GeekWire Health Tech

Technologies have drastically changed health and healthcare in the past 20 years and Lee Hood is one of the innovators behind those changes. We speak to the genetics and biology pioneer about how he brought engineering into biology and explore his vision for the future of health, tricorders and all. This is the final episode of our first season of Health Tech -- subscribe to the Health Tech podcast in your favorite podcast player to get notifications about our second season.

The healthcare world faces a lot of challenges, and oftentimes it also knows the answer to those challenges -- it just needs some help putting the pieces together. That's where artificial intelligence comes in. On this episode of Health Tech, we dive into how health is using AI to solve some of its biggest problems. Follow all our health and technology coverage at GeekWire.com

Amazon might start selling prescription drugs online — and it's causing a "mass freak-out" among the healthcare industry. One result: drugstore chain CVS brough Aetna, a health insurance company. We analyze the trends behind the deal and ask: Are they going to be good for patients? Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

Tech is all about disruption. Healthcare is about slow and steady change. How do you merge those worlds? For Mike McSherry and Mary Haggard, the answer was to innovate form the inside out. Mary runs Providence St. Joseph Health's startup incubator and Mike is the founder and CEO of Xealth, its first spinout. We hear about their work to change the healthcare system from the inside on this live Health Tech episode. Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

Todd Stabelfeldt is a pretty chill dude — he's funny, loves his dogs and is a wizard programmer. He also happens to be quadriplegic. He uses technology like Apple's Siri voice assistant and smart home devices to give him a new level of independence and control over his life. On this episode, we step — or roll —  into Todd’s world and see technology through his eyes. Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

Getting a doctor's appointment can be a pain. It's why people often put them off for far longer than they should, sometimes making their health much worse. Mark Long is trying to fix that. He's the VP of digital innovation at Providence St. Joseph Health, and he's developing technology like virtual doctor's visits and house calls that are as easy as calling an Uber. We speak to Mark on this episode of GeekWire's Health Tech podcast. Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health's Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

Dr. Tony Blau saw a big problem with cancer treatment: we can’t make sense of all the data we can gather. So he founded a startup that connects experts, doctors and patients to sort through their data and build an ever-smarter cancer database. We speak with Blau on this episode of GeekWire’s Health Tech podcast.

Everyone has an opinion on healthcare and think they know the one thing that will “solve” the system. Tech companies and innovators are no different -- but many who jump into healthcare find it’s not as straightforward as they thought. On this episode of Health Tech, we speak with Aaron Martin, a former VP at Amazon who is now bringing innovation into healthcare as an executive and tech leader at Providence St. Joseph Health. We get his take on the role and the common pitfalls of tech in health, and how innovators can have a real impact in the system. Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group sponsors this inaugural season of our Health Tech podcast and this episode was recorded live at Providence headquarters in Seattle. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

Dana Lewis has Type 1 diabetes, which means her pancreas doesn't make the insulin she needs to survive. So she built a new one. Dana is the founder of the Open Source Artificial Pancreas System, a computer system that hundreds of diabetes patients now use to automatically manage their condition. We tell Dana's story on this episode of the GeekWire Health Tech Podcast. Read more about our health and technology coverage at GeekWire.com. Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

Apps can be addictive — but can they also help us kick harmful addictions? On this episode of GeekWire’s Health Tech podcast, we talk to two psychologists who are developing apps to help people quit smoking. Their journey from medical school to the tech world shows how technologies can push the boundaries of health. Follow all our coverage of health and healthcare technology at GeekWire.com Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

Taking a pill isn’t so hard. The tricky thing is remembering to take it. Patients not taking medication properly is a huge problem for the health industry, but these three entrepreneurs think they have a solution: A gadget that can fit in the palm of your hand. Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

At just 35 years old, computer scientist Shwetak Patel has made a career out of taking on "grand challenges." Now he's tackling his biggest challenge yet: health. He’s using code and some creativity to turn the smartphones we carry around every day into powerful medical devices. Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

An introduction to Health Tech, the new podcast from GeekWire exploring the cutting edge of digital health with some of the top innovators in the field. Co-hosted by GeekWire's Clare McGrane and Todd Bishop, and sponsored by Providence St. Joseph Health's Digital & Innovation Group.