:20) The Leadership Team: Why you need to hire people to "do the thinking for you."(00:32:04) Legal Infrastructure: Why setting up your corporate structure correctly early is the ultimate growth hack.

Dr. Mark Bronson is the definition of a legacy in chiropractic. He is a third-generation chiropractor (his son is the fourth), and he currently serves as the President of the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners.In this episode, Dr. Bronson sits down with Wade to discuss the evolution of the profession over the last 40+ years. They cover the legal battles to define "Scope of Practice" in Texas, why administrative burnout is driving more doctors toward "Cash-Pay" models, and the ethical responsibilities every doctor has when adopting new technology like AI.Dr. Bronson also shares his "Servant Leadership" philosophy - why focusing on the patient (and ignoring the money) is actually the most profitable strategy in the long run.Chapters:(00:00) A Century of Chiropractic Legacy (06:39) Leaving Finance for Chiropractic (08:52) The Health Scare That Changed Everything (11:42) How Chiropractic Has Evolved (17:13) The Battle for Scope of Practice (18:38) AI and Patient Privacy Risks (25:05) Will AI Replace Chiropractors? (28:35) The Provider Burnout Crisis (30:53) The Shift to Cash-Pay Models (32:10) When Insurance Dictates Care (34:04) The "Get Off The Floor" Test (36:31) Vetting Vendors and Bad Advice (41:24) "Don't Worry About The Money"

In 2019, Dr. Jesse Jacobs had a perfect exit strategy: build his clinics, sell them to the highest bidder, and semi-retire to work two days a week. But when 2020 hit, his perspective shifted entirely. He saw a healthcare system paralyzed by fear and a profession retreating when it should have been leading. So, he made a radical decision: he scrapped his exit plan to build a franchise movement designed to create freedom for doctors and patients alike.In this episode, Dr. Jacobs reveals the mindset shift required to pivot from a "corporate" owner to a franchise leader. He explains why he strictly refuses to take private equity money, insisting on an "owner-operator" model to protect patient care. We discuss his controversial "Tugboat vs. Lighthouse" philosophy - why trying to "save" patients actually leads to burnout - and the specific systems he built to scale FreeForm Chiropractic from a local clinic into a national brand.If you are a healthcare provider feeling like a commodity in a broken system, or an entrepreneur looking to scale without selling your soul, this is the blueprint for building a legacy.Chapters:(00:00) The "Serve Your Former Self" Philosophy(04:15) The 2020 Pivot(09:30) Tugboat vs. Lighthouse(14:45) Changing Belief Systems(19:10) Corporate vs. Franchise Model(24:30) Owner-Operators Only(29:15) Scaling & The "Deep Bench"(34:00) Systems & Standardization(37:30) "Do Good Anyway"

After 12 years working in the ICU and ER, Michael Ward realized he was tired of the "sick care" model. He didn't just want to extend his patients' lifespan - he wanted to improve their healthspan. So, he made a radical decision: he quit the hospital system to build a cash-pay, insurance-free medical practice from the ground up.In this episode, Michael reveals the unvarnished reality of that transition. He shares stories of working seven days a week and sleeping in a hospital call room just to keep his new business afloat. We discuss exactly why he refuses to accept insurance, how the "cash-pay" model allows him to spend 45 minutes with patients instead of the industry-standard seven, and the dangerous legal and marketing pitfalls he had to navigate to scale Next Level TRT into a multi-location brand.If you are a healthcare provider feeling burnt out by the system, or an entrepreneur looking to understand the business of longevity medicine, this is the blueprint for breaking free.Chapters:(00:00) Lifespan vs. Healthspan: Why modern medicine is great at keeping you alive, but terrible at keeping you healthy.(02:40) Leaving the ICU: Michael’s journey from 12 years of critical care nursing to launching his own practice.(05:30) The "Side Hustle" Grind: The reality of starting a business: working full-time shifts, seeing clinic patients at night, and sleeping in a hospital call room for two years.(08:35) Legal & Business Pitfalls: Why getting "general" legal advice nearly cost him everything, and the importance of healthcare-specific counsel.(11:00) The Marketing Barrier: Navigating LegitScript certifications and the difficulty of advertising medical services online.(12:50) The Cash-Pay Model: Why rejecting insurance was necessary to provide quality care and avoid the "7-minute visit" trap.(14:15) Don't Compete on Price: How undervaluing your services turns your practice into a commodity—and why Michael switched to a tiered service model.(17:30) Scaling the Vision: Moving from a single room in a chiropractor's office to a multi-location brand with national aspirations.

Imagine waking up to the DEA surrounding your home, guns drawn, arresting you and your family members for a crime you didn't commit.In this episode of Healthcare Empowered, Wade sits down with client and healthcare consultant Boomer Cornwell (also known as Jeffrey) to discuss a harrowing saga of federal overreach. Boomer shares the terrifying morning he was arrested on a 9-count indictment, detained for over six months, and had his business assets seized - only for the government to eventually dismiss the charges due to a total lack of evidence.However, the story doesn't end there. We also dive into the complexities of "Pay-to-Play" arrangements, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and how a prior involvement with a different company years ago came back to haunt him in sentencing.This is a raw, firsthand account of what happens when the federal government targets a healthcare business. It serves as a critical warning about the necessity of rigorous compliance, the dangers of "inherited" liability, and why having the right legal counsel is the only thing standing between you and federal prison.Chapters:(00:00) Intro: The Government Arrested Him & Took Everything(00:02:52) The Morning of the Raid: DEA at the Door(00:07:58) The Business Model: What They Were Actually Doing(00:10:56) The Indictment: Confusion Over Prescriptions & Distribution(00:16:33) The Backstory: "Pay-to-Play" & The First Indictment (2019)(00:22:31) Why He Was Detained: The Trap of Pending Charges(00:27:08) Charges Dismissed: The Government Had No Evidence(00:29:46) Financial Ruin: Asset Seizure & Losing the Business(00:33:35) Sentencing for the Prior Case: 10 Months & Restitution(00:37:31) The Lesson: Why You Need a Compliance Attorney Immediately

Welcome to Healthcare Empowered, a new podcast hosted by Wade Emmert, healthcare and privacy law attorney at Carrington Coleman.In my daily work as a healthcare attorney, I work alongside forward-thinking innovators. I get a front-row seat to the moments of challenge and triumph that the public rarely sees.Now, I’m bringing those stories directly to you.We are going beyond the legal briefs to explore the human side of healthcare leadership. We'll talk about the wins, the losses, and the future of the industry.New episodes will drop every two weeks. Be sure to subscribe before the podcast premieres on Wednesday, December 3rd.