How do you take healthcare’s toughest challenges, fragmented data, regulatory complexity, and life-or-death decisions, and turn them into opportunities for innovation?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Nancy Ahola, a Board Member, C-suite executive, and global business growth strategist, to explore how technology is reshaping healthcare and what it truly takes to scale in this highly regulated industry.

Nancy shares her journey leading a €10M oncology project in Finland, where AI-driven insights and centralized patient records made clinical trial recruitment faster and more effective. She contrasts this with the U.S., where HIPAA restrictions and fragmented EHRs often leave patients out of potentially life-saving trials.

• How centralized data and AI can transform clinical trial recruitment
• Why U.S. patients often miss out on trials due to EHR fragmentation
• The current role of AI in radiology, oncology, and genetic risk analysis
• Why interoperable health records could unlock better care continuity
• Challenges healthcare startups face in regulation, funding, and adoption
• How founders can build their “founding crew” of mentors and advocates

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Entrepreneurship in healthcare doesn’t have to be lonely—find your people, build your support crew, and keep going.”

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/global-business-growth-strategy
• Calendly: calendly.com/nancy-ahola/60min
• Email: nancy.ahola@gmail.com

Connect with the Show:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colettenataf
• Website: lightning.media

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if the strongest predictor of surgical success wasn’t age or diagnosis—but frailty? And what if assessing frailty could be automated at check-in, providing doctors with critical insights before they meet the patient?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Dr. Jason Johanning, vascular surgeon and founder of Vital IT System, to explore how his company is transforming frailty assessments from outdated pen-and-paper methods into automated, billable tools integrated with EMRs.

Jason shares how his work in surgical services earned the 2023 Eisenberg Award, why existing methods weren’t enough, and how his passion for biomechanics and technology led to the creation of a Class I FDA-registered device now on the market. He also opens up about navigating early product development in India, pivoting back to the U.S. for faster progress, and leveraging Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to raise a pre-seed round.

From concept to commercialization, Jason reveals the persistence and passion it takes to bring a healthcare product to life—and why both are non-negotiable for founders.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why frailty is the strongest predictor of surgical and recovery outcomes
• How Vital IT System automates grip strength, walk speed, and physiological measures
• The challenges of replacing century-old methods with modern tech
• Why local manufacturing can be a scaling advantage in today’s market
• Lessons learned from shifting development from Bangalore to Nebraska
• How to approach pre-seed fundraising in medtech without giving up too much equity
• Why persistence and passion are the true keys to healthcare innovation

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Keep the passion, be persistent, and get to the end of the line.”

Connect with Jason Johanning:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jjohanning

Connect with the Show:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colettenataf
• Website: lightning.media

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What does it take to steer a healthcare company through crisis, pivot at lightning speed, and still keep patients at the center of every decision?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Eric Doherty, President & CEO of DPE International, to unpack the realities of building, pivoting, and scaling healthcare businesses across pharmaceuticals, medical technology, and digital health. With healthcare in his DNA, his father a pharmacist and his mother a microbiologist, Eric has spent two decades leading companies that prioritize patient outcomes over profit.

Eric shares how he turned a COVID testing startup into a digital health company in just two months, why partnering with SAS was a game-changing move for credibility and access, and how relentless outreach (hundreds of emails a day) opened doors to FDA, NIH, and even Fortune 500 CEOs. From bold moves that paid off to “failed” pivots like digital COVID passports, Eric reveals the scrappy, strategic decisions that shaped his journey through one of healthcare’s most volatile eras.

Whether you’re a founder, operator, or healthcare innovator, you’ll learn how resilience, foresight, and fearless hustle can turn setbacks into stepping stones.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why patient-first innovation drives lasting business success
• How to pivot fast without losing focus on core mission
• The role of strategic partnerships in accelerating growth
• Lessons from scaling through layoffs, rebrands, and new talent models
• Why credibility and access are startup currencies in healthcare
• How relentless outreach builds connections with top decision-makers
• Why some pivots fail—and why that’s still a win for long-term strategy
• The balance between rapid execution and thoughtful due diligence

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Never give up. The email you’re afraid to send could change your company’s future.”

Connect with Eric Doherty:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ericdohertygloballeader
• Company: SAS Partnership Press Release
• Company: PR Newswire – Dr. Robert Redfield Named Senior Medical Advisor
• Personal: Shoutout Atlanta – Meet Eric Doherty

Connect with the Show:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colettenataf
• Website: lightning.media

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!