Ray Wolf

Let’s talk about home care technology—because it’s probably not as ready as we think. When we talk about tech in home care, it's easy to get excited about AI, IoT, and telehealth. After all, they promise improved patient monitoring, cost efficiency, and more accessible care. But here’s the catch: We might be rushing into the digital-first approach without fully considering the implications. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: The integration of tech into home care is growing rapidly, especially with the aging population and rising chronic conditions. AI can predict health risks, IoT devices track vital signs in real-time, and telehealth allows virtual consultations. These innovations can significantly improve patient care. But… are we truly ready? It’s not that the technology isn’t promising—it’s just that home care systems might not be equipped for this shift. Let’s flip the script. What if we take a more balanced approach to integrating technology? We need to address crucial concerns like data security, caregiver training, and maintaining personal interactions in care. Technology can enhance care, but it shouldn’t replace the human touch. The key is ensuring technology supports, rather than substitutes, human care. So, what can we do? Prepare home care systems with better training, ensure privacy protection, and make sure technology empowers caregivers to do their best work. The tech revolution is happening, but we need to make sure it’s a revolution for both patients and caregivers. In today’s world, tech in home care isn’t a choice—it’s essential. But are we really ready for it?

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🧬 This week's Austin Bio & Health Roundup has a new unicorn, a vision for Healthcare AI, insights on AI deployment, & collaboration across the Texas Bio Triangle infrastructure. 🧬 💰 Funding & Capital Signals Say hello to Austin's newest Bio & Health unicorn! Curative raised a $150M Series B at a $1.275B valuation to expand its $0 out-of-pocket, AI-enabled health plan into new markets. 🤝 Partnerships & M&A L7 Informatics is teaming with Leica Biosystems to integrate L7|ESP with Leica platforms to deliver AI-ready, end-to-end pathology lab informatics. 💡 Insights from Local Builders & Innovators 8VC’s “A Vision for Healthcare AI in America” argues that regulation, not technology, is the main bottleneck keeping AI out of direct care delivery. 🏙️ Community HIMSS Central Texas Chapter's December 12 CXO Forum is bringing together health and technology leaders. I will be moderating a panel with Kevin W. Barron, FHFMA, EHRC, FACHE, Brandon T., and Crystal Kilburn, MHA, RHIA, CRCR on AI in the revenue cycle. Come join us. 🤠 Texas Bio Triangle Houston & San Antonio: Salarius Pharmaceuticals is partnering with Texas Biomedical Research Institute on avian flu studies to generate first in vitro data on pan-influenza candidates, including H5N1. Houston: Avance Biosciences, Inc. opened a Potency and Cell-Based Assay Center of Excellence in Houston to support GMP-compliant potency and functional assays for biologics, RNA therapeutics, vaccines, and cell and gene therapies. What’s Next? 🤠 🚀 🦾 🧬

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗕𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 (𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘊𝘜. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘙. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴.) Let me explain. I’ve sat in boardrooms where we’ve discussed “efficiencies,” “cost reductions,” and “resource optimization.” Nothing wrong with that - until you realize: - Every budget cut has a heartbeat attached - Every delay in tech investment means 2x the admin time for nurses - Every “patient throughput” discussion forgets that patients aren’t units—they’re people Leadership decisions made up here often ripple into real harm down there. A 5-minute cost-saving decision can lead to: ● A nurse working a 16-hour shift ● A patient waiting 6 hours for care ● A doctor skipping lunch (again) to make up for staff shortage A strategy to “go lean” can mean: ● Fewer mental health resources ● Slower discharge processes ● Higher burnout and turnover We don’t need more policies. We need more perspective. Before making another sweeping operational change, ask: ● Have we spoken to the nurses on that floor? ● Have we shadowed a doctor through a full shift? ● Have we heard from the patients these changes will affect? Because if not, we’re leading in a vacuum. One clinician told me: “𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝟥 𝘈𝘔.” That sentence stuck with me. And as a healthcare CEO, I’ve made it a point to bridge that gap. Not perfectly. But intentionally. Because 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿. Leadership is not just strategy. It’s stewardship. And the boardroom should never become the blind spot of the healthcare system. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 “𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽” 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱?

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“The thing I am most proud of is that because we built the entire tech stack that we own, from the member app, the company, the client dashboard, to electronic medical records systems and other internal tooling.   We enable providers to spend more time with the patient.” How much longer? 3x longer than the average primary care visit.   This week on the Digital Health Heavyweights Podcast I sit down with Joseph Kitonga, CEO and founder of Vitable Health. Joseph shares his journey from a family background in caregiving to creating a health plan that addresses the needs of underserved workers. He discusses the inspiration behind Vitable, his experience with the Thiel Fellowship, the prestigious Y Combinator,and the unique aspects of Vitable's direct primary care model.   “We are growing extremely quickly” The conversation also covers the challenges of hybrid care models, the importance of empathy in healthcare, and the company's growth trajectory. Joseph emphasizes the need for accessible healthcare and shares insights on building a successful startup in the healthcare space.   How is Vitable impacting clients? An average savings of about 12%   Takeaways ✨ Joseph's family background in caregiving inspired him to create Vitable Health. 💙 Vitable Health aims to provide affordable healthcare for underserved workers. 🎓 The Thiel Fellowship provided Joseph with the opportunity to focus on his startup. 🚪 Vitable's model reduces barriers to accessing primary care services. 📈 The company has about 100,000 members and is growing rapidly. 💻 Vitable's approach integrates in-home and virtual care effectively. 🤝 Building empathy through direct interaction with clients is crucial for Vitable. 🗣️ Joseph emphasizes the importance of talking to users to build a successful product. 🚀 The Y Combinator experience was pivotal for Vitable's growth. 🧘 Joseph practices mindfulness and reading to manage stress and maintain focus. Check out the episode and be sure to like comment and subsc https://lnkd.in/dVAzHMQZ

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“30% of every $1 in US health care goes to admin fees of some kind.” In theory, this should be able to go down to 3% over the next decade as AI Process Platforms disrupt SaaS & bureaucratic 20th century enterprise services - in most other industries transaction costs have dropped to this level.

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The 2025 HealthEdge Consumer Study revealed that 51% of consumers now view their plan as a “partner in care” vs. a “payer of claims,” and those who do report dramatically higher satisfaction, lower cost sensitivity, and a more substantial likelihood of recommending or retaining their current plan. What can health plans do to reinforce this trustworthy, partner perception? When asked directly, the top thing health plans can do to move the needle from payer to partner is help members find ways to lower the cost of care and coverage. This may take the form of proactive engagement regarding the utilization of benefits, educational information, or greater clarity on financial responsibilities. Learn more: https://ow.ly/YbQN50WhITA

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First Round Capital — you know the team behind Clay, Uber, Notion, Roblox, & Square — just dropped an excellent piece on the value of Fractional Executive Leadership. (If you're a growth stage CEO, this is worth your next 3 minutes.) Here’s the TL;DR: 🧠 What’s a fractional exec? A part-time CxO — deeply embedded in your team — delivering strategy + execution. Think 10–30 hrs/month of world-class leadership that you can't afford to hire full time. 💥 Why it works: • Navigate inflection points without hiring full-time. • Build systems, stand up functions, prep for fundraising. • Test-drive your future full-time hire (and define what great looks like). 📉 What most CEOs get wrong: • Treating them like a full-time exec. • Skipping scoping, onboarding, and alignment. • Forgetting they’re not just advisors — they’re doers. 🛠️ How to make it work: • Get crystal clear on role, KPIs, and cultural fit. • Limit scope to high-leverage work only. • Prioritize fractional leaders with growth-stage track records. 💡 If you’re in scaling mode and not ready for a $500K+/year exec — this is your move. — You don’t need to go full-time to get full impact. Fractional is the fastest, smartest way to buy back time and add senior horsepower. Worth a read → https://lnkd.in/eTCXXswG Worth a bookmark. Maybe even worth a conversation.

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A week after ViVE, I’m still thinking about the key takeaways from conversations in Nashville and the innovation happening in healthcare overall. At 53 Stations, we’re focused on solutions that tackle inefficiencies in healthcare—especially those that streamline operations and make better use of data. ViVE was a great opportunity to meet companies tackling some of the biggest challenges in admin workflows, payer-provider alignment, and clinical decision support.   The event also reinforced some hard truths about selling into healthcare, especially to providers. Execution matters more than anything, and success depends on being deeply embedded in existing workflows. A few key themes stood out:   ♦️ Healthcare data is highly valuable—and constantly targeted. Claims data, Social Security numbers, and clinical records are among the most sought-after assets in the industry. Compliance and security aren’t just regulatory checkboxes—they’re essential to getting deals done. ♦️ Selling to providers requires more than a great product. Have you spoken with doctors? Can your solution integrate seamlessly into existing workflows? Does it make IT’s job easier? If not, adoption will be a challenge. ♦️ AI has real potential to address workforce shortages—but integration is everything. AI can help alleviate workforce constraints, but the solutions that succeed will be those that truly understand provider workflows. ♦️ EHR integration is harder than it looks. Every instance is unique, and “integration” often means something different than what founders or investors might expect. A deep understanding of these nuances is critical. ♦️ Cloud adoption is growing, making interoperability a priority. More health systems are moving to the cloud, and seamless data exchange—not creating new silos—will define the winners in this space. ♦️ Healthcare moves at its own pace. Long sales cycles, complex integrations, and regulatory hurdles make patience and persistence essential for success.   Would love to hear your thoughts—what else should be on this list? And a big thank you to B Capital , a Labviva co-investor, and other investor friends for hosting great dinners and happy hours. Looking forward to the next one!

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The organizations driving VBC are simultaneously running multiple models with different incentives... Here's why that's important for founders: "Our solution is perfect for value-based care!" Probably. But. Which VBC model? ACO REACH? MSSP Track 1+? Commercial shared savings? Bundled payment? Full-risk capitation? And the kicker question: Upside only or downside risk? (And if you already know what's funny about that, hit the 'funny') If you're in upside-only, you're competing for 1-2% margins...or you're not in upside only ;-) If you're in downside risk, you need a fundamentally different sales approach. If you can't name which one you're selling into and why, we need to talk. #valuebasedcare #healthcarestrategy

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Three incredible days at #JPM2026. Same conversation with 10+ health system execs: "We're building our AI strategy. Evaluating vendors. Need to pick the right partners." This sounds familiar. 2009-2012: The EHR decision. After the HITECH Act, health systems spent 18-24 months evaluating Epic vs. Cerner. Consultants. Committees. RFPs. Multi-year implementations. The logic made sense: EHRs were monolithic platforms with huge switching costs. You had to get it right. 2025: The AI decision. I'm watching health systems do the same thing. "AI steering committees." "Strategic AI partner" RFPs. Trying to pick winners. But there's a critical difference: EHRs were a single, massive platform decision. AI in healthcare is dozens of different problems that need dozens of different solutions. Here's what health systems are missing: They're looking for "the AI vendor" when they should be building "an AI portfolio." There's no single AI platform that solves:   → Documentation burden (ambient notes) → Radiology throughput (workflow optimization) → Clinical trials matching → Revenue cycle optimization (across specialties) → Clinical decision support These are different problems. Different technologies. Different vendors. Different timelines. Some need FDA clearance and 24-month validations. Some can pilot in 90 days. Some integrate with Epic. Some replace parts of Epic. You can't solve all of these with one "strategic AI partnership”....no matter that Anthropic is saying right now. <ducks> The AI landscape is evolving too fast for monogamous vendor relationships. 6 months ago: GPT-4 for clinical documentation. Today: Ambient listening, agentic workflows, multimodal imaging analysis. 6 months from now: Something else entirely. That's why you need exposure across the whole landscape—not a bet on one vendor. The mistake I see health systems making: Approach 1: "Strategic Partner" Strategy Pick one AI vendor → Enterprise deal → 3-year commitment → Hope they solve everything Result: You're locked in. Technology moves on. You're stuck in vendor negotiations while competitors move faster. Approach 2: "Portfolio Strategy" Deploy capital across multiple companies → Take equity → Co-develop solutions → Maintain optionality Result: You capture upside. You shape products. You're first to new capabilities. You have relationships across the ecosystem. After 20 years building innovation platforms at JPMorgan, Mousse Partners, Blueprint Health, Junto Health, Atlantic Health: In fast-moving markets, portfolio strategies beat single-vendor bets. Healthcare AI is moving fast. The question isn't "Which AI vendor should we pick?" The question is: "How do we build an AI portfolio that gives us the most optionality" If you're thinking about this, let's talk. 📩 douglas.m.hayes@gmail.com ☎️ 215-620-2032 #healthcareAI #digitalhealth #venturecapital #innovation

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The healthcare workforce is one of four themes we are betting on at Terrarium, where we think technology and AI will catalyze massive changes to the status quo, driving outsized impact on the industry as a whole. We published a white paper today on why building for the future of the healthcare workforce is prime ground for startups, and where we think returns are going to concentrate: https://lnkd.in/e6hsR2VA. Why are we betting on workforce solutions? Simply put, the opportunity is massive. There are not enough healthcare workers across all licensed roles to meet demand, a shortage crisis that will only get worse if nothing is done. Meanwhile, the cost of labor post-Covid--driven primarily by surging contract staffing fees--has become untenable for employers. Labor increased from 50% of hospital OpEx (2011-2019) to 60%+ of hospital OpEx in 2023. These costs are no longer predictable and are eating away at already razor-thin margins in most cases. We have heard from large health systems that contract staffing fees account for over half of recruitment costs, and that total costs of labor shortages are estimated into the hundreds of millions of dollars when accounting for lost revenues alongside direct costs of attrition and replacement. 💸 Healthcare is also the most licensed industry in America, and structural barriers to education and licensure that slow the entry of new professionals into the workforce are a major hurdle to innovation at the top of the talent funnel. We think this hurdle can also act as a defensible moat, however, for companies that do successfully gain traction in this space. 🎓 All to say, we are focused on building and investing in solutions that don't just treat the symptoms, but aim to fix the root cause of the problem: 🌱 Solutions that GROW the workforce, and 🤖 Solutions that OPTIMIZE the work itself If our POV resonates with you, please reach out! We are looking for EIRs to incubate new companies in this space alongside us, and we also write checks to pre-seed and seed teams already on their way. Special thanks for the insights to: Mark Rosenblum, Yaniv Sadka, Austin Dirks, Stephen R. Saine, Hank Capps, MD FAAFP, Laura P. Dannels, PhD, MBA, SPHR, Gabriel Szaszko, Wellstar Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Northwell Health, Mount Sinai Health System, Carl Madi, Lee Hudson Teslik, Alexi Nazem, James Hueston, Rachel Parlier, Raquel Scott, MBA, Zachary Fleitman, Grace Dhanraj, Tanya Beja, Tara Sullivan, Brittany Wadhwani and many others! Company Ventures Terrarium

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