Technology

 
Dr. Ned Swanson, President & Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Nikolai Sopko, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Scientific Officer & Director, at PolarityBio, a late-stage biotechnology company developing regenerative multicellular biologics, specifically their lead autologous cutaneous cell therapy designed to treat complex chronic wounds joins eHealth Radio and the Health News Channel.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guests Dr. Ned Swanson & Dr. Nikolai Sopko discuss the following:
To begin, both of you bring strong clinical and scientific expertise to executive leadership. How have your respective backgrounds as medical doctors and researchers uniquely shaped your roles in driving PolarityBio through its late-stage clinical milestones?
PolarityBio has just reached a major corporate milestone with the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) for SkinTE. From a leadership perspective, what were the most significant operational and clinical hurdles your team had to overcome to prepare this asset for FDA review?
The company is fundamentally focused on regenerative multicellular biologics. How did the initial vision for this technology form, and how has it evolved under your joint leadership?


SkinTE is described as a first-in-class, autologous cutaneous multicellular therapy. In plain terms, how does using a patient’s own healthy skin biology differ from traditional advanced wound care therapies already on the market?
Chronic wounds like diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are notoriously complex and resistant to healing. What is the proposed biological mechanism of SkinTE?
Because SkinTE utilizes autologous multicellular units, it relies entirely on the patient's own tissue. What are the potential advantages of this autologous approach?
Your trial completed enrollment of 120 patients across multiple U.S. sites in just 14 months, significantly outpacing historical timelines for DFU trials. To what do you attribute this exceptionally fast clinical enrollment?


SkinTE has received both Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) and Breakthrough Therapy designations from the FDA. How have these programs facilitated your interactions with the agency leading up to this BLA submission?
Looking beyond Wagner Grade 1 diabetic foot ulcers, what does your development pipeline look like for other complex chronic wound indications, such as venous leg ulcers and pressure injuries?


SkinTE will be the first new biologic commercially available for a common chronic wound indication in nearly 30 years, if approved. As you look toward the conclusion of this FDA review process, what will this milestone mean for the millions of patients currently facing the threat of severe morbidity and amputation, and what is your ultimate vision for how PolarityBio can potentially reshape wound medicine?
Ned Swanson, MD is the President & Chief Medical Officer of PolarityBio with a background in surgical innovation and biomedical engineering. He previously served as Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer of PolarityTE from 2016 to 2021. Dr. Swanson received his MD from Harvard Medical School and trained in Plastic Surgery at Johns Hopkins. His foundational expertise is rooted in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Nikolai Sopko, MD, PhD is a Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Scientific Officer of PolarityBio with a background in regenerative medicine. He previously served as Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research & Development at PolarityTE. Dr. Sopko received his MD with honors from Case Western Reserve University and his PhD in Stem Cell Biology from the Cleveland Clinic through the National Institutes of Health Medical Scientist Training Program. He is a Board Certified Urologic Surgeon and completed his training as a Physician Scientist Scholar at Johns Hopkins.
Website: polaritybio.com
Social Media Links: Facebook: facebook.com/PolarityBio  Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/polaritybio1  X: @PolarityBio_ 
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Ksenia Kolyeva, Senior Marketing Manager at Ecosense, a Silicon Valley–based company leading the way in smart radon detection and environmental health technology joins eHealth Radio and the Health News and Technology Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Ksenia Kolyeva discuss the following:
A common headline is that radon is one of the overlooked health risks. Why is radon considered that way. Why should people pay attention to radon today?
What everyday habits or home conditions can increase the radon exposure? What steps can listeners take to lower the radon exposure risk?
When you know what is happening in the home environment beyond radon how does that help you be more proactive, about your health?
Technology evolves. I wonder how the EcoQube Flex changes the way the homeowners monitor the environmental health issues and the way the homeowners respond in time.
When getting a new home, where do I start? What type of resources (i.e., EcoQube Flex) will help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed while supporting one on their path to their home?
If there’s one simple mindset shift or small action you’d encourage people to take when it comes to their indoor health, what would it be — and how can greater awareness of things like radon make a real difference over time?
About Ecosense
Ecosense, headquartered in Silicon Valley, is a global leader in smart radon detection and environmental health technology. The company’s patented ion chamber technology—validated by the University of Michigan and the Kansas State University Radon Chamber—delivers scientific-grade radon monitoring previously accessible only to industry professionals.
Ecosense’s award-winning products include EcoQube®, named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2021, and EcoBlu™, featured by Reader’s Digest as a top home-improvement gift. Ecosense continues to redefine environmental sensing with intelligent, consumer-friendly solutions designed to protect families and improve indoor health.
Website: https://ecosense.io
Social Media Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecosense.ioInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecosense.incX: https://x.com/ecosenseinc
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Dr. Maria Artunduaga, the CEO of Samay and the inventor of the Sylvee, an AI wearable microphone and monitor for patients with COPD, asthma, and other breathing conditions joins eHealth Radio and the Health News & Technology Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. Maria Artunduaga discuss the following:
For our listeners today who may be struggling with breathing conditions (or know someone who is), describe what you have invented, and how this could provide hope to someone struggling with COPD, asthma, or even long COVID?
As someone who has spoken with many people here in the U.S. who have COPD, what are the most common pain points you hear?
Thinking about expensive procedures like MRIs, CAT scans, and ultrasounds that exist today, what first gave you the idea to monitor the lungs with something as basic as a microphone?
Your device has an interesting name, the “Sylvee.” Can you tell us who inspired this name?
For anyone out there who’s wondering, “How can listeners get a Sylvee device?”
Lastly as someone raised in Colombia who now lives in the U.S., how do you stay true to your roots?
Dr. Maria Artunduaga is the CEO of Samay Health. A top 1% student in Colombia, her country of birth, Artunduaga relocated to the United States to pursue plastic surgery training, but abandoned it to dedicate herself to solve the problem that killed her grandmother, a lack of home technologies that can detect COPD exacerbations early. She has raised $5.4M, almost 60% in non-dilutive capital from NSF and NIH, to build the Sylvee, an AI wearable sensor named after her grandmother that can provide COPD patients with continuous data on pulmonary function similar to what continuous glucose monitoring sensors do for diabetic patients.
Artunduaga’s invention has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Forbes, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, FierceHealthcare and more. Prior to Samay, Artunduaga completed postdoctoral studies in Human Genetics at Harvard Medical School, started a plastic surgery residency at The University of Chicago, and completed two master's degrees, one in Global Public Health at the University of Washington and another in Translational Medicine at the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco.
She lives in Mountain View, Calif. with her husband, her daughter, and four pets.
Website: https://www.samayhealth.com
Social Media Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samayhealth  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samayhealth  
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Jesse Lipson, the Founder and CEO of Levitate, offering a Service-as-Software (SaS) model that enables healthcare providers to strengthen patient relationships, improve retention rates, and grow their practices through compliant and scalable communication tools joins eHealth Radio and the Health Care and Health News Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Jesse Lipson discuss the following:
In a world where the majority of patients expect healthcare personalization to be equal to retail and are more likely to make a healthcare appointment if offered a personalized experience, practitioners face a unique challenge. In your experience helping healthcare providers bridge care digitally and in the office, how do you recommend they strike this balance?
What sort of digital approaches and tactics work well that help healthcare providers strengthen patient relationships and also improve how they grow their practices?
Personalization in healthcare can be tricky, given the sensitivity of personal data. How are you finding doctors deliver on that personal touch while responsibly leveraging the developments of today’s digital age, like using AI?
Healthcare teams are already stretched thin serving patients in their office, how do you propose they now address the resource challenges of time and money to invest in further communicating with patients between appointments?
E-commerce has shaped how consumers navigate the digital world from shopping to obtaining professional services. How has this shift impacted what patients expect from their doctors’ offices as well? 6. Trust seems paramount to the doctor-patient relationship. What is one tip you would like to provide our listeners today to prioritize trust even in the digital world?
Jesse Lipson is the Founder and CEO of Levitate, offering a Service-as-Software (SaS) model that enables healthcare providers to strengthen patient relationships, improve retention rates, and grow their practices through compliant and scalable communication tools.
He previously founded ShareFile in 2005, bootstrapping it to over four million users and a $93 million acquisition by Citrix in 2011, where he later served as Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Citrix Cloud Services.
A self-taught software developer, Jesse launched his first company at age 23 and earned a philosophy degree from Duke University. He co-founded Raleigh Founded, a coworking community for entrepreneurs, and started Levitate through his holding company Real Magic. In 2023, he led a successful Series C raise of approximately $14 million, scaling Levitate to more than 4,000 small business customers nationwide. In addition to his role at Levitate, Jesse serves as an independent director at Yext and is on the board of Green Places, reinforcing his leadership in both technology and community-driven ventures. He was also named Tech CEO of the Year at the 2023 NC TECH Awards, further solidifying his reputation in North Carolina’s tech ecosystem.
Website: https://www.levitate.ai Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/real-magic
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Dr. Danielle Kelvas, MD, the Founder and Chief Medical Editor of DKMD Consulting joins eHealth Radio and the Health News and Technology Channels. Dr. Kelvas tackles the pressing question: Will AI replace medical providers and writers?
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. Danielle Kelvas discuss the following:
Dr. Kelvas, can you talk about your professional background and your experience with AI?
What are the biggest myths or misconceptions about using AI in medicine?
Where do you draw the line between AI assistance and ethical concerns in medical writing?
What’s your #1 practical tip for researchers or writers who want to start using AI effectively?
How do you see AI shaping medical communication in the next 2-3 years?
What’s one tool or AI feature most medical writers/researchers aren’t using—but should be? 
Dr. Danielle Kelvas, MD helps startup founders in medtech and biotech accelerate growth and avoid costly missteps by providing expert medical leadership that ensures science, compliance, and commercial strategy are perfectly aligned. As a physician executive, Dr. Kelvas has generated over $400 million for past and current clients in a fractional medical marketing role, with a recent keen interest in AI.
In her free time, she helps veterans in-need to process their disability claims and plays golf with her Australian Retriever pup.
Website: https://www.dkmdconsulting.com
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Scott Mayo, the CEO of OptaFi with a mission to modernize Healthcare environments with a secure, cloud-first, high speed and cost-controlled digital landscape joins eHealth Radio and the Health News, Healthcare and Technology Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Scott Mayo discuss the following:
Tell me about OptaFi and your relationship to Infinite.
How do you start planning for a cloud migration?
How do you assess the full impact and cost?
How do you get the entire organization trained?
How do you maintain security?
How do you ensure compliance?
Scott Mayo is the CEO of OptaFi, where he leads the company’s mission to modernize healthcare environments with secure, cloud-first, high-performance, and cost-efficient digital solutions.
OptaFi, LLC—a joint venture between Sentara Healthcare and Infinite Computer Solutions—draws on the expertise, scale, and industry knowledge of its partners to deliver transformative outcomes for clients across the healthcare spectrum.
With more than 20 years of consulting and leadership experience, Scott brings both deep technical expertise and strategic insight to every client engagement. His portfolio spans providers, payers, and life sciences organizations, with a focus on cloud transformation, operations, technology strategy, joint venture governance, and pre-/post-merger integration. This breadth of experience uniquely positions him to help healthcare leaders navigate today’s most pressing challenges.
Before joining OptaFi, Scott served as President of LeapIT, Senior Vice President of Customer Success at Impact Makers and SVP of Sales and Operations at Keane, Inc.
Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Susquehanna University and studied at the University of Miami Herbert Business School.
Website: https://optafi.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/optafi
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Jim LaRoe the CEO of Symphion, a software and services company specializing in print fleet cybersecurity for healthcare joins eHealth Radio and the Health Care & Health News Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Jim LaRoe discuss the following:
Let’s talk about the original mission you set out to achieve when you created Symphion. Could you share more about the industry challenge you saw a need to solve?
What has changed since that time and what has stayed the same in terms of the printers’ vulnerabilities within healthcare and the unseen threat to patient privacy?
Securing electronic health records and medical devices are seen as positive advancements in healthcare, but why are providers still overlooking the dangerous liability of printers when they are used frequently every day?
Could you illustrate some real-world scenarios of how print-related vulnerabilities can be exploited in healthcare?
Could you share more about the approach your team takes by offering cybersecurity services to print fleets?
You provide a solution for this challenge, but as an educator, why do you think it’s important to bring light to this issue and what do you recommend healthcare leaders do to address it? 
Jim LaRoe is Symphion’s dynamic leader with a special combination of skills, experience and insight that has driven Symphion’s success since inception to the world’s leader in print fleet cyber security. With a specialty in protecting the healthcare industry, Symphion’s focus has been on continual innovation, seamless delivery, affordability of its solutions and a dedication to excellence in customer service. 
Website: https://symphion.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/symphion
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Dana Brown, President and CEO of iCAD, a  global leader on a mission to create a world where cancer can’t hide by providing clinically proven AI-powered breast health solutions joins eHealth Radio and the Cancer Prevention and Health News Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dana Brown discuss the following:
How is AI in transforming early breast cancer detection?
Why is personalized breast cancer risk assessment important?
How is AI-Powered screening becoming more accessible with ProFound Cloud?
What is the connection between Breast Arterial Calcification (BAC) and women’s heart health?
How does AI help empower patients and clinicians?
How is AI addressing health equity & expanding global access to services?
A 30-year technology industry veteran, Dana Brown is currently as President and CEO of iCAD. She previously served as Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at Susan G. Komen and Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at United Way Worldwide. Ms. Brown was also a founding team member of multiple successful ventures including co-founder and CMO for MetaSolv Software, CEO of Ipsum Networks and spent the early years of her career at Texas Instruments and Arthur Andersen.
Website: https://www.icadmed.com
Social Media Links: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/icadFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/icadmed
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David Hamilton, the Chief Growth Officer at Zyter|TruCare where they drive better health outcomes at lower costs with holistic and equitable experiences creating happy patient and providers joins eHealth Radio and the Health News and Health Care Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest David Hamilton discuss the following:
Tell us about Zyter|TruCare and how does your company help payers and providers.
What is “rising risk?” and why is it important to get ahead of it?
So if AI can help us intervene and help patients potentially stay out of hospitals, why are healthcare providers/payers so slow to adopt AI?
Explain the different types of AI and how it can help the healthcare industry become more efficient - including agentic AI - and why that is such a buzz word these days? How can AI help Star Ratings?
David Hamilton is the Chief Growth Officer at Zyter|TruCare, leading strategic initiatives to drive business growth, expand market presence, and strengthen partnerships with key payer and provider organizations. With extensive leadership experience from organizations such as Randstad Digital, Datavant/Ciox, DXC/Gainwell, and Cognizant, David brings deep expertise in healthcare technology, services, and business process solutions.
Throughout his career, David has successfully led digital transformation, AI/ML adoption, and enterprise-scale initiatives across both public and private healthcare sectors. His proven ability to manage high-value client relationships, particularly with top-tier payers and providers, positions him effectively to identify and execute growth opportunities aligned with market needs. At Datavant/Ciox, he significantly grew the digital health plans network, achieving exceptional client retention and substantial annual growth. Additionally, during his tenure at Cognizant, he oversaw the delivery of complex IT outsourcing and business process solutions for some of the nation’s largest healthcare organizations.
David’s leadership focuses on enhancing healthcare data interoperability, risk adjustment strategies, and payer-provider collaboration, ensuring that organizations navigate regulatory shifts and operational complexities effectively. At Zyter|TruCare, he leverages this background to deliver impactful solutions designed to improve connectivity, streamline administrative processes, and enhance patient-centric care.
Website: https://www.zyter.com
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Brian Dolan, President of TARA Mind and healthcare innovator at Red Cell Partners, who has spent 30+ years redesigning how consumers and employers approach mental and physical well-being joins eHealth Radio and the Health News and Mental Health Channels.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Brian Dolan discuss the following:
TARA Mind focuses on mental health innovation. What’s one underrated strategy consumers can use today to improve their mental well-being?
TARA Mind is tackling mental health differently. Can you share a specific feature or approach that sets it apart from other mental health solutions?
What’s the biggest mistake people make when engaging with digital health tools, and how can they fix it?
You’ve worked with insurers, employers, and providers. Where do you see the most exciting collaboration opportunities to tackle systemic healthcare gaps?
What’s your #1 recommendation to improve workforce mental health without breaking the budget?
What’s your bold prediction for the next big disruption in digital health?
Brian Dolan is the President of TARA Mind and an Operating Partner in Red Cell’s Healthcare Practice. Mr. Dolan was a founding member of Rally Health’s leadership team and led the development of its health plan and provider system engagement solutions. He is a chronic health care innovator with 30+ years of experience focused on population health management initiatives and health outcomes measurement.
Brian possesses a comprehensive and balanced understanding of today’s health care system from the perspective of all the primary stakeholders (consumers, providers, employers and insurers). He was the primary architect of Rally Health’s Annual Health Innovation Summit for health plans and provider systems which focused on the exploration of the “art of the possible” in terms of innovative collaboration. He has spent the last 15 years focused on cracking the code to enhance consumer and provider engagement to improve health, care quality, cost and satisfaction outcomes.
Prior to joining Rally Health in 2012, Brian was chief customer solutions officer for ActiveHealth Management which pioneered the use of technology and data to improve adherence to evidence-based guidelines of care through provider and member engagement outreach. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Hewitt Associates and Towers Perrin, where he was principal and Northeast sales and marketing leader.
Brian earned an MBA in Finance from Clark University and a BA in Biochemistry from Bowdoin College.
Website: https://www.taramind.com
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