The Better Outcomes Show

What's one thing that you think was missing from your clinical education? That's the question I got asked on a recent speaking engagement. We were covering the topics of clinical education, professional development, and growth into leadership roles within healthcare. Most clinicians graduate knowing how to treat patients. Very few graduate understanding the business systems that make patient care possible.After speaking with students and faculty at Bowling Green State University, one question kept surfacing:“What do you wish you had known coming out of school?”The answer wasn’t another certification, clinical framework, or specialty area.It was business literacy.In this episode, we explore the hidden curriculum of healthcare — the financial, operational, and strategic realities that shape modern clinical practice but are rarely taught in OT or healthcare programs. Because whether you plan to own a practice, lead a team, negotiate compensation, or simply understand why healthcare organizations make the decisions they do, understanding the business side of healthcare changes everything.The clinicians who advance aren’t just clinically skilled.They understand the system they operate inside of.What we cover in this episode:-Why clinical excellence is not enough-The gap between clinical education and real-world practices-Why business literacy matters even if you never plan to own a practice-The financial engine driving the healthcare industry (in the US)-The future of healthcare reimbursement and delivery-Viewing your clinical education as the foundation, not the ceiling. Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-167Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

The Battle for MSK Care Is Already UnderwayMusculoskeletal care is quietly becoming one of the most important battlegrounds in healthcare.MSK conditions affect over 120 million Americans, account for roughly $420 billion in annual healthcare spending, and remain the leading cause of disability worldwide.And because of that, nearly every major stakeholder in healthcare is moving into this space.Digital health companies.Employers.Payers.Orthopedic groups.Health systems.Wearable tech companies.They’re all competing for one thing:Control of the musculoskeletal patient relationship.Because whoever controls the entry point into MSK care often controls everything that follows—from imaging and therapy to injections, surgery, and long-term outcomes.In this episode, we take a step back and look at what’s really happening in the MSK space—and why this moment represents more than just innovation. It represents a fundamental shift in how care is delivered.What we cover in this Episode:-Why Musculoskeletal Care Has Become a $420B Healthcare CategoryMSK is one of the largest drivers of healthcare spending, disability, and lost productivity in the United States.-Why the Current MSK System Is So FragmentedHow disconnected care pathways create inefficiencies—and opportunities for disruption.-The 4 Competing Models of MSK CareProcedure-centric, therapy-centric, digital-first, and hybrid care models—and how they’re competing for control of the patient journey.-Why Policy and Payment Models Are Beginning to ShiftHow CMS initiatives like the ACCESS model and the expansion of RTM are beginning to support more coordinated, longitudinal care.-Why Technology Alone Won’t Solve the ProblemThe role of clinicians in guiding movement, behavior change, and long-term capacity building.-Why the Future of MSK Care Will Likely Be HybridHow digital tools and clinical expertise are coming together to reshape care delivery.Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-166Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

The Department of Education’s proposed loan cap changes have sparked strong reactions across healthcare, including within occupational therapy and physical therapy circles.Much of the conversation has focused on whether these degrees should be classified as “professional degrees” versus “graduate programs.”But that may be the wrong fight.In this episode, we zoom out and ask three deeper questions about the economics of certain healthcare education programs— questions that matter far more than federal loan labels.Whether the DOE calls us “professional” or not doesn’t change the structural issues facing our professions.What we cover in this episode:-Why Has the Cost of Healthcare Education Become So Disconnected from Salary?-The gap between education cost and earning power continues to widen.-Why Have Clinical Salaries Been Flat (or Declining) in Real Terms?-How tightening margins have forced productivity demands higher in clinical settings. -Why we need to focus on making healthcare degrees a valuable financial investment, rather than career fields with negative ROIs Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-165Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

RTM & Virtual Service Delivery Isn’t a Billing Add-On — It’s the Future of Healthcare DeliveryIn this episode, I break down one of the biggest misconceptions in modern rehab: the idea that Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) and virtual service delivery is just a billing perk, a revenue booster, or a marketing gimmick. It’s not. RTM and virtual services represent the next era of healthcare delivery— a shift toward hybrid, patient-centered, digitally augmented care that extends the clinician’s impact far beyond the clinic walls.In this episode, I explain why RTM and virtual matters, how it’s changing the role of clinicians, why patients now expect hybrid models, and why CMS is actively incentivizing it. If you’re a clinician, clinic owner, healthcare leader, or digital health innovator, this episode will challenge the way you think about care delivery.What we cover in this Episode:-Why RTM is NOT just a revenue strategy-The shift towards hybrid care-What today's patients expect from their care-How virtual healthcare & RTM elevate clinicians into their highest-value roles-Why CMS is incentivizing services like RTM and what it signalsFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-164Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

How do you actually get better — as a clinician, a business owner, or a leader? It’s not more school, another certification, or reading one more article. It’s reps.In this episode, I break down the single biggest piece of advice I give new clinicians (and anyone moving into leadership or entrepreneurship): your education is just your ticket to play — expertise comes from getting reps.We’ll explore:Why formal education is only the starting line, not the finish lineHow repeated exposure to patient cases sharpens pattern recognition and clinical decision-makingWhat it really means to turn experience into wisdom through reflectionWhy this “reps + reflection” framework applies equally to business and leadership — hiring, marketing, launching new servicesPractical ways to accelerate growth in any career path without waiting years for confidence to catch upWhy This MattersConfidence isn’t built in a classroom — it’s built in the field, one decision at a time.Business & leadership skills develop the same way as clinical ones — through lived experience and iteration.If you’re feeling “stuck” or unsure, the solution isn’t another credential — it’s getting in the game and stacking reps.Listen to the Episode to Hear …How to intentionally extract lessons from each patient, project, or business challengePersonal stories from my early days as a clinician and later as an entrepreneurSimple strategies to speed up growth without burning out — journaling, mentorship, and deliberate practiceEncouragement to stop waiting for perfection and just start doing the workFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-163Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this episode of the Better Outcomes Show, we take a look at a recent conversation on LinkedIn about the steep decline in occupational therapy (and physical therapy) school applications.A post by Sarah Lyon raised an important question: Why are fewer students choosing OT, and what does that mean for the future of the profession?In response, Rafi shared several factors that may be contributing to the decline — and in this episode, he unpacks those ideas in more detail.What we cover in this episode:- Why confusion about OT entry-level requirements (Master’s vs. OTD) is discouraging prospective applicants.- How rising tuition and questionable ROI impact PT/OT’s attractiveness compared to other health professions.- The role of corporate healthcare and private equity in fueling burnout — and how that shapes the profession’s reputation.- Why other clinical degrees often carry higher compensation ceilings and broader leadership opportunities.- What these trends mean for the future — and why this might actually be a unique opportunity for new students entering PT/OT now. If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Finding the Thread – Humanizing Healthcare Across a CareerHave you ever looked back on your career and tried to connect the dots?For a long time, I thought my resume looked like a series of “rabbit holes” in healthcare—clinical care, academia, management consulting, strategy work, practice ownership. At the time, each move felt like simply saying “yes” to an opportunity.But a recent conversation with a prospective client made me pause. They said, “I can see a common thread running through everything you’ve done.”That led me to reflect on the last 13 years of my career… and I realized they were right.The thread? Humanizing the healthcare experience.In this episode, I share the story of discovering that throughline, what it means for me today, and why humanizing healthcare isn’t just a personal mission—it’s a necessity for our industry.What We Cover in This Episode:- The winding path of my career: from clinician to consultant to practice owner.- How a client conversation sparked the realization of a unifying theme.- Why “healthcare is a human experience” became more than a phrase—it became my mission.- The risks of reducing patients to checklists, protocols, and data points.- How technology and operations should be used: to create space for real human connection.- A framework you can use to find your own “common thread.”Why It MattersHealthcare often gets lost in efficiency metrics, compliance checkboxes, and bottom lines. But patients—and clinicians—need meaning, connection, and human presence. By stepping back and asking what ties our careers and choices together, we can refocus on what really drives us and the work we do.Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-160Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Healthcare Disrupted: Why the Next Big Innovation Won’t Come From HealthcareIn this episode of the Better Outcomes Show, we dive into a bold prediction about the future of healthcare: The next wave of real innovation — the kind that transforms how we deliver care, engage patients, and improve outcomes — won’t come from within the healthcare industry.Instead, it will come from outside.Tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Walmart, and others are entering the healthcare space not to play by the traditional rules, but to rewrite them. They’re not dependent on fee-for-service reimbursement or burdened by legacy EMR infrastructure. They’re consumer-first, data-driven, and laser-focused on convenience and outcomes — not billing codes.So, what does this mean for providers, practice owners, and healthcare leaders?It means the time to adapt is now.What we cover in this episode:-Why the healthcare industry is structurally incapable of disrupting itself-How tech giants are positioned to lead the next wave of care innovation-The business models these companies are using — and how they differ from traditional healthcare-What small-to-mid-sized providers can do to stay relevant and competitive-How to rethink your value proposition outside of third-party payer systems-Where the opportunities lie for independent clinics to innovate at the edgesFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-160Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Can you use Free Healthcare to build a profitable business? What if you gave away your clinical services… for free? Not as charity. Not as a one-time promo. But as an actual business model. I recently revisited Chris Anderson’s book Free: The Future of a Radical Price. I read it in 2013 and recently picked it back up — and it got me thinking: How could we apply this to healthcare? The cost of delivering digital care (videos, plans, consults) is rapidly approaching (nearly) zero. That opens the door to radically different care delivery models — ones that lower access barriers and still generate real revenue. So, in this episode, I dive into ways that clinicians could build a profitable business offering free healthcare services. In a world where trust, access, and attention are more valuable than ever. Offering “free” services could be a strategic move — not a loss. For clinicians willing to rethink their model, there’s real opportunity here. Curious — if you had to give away your clinical services for free,what would you monetize instead? Shoot me an email if you've got some ideas!What we cover in this Episode:-How a Freemium model could work in delivering healthcare services -The idea of a Cross-Subsidy model for private practice healthcare services-Membership models, like Direct Primary Care -Sponsorships or Ad-based Healthcare services-Data Exchange & Research Recruitment Models Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-159Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Real Healthcare Innovators Read Outside of HealthcareI covered this topic in a LinkedIn article recently, but thought the idea of reading outside of healthcare warranted its own podcast episode. Here's the main idea: if you want to be truly innovative in healthcare, you need to read outside of healthcare. Being well-informed in your field is just the baseline. Everyone should be doing that. What often sets leaders and innovators apart stems from their ability to take insights and ideas from outside their field and apply it to their industry.You’d be surprised at how often ideas from seemingly unrelated fields can unlock new ways of thinking about your own work. A story about survival in the Alaskan wilderness might teach you more about resilience and process management than the latest leadership manual. A deep dive into the history of jazz might shift your perspective on improvisation and problem-solving in ways that no business podcast could.The more I read outside the typical business playbooks, the more I’m convinced: if you want to stand out in your field, you sometimes have to look beyond it.What we cover in this Episode:-Why reading outside of your industry provides unique insights that can be applied to healthcare-How reading broadly can help you communicate, lead and innovate in healthcare-The reason that innovation to the industry will come from outside of healthcare-A few of the recent books I've read and the insights I pulled from them that applied to healthcareFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-158Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Healthcare Data Silos Cause Problems Throughout the Healthcare SystemIf you talk to any healthcare provider, and most patients, about healthcare data sharing, you quickly discover that one of the biggest problems patients and providers face is healthcare data silos. What do I mean by that? Imagine you see your primary care physician. Your PCP determines that you need an evaluation by a specialist. They put in a referral. You go see the specialist like an orthopedic surgeon, and that provider determines you should try a conservative treatment by another sub-specialist, like a physical therapist. Fast forward 2 months, and you follow up with your PCP. The PCP asks you how things have been going, and you say you don't feel any improvement. So, your PCP tells you that they believe you would benefit from a physical therapy course of treatment. Now you're annoyed. "How did you not know that I've just finished up 8 weeks of PT treatment?" you might be thinking. Here's the problem: your PCP put in the referral for the original specialist, but then had no idea about the PT. Maybe they received some kind of follow-up communication of note from the orthopedic surgeon. But your PCP has no insight into the rest of the course of care.This is the problem caused by healthcare data silos. So, this week, I sit down with Rick Mirell from Arrow Health to talk about the challenge with healthcare data silos and some new technology-driven tools that aim to solve this problem for the industry.  What we cover in this Episode:-The importance of open flow of data in healthcare-The breakdown in communication and data between healthcare systems and providers-How data can improve clinical outcomes-The patient experience when healthcare data isn't shared wellFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-157Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Rethinking State Licensure in Healthcare for the 21st CenturyState-based licensure for healthcare professionals has been the status quo for over a century. But in an era defined by digital health and telemedicine, is this 19th-century solution still fit for purpose? In this episode, I explore the historical context of state licensure, the modern-day challenges it poses to telehealth, and practical solutions for breaking down regulatory barriers. Drawing insights from my experience as a state licensing board member and recent academic research, we dissect the structural flaws that limit patient access, drive up costs, and stifle innovation in healthcare. Here's the original post on state licensure in healthcare that fueled this episode. What we cover in this Episode:-The origins of State-Based Licensure-How Technology has Changed the Healthcare Regulatory Landscape -The Real-World Impact of State Licensing in healthcare & the Barriers it places to providing/receiving care-Possible solutions or alternatives for State-based healthcare licensing -How value-based care and regulatory policy are intertwined Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-156Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

This episode of The Better Outcomes Show explores how artificial intelligence (AI) transforms healthcare delivery and decision-making. Drawing from a structured review of 288 peer-reviewed articles published between 1992 and 2021, we break down key themes, trends, and implications for clinicians, health systems, and patients. From diagnostics to health services management, we’ll look at where AI is already making an impact—and where the field still needs to grow.What we cover in this episode:-The rapid growth of AI in healthcare research and its emerging significance.-Five core applications of AI in healthcare: health services management, predictive medicine, patient data handling, diagnostics, and clinical decision-making.-How AI supports clinicians by improving diagnostic accuracy, predicting disease spread, customizing treatments, and streamlining administrative tasks.-The leading countries in AI healthcare research and the current state of international collaboration.-Key trends in AI research, including machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, telemedicine, and COVID-19-related applications.-Identified gaps in research, such as the need for cost-benefit analyses and considerations for low-resource settings.-The importance of ethical considerations, data quality, and workforce skill development in AI implementation.-The necessity of balancing AI support with preserving physicians’ critical thinking to avoid over-reliance or “de-skilling.”Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-155Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.comResources mentioned:The role of artificial intelligence in healthcare: a structured literature review (https://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-021-01488-9) If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Have You Ever Thought About Buying Cheap Lottery Tickets?I've bought a lot of cheap lottery tickets over the years. Not the kind you scratch off to see if you hit it big. I'm talking about the little bets, risks, or asks I've made over the years. They cost very little but can have a huge upside. In this episode, I’m sharing a lesson that’s shaped a lot of the opportunities I’ve had in my career — the idea of making small bets and being willing to hear the word “no.”My dad used to say, “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you do ask, the worst they can say is ‘no,’ and then you’re right back where you started.” For whatever reason, that stuck with me. Over the years, I’ve taken what I call “cheap lottery tickets” — small risks or asks that didn’t cost much but had the potential for a huge upside. That mindset has opened doors for me in consulting, in buying a practice, and in landing projects, I never thought I’d be part of. And sure, I’ve heard “no” plenty of times — stacked up a mountain of kind rejections, really — but it only takes one or two “yeses” to change everything.We often think someone was just lucky to get a certain opportunity, but we don’t see the 100 rejections that came before it. I think what we call “luck” is often just someone’s willingness to keep putting themselves out there.What we cover in this Episode:-How small risks potentially create big opportunities-Why hearing "no" isn't the end of the world (or the end of the road)-Understanding risk tolerance in healthcare business-Why persistence often looks like luck from the outsideFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-154Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Many Practices & Clinics Struggle to Use Healthcare Data in PracticeI did an episode in the past on healthcare data, however, that episode focused on the high-level impacts of data on healthcare business in general. After that episode, I received messages and emails asking specifically how to Use Healthcare Data in Practice, especially for smaller, independent healthcare clinics and organizations. So, this week, I sit down with Alex Bendersky to talk about healthcare informatics, managing your healthcare data, and how to Use Healthcare Data in Practice to make better decisions.What we cover in this Episode:-Understanding the type of data healthcare practices gather-Simple and practical ways to Use Healthcare Data in Practice to make clinical decisions-Strategically thinking about healthcare data-The benefits that data provide us as clinicians-The business case for managing and using healthcare data-How to use healthcare data to communicate the value our treatments and services bringFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-153Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Why do PTs feel like they're being forced to see patients at a loss? Recently, I've seen a few articles and social media posts in the physical therapy world discussing the downward pricing pressure (declining reimbursement rates) even while some payers (UHC often is the target here) report profits in the billions of dollars per quarter. And, at first sight, you can totally appreciate where these clinicians and writers are coming from. I mean, why cut payments to providers when your organization is raking in record profits? As many clinicians and practice owners put it: they feel forced to see these patients at a loss because of the declining reimbursement rates. Now, the reason for declining rates may vary on paper, but it really comes down to two things: 1) incentives and 2) the reimbursement model for healthcare in the US. And both of those things are tied together. I dedicated a whole chapter in my book about the problems with a fee-for-service model in healthcare, but here are the basics: when clinicians get paid for their time (or the codes they bill), they're incentivized to bill as much as possible, in as little time as possible. Payers, on the other hand, only have two levers to pull to cut costs: 1) deny services altogether (or gait them with authorizations and the like) or 2) pay less for those services. That means that it's only natural that, under that environment, payers will place barriers to the service (preauthorizations, etc.) and reduce their fee schedule (the amount they pay clinicians for those services). And that's why PTs feel the squeeze, or the downward pricing pressure, affecting their practices. But here's one thing that we rarely talk about when it comes to insurance and reimbursement rates: who's forcing us to see these patients at a loss? I mean, UHC isn't storming clinics and coercing them into signing provider contracts. The truth is that contracting is a choice, a choice that many clinics and practices are making. In this episode, I break down the reasons why practices may consider contracting with a payer. The pros and cons of being "in-network" providers. And how to combat some of the downward pricing pressure in healthcare. What we cover in this Episode:-Understanding fee for service reimbursement models -Why patients still get surprise bills because of the lack of transparency -How clinicians come to the decision to sign contracts with payers-The levers that payers have to control costs and profits -Why value-based care can be difficult for smaller, independent practices -How value-based care aligns with incentives -Making the decision to stay in or leave a payer network -Why we need to think more deeply about the value our treatments and services bringFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-152Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Are there times when saying goodbye to team members is the right thing to do?"I would be a bad boss if I told you to stay here. As much as we love having you on the team, you need to do what's best for you and your family." Over the last few months, I've found myself saying this a couple of different times to team members who were in a place where they felt that a change was necessary. Saying goodbye to team members can be hard. Either for personal reasons or professional reasons.It's easy to become defensive, or take it personally when a team member approaches you about potentially leaving the team.Was it something I did as a leader?What am I doing wrong that they don't want to stay? Of course, you can explore those questions if you're experiencing a great deal of turnover. But, typically, if it's you, those team members will just leave. There's no discussion; simply a notification: "This is officially my resignation notice". But, if you find yourself in a situation where a team member approaches you about potentially leaving, and you end up in a conversation about priorities, life goals, and continued fit, then I'd venture to say that you're doing just fine as a leader.I remember approaching a boss several years ago and the conversation basically went like this: "I've been offered this position in an academic program, full benefits, retirement, the works. The problem is, I really love the team here and the work we're doing is meaningful." I'll never forget what my boss said to me: "Rafi, I'm not saying this because I want you gone, but you'd be foolish not to seriously consider the offer." We then had a real discussion about my life priorities, career goals, and how this team fit into that list. Now, I went on to stay with that team until our consulting project was over, but the lesson from that conversation has stuck with me since then. I'm still learning this and working on it myself, but I have come to believe that being a "good leader" is essentially the same as "being a good person". And that starts with looking out for the best interest of those on your team...even if that means that they end up leaving the team for other opportunities or roles. Not every boss I've ever had would have had that conversation with me. But, I'm forever grateful that I've been blessed to have learned from some great leaders over my career who modeled this style of people-first leadership...I read in a book once that your clients won't remember you in 20 years, but the people who will remember you are the people you worked with, and especially the people you managed or led. If you want to have a real impact in your industry, perhaps a way to do that is by being a good leader to your team, and letting them spread their wings and hopefully they'll create positive waves wherever they end up.What we cover in this Episode:Building a strong work culture that promotes conversations rather than notificationsChallenges in recruiting and retaining healthcare team membersHow these conversations are different than letting a team member go due to performance issuesLooking at saying goodbye to team members as a way to continue to build a strong work culture Leading in a human wayA bit of my backstory and career historyFull episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-151Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Do people really understand their healthcare bill?I talk about this all the time on the show, but healthcare is one of the only areas of the economy where the distribution of information is extremely one-sided. What do I mean? I mean that, for the most part, patients receiving care may have a general idea about how much their care will cost, but very few actually have a specific dollar figure upon which to base their decisions. On top of that, unless they are healthcare-trained professionals, they also lack a complete understanding of the treatment options, potential outcomes, and the like. The same holds true for their healthcare bill. For the most part, people have a general idea of what they need to pay for healthcare services. The problems start to appear when insurance denies claims or treatments require preauthorizations or the like. The resulting bill often comes as a surprise, and can in many cases be rather large. In fact, surprise medical bills have become such a large issue, that the No Surprises Act of 2022 was enacted to try and counter the trend. This week, I sit down with Frank Lobb, author of The Big Lie in my Healthcare Bill: Why I Don't Owe What My Insurer Fails to Pay". In this book, Frank tackles the topic of insurance denials leading to surprise medical bills. What we cover in this Episode:-Who actually pays in healthcare-How healthcare bills result in true financial burden for patients across the country-How Insurers structure contracts with providers-The challenges that come from big healthcare & the push for efficiency -The Value that Insurers State that they Bring to the Market-Frank's story of Insurance Denials and Being Unable to Pay out of Pocket for Treatment-How an Engineer Came to Write a Book About Healthcare Bills Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-150Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

How do you set up an RTM Program that's actually profitable in an outpatient clinic? Well, it's been 3 years since remote therapeutic monitoring, or RTM codes, were introduced by CMS to allow clinicians to monitor patients outside of the clinic. Many clinics rushed to implement RTM Programs in the months following these new codes going live. And many clinics stopped delivering RTM services almost as quickly as they started. But why? The main reason many of these RTM Programs failed stems from the fact that many were thrown together as "add-ons" to treatment rather than a legitimate program. As a result, clinicians tasked with implementing RTM lacked processes and an understanding of the reasoning behind implementing RTM in the first place. Even now, when I talk with RTM platforms and practice owners, I hear the same thing: Initial sign-ups and patient enrollment were high, then trickled off, and are now almost nonexistent. So, this week, I sit down with a previous guest, Matt Juke, CPT, to talk about how to set up and implement an RTM program that is not only sustainable, but profitable for the clinic and a value add for patients. What we cover in this Episode:-The benefits of RTM Programs in outpatient therapy clinics -Challenges of implementing & billing for RTM Programs-The importance of understanding workflows for RTM-How to select a platform for RTM-Communicating the value of RTM to all stakeholders Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-149Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Can AI Healthcare Phone Services Increase Patient Access & Improve Engagement?You know what frustrates many patients (including yours truly)? Phone trees. "Press one to select scheduling" (Presses 1) "By pressing 1 you have indicated that you would like to connect to scheduling. Is this correct? Press 1 to confirm or 2 to cancel". It drives many patients to hand up the phone, drop off the schedule, or go find another healthcare provider. But what if there was a way that automated phone messages could increase access, patient engagement, and experience? Enter an AI Healthcare Phone Service.If implemented well, AI has the ability to greatly increase practice efficiency and allow clinicians to actually spend more time delivering care. The same holds true for the administrative process of care. Healthcare workers, including office managers and patient access personnel who manage scheduling, struggle with the overwhelm of more phone calls and requests than they can manage. And, despite the fact that many healthcare providers offer an online patient portal, only around 30% of patients actually use those portals. Patients still want to talk on the phone with their providers. So, this week, I speak with Ada Andruszkiewicz from Talking.ai about how implementing AI into processor care can actually increase patient access and improve human connection in healthcare. What we cover in this Episode:-The winding road from tech development to the healthcare SaaS market-Burnout in Healthcare -Understanding Value in Healthcare Technology -Challenges in running independent healthcare practices-How implementing technology can actually increase human connection in -healthcare-Thoughtful implementation of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare-Deploying an AI Healthcare Phone Service in a practice Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-148Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Is Value-Based Care Too Much for Independent Healthcare Practices?I've talked about the consolidation in the healthcare market before. I recently sat down with the folks at StrataPT to talk about PE firms buying up healthcare practices and how small, independent healthcare practices are beginning to feel the pressure. But one thing I haven't discussed on the show is what exactly has caused the consolidation in healthcare (big players buying up little players). Over the years, many independent healthcare practices have been purchased by either private equity firms or health systems/hospitals. But why? Part of the drive for this consolidation stems from economies of scale. Big healthcare systems and hospitals leverage their size to combat rising overhead costs, declining reimbursement, and even compliance and the ability to participate in alternative payment models. That last one is an interesting take that I hadn't considered before. But, over the holidays I read an article entitled Value-Based Payment and Vanishing Small Independent Practices. In this article, the authors argue that one driving factor for the consolidation in the healthcare market stems from the fact that value-based payment models require a lot of administrative work & data management that independent healthcare practices struggle to manage. So, this week, I take a dive into this idea and discuss some ways that independent healthcare practices can maintain viability in the world of big healthcare. What we cover in this Episode:-Understanding how Big Healthcare benefits from value-based payment models -How economies of scale help improve data exchange and combat decreasing reimbursement in healthcare-Understanding Value in Healthcare-Challenges in running independent healthcare practices -Independent Healthcare practice as a business -Some strategies that independent healthcare practices can employ to remain competitive -How to create an effective healthcare positioning strategy to thrive in the current healthcare landscape Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-147Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

What is Healthcare Positioning? When I talk to clients about Healthcare Positioning, the first question to address is “What is positioning?” And that’s a fair question. I usually tell people that positioning involves communicating the value you/your company creates for your customers/clients in a way that differentiates you from competitors and builds perceived credibility & authority to your ideal target market. This week on the podcast, I take a deep dive into the idea of healthcare positioning strategy. I discuss how to develop an effective positioning, some challenges and pitfalls that many of my clients have fallen victim to, and some thoughts around the nuances of positioning in healthcare vs. other industries. What we cover in this Episode:-Define healthcare positioning strategy-Marketing strategies that work in healthcare-Communicating Value in Healthcare-The goals of healthcare positioning -Identifying your target market in healthcare -Using healthcare positioning to make strategic business decisions -How to create an effective healthcare positioning strategy Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-146Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

A year in review: Healthcare in 2024It seems like only yesterday that I was planning for 2024. Scheduling out projects for the year, booking speaking engagements, and lining up interviews for the podcast were in full swing. Then, in the blink of an eye, we arrive at the end of 2024. And what a year it has been. From cyberattacks to breaking healthcare innovations, 2024 has had its share of big news stories. So, this week, I take the time to do a "2024 Year in Review: Healthcare".What we cover in this Episode:-The Change Healthcare Cyberattack and it's downstream effects -The Expansion of & Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare-Hospital and Healthcare Closures and Financial Troubles-Remote Patient Monitoring and Telehealth & Virtual Healthcare -Anti-Trust issues and litigation in Healthcare Tech-Health Equity comes to the forefront of healthcare policy discussions-Integration & Interoperability in Healthcare Tech-Leadership in healthcare amidst tragedy and turmoil -Healthcare policy shifts and the future political landscape for healthcare in the USFull show notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-145Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

How do we begin implementing technology-enabled healthcare services?We cover this topic a lot on the show, but technology-enabled healthcare continues to receive a lot of attention. Much of the conversation and media around technology and healthcare innovation revolves around the innovation itself. We hear about the benefits, features, and capabilities of these new solutions and innovations. But, one often overlooked topic in healthcare innovation includes practical implementation. How do you actually take these new innovations and tools and use them to meaningfully improve healthcare? How do we make sure that a new software, device, or platform ends up actually making healthcare better, rather than just a neat marketing ploy?So, this week, I dive into the research around technology-enabled healthcare. Parts of this podcast come from a few different presentations I've recently given on this topic covering digital health, implementing virtual healthcare services, and using data in healthcare decision-making.What we cover in this Episode:-Define digital health & virtual service delivery-Applying digital health tools in clinical practice-Research around digital health and its effectiveness-Remote Patient Monitoring and Telehealth-Will artificial intelligence replace clinicians?-How technology enabled healthcare solutions will alter reimbursement and revenue models-Achieving Better Outcomes by implementing technology in healthcareFull show notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-144Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

A Few Thoughts on Healthcare Positioning StrategyI'm talking to a lawyer the other day about business, scaling, growth, and specialization. As we're talking, he says something in passing that totally exemplifies both the concept and the power of a strong positioning strategy. He says, "You know, it's like if I was a furniture maker and someone asked if I could give them a price to build a deck. Sure, I have all the tools necessary to do that job, but if I say yes, they're not going to be happy, and I'm not going to be happy. So I just say "no" to those types of inquiries, even if there's good money involved."I know I've said this before on interviews: but the worst deals I've ever put together —the worst clients, worst results, most stressful projects— have all come from saying "yes" to jobs that I should have rejected. I quickly learned with my consulting work to only accept projects and clients that fit in my positioning. And, in broad areas, healthcare has adopted this idea of specialization. Orthopedic MDs don't accept cardiology referrals etc.However, within each specialty area, there are countless specializations or sub-specialties. For example, take Physical Therapy as an example...Often times, I hear one of two problems from practice owners, each of which can be fixed with a good dose of positioning:1. Too many referrals2. Not enough referralsInterestingly, no one ever says "I think we're good. We have enough referrals."  It's either "we have way too many" or "we need any referrals we can get". But how does positioning help solve either of these problems? It solves these problems like this:Too many referrals? Look through the variability in those referrals. If you have a selected specialization (positioning strategy), and you have more referrals than you have capacity to handle, you simply take all of those excess referrals that don't fit in your stated specialization and refer them out to other providers.The patients will be happy, because they're not on a wait list. The referring provider will be happy because their patients will get seen sooner, AND they'll think of you with more respect in your area of specialization...Too few referrals? Reach out to ONLY the referral sources that match your stated positioning (specialization). Often, when the schedule gets light, clinic owners and managers reach out to anyone who could possibly refer them a warm body to treat...This does harms the practice in 2 ways:1. Patients don't get the best results (which means less positive reviews and likely less referrals from that referring provider)2. They just sound desperate (no one like groveling...)In addition, you only have so many resources to commit towards marketing & business development. Having a clear and specific positioning keeps you from spreading those resources too thinly to make a real, meaningful difference in referral generation.What we cover in this Episode:-Positioning Strategy in Healthcare-Putting positioning to work in Lead Generation -Building a team and culture at a healthcare business using positioning-Reducing the stress involved in business development strategy-Achieving Better Outcomes by dialing in your healthcare positioning strategyFull show notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-143Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Feeling Burnt Out in Your Healthcare Practice? We hear about it all the time: low margins, increasing costs, decreasing reimbursement, staffing issues, etc. And those are just the most common issues cited by people within the industry. But, as I've already shared, private healthcare practice has the potential to be a great business. So, if you're a practice owner who's feeling burnt out, here's one thing I think will transform your healthcare practice. This week, I share the one thing that can transform a private healthcare practice. Here it is: Set aside one full day of "business work". On this day, you will work on ONLY one of the following:-Working on the business (developing SOPs, etc. to guide routine operations)-Business planning or vision-casting-Thinking about the business-Reading/Learning/Self-development in the area of business & entrepreneurship (NO CEU courses!)I'm not saying this will "make it rain" at your business, but I've been doing this since 2021 and here's what it has done for me:-It gives me dedicated time to fix "problems" in the business that area always nagging but never get done if you're in the clinic all day-It gets me excited about the business & the team-It helps get my head out of the daily grind and into the 30,000ft view-It has greatly reduced stress. What we cover in this Episode:-Value-Drivers in a healthcare business-The importance of taking time off to work on the business -Building a team and culture at a healthcare practice -Putting pieces in place for growth and scale -Reducing the stress involved in managing a private healthcare practice -Understanding the importance of identifying key metric in your healthcare practice -Achieving Better Outcomes by working on personal & professional development as a practice owner Full show notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-142Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Is Big Healthcare a Net Positive or Net Negative for Society?We hear this all the time: in the news, online, and during interviews with healthcare professionals. We hear that "Big Healthcare" is causing extreme damage to society. People cite things like: delayed authorizations, denied care, reducing provider reimbursement or payment, etc. Books have been written about how Big Healthcare Became Big Business. It seems large healthcare conglomerates garner most, if not all, of the criticism for problems within the healthcare system. But one must ask the question: are large healthcare companies inherently a negative thing within the industry? Do they play a role in cost reduction and access to needed healthcare services? This week, I talk a little bit about this idea of "Big Healthcare" and whether it's a net negative or a net positive for society as a whole. I also discuss what small healthcare business owners should think about when it comes to running their businesses  planning for the future.What we cover in this Episode:-Value-Drivers in a healthcare business-Understanding the role that large healthcare companies play in the industry-The problems with a Fee For Service system in healthcare -Maintaining Human Connection within the big healthcare space -How the incentives in today's healthcare environment lead to clinician burnout and wasted time-Understanding the savings flow in industries like healthcare -Achieving Better Outcomes by creating a valuable healthcare businessFull show notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-141Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Real value-drivers in any healthcare business involve more than simple accounting trickery. Increasing value involves mitigating buyer-side risk after the sale. ------What are the real value drivers in healthcare businesses?If you do a search on the internet for healthcare business valuations, you end up getting results that mention EBITA, multiples, and add-backs. Often the discussion falls into "accounting tricks" that can increase the sale price of the business by a few thousand dollars. Or, the conversation begins flying high in the sky, giving a 30,000 ft view of the "strategic" changes that owners can make to "dramatically increase the value" of their businesses. The problem is that those conversations rarely get down into the tactical. So, this week, I talk about specific actions business owners can take to not just increase the "valuation" of their business, but actually increase the value of their business. When I say "increase the value", I mean increase the multiple of EBITA used to create a purchase offer. For example, I want to discuss ways to go from a purchase price of 1-2x EBITA to 3-4x or even 10x. What we cover in this Episode:-My journey of purchasing a physical therapy clinic -Value-Drivers in a healthcare business-Leadership and management in a valuable healthcare business -Building a team to delegate key business functions to -Go to Market Strategy for a successful healthcare business-How to prevent burnout and wasted time-Achieving Better Outcomes by creating a valuable healthcare business Full Show Notes & Links: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-140Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

What does a Successful Healthcare Tech Company do Differently?When I work with clients in the healthcare technology space on their go to market strategy, inevitably we end up talking about operations within the company and how things get done. Most people know that only a fraction of startups end up becoming successful, sustainable businesses. The question is, why? What sets those successful startups apart from their peers? Why is it that they made it while many of their competitors fell to the wayside? Obviously, there's the whole product-market fit piece, but successful companies also operate differently than their peers. One overlooked area is the "culture" of the organization. A successful healthcare tech company has a culture that promote productivity, but also ensures team cohesion and fulfillment.So, this week, I sit down with Jonas Duss, former CEO & cofounder of Kaia Health to discuss this very topic. We cover his career trajectory and experience running Kaia, and then we dive into creating and managing a health culture and team in a successful healthcare tech companyWhat we cover in this Episode:-Jonas' career path starting as an engineer and moving towards co-founder at Kaia Health-The key elements of business growth especially for a health tech startup-Starting a healthcare tech business that scales-Building a team for your healthcare tech business-Go to Market Strategy for a successful healthcare tech company-How to prevent burnout and wasted time-Achieving Better Outcomes by creating a culture that takes care of its teamGet full show notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-139Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com#healthcaretech #healthtech #healthcarestartup #startup #healthcare #healthcareinnovation If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Get full show notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-138Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.comHow do go about starting and scaling a multi million dollar healthcare business?When I speak and train at healthcare organizations and tech startups, the topic of scale & growth come up regularly. Often, this is in the context of go to market & business development strategy. Many founders and owners of healthcare businesses aspire to grow a multi million dollar healthcare business. But, healthcare's complexity poses challenges to new healthcare ventures as they start and scale. So, this week, I sit down with Mike Murphy from Sunstone Management Advisory to discuss how he went about building a business to half a billion dollars or revenue, his work doing healthcare turnarounds, and the keys to building and scaling healthcare businesses into multi million dollar companies. What we cover in this Episode:-Mike's career path starting as an underwriter and transitioning to managing insurance plans -The key elements of business growth -Starting a healthcare business in a way that scales-Building a leadership team for your healthcare business-Go to Market Strategy in healthcare -Understanding who your target market is-Achieving Better Outcomes through solid business practices  If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

What are some key skills for Healthcare Leaders & Executives?Last week on the podcast, I discussed my nonclinical career path and how I went from staff clinician to a healthcare business consultant and practice owner.  After that episode, I received a few emails asking for specific skills or areas of personal development that help in advancing from a clinical role into healthcare administration or leadership. I figured it was worth exploring, and actually writing down what I considered to be key skills for healthcare leaders & executives.So, this week, I dive into the 5 key skills, or characteristics, that I consider key factors in transitioning from clinical work to healthcare leadership and/or executive roles.What we cover in this Episode:The importance of intentionally planning your professional growth and developmentCommunication as a key skill for healthcare leaders and executivesStarting a healthcare business with no fundingUsing Data to make decisions or create communication piecesKey principles in managing and leading a healthcare businessThe importance of crucial conversationsBeginning to take a high-level, value-creation based vision of your work and rolesAchieving Better Outcomes by stepping out of the clinic to affect systemic healthcare improvementsWe post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.Full episode notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-137Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Full episode notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-135Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.comAre you a clinician considering a nonclinical career path? I get asked regularly about how I got started on my nonclinical career path. Whether I'm speaking at a conference or event, or working with clients on business development strategy projects, it seems people are interested in learning about how an occupational therapist went from treating patients in the clinic to working as a healthcare positioning strategist. So, this week, we're continuing our series on nonclinical career paths with this solo episode where I break down every role I've held since graduating in 2012. I walk through each job, what I took from each one, how I made the step into the next role, and things that I thought were key factors in skilling up for these nonclinical roles. What we cover in this Episode:-The importance of taking every learning opportunity available to you early in your career-Looking at every position as an opportunity to grow your network and skills -Starting a healthcare business with no funding-Purchasing a healthcare business -Key principles in managing and leading a healthcare business-How I used LinkedIn to get my first nonclinical consulting role -Understanding business models and incentives and how that relates to obtaining nonclinical roles-Achieving Better Outcomes by stepping out of the clinic to affect systemic healthcare improvements  If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Want me to help you put together a business development strategy that actually drives conversations with qualified prospects? Click here to schedule a call with me. It’s free. It’s 30 minutes. And, if nothing else, you’ll walk away with some insights that you can apply on your business that day. https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryHow do you start in healthcare copywriting?Maybe you've heard of copywriting. Maybe you haven't. I tell people that I work with that copywriting is probably one of the most valuable skills that entrepreneurs and business owners can have. You don't necessarily need to be the best copywriter, but you should understand what makes for good healthcare copywriting. That skill opens up the doors to many opportunities, for business owners or clinicians looking to make a nonclinical transition. And, as I've discussed on the Strata Stories podcast, content creation and copywriting allows clinicians to monetize their expertise in more ways than simply direct clinical care.So, this week, we're continuing our nonclinical careers series with a conversation with Krista Frahm about her transition from clinician to healthcare copywriter and now marketing strategist.What we cover in this Episode:-The value clinicians can bring to nonclinical roles-How to delivery high impact services as a copywriter or marketing strategist -Starting a healthcare copywriting business-Networking to build your business-Coaching and consulting clients to deliver upstream services-Achieving Better Outcomes by leaving the clinic to help other businesses succeed with copywritingLearn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Have you thought about transitioning to nonclinical roles as a clinician?It seems like I receive more messages and emails these days about transitioning to nonclinical roles as a clinician. When I first left clinical work in 2017 to work as a management consultant, many colleagues were interested, but ultimately, they didn't want to leave clinical work entirely. Part of this is likely due to the fact that many clinicians find there way to healthcare as a sort of calling rather than a "job". The other part of this has to be related to risk tolerance. Many clinicians have traditionally seen nonclinical work as "more risky" than using their credential to work as a clinician in their given specialty. That being said, in recent years, the content about nonclinical roles has increased, and so has people's interest in this topic. So, this week, we're kicking off a miniseries all about transitioning to nonclinical roles as a clinician. We'll cover this topic from a few different "stages" or phases: 1) early in the process, 2) nonclinical roles as an employee, 3) entrepreneurship in nonclinical areas. This week's episode starts us off with phase one. In this episode, I share an interview with an Occupational Therapist (and former student of mine) Hayley Carver to discuss her decision to transition to a nonclinical role, some of the resources she's found helpful, and coaching programs and their value in the process of transitioning to these nontraditional roles. What we cover in this Episode:Challenges in traditional clinical roles The risk of burnout in clinical careDeciding to leave the clinic in pursuit of nontraditional or nonclinical rolesNetworking to find opportunities in healthcareCoaching and consulting programs to bridge the gap between the clinic and nonclinical opportunitiesAchieving Better Outcomes by leaving the clinic to make a larger impact on the healthcare industryWant me to help you put together a business development strategy that actually drives conversations with qualified prospects? Click here to schedule a call with me. It’s free. It’s 20 minutes. And, if nothing else, you’ll walk away with some insights that you can apply on your business that day. https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryLearn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

How can real-time data help improve health equity and population health?We've talked about the social determinants of health before. We've also covered using data to improve healthcare policy and decision-making. But, where do those two things intersect? How can data be used to improve health equity across populations, geographies, and other factors? This week, I sit down with Perfecto Sanchez from EquityQuotient, a dynamic health equity data and insights platform.What we cover in this Episode:-The social determinants of health-Using data to improve healthcare decision-making-Challenges in aggregating data to make the most informed decisions-Understanding the value proposition of data in healthcare and decision-making-The importance of training AI models with representative data to make recommendations effective and accurate-Achieving Better Outcomes by using healthcare data to improve health equityLearn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Are you making this mistake in healthcare sales?You're doing healthcare sales wrong. At least, a lot of people are making the same mistake in sales calls or demos. I talk to a lot of healthcare startups and tech companies who are trying to drive sales and awareness. But they're going about it all wrong.They're not doing anything crazy, like spamming people in the LinedIn Message Inbox (cause that's just annoying, am I right?) But, they're messing things up when they get into a discovery or demo call. They spend most, if not all, of the time with a prospective prospect "presenting" them with all of the value add, features, benefits, etc. But they glance over the MOST IMPORTANT part of these initial conversations: understanding the prospective customer's situation, context, and value-drivers..Many healthcare sales folks spend too much time trying to "convince" a prospect that their solution will solve their problems. But they never actually take the time to understand what problem the prospective customer actually wants to solve.  All sales, including healthcare sales, need to first start with a simple conversation.And that conversation has 2 goals:1) Understanding the prospect's situation & the nature of the problem they are seeking to solve2) Determining whether there's a good fit between your solution and their problem; and whether that fit warrants moving to the next stepSometimes, the answer is "no", and that's fine; but it's not fine to waste too much time getting to that ultimate conclusion. The goal in any initial demo or discovery conversation is to understand whether or not you should even continue the conversation. The faster you answer that question, the more efficient your sales process becomes. So stop presenting or trying to bombard prospects with your solution's benefits or features, and spend more time trying to actually understand the prospect's situation. Then see if there's a fit between that situation/problem and your solution.What we cover in this Episode:-The importance of positioning on lead generation-Understanding the role that specific value plays in a healthcare sales conversation-Driving sales with conversations-How to craft a value proposition for your healthcare business-Understanding the barriers to adoption of healthcare solutions-Aligning business models and incentives in the healthcare sales process-Achieving Better Outcomes by replacing demo presentations with value conversationsLearn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

How do discover and communicate Value in Healthcare Technology?In my work helping healthcare technology companies developing positioning strategies, the topic of value and return on investment for the buyer plays a major role. An effective positioning strategy involves answering the question "value to whom?". The challenge in that effort revolves around actually being able to define, describe, and communicate those value drivers. To effectively communicate value in healthcare technology, you must first uncover the specific value drivers your product or service addresses.So, this week, I sit down with Craig Solid from the Solid Research Group to discuss uncovering value in healthcare technology. Craig has been on the show before to discuss Return on Investment Studies and Value in Healthcare. This week, he's back to discuss value in healthcare technology.What we cover in this Episode:-Understanding the targeted buyer in a healthcare technology buying decision-Creating digital (or in-person) communities for healthcare providers-Using content and knowledge translation to start a healthcare business that doesn't require patient care-How to craft a value proposition for your healthcare business-Leveraging technology to start & scale a business that leverages your clinical skills-Achieving Better Outcomes by taking control of your healthcare career through business ownershipLearn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.comFull Show Notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-131 If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

How do you start a healthcare business with no funding?Let's play a constrain-based game. You are a clinician and want to start a business that leverages your clinical degree/skills. It can be direct clinical care (like a practice), some sort of clinical innovation (like a device/invention) or an infrastructure play (like a software or professional services solution). Here's the constraint:  You can't get any outside funding for this venture. No loans & no investors; you're bootstrapping this thing. You are going to start a healthcare business with no funding.Here's what you want for this business:It can provide the same (ideally higher) income as you would earn as a staff clinician in a relatively short timeframe (you don't want to spend 5 years in side gig mode)It can scale without your direct input (you eventually don't want to be the one directly providing the service or solution)What we cover in this Episode:-Understanding some of the drivers that lead people to choose healthcare as a career-Creating digital (or in-person) communities for healthcare providers-Using content and knowledge translation to start a healthcare business that doesn't require patient care-How to craft a value proposition for your healthcare business-Leveraging technology to start & scale a business that leverages your clinical skills-Achieving Better Outcomes by taking control of your healthcare career through business ownershipLearn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

How can clinicians leverage technology and insights to go Direct to Employer and MSK Management in their practice?Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.comIt's no secret that healthcare organizations have been facing downward pricing pressure for years. Part of this comes from the fact that, in a fee for service model for reimbursement, the easiest lever for payers to pull when it comes to reducing the cost of healthcare is the price. Payers, in an attempt to control costs, resort to either limiting service coverage or paying providers less. As a result, many healthcare provider organizations have shifted from insurance-based models of care to direct to payer or direct to consumer business models, including cash-based practice and direct to employer and MSK management. They do this because they can bypass the low fee schedules of the insurance companies. The problem is that, at the end of the day, they're still stuck in the fee for service model of healthcare, which, as I describe in my book, incentivizes high volume, minimally acceptable quality care. That's where leveraging technology, data, and clinical content comes into play. Incorporating those into practice allows clinic owners and practices to tap into more value-based reimbursement and contracting.So, this week, I sit down with Zach Walston, PT, DPT from Second Door Health. (https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-129) Zach was a guest on the podcast in the past, and now he's the head of clinical content and clinical strategy at Second Door Health.What we cover in this Episode:-The challenges of a fee for service healthcare model of reimbursement -Going direct to consumer in healthcare private practice-Using content and knowledge translation to increase patient engagement -The value proposition in a direct to employer model of MSK management -Leveraging technology to streamline workflows, increase patient engagement, and create a positive return on investment for payers-Achieving Better Outcomes by building a platform to enable clinicians to go direct to employer for MSK management  If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Ever Considered Exploring Executive Leadership in Healthcare as Part of Your Career?I recently ran a poll on LinkedIn about what people wanted to hear more about on the podcast. Business & Entrepreneurship/Career in Healthcare took the win the a large margin. So, I figured I'd begin including topics around career advancement, entrepreneurship, business leadership, maybe even healthcare operations & organizational management on more episodes. So, this week, I'm starting by sharing my experience going through the CEO recruiting, interview, and selection process for one of the boards I sit on. During dinner with the search consultant our board hired, they mentioned a quote in passing that stuck with me for the next several days.I asked what that executive search consultant saw in candidates that made them think that the candidate would be successful as a leader. The search consultant said, almost in passing, "Well, the quest of management is to make better what cannot be made perfect." I walked away from that conversation with a few insights and thoughts based on that quote. What we cover in this Episode:-The importance of strategically selecting healthcare leadership & executives-Challenges involving hiring & firing healthcare leaders & and executives-Tailoring your messaging to the stage in the hiring (buying) cycle -How the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process mimics healthcare sales-Why peaking your mind and saying what you're thinking improves your chances in a competitive hiring process-A little bit about my history and work as a positioning strategist & healthcare consultant -Achieving Better Outcomes by building leadership skills & a strong leadership philosophy  If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

AI Doctor: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare - A Guide for Users, Buyers, Builders, and InvestorsAI get's all the attention in the news these days. From ChatGPT to AI Scribes, it seems that every industry has found a plethora of use cases for artificial intelligence. But what about an AI Doctor? Are we close to a world where an AI-driven software or platform guides healthcare service delivery? I've maintained the idea that technology in general, and especially AI in specific, should really be looked at as a way to enhance service delivery by clinicians, rather than implemented as a replacement for them. Healthcare is, after all, a human experience. And, there are issued and challenges when it comes to implementing tech into a healthcare environment.This week, I sit down with Ron Razmi, MD to discuss his new book AI Doctor: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. Dr. Razmi shares his insights generated from his time in a healthcare tech startup, consulting for McKinsey, and thoughts around building, selling, and investing in healthcare technology. What we cover in this Episode:Dr. Ron's experience working in healthcare as a clinician and on large consulting projects What Artificial Intelligence really is and how it can be used or deployedChallenges and barriers to adoption of healthcare technology in provider organizationsThe importance of understanding the healthcare tech buyer's business modelUnderstanding how data is critical in training algorithms and developing softwareCrafting an effective value proposition and positioning strategy for a healthcare technology solutionAchieving Better Outcomes by aligning all stakeholders involved in the implementation of artificial intelligence in healthcare We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel. Get Your Copy of My Book Now!Connect with Dr. RazmiLinkedIn (Ron Razmi, MD)ZOI CapitalGet the Book: AI Doctor For More:If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare. Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare?If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I'd love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders. If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Here are 3 Things I Think are Critical to Succeed in Business Ownership and/or EntrepreneurshipOne thing that affects success at business ownership and entrepreneurship that gets mentioned almost in passing, is the ability to tolerate stress......or put another way: Resilience...It's almost a cliche at this point: the business owner who's up late at night wondering if/how they'll make payroll...I think this factor gets discounted or taken for granted...People share memes and pictures about business ownership and stress on social media all the time...But the reality is: to succeed in business ownership or entrepreneurship, you need to be able to handle a level of stress that is largely unknown and not experienced by many colleagues and peers in your industry...That being said, I don't think that you have to be some sort of superhuman or "built differently" to be able to tolerate and even thrive under the stressors imposed by business ownership...Here are 3 things that I believe can help anyone, but especially business owners, as they navigate the emotional rollercoaster of work & business ownership:1) Get Clear on Your Values & Desired Future State2) Prioritize Self-Care3) Build a Support System, Ideally of Other Business OwnersResilience isn't some innate quality that you're born with...sure, some people naturally tolerate more stress than others...But resilience can be greatly improved or aided by arranging or building scaffolding around your life that helps support and mitigate the effects of stress… If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

The Big Question: Who Will Fix Healthcare? It’s no secret that something needs to change in our western healthcare system. Rising costs, decreased accessed, increasing clinician burnout, and financial challenges all plague healthcare systems across the world. Depending on who you speak to (policy-makers, providers, payers, or patients), the cause of these problems varies. Some stakeholders, like providers, blame payers and insurance companies. Some stakeholders, like patients, blame corporate greed and profit incentives for healthcare’s woes. Regardless of who you speak with, they all seem to have the same question: Who Will Fix Healthcare? I actually had an interesting conversation with a founder in the healthcare space about this topic and he said something that I thought was worth doing a whole episode on. He said, essentially, that the solution to healthcare’s challenges will likely come from outside the industry. So, this week, I sit down with Mohamed Elwazer from LinedanceAI to discuss the question “Who will fix healthcare?”. We dive into topics around innovation, common challenges faced by healthcare providers, and the importance on focusing on the key element of healthcare exchanges: the relationship between providers and patients.   What we cover in this Episode: Understanding the challenge of clinician burnout in healthcare The cost of hiring & recruiting clinicians Problems caused by fee for service reimbursement schemes The importance of crafting a positioning strategy when employing an innovative healthcare solution Common challenges with innovating within the healthcare space Why the people closest to the problem often have difficulty taking a step back to view it objectively Achieving Better Outcomes by leveraging technology to streamline processes, reduce costs, and increase human connection in healthcare   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Mohamed and LinedanceAI  LinkedIn (Mohamed Elwazer) LinedanceAI   For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Digital Health is Failing: From Clinical Outcomes to Return on Investment Millions have been invested in digital health with relatively little true value creation in the form of clinical outcomes, population health, or return for investors. In whichever way you measure (economic or clinical) we are leaning towards the reality that digital health is failing. Why? I think it has to do with 2 things: 1) the disconnect between the perceived benefits and value of these solutions and the actual behavioral change required to implement them and 2) the context of today’s healthcare vs. the ideal of healthcare’s future in value-based care. Over the past couple of weeks, I made a LinkedIn post on the topic of the necessary behavioral changes needed to implement digital health solutions and the context of today’s western healthcare industry, where health insurance is conflated with healthcare. Both of those posts took off, with some lively discussion, so I figured it would be worth doing a podcast episode exploring the topic Why Digital Health is Failing. So, this week, I share some of my thoughts on this topic and a couple of the solutions I see in this problem.   What we cover in this Episode: Understanding the conflation between health insurance and healthcare The importance of understanding the behavioral changes required to implement new technologies The troubles with the fee for service model of healthcare Why a solid positioning strategy can drive leads, but won’t necessarily drive utilization The pros and cons of launching in today’s digital health market Understanding the importance of implementation and clinical workflows Achieving Better Outcomes by leveraging technology to streamline processes and reduce costs   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Me LinkedIn (Rafi Salazar) Hire me to Speak Book a Healthcare Positioning Workshop Learn About Working with Me   For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Is it possible to leverage technology and AI to improve Compliance and Certification in Healthcare, specifically in the software and device space? We’ve talked on this show before about the confluence between consumer technology & medical devices/software. With this comes an increasing emphasis on regulatory compliance, FDA certification, and the like. For example, with Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), providers must use an approved Software as a Medical Device to deliver that service to patients. And, for many of the clients I work with in the healthcare technology & innovation space, the discussion around FDA approval and certification plays a key role in the go to market strategy. And, historically, it required a lot in the way of man hours and financial resources to put together the required literature reviews, clinical evidence, and clinical evaluation reports (CER) for submission to the regulatory body. However, technology could potentially play a roll in streamlining and improving the efficiency required in compliance and certification in healthcare. So, this week, I sit down with Ethan Drower from CiteMedical to talk about how artificial intelligence (AI) and software can cut down the required time, energy and resources needed to remain compliant and gain approval or certification from necessary regulatory bodies in healthcare.   What we cover in this Episode: Requirements that software companies, startup and devices need to become approved or certified as medical solutions The importance of gathering the necessary clinical evidence to support marketing claims in healthcare How much this process costs and requires from the companies seeking compliance and certification in healthcare How artificial intelligence can help streamline the regulatory process The pros and cons of launching in the consumer market first and then branching into medical vs diving right into the medical market Achieving Better Outcomes by leveraging technology to streamline processes and reduce costs   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Ethan & CiteMedical LinkedIn (Ethan Drower) CiteMedical   For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, UVP stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Wondering how you can build a Resilient Healthcare Business? So Change Healthcare was apparently hit with another extortion request on Monday (4/8/24). I was talking with a friend of mine the other day who’s involved with healthcare cybersecurity and he was telling me he thinks it’ll be a LONG time until Change is fully recovered from the initial attack in February. What many people outside of healthcare don’t realize is that healthcare is a very cashflow-dependent business.  Once the money turns off, many providers simply don’t have the funds required to continue operating. This is especially true in private practice healthcare. While larger healthcare organizations and corporations may have economies of scale and cash reserves to help them through lean times, many privately held healthcare practices don’t. There will be private healthcare practices that go out of business as a result of the Change Healthcare cyber attacks. This bring up the importance of building a resilient healthcare business. This week, I share are a few lessons learned from this whole Change Healthcare issue. I also share 5 tips or strategies you can employ to help a build a reliant healthcare business. I shared these briefly on a LinkedIn Post, but thought this topic warranted a whole episode.   What we cover in this Episode: 1. It’s important to understand the choke points in your clinic’s cashflow and how to mitigate them 2. You must be not only profitable, but also have the necessary cash reserves on hand to float operations through the unexpected 3. Waiting gets you killed. There’s no time to act like a deer in the headlights when something like this happens. I know practice owners who waited too long to begin pivoting and changing EDI enrollments, and they may end up paying the price for it 4. Having a diversified income stream helps. Private-pay, non-covered services, etc. help offset the crunch caused by disruption in your typical RCM operations 5. You need to be able to have those money conversations with everyone Achieving Better Outcomes by building strong, resilient healthcare businesses   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Me LinkedIn (Rafi Salazar) Hire me to Speak Book a Healthcare Positioning Workshop Learn About Working with Me   For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, UVP stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Ever considered the process of Designing Healthcare Spaces? As an OT, I know my way around accessible design. In fact, I spent a good bit of time between 2017-2020 doing a lot of home accessibility assessments as part of a clinical consulting roll. But, there’s a difference between making sure something is physically accessible and designing healthcare spaces. Not only do healthcare spaces require more in the way of codes and regulations, but there are other factors that need to be considered. Things like space, traffic, bathroom locations, etc. all impact the efficiency and effectiveness of a clinic’s space. There’s also budgets that need to be considered. So, this week, I sit down with Sharon Woodworth, MA from UCSF’s Healthcare Administration & Interprofessional Leadership Program. She’s also a healthcare architect with Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED). We talk about Sharon’s creation of the 5 Point Keystone Star and how it can guide healthcare space design.   What we cover in this Episode: The importance of the physical space when it comes to healing and healthcare service delivery How the right space may help reduce clinician burnout Why it all revolves around the patient Improving access through design Achieving Better Outcomes by designing healing spaces   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Sharon & her Work LinkedIn (Sharon Woodworth) UCSF MS Healthcare & Interprofessional Leadership HED Design Firm   For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, UVP stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Want to achieve Healthcare Business Success, but trying to figure out this market? I talk a lot with founders, practice owners, and healthcare executives who see the changing landscape of the healthcare industry. They want to capitalize on the change they know is coming, but they struggle to figure out how to do that. Some have developed tech tools, devices, or software and want to build successful businesses providing those services to providers and provider organizations. Others own or operate clinics and provider organizations and want to integrate technology into their care models in a way to achieve the healthcare business success they know is possible. Regardless of their role or background, they all share a common obstacle: understanding how to lay the groundwork for a successful healthcare business. Whether it be positioning strategy, implementation & integration, or revenue & monetization models, the healthcare market poses many unique challenges that aren’t so common in other industries.  So, this week, I sit down with Paul Singh from StrataPT to talk about this subject of healthcare business success. We talk about his history in the technology space prior to entering healthcare with StrataPT. He also shares his 3 rules for healthcare business success.    What we cover in this Episode: Leveraging data in healthcare for marketing & business decision-making Understanding the importance of content creation in healthcare business development Improving business outcomes by leveraging data & technology Challenges with innovation in healthcare Successful marketing strategies in established markets The importance of Revenue Cycle Management in healthcare Achieving Better Outcomes by transparently providing a valuable service through your healthcare business   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Paul & StrataPT LinkedIn (Paul Singh) StrataPT Website   For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, UVP stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Have you ever heard the saying “data is the new oil”? I heard that on a podcast the other day and thought: “True!” The crude oil market is projected to be around $2.9 TRILLION in 2024. That’s a huge market! But, like oil, raw data by itself is mostly useless in the day-to-day lives of most consumers. Unless that data is filtered, refined, and delivered in a useful way, it’s just something that takes up space on the cloud. I’ve said for years that data is a main value driver for many healthcare tech, SaaS companies, and even provider organizations.  Data, when leveraged appropriately, provides the opportunity to: 1) Reduce the cost of delivering care (to patients, providers, & payers) 2) Improve clinical outcomes (which immediately helps patients & payers) & 3) Identify & capitalize on areas for improved financial performance (for payers & providers). But again, you need to do something to that data to make it valuable. In fact, I mentioned a few opportunities to do just that on this LinkedIn Post. That’s why I figured I’d do an entire episode with the title Healthcare Data is the New Oil. This week, I share some thoughts on healthcare data, it’s value, and some possible business opportunities for creative entrepreneurs who want to capitalize on this what can seem like an overwhelming sea of useless raw information.   What we cover in this Episode: Discussing the potential value of data in healthcare Leveraging data to reduce the cost of healthcare Improving clinical outcomes by leveraging healthcare data Positioning services and solutions in the healthcare data space A business idea I have around Data Analytics as a Service Achieving Better Outcomes by refining and leveraging healthcare data   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Me LinkedIn (Rafi Salazar) Hire me to Speak Book a Healthcare Positioning Workshop Learn About Working with Me   For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, UVP stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Can You Effectively Deliver Functional or Lifestyle Medicine Services Virtually? We’ve talked about bio psychosocial approaches to care, functional health coaching, and the like on the show previously. But those conversations centered around the philosophy of care, rather than the delivery method. So, when I got connected with the folks at Dooable Health about their virtual lifestyle medicine practice, I figured it would be an interesting topic to cover. Little did I know that we’d end up covering some current healthcare and sociological topics like loneliness, anxiety, depression, etc. This week, I sit down with Dr. Joe Jenkins and Jeanine Finelli from Dooable Health to talk about functional health, lifestyle medicine, and delivering those services virtually.   What we cover in this Episode: Defining functional health The importance of social relationships and how that impacts our overall health How we can still feel alone in a technologically connected world The impact of food and diet on health Hw to leverage Circles Masterclass & workshop formats to improve health for patients and clients Achieving Better Outcomes by understanding the root cause of health issues   We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.   Get Your Copy of My Book Now! Connect with Dooable Dooable Website For More: If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.   Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare? If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, UVP stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders. Follow