The Medical Alley Podcast, presented by MentorMate

Medical Alley's Annual Dinner is happening on May 11th this year, with world-renowned author and wellness advocate Deepak Chopra joining as this year's keynote speaker. Deepak joined Bobbie Dressen on the Medical Alley Podcast to give a preview of what attendees of the Annual Dinner can expect to hear from him that night. He also shares more about the work of the Chopra Foundation, discusses the importance of mindfulness, his latest book "Living in the Light," and much more. To learn how you can attend the 2023 Medical Alley Annual Dinner to hear from Deepak in person, go to medicalalley.org.

As conversations about ways in which we can use artificial intelligence continue to gain popularity, companies like Australia-based Seer Medical are putting AI to work for good in the healthcare space. On this week's Medical Alley Podcast, Seer co-founder and CEO Dean Freestone joins to share how his company is using AI to transform epilepsy care — including seizure risk forecasting. Seer has achieved FDA clearance in the United States and recently received the 37th Annual Governor’s International Trade Award from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz after establishing its U.S. presence in Rochester, Minn.

For the final part of our series for Sleep Awareness Week, we're joined by the founder of a newer and fast-growing Medical Alley company that is innovating the way sleep apnea is diagnosed. Brian Sauer, founder and CEO of GEM Health, joined in studio to share how his company — which just recently celebrated its one-year anniversary — allows patients to get diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea from home via its product, GEM Sleep. The company is already in 47 states and continues to grow. Brian also shares some insight for entrepreneurs to consider on their journeys, regardless of their product or their focus.

Learn more about NightWare at nightware.com.

Disclaimer: the research shared during this episode is not an exhaustive representation of the interrelatedness between mental health and sleep and is not applicable to all that experience either concern. Resources: https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/permawellbeing.pdfhttps://positivepsychology.com/perma-model/https://care-clinics.com/progressive-muscle-relaxation/

The Medical Alley Podcast is going international this week, as we're joined in studio by Sam Kondo Steffenson of Denmark. In addition to co-founding MedTech Bridge — a non-profit helping European medtech companies enter the US market — Sam currently serves as the head of the Copenhagen Academy of Medical Education and Simulation. Sam and host Frank Jaskulke discuss how MedTech Bridge came to be, why U.S.-based companies should consider Denmark as an entry point into the European market, and much more.

In this second of a three-part content series, in partnership with the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, we explore the topic of advocacy for patients with obesity. Guests Starlin Haydon-Greatting and Garth Reynolds join our Frank Jaskulke to discuss the barriers to medical coverage for obesity treatment. This episode follows the first podcast, hosted by PCNA, which examined obesity's impacts on cardiovascular disease. Be sure to register for our webinar on March 2, which is the culmination of this series on obesity. The topic of obesity's impact on mental health will be explored by our panel of experts. Learn more and register at medicalalley.org.

Medical Alley and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association have partnered on a three-part content series focusing on obesity . In this first podcast episode, hosted by PCNA, Dr. Erin Ferranti joins host Geralyn Warfield to discuss the impacts obesity has on cardiovascular disease, and also examines the roles that social determinants of health play. The second podcast will include a patient and a healthcare provider for a discussion on advocacy for patients with obesity. Be sure to register for a webinar March 2, which will conclude the three-part content series. That webinar will focus on obesity's impact on mental health. Learn more or register at medicalalley.org.

Herself Health offers primary care for women 65 and older, and the company chose St. Paul, Minn., for its first clinic. According to CEO Kristen Helton, a part of that had to do with the ability to hire quality talent. On this week's Medical Alley Podcast, Kristen joins our Frank Jaskulke to share more about Herself Health's approach to primary care, how her previous role at Amazon prepared her for this next venture, and more. To learn more about Herself Health, head to herself-health.com.

Hospice providers offer many end-of-life services, including more than just the physical element. It involves providing social and spiritual well-being to not only the patient but the family and caregivers as well. We learn more about hospice care on this week's episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, as we're joined by Heath Bartness, the founder and CEO of St. Croix Hospice, which operates in 10 states in the Upper Midwest. Heath shares more about the benefits of hospice, how it fits into the continuum of healthcare, the misconceptions of hospice and more.

Being raised by a math teacher meant Dan Purvis was good at math. That led him into engineering, which eventually led to co-founding Velentium over a decade ago. On this week's Medical Alley Podcast, Dan shares how Velentium — an engineering firm that specializes in the design and manufacturing of therapeutic and diagnostic medical devices — fits into the healthcare ecosystem. Dan also offers his insight on leadership and talks about the importance of establishing a positive workplace culture.

Brett Spark began his career at a large healthcare system and eventually led several private practices. In 2020, he helped found Aroris, which supports medical practices with regards to their payer and provider relationships. On this episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, Brett joined in studio to share more about how Aroris helps navigate those relationships with its clients. He also shared more about Aroris' SaaS platform, which was born as an internal tool that has since been used as a resource for companies to help digitize contract and fee schedules.

Morgan Evans is busy. In addition to founding Avio Medtech Consulting (former Highland Circle Innovations), Morgan is also the founder and principal of Engage Venture Partners and the co-founder and CEO of Agitated Solutions. In addition to all of those roles, she has served as an adviser for our Medical Alley Starts initiative. We were thrilled to have Morgan join this week's podcast to share her experience on both the investor and founder sides of the medtech scene in Medical Alley. She also talks about the rebranding of her company to Avio Medtech Consulting, discusses the state of the Medical Alley ecosystem, and more.

Dr. Nneka Sederstrom joined Hennepin Healthcare almost exactly two years ago as its Chief Health Equity Officer. She was drawn to work for Hennepin Healthcare after the organization made a concerted effort to step up its health equity work following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On this week's episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, Dr. Sederstrom talks about the work she and Hennepin Healthcare have done in the past two years to address health inequities, offers thoughts on what other organizations can do to enhance their own health equity work, and shares a bit about the workshop she'll be leading at the upcoming Medical Alley Summit on Feb. 9.

Richard Leider is a best-selling author who has written books about purpose — what is it, and how do we find it? He's also an executive coach who helps define purposeful leadership. On Feb. 9, Richard will be one of the speakers at the Medical Alley Summit. To give a bit of a preview of what attendees can expect from him that day, Richard joined MAA President and CEO Bobbie Dressen on the Medical Alley Podcast to share more about his work and about the idea of purpose.

Our smartphones are essentially super computers. So why not put them to work to help track our health? That's what Israeli-based OneStep is doing. The company uses smartphones to provide gait analysis for patients, who simply need to walk with their phone in their pocket. To learn more about OneStep's technology and a recent addition to the company's capabilities, we chatted with Alaina Victoria, OneStep's Clinical Content Manager. Tune into our conversation to find out more about this technology and its applications in the healthcare space.

Clockwork, an experienced design and technology consultancy, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Throughout the years, many aspects of the company have changed, but one thing has been consistent throughout: Clockwork puts people first. That includes both its employees and its customers. On this episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, Clockwork co-founder and CEO Nancy Lyons joins to share more about the company's philosophy on work culture, discusses how improve can help business leaders, and more.

As we prepare to turn the calendar to a new year, take a listen to the top five most popular episodes of the Medical Alley Podcast in 2022. Thank you to everyone who tune in throughout this past year. We can't wait to keep sharing the stories of Medical Alley in 2023. Episodes featured include: Health Equity and Medtronic: A Conversation with Dr. John de Csepel and Karen Shehade — https://medicalalleypodcast.org/episodes/health-equity-and-medtronic-a-conversation-with-dr-john-de-csepel-and-karen-shehade Venture Capital in Minnesota: A Conversation with Mary Grove, Managing Partner, Bread & Butter Ventures — https://medicalalleypodcast.org/episodes/venture-capital-in-the-minnesota-a-conversation-with-mary-grove-managing-partner-bread-butter-ventures A Conversation with Jenna Senger and Mike Nathan, Co-Founders, Mendota Health — https://medicalalleypodcast.org/episodes/a-conversation-with-jenna-senger-and-mike-nathan-co-founders-mendota-health A Conversation with Justin Noznesky, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, AtriCure — https://medicalalleypodcast.org/episodes/a-conversation-with-justin-noznesky-chief-marketing-and-strategy-officer-atricure Innovating in Diagnostics: A Conversation with Dr. Bill Morice, President and CEO, Mayo Clinic Labs — https://medicalalleypodcast.org/episodes/innovating-in-diagnostics-a-conversation-with-dr-bill-morice-president-and-ceo-mayo-clinic-labs

After founding a company called Rise, Suneel Gupta began to study leaders who he deemed as "backable" — people who are able to convince people to take a chance on something new. Suneel was originally researching for his own purposes but eventually turned his findings into a book titled "Backable." He will be the keynote speaker at the Medical Alley 2023 Summit in February, and chatted with MAA President and CEO Bobbie Dressen to share more about his work and about what Summit guests can expect to hear from his speech at the Four Seasons in Minneapolis. For more information on the event or to get your ticket, go to medicalalleysummit.org.

At our recent Alley Chats event at the Minnesota Vikings Museum, we were joined by two members of the Vikings organization for conversations about mental health. Lindsey Young, a writer for Vikings.com, joined first to discuss her series of stories called "Getting Open" that profiled Vikings players and personnel and their own mental health journeys. Lindsey also talked on the podcast about her own struggles with anxiety and depression and her advocacy for mental health. Next, Dr. Brownell Mack, the Vikings' team clinician, joined to talk about his role and how he works with players on the team who might have questions or concerns regarding mental health, and talks about the gaps that people of color face when it comes to mental health care.