Hi, everyone. This is Anthony Dias with the tacos show. And this show is for anyone that has a strong passion for making people healthier in this world. I am really excited and enthuse Have Robbie Podhurst on the show today. Robbie is with a company called City Block Health. Might have heard about it in the news. After listening to show your passion about health. Comfortable? Probably recently. Robbie is a chief operating officer. There is doing some great stuff. He's been with some powerful healthcare related companies and passes down small stuffed do enough stuff. Not gonna steal Sunder Robbie. Welcome to the show.

Thanks, Anthony, for inviting me today. I'm excited to speak with you.

Absolutely. As a mine. Thank you for carving out some time to spend with me. Just assure your background your passions and your vision for health. And along those lines, I guess maybe teleport us back. Tell us a little bit about your background or origin or set another way. You know, maybe the series of events that you went through throughout your life that leads you to where you're at today.

Sure. Happy to. You know, I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, that still makes me an avid Saints fan from there went to invent any college in Virginia. It's a smaller, large score. I decided tow double major in economics and biology on the pre med track, so it really began through the integration of business and health care. At that point, I did investigate medicine in the career, but even at that point, some of the positions I spoke to were sort of disenchanted with their career Jack and said he may consider other thing, but it didn't deter me. I still stayed on at the business help. So what is the economy hyo double major do?

Well, I became out here. Economists, when tarty I research stronger part for a couple of years, followed on with graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill. Father schools, public health. And at that time I became attracted to a career and management consulting ended up spending eight years on the road with Deloitte and booze and company. Now, part of the evidence. See, um, I love that phase of life because in these type of organizations, you're on a constant up learning trajectory. Your challenge to help solve of the most pressing, cutting edge issues in the health care industry and do this time that both firms the common thread.

For me, it was a strong orientation towards government programs and government sponsored health care. So that means focusing on launching, building in turning around Medicare Advantage and goodness care plans and other similar businesses. After that, sometimes over the eight years that decided it was enough time on the road and I needed more personal balance. So I decided to to kind of start focusing on businesses that I have been consulting, too, and was fortunate to have an opportunity to do an anthem. I got a Medicare advantage business in six of their 14 states. This was amazing experience for me at the time. Coming from consulting world, you actually don't know anything and then jumping to a business where you own the whole Bennett to pl the operations That whole. Stupid enough, um, and spend a couple of years there around that time and Time had acquired care more and more.

20 year history before then was was very well known, and their interview did Care provider model offering Medicare Advantage plans to seniors they had very early on fuck the status quo health care delivery system and still are delivering results among the best health and quality outcomes you see in the program. So, um, it was a great opportunity to then jumps to care more, and about that time they were looking to grow outside of the legacy Medicare business. So one of the best opportunity to do that was to help one of hands on another subsidiary, Mirror Group, to bring Western outcomes expectations. So that's where I focus my time. When I jumped Care more on immediately helped to build and launch what is now a successful, rapidly expanding Medicaid, primary care and high risk, your business line and several face and one sided period. An organization like care more. There's absolutely no going back, and I developed a real passion for value

based integrated care models, and

another very well known example in industry is kind of permanent day. So when I was approached to take what I had done and care more in previous life and bring it to the scale that cape he has with over 12 remember it was tough to turn down by a joint KP with a focus on improving the platform they had already built for integrated Karen coverage for Medicaid and Medicare members

on that.

That was also an amazing experience to see what another integrated care model looks like with an integrated health plan. Hospital provider group. Um, what luck would have it around? Um, around the same time I was I was focusing their the founders of a city block help and also watched this company. And I got to know that leadership team a dig deeper in the weapon or building it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity to join something really special. So, uh, I'm here now, continuing to pursue a career in helping to lead change in l care in the street on also focusing my career and efforts go sort of people who live in low income community.

I love it. I love it. Yeah, what fascinates me about, you know, obviously your your story, your your experience is, uh, high and low, like you've been in the clouds and the dirt like tactics wise and strategy for value based for systems across the best and, you know, across the country. And now you get to invest that you know, in a modern way and in a deeper area opportunity with city block. I guess. Robby, you've seen too many trends.

You see so many phenomenon, so much fun. All happening now. As for its like value basic. Can you tell us a little bit or tell me a little bit about, um What? What has your passions today and help? What has your fascination Health? Just love to hear a little bit more. I know there's a lot out there, but just love to hear about what's what's captivating most health right now.

Um, you know, I still, when you work in value based chair with what really drives me, are seeing the outcomes quality results are members telling us that they've received attention like never before, that no one's taking the time that we have to truly this other problems and help them and they're bleeding, help their lives and are pure teams. You're telling? A They're able to practice the way they never could, and our community engagement outreach teams tell us they now have a Tangela Bull impact on people's lives. So those noticed thing really drives helped tow drive my focus and healthcare innovative models. Um,

and Friday, let me ask you, with these models, I guess what is what is Is there any difference in these models that from what you've seen historically, like what? Areas of opportunity with these models, t especially for, like, blowing cup like communities of populations that are anything new emerging that you're seeing promise to? Um, you know, I guess you know, scaling and being able to make this population segment healthier in a more cost effective way to do so at scale.

Yeah, you got it. Well, this is this is definitely one of the challenges of our time.

And

it's something that we're focusing squarely on a city block way. Think one of the answers to get there is that you have to unite primary care of any real help in social care in a new way that brings a new experience to write to the front doors of folks who live in low income communities. Um, and wave built a custom technology platform to enable it on be operated value based care. So we're we're not beholden to the legacy, the incentives and contracts of deeper service, and it's freeing to be able to reorganize resource is and people in roles to do it

and for our listeners out there. So, you know, obviously it's uncommon. Trends that are out there were starting to talk about them a lot more on our show here, as we have, you know, hospital CEOs on an insurance company, CEOs and social care, social determinants, social terms, health as well as the value based economy. Or got a basement that we're in. Um, we're starting. Why is there an overlap between those two? Why,

why're if he's quiet? Social health, thes social factors, picking up so much attention all the sudden? It's almost like night and day over the past few days, like last 18 months. It's nine day when it comes to the social factors. Can you speak Kyoto? Why, that's the case and and, uh, why there's opportunity. And,

well, there's certainly we would hope that the, uh, waves of integrating social care into health care would have happened sooner. But nevertheless, there very tone of arguments published an adult of we just be on the ground providing access to food, shelter, financial, security, transportation, home else. Mom, all of these things now help to improve people's lives in a way that help. And in Medicaid, uh, folks living in low income communities, dual eligible that that needs to become synonymous with with care delivery if you're really gonna make an impact. Yeah,

and so you know, it's super fast doing what you guys were doing. If you're bringing the best the best of all worlds together here, Robbie, let me ask you, I guess along those lines, right, You keep doing what you're doing, it's gonna set up an interesting, uh, elevation for this population segment to the level triples and those that are in need Tell me a little bit about your vision of health in the future. How do you see this coming? Coming to fruition. What's that Optimistic burning of health in the future you see happening Whether it's five years from now, 20 years from now, I just like to hear a little bit about the future of health. According to rock

A little, Um, no, we have trouble even predicting 18 to 24 months industry, let alone

10. Right. But that's your job, right? Is like to focus on more. They like, really focused. Yeah,

which you know, We'll get a lot wrong, too, but at least way are marching towards a vision and, you know, personally a couple of things. There are there are structural shift happening. Now we see a shift from inpatient outpatient prize of consumerism, new uses of technology. I certainly hope we continue to see a ship from episodic. We're in a sick care system, more proactive and preventative care system. And along with the ships, I hope the payment models that reward proactive care and high quality care in value replaced traditional volume based deeper service models. A lot of those air happening. The degree to which they speed up really is anyone's guess. One thing I think the future of health your hold is a a change in the way primary care is organized and delivered,

and that that is the foundation of ah health healthy care system far too much in the U. S. Brenda care positions. They're still running on an RV. You treadmills on bacon, too. Little time into little resource is to prevent care to patients who really need them in that bubble. So you know as well as we transport transformed the system and look forward 5 10 years. I hope primary care looks very different. Much for comprehensive, holistic, coordinated and enabled to address many more of patients season they do today.

I love it. I love it. Yeah, that's it. That's a great future. I see. I I'm right there with you. I hope to see these things happen. Well, I guess what I'm really excited on news about is what your your work that you're doing out. You know, it's really the culmination of not just your background, but all the all the economics that you faced across your career and your across your experience, all the different movements is, uh, you know, it's the center of it,

all right. It's like the culmination of it all. It's like the tip of the spirits. That's what it's. It's very it's very exciting to see. And I'm really rooting for for what you're doing. Um, Robbie, you've seen a lot of my last question here. I want to be sensitive. Time with my last question is, um, one of personal basis. Right? So you're seeking and done so much of health, and you're in a high growing,

uh, start up company. You probably have to keep your own engine running. Any price? Really interesting health petites that probably work for you. What do you do? Want him on morning basis, daily basis weekly basis to stay healthy.

You know, for me, a big grounding point is my family and kids that have kids under three and I'm working at a start up companies

so that, like, right?

It's fantastic. That is my time. Um, you know, first in Richmond, I actually do listen to quite a few podcast anything that ratings bring crumbs. The New York Times daily toe health care, including yours. Healthy dose creating new health care, even a podcast. Listen to a bunch called unruffled on how to be a much better parents on Ben. You know, in terms of daily ritual, I just I need to schedule and prioritize things that report for me. I place doing things on the calendar to make sure they happen. So it is. The more I organize, prioritize, make sure unbalance the better.

I love it. I love it. Very inspiring, actually. You're walking away with two things that the podcast you just mentioned teach toe working for myself. And I love this scheduling part. Yeah, it's integrating. It is tea. Uh, you know, obviously the start of world, right? It's It's like worklife integration. But now, So this was Robbie. This was super awesome.

Again. I want to be sent to your time. A couple of things I just want to say thank you for is I wantto obviously thank you for your time, but sharing your story with us Number two is sharing what you're working on and how you know the phenomenal what's happening in the market. And in service of technology wise, it's coming all together and what you're seeing and help today and obviously your mission for else in the future. And it's really excited that you're you're in the pilot's seat right where you could bring it to fruition, and it could happen if you guys are. And it's great to see your leadership in the space Robin, so I really appreciate it. I really appreciate it your time, I guess. Actually, I lie. One last question for you is what's a good way for us to get it touch with you. If they would like to do so, or if you would like that to happen?

Um sure. No problem. I keep open messaging, uh, available. The publican lengthen. You can You can be there. Love to connect especially others in a value based air space. When one boat rises all over Bo tries. So we have a lot of work to do.

I love it. I love it. Well, congratulations. I'm rooting for you and definitely a lot of our listeners. It's It's just exciting to see the lives they were impacting and the compound number of lives that your continued it acted. So it's extremely exhilarating to see what you're doing, Robbie. So again, thank you so much for being on our show. And thanks for peeling off time to do this.

Thank you. Afternoon, picker.

Thanks. Thanks so much.