Second Opinion Media CEO, writing about the future of healthcare. GP @ Scrub Capital. Host of Lifers. Mama. Opinions my own.
Queens, NY
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Rounds | Billion Dollar Bet on Women's Healthtech nitter.app/i/broadcasts/1OxwbbVeR…
Episode 1 of Rounds is here!
Co-hosted by myself and Stephanie Davis, this episode dives into women’s health care. Megan Scheffel from Silicon Valley Bank joins to break down the latest SVB women’s health report, and Joanna Strober, Founder of Midi Health, sits down to talk about building a billion dollar company out of a gap the healthcare system spent decades ignoring.
Hosts and Guest:
- Christina Farr, CEO, Second Opinion; GP, Scrub Capital - Stephanie Davis, Healthcare Industry Analyst
- Megan Scheffel, Head of Life Science and Healthcare at @SiliconVlyBank
- Joanna Strober, Founder of @midihealth
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This post from Olivia Munn is such a stark reminder ladies of why we need to be a lot more proactive about breast cancer. Munn tested negative for any of the genes known to be associated with increased risk. But a risk assessment score led to a biopsy, which led to a diagnosis.
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Crazy to look at San Francisco (pop. 880k) versus North Dakota (pop. 760k) right now.
San Francisco county, an urban area where most people wear masks, has reported 14k Covid cases.
North Dakota, which resisted mask mandates for months, has 60k cases.
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This is a ridiculous headline and I cannot believe this stuff is still being pushed on moms. Women who can breastfeed for longer tend to have higher paid jobs and can also afford educational opportunities for their kids. cnn.com/2023/06/05/health/br…
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After worrying about this a whole lot, it happened. My 10-month-old has Covid.
Feeling for everyone getting this news right now for their unvaccinated infants. Stay safe.
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Wow. The Dr. Fauci of Germany (the virologist Christian Drosten) has a podcast called 'Das Coronavirus' where he discusses complex topics around Covid-19 and millions of people tune in. It's the #1 podcast.
Locals are telling me this helped a lot with the response.
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I just postponed/cancelled my wedding. A really hard decision but safety of our guests comes first. And this health reporter will be following those CDC guidelines.😢
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Someone needs to write an article - preferably @TheAtlantic - about why there are so many *free* grand pianos on Facebook Marketplace and what that says about our culture (theories: no one has space, shift away from playing music to phones, changing aesthetics).
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We could fix a lot of problems if we divorced employment from health care - it makes zero sense!
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We had a virtual wedding on Zoom today. It worked out so much better than we expected. A super lovely way to mark the occasion 🥂
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Something is very wrong with health care when patients are going bankrupt, hospitals are in the red, doctors are unhappy, costs are going up, life spans are going down, innovators are struggling & Big health insurance seems to be the only group that is consistently doing well
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Putting politics aside...
Millions of American women and girls just watched a woman not put up with being interrupted by a man. Let that settle in.
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Becoming more & more convinced that startups doing something really boring/unsexy that no one else wants to do is a moat.
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Twitter just suspended the fake @Fauci account, which has grown to tens of thousands of followers within minutes.
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** Some personal news **
I'm making a big career change. After almost 4 years, I’ve left CNBC to join @OMERSVentures as a health-tech investor!
I've also launched a newsletter called "Second Opinion," where I'll be writing these days. Subscribe: ovsecondopinion.substack.com…
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Random thought: If the press routinely covers billionaires giving away $100m to charity, should they also cover people making $50k a year giving away $500? For the latter, it’s a much bigger sacrifice.
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I have friends who are moving out of NYC and SF because they're convinced their offices won't ever re-open. They're looking at cities like Austin, Denver, Miami, as well as more remote/suburban areas. I wonder how common this will become...
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Imagine a restaurant with no prices (u find out only after u order) & a bill that fluctuates based on where you sit -- that's healthcare.
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The solution to preventing patients from missing appointments is to to blast them with MyChart messages that require two factor plus login plus an extensive pre check-in survey plus re-entering insurance plus re-entering DOB. Just text. Respond with “yes” if you’re confirmed.
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THREAD: A lot of folks are rightfully worried about *tech* companies like Amazon and Google gaining access to their health data.
But here are some legal, and very common, ways that *health care* companies are already taking advantage of your data:
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Dr. Fauci says he hasn't had a "single day off" since the beginning of January.
@ashishkjha asked: So how do you keep going?
Fauci: "I have an extraordinary partner, my wife. And we're taking care of my daughter's dog... It's soothing."
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I tracked down some of the scientific advisors behind the eerily accurate movie "Contagion" and asked them what they didn't see coming.
The answer: That we would send out medical workers into the frontlines without adequate PPE.
lnkd.in/g3y3CPM
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Do you ever think about how crazy it was that we used to be okay with people smoking on planes? And at restaurants? What will seem crazy that we do now in 20 years?
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I spoke with several health system CEOs for a story who told me they are losing $5 million per day because they're cancelling high-priced elective surgical procedures in the midst of the pandemic.
Me: Right... You mean per week.
Them: No. Day.
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Every company I know is struggling to hire great talent.
Meanwhile, there are 1.6 million mothers who dropped out of the workforce during the pandemic & have not returned in part because of the childcare crisis.
This issue affects everyone. It is not limited to parents.
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I sometimes think we are doing dating wrong.
Case in point: Most of us will like most people over a nice dinner and a bottle of wine. But will we like them at 5am rushing through the airport with two small screaming children to catch a flight on Thanksgiving? And the diaper bag is missing? Different question.
How do we test for that in early courtship?
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Fave this tweet if you’re interested in advising digital health companies or joining digital health boards. And reply with more info!
(Whenever I hear about these opportunities, I’d love to suggest a more diverse crew - particularly those who are leaning in for the first time.)
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An interesting thing about health vs. tech cultures.
When a health event happens, a lot of the tech folks with no medical background flood in with opinions. When it's the other way around - and the big story is tech - you almost never see health care folks weighing in.
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A big part of me is so excited to see him grow. But another part wants him to stay this snuggly forever. 🥰
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People who say the fertility space has a small TAM are the same people who would have argued that the TAM for Airbnb is essentially the lux travel market.
Demand is far, far outstripping supply right now. So if anyone can bring the price down, the market majorly opens up.
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How many hours does Sam Altman sit in traffic every day? This is easy for investors and CEOs to say. Harder for employees, especially moms with young kids. fortune.com/2023/05/05/opena…
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Sorry but if you keep calling women’s health “femtech,” I will start calling men’s health “brotech.”
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Let’s stop asking this q. of Telehealth versus in person like it’s a binary choice. The best models will be all the things. In home, in clinic, by email, by phone, by video, in community - and flexible, depending on the patient.
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Weird question but do you think after this whole pandemic is over some subset of Americans will continue to wear masks in crowded, public places when they feel sick with things like colds? It's much more common in many Asian countries.
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Been in VC now for a year.
Here’s a few things I’ve learned:
1) it’s actually a sales job
2) mentorship is everything
3) it’s essential to have a tribe
4) founders don’t want offers to be helpful - they want u to be helpful
5) it takes a v long time to know if you’re good
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What I love about Europe is that fast food is more likely to be fresh and healthy. Cheap doesn’t equal processed and fried. Easier to eat well.
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Men: If it's offered to you, please do us ladies a solid and take your paternity leave 🙏
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Story I keep hearing over and over in various forms: oftentimes it’s the low-tech, services-based interventions that work: A nurse visit to the home, an SMS.
Digital health startups out here are often over-engineering the problem, leading with cool tech and falling short.
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@lesliejz and I are designing an observational study showing that kids who use the phrase “I summer in the Hamptons” also report higher test scores
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Just got told I might be treated by a doctor who's out of network in an in-network hospital & therefore could get a crazy bill.
I asked if I could put a sign up next to my bed saying: "Do not treat me if you're out of network."
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Everyone in tech: I want all the blood tests, all the imaging, all the health data.
Everyone in medicine: SLOW YOUR ROLL.
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I vividly remember the first time I got sick in America and someone asked me for my insurance info to ensure they got paid before I could get care. I was shocked. In the UK, they just treat you.
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Countries that offer universal health coverage are so misunderstood in the U.S.
You can provide care to everyone - so no one goes bankrupt - and still have private insurance/private hospitals. Some of these systems are also highly decentralized, like Switzerland.
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Those in health policy, what is the most annoying myth/misconception you'd want to bust once and for all?
Here's mine:
Single👏payer👏and👏universal👏coverage👏are👏not 👏the👏same👏thing
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My baby boy is 8-months-old. He’s the sweetest, giggliest and most observant soul and I’m so grateful to have him in my life.
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Wow San Francisco looks great. Clean, tons of new stores, feels safer. What a difference a good mayor makes.
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It’s a sunny day in San Francisco. I’m on a walk and so far I haven’t spotted a single person without a mask 💪
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If I had one piece of unsolicited advice for people who want to be quoted or in the media more, it would be:
Talk like you'd talk normally. Don't try to sound smart or stick to messaging points. Be real, have a point of view, and I'll call you over and over again.
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Had a call with an obstetrician in the U.K. and told her about our system:
- $10,000 births
- No home visits postpartum
- Maternal mortality higher than any other developed nation, particularly impacting BIPOC women
- 1/4 Women back to work in 2 weeks
Her reaction was shock.
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NEW: The Stanford Medicine faculty have taken a stand against Dr. Scott Atlas, a radiologist who’s been advising Trump of late during the pandemic 👇
Wow, many @StanfordMed faculty took a stand for science and truth in the battle against #COVID19 misinformation being pushed by Dr. Atlas. These faculty are respected infectious disease doctors, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and more. #MedTwitter
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Doctors to technologists: Want to build me software I’ll actually use? Shadow me for a few weeks first. cnb.cx/2EPF4rE
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Fitbit has 28 million active users, but it has sold more than 100 million devices.
So most people that bought one aren't using it. Can Google fix the all important engagement problem? 75% churn is high, from what I understand.
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My son got to spend time with his great grandpa today. Feeling incredibly grateful for the tests and vaccines that have gotten us here.
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Just got some happy news in the past hour:
- I tested negative for Covid right ahead of going to the hospital for a birth.
-My cat, who had a cancerous tumor removed last week, is now considered cured.
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I have one observation post-HIMSS, now that i'm back in SF.
There was an elephant in the room, so I'll just say it. We'll all be patients and/or caregivers someday. So are we going to fix health care now, while we can, or continue to make $ through the current inefficiencies?
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True story: At CNBC, in a prior career, I covered an upstart health plan that really believed that tech - specifically machine learning/AI - would be the core lever to drive behavioral change for its Medicare population. That would improve outcomes & drive down costs. The plan hired a whole data science/engineering team with that thesis and raised tens of millions from tech VCs.
I recall speaking to the employees some years later, many of whom were looking for alternative roles at software companies.
Can you guess what the most effective intervention was of everything they tried?
A nurse visit to the home. Nothing else compared.
Go figure.
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HUGE: “HHS is issuing a regulation today that will allow all doctors and medical professionals to practice across state lines, to meet the needs of hospitals that may arise in adjoining areas,” Pence said. edition.cnn.com/world/live-n…
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SCOOP: Amazon just launched Amazon Care, virtual medical clinics for its own employees.
That includes pharmacy, virtual visits, and in-home care.
cnbc.com/2019/09/24/amazon-l…
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Just so ya'll know, a group of physicians have been quietly making real progress on fixing prior authorization. Check out what's been happening in New Jersey. It's small, but it's something. 👇
@TinaShahMD @statnews @nishamehtamd @DrDevikaB
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It's official: FDA has cleared Apple's ECG and heart health apps, says Jeff Williams.
A "de novo clearance" - the first of its kind. It's alert has also been cleared.
We NEED TO STOP saying that big tech won't get into regulated spaces, like health. It's on.
#Appleevent
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If anyone needs this right now, I taught my 3 month-old kitten how to play fetch this weekend:
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Start-up idea for someone: A women's clothing brand that is both stylish and yet every item includes pockets.
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Spending 4 days in the hospital is an important reminder of what an incredible thing a really good nurse is
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A doctor friend just now - sharing because this comment spoke to me:
“Health-tech is missing the big value prop. It should disappear into the background, making the relationship between two humans better (the medical provider and the patient). Not be the product.”
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I’ve always been a person who didn’t think twice about working far too much & getting burned out. Becoming your mother this year has taught me the importance of balance. Loving what I do but also enjoying every minute with this tiny human who is growing up so fast ❤️
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We need to break away from this narrative that telemedicine is necessarily worse than in-person care. Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it's better, per the clinical evidence. Lots of nuance here.
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If you’ve noticed me sharing research about pregnancy, vaccines and coronavirus, it’s because I’m due in a few months. 🤰
For all the fellow expecting mums, I’m here for you! It’s so scary watching Covid surge. Follow OBs like @janevandis @CatchTheBaby for updates.
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I would really appreciate more articles written about how to talk to people in your life who aren't getting the vaccine.
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Ugh, just got forwarded an invite to a med-tech webinar featuring 9 males; 0 women. Are meninars the new manels?
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Day 6 and we’re doing a lot better except for fatigue, a bad cough and congestion. Covid - 0, baby - 1. ❤️
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Our experience this morning with so-called mild Covid in a baby who is finally napping: low grade fever, cough, congestion, inconsolable crying for several hours starting at 6am followed by a vomiting episode.
Again: Stay safe, stay vigilant. This isn’t over.
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Would love to do a health care conference called “this sh*t is hard” and you can only speak if you have something of substance to add to the conversation, or lessons learned, or vulnerability. Who’s in?
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My husband booked me a massage for Mother’s Day (Yay!) but just warned me that my name auto corrected to “Christina Fart” and now I have to introduce myself as such. 😆
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Thank you to the people in medicine/ public health who are willing to talk to the media and are on social media. It might not always seem like it, but it is resonating and it matters. We need more of you. 🙏
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I would pay out-of-pocket for a concierge service that booked in-network appointments for me, checked bills for accuracy & managed out-of-network claims. Realizing I’ve been avoiding care b/c it’s too much of a hassle. And I’d probably save $ by using a service like that.
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Some personal news:
After a 12-year run in the Bay Area, I moved last month to New York. Queens, NY to be exact.
I landed in my dream hood: Forest Hills Gardens. It also happens to be 15m from JFK, so look me up if you want a tour! Or I’m a subway ride to Manhattan.
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When I see all these lists of innovative people in health care, I almost never see nurses, home health care workers or social workers.
They're probably doing far more innovative things to improve patient care on a day-to-day basis than most health care execs.
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Never forgot the story I did where a bunch of investors 5 years ago told me women’s health was niche...
Yep, just half the population.
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I’ll be fascinated to see if all this increased focus, adoption or usage of telemedicine extends beyond the pandemic. If consumers get a taste, will they embrace it more permanently? What does everyone think?
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Just got off the phone with a health system CEO who runs hospitals in Seattle.
With Seattle area closing down schools, they anticipate some health workers will need to go home if they lack childcare. We will need more support for doctors/nurses who are single parents.
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Do any medical schools teach courses on how to deal with insurance companies and talk to patients about their options around cost?
If the system doesn't change, this seems like it should be part of the curriculum...
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Some personal news as they say… 🥁
I am writing a book!
Storytelling - who does it well, how it can be used to fuel success in the business world or mask epic failures - is a topic that I’ve been obsessed with for a long time.
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So far, the thing that the countries with the best Covid-19 responses seem to have in common:
- strong leadership
- consistent/clear communication
- a public that's community-minded
- politicians placing their trust in science/public health
- a functioning health care system
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Instead, she responded to me: “no, are YOU okay?”
Looked me in the eye.
And then insisted on buying me a coffee.
They then chitchatted with us and brought the coffee to our car so I had an extra pair of hands.
It made not only my day, but my month.
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