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.

—----

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.

—---------

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.

—----

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!

—----

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

Imagine going to the doctor and knowing your treatment is designed just for you—tailored to your unique biology, lifestyle, and even your genetic code. That’s the promise of personalized medicine. But with all the advancements in precision healthcare, are we truly getting more personalized care, or are we just layering new technologies onto old practices? Today, we're diving deep into this tension between cutting-edge innovation and traditional healthcare, exploring what it really means to treat the individual patient in this modern medical world.

Today’s guest is Dr. Mark Hiatt, a seasoned radiologist. Rooted in the timeless principles of the Hippocratic Oath, Dr. Mark shares his insights on delivering individualized patient care amidst the advancements in genomic medicine and precision diagnostics. He discusses historical influences like the Flexner Report, and examines how modern healthcare can move beyond reactive, highly specialized care to embrace a more preventive and personalized approach.

Other topics discussed:

• the challenges posed by health plans, including the frustrations of prior authorizations and the tension between cost management and patient-centered outcomes
• innovative solutions such as shifting to an educational approach in prior authorizations and aligning incentives through value-based care models
• broader issues like the role of employers in health insurance, the financial burdens of medical costs on individuals, and the urgent need for a healthcare system that empowers patients to take control of their own health journeys

—----

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

The fight for reimbursement often feels like navigating a maze. From lengthy appeals to prior authorizations, labs and healthcare providers must balance innovation with complex payer policies. But what if this process could be less adversarial, more collaborative, and streamlined with the help of cutting-edge technology?

Our guest today is Tom Cronin, Senior Vice President, Revenue Cycle Strategy & Analytics at Quadax. Quadax is the leading and trusted healthcare partner delivering revenue cycle optimization solutions driven by the needs of our clients, powered by business analytics, and supported by superior service to improve reimbursement of care.

Tom acknowledges that while appeals can be a necessary tactic to challenge denied coverage, they are costly and time-consuming. He contrasts older adversarial approaches with today’s more collaborative methods, where payers increasingly appreciate the economic value of tests in the long-term healthcare of patients. He explains how medical policies and prior authorizations play a critical role in determining coverage, while also discussing the evolving trend of health plans requesting medical records electronically to streamline the process.

The conversation also covers technological advancements that could alleviate administrative burdens, such as AI and natural language processing to assist in reviewing medical records. While these technologies are promising, both share that health plans and labs still need human oversight in making final coverage decisions.

—----

For more information about Quadax, please visit https://www.quadax.com/

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

In personalized medicine, where data, technology, and patient care converge, success depends on embracing change and collaboration. As our guest puts it, 'At the end of the day, it's all about patient care. So if we have to make some changes in order to make a positive change for them, let's do that.'

Today’s guest is Rennie Quarles, Sr. Director Biopharma Commercialization. She shares insights on the balance between maintaining exclusivity and fostering open access to new treatments, emphasizing the importance of broadening availability for maximum patient benefit as therapies transition to the commercial space.

We discuss the evolution in business philosophy around these collaborations, highlighting the multifaceted relationships that companies build with pharmaceutical clients.

Other topics:

• exciting future developments in personalized medicine, such as leveraging data, AI, and machine learning to improve clinical trials and patient care
• the growing approval of biomarkers, not just in oncology but across other fields like neurology, reflecting the industry's potential to impact multiple disease states
• the role of patient advocacy groups and the ongoing, incremental advances that drive the field forward.

Join us as we explore the challenges, opportunities, and future directions of personalized medicine, always with a focus on what matters most: improving patient outcomes.

—----

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

Picture this: You walk into a doctor's office, and instead of a one-size-fits-all prescription, you're handed a treatment plan designed specifically for your genetic makeup. This isn't science fiction; it's the groundbreaking promise of personalized medicine, where cutting-edge technology meets the intricacies of human biology to provide precise and effective healthcare solutions.

Today’s guest is Deb Phippard, Chief Scientific Officer at Precision for Medicine. They delve into the fundamental concept of personalized medicine, emphasizing the importance of delivering the right drug to the right patient at the right time. Deb shares her perspective on the advancements in the field, particularly highlighting the significant impact of checkpoint inhibitors like Keytruda on cancer treatment.

The conversation explores the challenges of the traditional trial-and-error approach in medicine, the crucial role of companion diagnostics, and the transformative potential of AI in integrating complex data for personalized treatment plans. Deb and Perry also discuss the regulatory landscape, comparing the hurdles faced in the U.S. and Europe, and the implications for clinical trials and patient care.

—----

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

Personalized medicine still has so much potential. With the need for greater adoption and further advancement becoming more apparent, this conversation is necessary.

Today's guest is Dr. Sandy Milligan, the President of Research & Development, Laboratory Operations, IT and HR at Aspira Women’s Health. Dr. Milligan explains the nuances of personalized medicine, defining it as an individualized approach to healthcare that leverages precise diagnostics based on omics data analytics. We explore the challenges and opportunities in adopting personalized medicine, particularly in the United States, and discuss the financial, regulatory, and clinical hurdles that need to be overcome.

Dr. Milligan shares insightful examples from the fields of hypertension and oncology, highlighting how personalized medicine can revolutionize treatment plans and improve patient outcomes. We also delve into the critical role of biomarkers in developing innovative therapies and diagnostics, especially for complex diseases like endometriosis and various cancers.

Tune in to learn about the current state and future potential of personalized medicine from one of the leading experts in the field!

—----

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