The Southwest Airlines Theory of Healthcare Transformation
Twenty years before value-based care became a healthcare buzzword, Rushika Fernandopulle was told he had to choose: be a doctor or join "the dark side" of business. Instead, he chose both – building Iora Health from a bootstrapped startup into a billion-dollar healthcare company. In this candid conversation, Fernandopulle reveals the unconventional journey that helped transform American healthcare, from midnight meetings in Las Vegas speakeasies to breaking every rule in the traditional medical playbook.
We cover:
💡 How bootstrapping for 7 years shaped Iora Health's success
🛫 The "Southwest Airlines Theory" of healthcare transformation
💰 The midnight meeting that led to a $4M investment from Zappos' Tony Hsieh
🔄 Why the employment-insurance link needs to break for real healthcare reform
🏢 The challenges tech giants face in transforming healthcare
💪 Why refusing to take "no" for an answer is Rushika's entrepreneurial superpower
About our guest:
Rushika Rernandopulle…
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