WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Kim Darling is Founder, President and CEO of Competitive Health, Inc., which maintains direct agreements with leading digital health solutions, telehealth companies, retail clinics, and PPO networks to provide unlimited access and unprecedented savings to its clients and members – employer groups, insurance carriers, TPAs, affinity groups, and exchanges. Competitive Health provides savings solutions for doctor visits, hospital procedures, retail clinics, telehealth, behavioral health, dental, maternity, chronic care, senior programs, and more. It also provides wholesale access to programs that are proven to manage diabetes, depression, and pregnancy. Kim has led Competitive Health since 1996 and also founded WellCard Savings, in 2010, a leading free healthcare savings program. Previously, Kim was Co-Founder of Rete+Pay, worked in National Accounts for First Health/First Data, and in Regional Sales for Humana. Kim has joined the ABL-Health OC Round Table.

Jiang Li, Ph.D., is Founder and CEO of VivaLNK, Inc., a provider of connected healthcare solutions for patient care and telemedicine, whose portfolio includes wearable medical grade devices and data analytics applications that continuously monitor the health and well-being of individuals. At the core of its family of products is VivaLNK’s eSkin, a first-of-its-kind breathable thin film substrate with integrated circuits and sensors designed for long-term wearable use. Today, VivaLNK has 70+ commercial partners, its multi-vital sensor has received the CE Mark, and its ECG platform has received FDA clearance. Prior to launching VivaLNK in 2014, Jiang was VP of Engineering at Thin Film Electronics, and earlier at Kovio. Still earlier, he was VP of Product Engineering at Spansion, and Director of Product Engineering at Advanced Micro Devices. Returning to ABL, Jiang has re-joined the ABL-Health SV Round Table.

Cynthia Sampson is COO of Life Adjustment Team (LAT), which provides Joint Commission-accredited intensive psychiatric outreach rehabilitation services to assist patients to function successfully in the community through its case management program, as well as Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Programs for individuals living with a mental health diagnosis and/or struggling with an addiction. LAT’s professional team implements evidence-based psychosocial rehab programs on a one-to-one basis, in the home, at its centers, and during goal-oriented outings in the community – an approach that has reduced or eliminated the need for repeated hospitalizations and has helped many patients achieve a satisfying level of successful independent living. While a student at Cal State Northridge, Cynthia was recruited, in 1993, to help build the administrative infrastructure for LAT from the ground up. Cynthia has joined the ABL-Health LA Round Table.

Marcos Vasconcelos is Executive Director, Strategic Market Planning & Execution at Kaiser Permanente, where he is responsible for leading cross-functional teams in developing pricing and market strategy recommendations for senior leaders. His accountabilities include leading the California and National rate setting processes, as well as the National Medicare, Medicaid, Channel and Strategic Projects market strategy teams. Marcos also co-leads important Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work for Kaiser Permanente’s health plan. Prior to joining Kaiser in 2007, he earned an MBA from the London Business School and a BA from UCLA, and previously worked at Insight Imaging and Novartis Vaccines. Marcos has joined the ABL-Health OAK Round Table.

UPCOMING ABL HEALTHCARE ROUND TABLES

• • • • • • • 8/11 – ABL-Health SV Zoom Table
            • 8/12 – ABL-Health SF Zoom Table
            • 8/20 – ABL-Health OAK Zoom Table
            • 8/21 – ABL-Health LA Zoom Table
            • 9/02 – ABL-Health OC Zoom Table

by Mimi Grant

Breakthroughs with the other C-word

Particularly because California and the Bay Area each reported nearly 75% increases in daily cases of COVID-19 in June compared to May, virtually any other healthcare story has been blown off the pages of medical news. Yet, while we’ve been busy sheltering at home, a major medical breakthrough has been quietly brewing in Menlo Park that has the potential to detect another potentially fatal disease before it’s too late: CANCER.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF MIMI’S BLOG.

Mimi Grant’s Vlog:

COVID-19 VACCINE: WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY

Mimi shares three advantages we have today – including Super Heroes in lab coats working on a vaccine – that assure us of a much higher likelihood of surviving COVID-19, compared to Americans struck by the Spanish Flu in 1918. CLICK HERE to watch Mimi’s 8:01-minute vlog.