In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman speaks with Joanna Conti, founder and chairman of the nonprofit Conquer Addiction. Joanna’s journey began when her own daughter faced life-threatening alcoholism, prompting a years-long search for effective treatment—and an urgent realization: no one was measuring long-term success.

Joanna shares the results of her groundbreaking research following over 100,000 addiction patients, and exposes the massive gaps in transparency, accountability, and outcomes in today’s treatment centers. She also unveils how employers and families can now access verified recovery data to choose truly effective care—and how a new bundled care model is reshaping the rehab industry.

Conquer Addiction Website: https://conquer-addiction.org

🤖 Sponsored by BenePower

BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com

🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

📌 Most Treatment Centers Don’t Track Outcomes
Joanna explains why fewer than 1% of rehabs conduct post-treatment follow-ups—and how Conquer Addiction is changing that.

📌 Verified Success Rates Vary Widely
While the average recovery rate is 36%, Joanna’s research shows some centers achieve 50%+ and others less than 15%.

📌 Aligning Incentives with Accountability
New bundled-rate models require rehabs to offer relapse support—creating better outcomes and real transparency.

📌 Employers Bear the Cost
Substance use disorders can cost employers $25,000 per year per employee—before treatment even begins.

📌 A National Claims-Based Registry Is Coming
Joanna’s team is building a predictive model using de-identified claims data to rank treatment center effectiveness nationwide.

📌 Hope and Progress
Joanna’s personal story ends with hope: her daughter is thriving after 13 years in recovery—and now four kids of her own.

⏱️ In This Episode

00:00 Introduction to Treatment Duration and Outcomes

13:59 Accessing Treatment Center Data

14:31 Challenges in the Treatment Industry

14:51 Aligning Incentives for Better Outcomes

16:32 Financial Struggles of Treatment Centers

16:58 Using Data to Identify Effective Treatment Centers

17:56 The Role of Compliance and Legislation

18:35 Developing a National Claims Registry

19:28 Predictive Modeling for Treatment Effectiveness

20:40 Sharing Data with Rehabs and Payers

21:42 Future Goals and Conclusion

Why Reducing Variation = Better Outcomes

In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman welcomes Kate Grohall, co-founder and Vice President of Value-Based Solutions at Holista. Kate shares her powerful journey from working with patients in a teaching hospital to building a transformative platform focused on reducing variation in care, cost, and outcomes.

She unpacks how Holista restores trust in the provider-patient relationship, leverages real-time communication tools to improve outcomes, and helps employers drive change by demanding value—not volume.

🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com

🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

📌 Quality = Reducing Variation
Kate defines healthcare quality as reducing unpredictability across cost, outcomes, and patient experience.

📌 C Still Equals MD
Most consumers can't distinguish between top- and bottom-tier physicians. Holista’s proprietary vetting process closes that gap.

📌 Restoring the Provider-Patient Relationship
Holista rebuilds what’s been lost by re-emphasizing relationships and collaboration across care teams.

📌 Real-Time Care Prevents Crisis
Through a patient app and nurse engagement, Holista helps patients avoid unnecessary ER visits and complications.

📌 Incentives That Actually Change Behavior
Forgiving copays and reducing premiums for high-value care choices gives patients immediate financial benefits.

📌 Employers Take the Wheel
Employers are stepping out of the back seat and demanding better results—and Holista helps them drive smart, sustainable change.

⏱️ In This Episode

00:00 Introduction to Better Health Outcomes

00:47 Kate Grohall’s Journey into Healthcare

03:12 Understanding Quality in Healthcare

05:19 Challenges in Reducing Variation

06:50 Provider and Patient Experience

08:57 Quality Metrics Beyond Standards

13:13 Real-Time Communication in Healthcare

14:41 Changing Behavior and Incentives

21:31 Future of Healthcare and Technology

22:56 Employers Taking the Driver's Seat

24:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Why Are We Paying More for Worse Health? | ShiftShapers

In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman welcomes Helene M. Epstein—writer, speaker, and patient advocate behind the Substack series Patient No More. Helene dives deep into America’s epidemic of medical errors, misdiagnoses, and system failures. She breaks down why even the most advanced technology and training haven’t improved patient safety, how profit-driven healthcare puts patients at risk, and—most importantly—what individuals can do to protect themselves and their families.
From shocking statistics about misdiagnosis to the hidden realities of rural hospital closures, Helene provides practical advice and hope for patients who are ready to become their own advocates.

🤖 Sponsored by BenePower
BenePower is an AI-powered platform helping advisors build high-impact, self-insured health plans quickly and seamlessly. By integrating best-in-class point solutions and eliminating inefficiencies, BenePower reduces costs, improves member outcomes, and positions advisors as industry leaders.
🔗 Learn more at BenePower.com

🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

📌 Medical Harm Is Underreported and Overlooked
One in four hospital patients is harmed—and most of those incidents aren’t even recorded. Medical error remains a massive, hidden problem.

📌 Diagnostic Error Is Common—and Dangerous
5–25% of U.S. adults are misdiagnosed each year. The most common errors? Testing failures, insurance barriers, and lack of communication between patients and providers.

📌 The System Is Built for Billing, Not Healing
EMRs, insurance company rules, and corporate healthcare ownership have prioritized profits and paperwork over patients—leaving safety and transparency behind.

📌 Rural and Marginalized Patients Are at Greater Risk
Access to care is shrinking as hospitals close pediatric and maternal units, especially in rural and underserved communities.

📌 Patient Advocacy Is Rising
Helene shares why empowered patients—armed with information, organized records, and second opinions—are the best defense against medical error.

📌 Practical Steps: Protect Yourself
Keep copies of your records, use health portals, seek second opinions, and research providers before major procedures. Being “patient no more” means taking an active role in your own care.

More from Helene M. Epstein

Patient No More is a free Substack by patient advocate Helene M. Epstein, offering practical advice to help you avoid misdiagnosis and medical error. Read her ongoing guide to surviving American healthcare at https://helenemepstein.substack.com/

⏱️ In This Episode

• 00:00 – Why Does U.S. Healthcare Cost So Much and Deliver So Little?\
• 01:00 – What Counts as Medical Error and Harm?
• 03:00 – The Impact on America’s Workforce
• 04:30 – Corporatization and the Decline of Access
• 07:45 – The Prevalence of Diagnostic Errors
• 10:00 – The Role of Insurance in Delaying Proper Treatment
• 12:00 – Medication Errors, Pharmacy Mistakes, and Communication Gaps
• 15:00 – Why Electronic Medical Records Don’t Fix the Problem
• 18:30 – Patient Advocacy, “Patient No More,” and Surviving American Healthcare
• 21:00 – Misdiagnosis in Women, Children, and Marginalized Groups
• 24:30 – The Future of Patient Safety and System Reform