In this year-end wrap-up episode of The Promise of Personalized Medicine, host, Perry is the guest this week and he’s joined by his producer, Angela!

They reflect on the significant shifts and trends that defined 2024 in the healthcare and diagnostics industries. Join as they explore FDA regulatory developments, state-level biomarker laws, and innovations shaping personalized medicine.

The fantastic lineup of guests from the past year are celebrated—Beth Davis, Wren Gregory, Dr. Sandra Milligan, Debs Pipphard, Rennie Quarles, Tom Cronin, Mark Hiatt, Tyler O'Malley, and Dr. Sherie Smalley—whose insights enriched the conversation around precision medicine.

In a fun segment, "How Well Do You Know Your Guests?", Perry tests his memory with standout quotes from our guests, sparking discussions about AI advancements, clinical significance, and the evolution of personalized care.

Looking ahead to 2025, the discussion goes towards the industry's trajectory, breakthrough innovations, and the potential impact of policy disruptions on healthcare delivery. Tune in for an engaging and insightful recap of the year that was and a glimpse into what lies ahead.

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Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn!

In this episode of The Promise of Personalized Medicine, Perry sits down with Dr. Sherie Smalley to explore the nuanced challenges and opportunities in today’s healthcare landscape. Dr. Smalley shares her unique perspective as a physician and medical director, shedding light on the complexities of aligning patient care, financial responsibility, and clinical decision-making.

The conversation dives into the misalignment of incentives within the healthcare system, the critical need for cost transparency, and the importance of equipping both providers and patients with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions.

The conversation also dives into:

• why value-based arrangements could be a game changer, fostering collaboration, data sharing, and trust among stakeholders while improving patient outcomes.
• the evolving role of laboratory medicine in supporting clinical decisions
• the potential of genetic testing to revolutionize care
• the systemic fragmentation that often hinders progress.

This episode is a thought-provoking look at how healthcare professionals, payers, and patients can work together to address systemic challenges and pave the way for better care.

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Dr. Sherie Smalley is a healthcare consultant and principal at New Dawn Health LLC. Her background experience as a physician executive with 30 years of healthcare experience includes serving as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Medical Director for Medical Policy for health plans providing government and commercial coverage. Her passion is improving health outcomes by promoting patient-centered, high-quality, personalized healthcare. Dr. Smalley also held a volunteer faculty appointment at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine where she taught problem-based learning. Prior to her health plan experience, Dr. Smalley held a role in the California Department of Public Health and practiced anatomic and clinical pathology in Northern California.

Dr. Smalley holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a double minor in biology and chemistry from Sonoma State University. She received her medical degree from the University of California, Davis, and completed her residency at Kaiser Permanente’s San Francisco Medical Center. Dr. Smalley is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology.

Sherie has three children and four grandchildren. She is an avid gardener and enjoys growing orchids. She has been a member of the Susquehanna Orchid Society and the Honolulu Orchid Society, and currently has almost 100 orchids under her care.

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Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn!

Today we sit with Tyler O’Malley, an expert in the evolving fields of personalized and precision medicine, to explore how advancements in diagnostics are transforming patient care. Tyler shares his vision for healthcare that shifts away from broad-based disease management toward more individualized treatment, especially in challenging fields like autoimmune diseases. He discusses the role of artificial intelligence in leveraging vast data for actionable insights, which enable doctors to take a proactive approach rather than a reactionary one.

We dive into the current limitations in autoimmune disease management, using lupus as a case study, where outdated diagnostic tools still dominate. Tyler explains the need for more precise diagnostic testing and the challenges of working within a constrained healthcare system with limited specialist availability. We also tackle the complexities of navigating payer dynamics, where reimbursement policies often lag behind clinical innovations.

Finally, Tyler discusses essential strategies for diagnostics companies, emphasizing the importance of early integration of reimbursement planning, setting realistic investor expectations, and fostering strong relationships with payers and physicians alike.

If you’re interested in how the healthcare industry is working to deliver better outcomes through innovation, this episode is for you!

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Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn!