JULIE FISHMAN

The Abstract -

What if healthcare’s biggest challenge isn’t innovation — but adoption?

In this Dose Response Conversation, I sat down with Julie Fishman — digital health strategist, commercialization expert, and one of the most grounded yet bold voices in healthcare today — to explore what leadership looks like when change is constant and the rules are being rewritten in real time.

Julie’s perspective is clear: we’re still early sunrise of healthcare’s digital dawn. The technology is here. The potential is enormous. But the systems, incentives, and comfort zones haven’t caught up. True progress, she argues, won’t come from a single breakthrough — it will come from solving for interoperability, usability, and trust.

Julie sees a future where technology doesn’t replace the human connection, but deepens it — where AI empowers patients, enhances communication, and helps keep care both precise and personal.

And her call to action for leaders is unmistakable: embrace living strategies — adaptive, evolving approaches that move with the pace of change rather than resist it. Because leadership in this moment demands curiosity to drive innovation, and empathy to drive adoption.

Julie leaves us with a question that sits at the very heart of healthcare’s transformation:
How do we keep care deeply human — even as we make it digital?

It’s a challenge — and an invitation — to lead differently in the era of healthcare’s digital dawn.

The ManuTranscript

Alex Condoleon:
Julie, it’s fantastic to have you on The Dose Response.
I started this series because healthcare is at a crossroads — and bold, thoughtful voices like yours are exactly what we need to navigate it.
You’re someone I’ve learned from, and someone who’s helping shape how innovation gets done in this space.

Let’s start with something fun: if your résumé were a medication label, what would it say under Indications and Usage?

Julie Fishman:
(Laughs) I’d say I’m indicated for commercializing innovation at the intersection of healthcare and technology — particularly when the goal is to improve patient lives and outcomes.

I should be used in complex global ecosystems — the kind trying to launch and scale new ventures, build partnerships, and turn bold ideas into lasting impact.

At my core, I translate between worlds — science, business, and tech — and help organizations move from the concept stage to meaningful adoption that makes healthcare more connected and more human.

Alex Condoleon:
That’s got blockbuster written all over it — maybe even outselling the GLP-1s! So what about your black box warning?

Julie Fishman:
Oh, definitely: “May disrupt comfort zones.”

And also: “Known to cause rapid organizational change — may result in side effects such as ambitious ideas, uncomfortable truths, and actual progress.”

And maybe a note at the bottom: Use only in settings where leadership actually wants to move forward.

Because if there’s no appetite for change, the results can feel uncomfortable fast.

Alex Condoleon:
Exactly why you’re here — a bold voice in healthcare.

So let’s dive in: are we witnessing the dawn of a new era in healthcare, or is digital transformation still just a talking point?

Julie Fishman:
It’s a great metaphor — we’re definitely at the dawn, but I’d say we’re still early in the sunrise.

AI in healthcare is powerful, no doubt. But we’re still figuring out how to use it wisely.
Healthcare’s challenge isn’t the tech anymore — it’s adoption.

We’ve got to ask: are we building the right use cases? Are we aligning incentives? Are we preparing organizations to not just try technology but truly adopt it?

Innovation has to be purposeful — it has to be fit for the system it’s meant to serve.

Alex Condoleon:
Right — and that’s what makes this moment both exciting and hard.
The tech is here, the potential is huge, but healthcare doesn’t move like tech.

So when you think about the current tech landscape, what genuinely excites you right now?

Julie Fishman:
Honestly? Almost everything.

AI-driven prediction, faster R&D, digital biomarkers, precision medicine — it’s all on the table.

But the real unlocks won’t come from any single algorithm — they’ll come from solving problems like interoperability, usability, and trust.

If we can make health systems talk to each other — and make technology intuitive enough for people to actually use — that’s when we’ll see transformation that sticks.

It’s not about more data; it’s about making data useful in a way that builds trust across the health ecosystem.

Alex Condoleon:
That’s a powerful idea — that trust itself could be a product of digital transformation.

Julie Fishman:
Exactly. Take the patient–provider relationship. It’s so limited today — a few minutes here, a rushed visit there.

But if we can capture more meaningful data between visits, summarize it, and deliver insights back in digestible ways, we change the whole dynamic.

It’s not about drowning providers in dashboards — it’s about giving patients and clinicians tools that actually help them communicate, decide, and understand each other better.

I actually think technology, used thoughtfully, can bring humanity back into the health system — not remove it.
That’s when tech becomes human-centered.

Alex Condoleon:
Let’s talk pace. It took e-prescribing more than a decade to reach 90% adoption in the U.S.
ChatGPT hit 100 million users in two months — and now 800 million people use it weekly.

What does that say about healthcare’s digital vital signs?

Julie Fishman:
Healthcare doesn’t have an innovation problem — we have an adoption problem.

Healthcare is complex and cautious, but consumers aren’t waiting.

Patient’s are already using ChatGPT to learn about symptoms, diagnoses, treatment options. Why? Because it gives them a sense of control — and that’s incredibly empowering.

If we want to scale healthcare innovation, we’ve got to shift our mindset. Empowered patients are driving this change faster than any mandate.

Alex Condoleon:
That’s such an important distinction — consumers are moving faster than institutions.

So how should healthcare leaders approach generative — and soon, agentic — AI?

Julie Fishman:
Healthcare leaders need to approach generative and agentic AI with curiosity and responsibility.

As a trained pharmacist, I can assess if an AI-generated answer makes sense — but most patients can’t. That’s where design and guardrails come in.

Healthcare leaders need to create space for teams to explore what’s possible — but within frameworks that keep patients safe and trust intact.

We can’t ignore this wave, but we also can’t assume every use case is ready for prime time.
The balance between exploration and ethics is where healthcare leadership really counts.

Alex Condoleon:
That duality is huge — benefit with unknown risk. And we’re learning in real time.

Julie Fishman:
Exactly. Innovation doesn’t mean going to scale overnight.
It means testing, learning, iterating.

You don’t build trust in healthcare through big launches — you earn it through transparency, evidence, and consistency over time.

Alex Condoleon:
Which takes us right back to adoption. And trust. And the uncomfortable truth that maybe business-as-usual doesn’t serve us anymore.

What new approaches are needed?

Julie Fishman:
Companies love to do 5 or 10 year planning exercises. I think leaders need become comfortable “living strategies.” Have a North Star. But stop pretending you can plan every detail five years out.

Build strategies with checkpoints, optional paths, and feedback loops. Be willing to pivot.

And invest in your people. Understand that not everyone thrives at the same pace.
Some are superstars — fast, ambitious, ready for change.
Others are rockstars — steady, essential, deeply valuable.

We need both. But we have to lead them differently.

Alex Condoleon:
That’s such a powerful concept — “living strategy.” What kind of mindset does that demand from leaders and teams?

Julie Fishman:
In healthcare, curiosity will drive innovation — but it is empathy that will drive adoption.

Curiosity, because it keeps you learning.
Empathy, because people experience change differently.

The best healthcare leaders keep asking questions, build safety nets, and never lose sight that we’re solving human problems.

In healthcare, tech is our accelerant — but people are the purpose.

Alex Condoleon:
So well said.
I want to close by handing the mic to you: what’s the one question you think healthcare leaders should be asking themselves right now?

Julie Fishman:
How do we keep care deeply human – even as we make healthcare digital?

That’s the balance.
And it’s the question we’ll be living with for years to come.

Alex Condoleon:
And we’ll need another conversation just for that.

Julie, thank you. Your leadership, your clarity, your boldness — it’s exactly what the Dose of Innovation was built for.
Let’s do it again soon.