Medsider Radio: Learn From Proven Medtech And Healthcare Experts

This interview is a throwback to several years ago when I chatted with Dr. David Albert about his incredible journey in bringing the AliveCor ECG app to market. Here are a few things we covered: The amazing story of how AliveCor’s iPhone app helped save a man’s life while on an airplane! The roller coaster ride Dr. Albert experienced in his pursuits to develop the ECG app. Five key lessons you can learn from Dr. Albert’s experiences.  And his timeliness advice for ambitious doers, which includes the following: believe in your ideas don’t be afraid to swim against the stream. Click here to learn more.

On this episode of Medsider Radio, our guest is Travis Sessions, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biomerics, a leading mid-market interventional device contract manufacturer. He's also a Managing Partner of Med Venture Holdings, a unique medtech growth equity investor. With over 20 years of business management experience, Travis has successfully built and grown multiple medical device technology companies during his career. He got his start professionally at Dow Chemical and has held management positions at Microsoft and Parker Hannifin Corporation. Travis has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Interview Highlights with Travis Sessions: Macro trends within the medtech market, including Travis’ thoughts on the future. Key differences between contract manufacturers (CMs) and large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Critical things that OEMs should look for when identifying and working with CMs. T

In this episode of Medsider Radio, our guest is Matthew Amsden, the Founder and CEO of ProofPilot, a platform designed to help people design, launch and participate in clinical trials.ProofPilot’s mission statement revolves around making it incredibly easy to run scientifically-valid research studies. They’re dedicated to making research study participation accessible, interesting, and fun.      In this discussion with Matthew, we chatted about the importance and feasibility of virtual clinical trials, how they can potentially become a revenue driver, the origin story of ProofPilot, and why their hybrid model is so popular.Interview Highlights with Matthew Amsden Who is Matthew Amsden and where did the idea for ProofPilot begin?     The importance of letting early customers try product iterations. How clinical studies can become a revenue driver.  Various types of clinical trials and how they’re conducted on the ProofPilot platform. Risky and costly approaches to traditional clinical studies.      The synergy

Over the last 20 years, Dr. Tej Singh has served as the Founder and Chief of Vascular Surgery for three large, multidisciplinary vascular programs in Silicon Valley. He has vast experience with renal failure and vascular access procedures, and is acutely focused on his first company, Fist Assist Devices. Dr. Singh’s company is developing the first renal care wearable device for venous enlargement and dialysis enhancement. In this episode, Dr. Singh and I talk about the primary challenge that Fist Assist Devices is trying to solve, the origin story for their first product, his approach to mapping out clinical trial strategies, and much more.      Interview Highlights with Dr. Tej Singh Who is Dr. Tej Singh and what is his background? What is Fist Assist Devices and what challenges are they trying to solve? The origin story for their first product and the critical inflection points for the company.     How Dr. Singh evaluated the IP landscape for his first device.  Dr. Singh’s approach to mapping out clinical t

I recently sat down with Katherine Ward, Chief Commercial Officer and managing director for Healthy.io. She has worked in healthcare for 28 years — including 15 years with the UK National Health Service and 11 years with United Health Group where she was the Chief Executive with United Health UK and Chief Growth Officer with Optimum International. In this conversation, we cover what Healthy.io does for the broader healthcare community, lessons from the COVID-19 crisis, clinical-grade population health technology, decentralized remote diagnostic screening, and how their technology works with existing health systems. Interview Highlights with Katherine Ward Who is Katherine and what is her background? What is Healthy.io and what challenges or problems do they solve for patients and clinicians? Why the time finally come for decentralized remote diagnostic screening, using urine testing as an example. Lessons on the importance of virtual testing from the COVID-19 crisis. How Healthy.io has approached the regulato

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we downloaded with Jennifer Fried, the CEO and Co-Founder of ExplORer Surgical. Jennifer founded the company with Dr. Alex Langerman as an MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she received her degree with honors in finance and entrepreneurship.Previously, Jennifer was a Vice President at Park Lane Ventures, a healthcare-focused venture capital fund spun out of Essex Woodlands. Jennifer began her career as a consultant at Bain & Company in Chicago after graduating from Northwestern University.With me on this episode is special guest host, Norbert Juist, who runs Sales Performance Resources, where he specializes in recruiting for medical device marketing and sales positions. Prior to this, he was a sales rep at Cordis Endovascular, a spine consultant at Synthes, and a sales rep at Ethicon. Interview Highlights with Jennifer Fried● How most medical device companies capture procedural data & workflow processes -- and why it’s completel

On this episode of Medsider Radio, I had the chance to sit down with Michael Tozzi, President and CEO of TAS Medical. Mike and his team are aiming to eliminate surgical mesh by converting hernia procedures to minimally invasive repairs.Mike has over 20 years of commercial medical device experience and specializes in investor relations, sales & marketing readiness, and improving the execution of early-stage medical device companies.. Previous to TAS Medical, Mike served as Chief Commercial Officer at Carevoyance, where he and his team created groundbreaking analytics tools designed to help medical device companies better understand their markets and execute their commercial goals.Prior to this, Mike helped to build Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (or CSI) from the ground floor, taking the company from early stage to over $1.3 billion in market capitalization in just seven years. At CSI, Mike held various executive roles in sales and marketing. Joining me on this episode is special guest host, Norbert Juist, w

Joining Medsider Radio for this episode is Beverly Huss, President and CEO of Qool Therapeutics, a development-stage company working on a novel, non-invasive therapeutic hypothermia device for the preservation of tissue following catastrophic events like a heart attack, stroke, or traumatic brain injury.Previously, Beverly was the CEO of Vibrynt, a start-up medical device company dedicated to creating minimally invasive therapies for patients suffering from morbid obesity. Prior to that, Beverly was the President of Guidant Endovascular Solutions (acquired by Abbott), a medical device company focused on the treatment of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease.She holds an M.S. in technology management from Pepperdine University, as well as a B.S. in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois. Beverly also has a few patents to her credit in the cardiovascular and obesity medical device arenas.With me on this episode is guest host, Norbert Juist, one of the most honest, genuine, and person

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dan Rose, CEO of the French-based medtech company LimFlow. Founded in 2012, LimFlow transformed the peripheral vasculature space by providing a lifesaving option for end-stage critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients facing amputation. LimFlow is designed to restore blood flow to the ischemic foot via deep vein arterialization, thereby preventing major amputation, resolving pain, and promoting wound healing. Prior to assuming the role of CEO at LimFlow in August 2016, Dan had more than 16 years of leadership experience in the medical device and venture capital/startup sectors. Most recently, he was VP and General Manager EMEA for Direct Flow Medical, and VP of Commercial Operations and a Member of the Board at Sequana Medical, a Swiss medical device company. Norbert Juist, an executive recruiter who specializes in medical device sales and marketing, also joined me for this interview with Dan Rose. Norbert brings a unique perspective to this discussion, hav

After a brief hiatus from recording podcasts, it was a privilege to dust off the microphone and interview Kyle Frye. As U.S. president of SyntheticMR, Kyle is tasked with growing and expanding the brand and business in the U.S. for the Swedish-based company that is creating the future of quantitative MRI technology. Their innovative MRI software solutions support shorter exam times and deliver more information to clinicians, leading to improved diagnostic efficacies.Prior to assuming this role in August 2019, Kyle was a Zone Vice President of Sales for Siemens, and also was in leadership positions at both niche and large medtech companies including Blue Belt Technologies (now Smith & Nephew), Verathon, and Brainlab. He also worked for BioMedix for three years, working his way up from a sales rep driving 4–5 hours a day to Western Area Sales Director, which required relocation from metro Cincinnati to the San Francisco Bay area. Kyle received a B.A. degree in political science and finance from Northern Ken

In late 2016, I was able to sit down with Kevin Sidow. At the time he was President & Chief Executive Officer for Moximed, and had been since 2008.Prior to his time at Moximed, Kevin was President & CEO for St. Francis Medical Technologies, a privately held, venture-funded company focused on developing innovative treatments for patients suffering from degenerative spinal disorders. In January 2007, St. Francis Medical Technologies was sold for $725 million to Kyphon, which was acquired by Medtronic later that same year.Previously, Kevin was the Worldwide President of DePuy, where he supervised the global orthopedic, spine, trauma, and sports medicine businesses, with annual revenue responsibility of over $3 billion dollars. Kevin holds a B.S. in Accounting from West Virginia University.Here are a few of the things we learned from Kevin:- How Kevin felt when Moximed’s first patient was treated with the Atlas System after 8+ years of research and development.- What makes the Atlas System different than

A few years ago, I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with serial medtech entrepreneur Paul Buckman, who at the time, was CEO of Conventus Orthopedics. Prior to Conventus, Paul held CEO roles at SentreHEART, Pathway Medical Technologies (which sold to Bayer HealthCare), and Devax (which sold to Biosensors International). From 2004 through 2006, Buckman served as President of the Cardiology Division of St. Jude Medical. Before joining St. Jude, he served as Chairman and CEO of ev3, a company that Buckman co-founded and was later acquired by Covidien for $2.5 billion dollars in 2010.Paul has worked in the medical device industry for over 35 years, including 10 years at Scimed Life Systems and Boston Scientific where he held several executive positions before becoming President of the Cardiology Division at Boston Scientific in January of 2000. Buckman received a BA degree in business administration and an MBA degree from Western Michigan University. Here are a few of the things we’re going to learn i

In this two-part interview, I was lucky enough to sit down with Erica Rogers, CEO of Silk Road Medical. We first spoke a few years ago and then again much more recently to catch up on what had changed at Silk Road since our first conversation.During our catch up, we discussed how Erica led her team at Silk Road through PMA approval, successful insurance coverage and reimbursement strategy, which led to a very rewarding public offering for Silk Road, opening at $20 a share. This resulted in the opportunity to continue the company’s goal, which is to change the standard of care in carotid artery disease with their TCAR procedure.Much of our first conversation was about Erica’s career trajectory and how she was able to successfully, and gracefully, exit multiple medtech companies. Her lengthy career and insight as a medtech thought leader is just as interesting today as it was when we recorded our conversation.Before leading Silk Road, Erica was the COO of Medicines360, a nonprofit pharmaceutical company develop

Daniel Hawkins is the President and CEO of Shockwave Medical. He began his career in marketing and business development roles for Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, otherwise known as ACS, which is now part of Abbott Vascular. Following ACS, he held senior roles in general management, marketing, and business development with a number of private and public...[read more]Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for the Medtech Industry Are Medical Device Models the Key to Building a Lean Medtech Startup? Substantial and Sustainable – 2 Words That Medtech Companies Should Get Used To 

Eric Stone cofounded Velano Vascular with Dr. Pitou Devgon, an internal medicine physician. Velano’s first device, PIVO, enables needle-free blood draws directly from peripheral IV catheters. Velano Vascular is backed by a series of well-respected investment firms, leading U.S. health systems, and dozens of health industry veterans. Before starting Velano Vascular, Stone most recently served...[read more]Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for the Medtech Industry Are Medical Device Models the Key to Building a Lean Medtech Startup? Substantial and Sustainable – 2 Words That Medtech Companies Should Get Used To 

Michael Branagan-Harris is the CEO of Device Access UK and has been involved in the marketing of medical devices to the National Health Service (NHS) for the last 27 years. Products he’s commercialized range from simple wound dressings to the introduction of the Lap Band for obesity, endovascular graft repair, endo laparoscopic surgery, and the...[read more]Related Stories How Will These 2 Major Healthcare Changes Affect Medical Device Companies? Substantial and Sustainable – 2 Words That Medtech Companies Should Get Used To Social Media Best Practices for Marketing Medical Devices 

Bruce Shook joined Intact Vascular in 2014 as President and CEO. A highly-experienced, medical device executive with more than 30 years of industry experience, Bruce was previously Co-founder, Director, President, and CEO of Neuronetics, which is a privately held medical device company that markets a non-invasive brain stimulation technology for the treatment of depression. Previously...[read more]Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for the Medtech Industry Are Medical Device Models the Key to Building a Lean Medtech Startup? Substantial and Sustainable – 2 Words That Medtech Companies Should Get Used To 

Dr. Bob Smouse has over 20 years of experience in interventional radiology, endovascular surgery and clinical research. In addition to acting as CEO and CMO of BrightWater Medical and teaching at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, he provides interventional medical services to local hospitals through Central Illinois Radiology Associates. Dr. Smouse is a...[read more]Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for the Medtech Industry Are Medical Device Models the Key to Building a Lean Medtech Startup? Substantial and Sustainable – 2 Words That Medtech Companies Should Get Used To 

More than a decade ago, AUM Cardiovascular founder Dr. Marie Johnson was a doctoral student when tragedy struck her and her family. Her husband, Rob, passed away suddenly at the age of 41. He had blockages in his coronary arteries including a ruptured plaque in the left anterior descending artery supplying a large part of...[read more]Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for the Medtech Industry Are Medical Device Models the Key to Building a Lean Medtech Startup? Substantial and Sustainable – 2 Words That Medtech Companies Should Get Used To 

Shaun Bagai is the CEO of RenovoRx.  He has over 16 years of medtech experience across multiple functional areas like clinical research, sales, marketing, and market development. He was instrumental in developing the European market for renal denervation, which led to the acquisition of the first renal denervation company, Ardian, by Medtronic in 2011. Most...[read more]Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for the Medtech Industry Are Medical Device Models the Key to Building a Lean Medtech Startup? Substantial and Sustainable – 2 Words That Medtech Companies Should Get Used To