Forbes Leadership ForbesWomen Healthcare In Rural America Isn’t A Little Broken, It’s A Lot Broken: A Conversation With Dr. Jennifer Schneider, Founder And CEO, Homeward Health Deeptee Jain Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I celebrate women, innovation and healthcare. Following Feb 14, 2023, 11:32am EST | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Women make more than 80% of healthcare decisions in this country on behalf of not only themselves but also the men and children in their families. I believe that the lived experience positions many women especially well to drive innovation in healthcare. A great lesson I have learned working as both a surgeon and an entrepreneur is that medical expertise alone is not enough to connect patients with best care in the most effective ways possible. Technology matters at least as much, and the application of that technology in context is critical. One of the reasons that I love writing this column is that I get to interview l individuals with stories like mine who have achieved amazing things. Dr. Jennifer Schneider is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Homeward, a company focused on rearchitecting the delivery of health and care in partnership with communities everywhere, starting in rural America. She previously served as the Chief Medical Officer of Castlight, the President of Livongo, and is a trained internist. Dr. Schneider is a great role model for men and women looking to recombine their skill sets, prioritize the right thing at the right time, and develop the foresight to seize opportunities. Dr. Schneider zoomed in with me one morning from her beautiful cabin-esque home from Napa Valley. Her relatable insights about motherhood, healthcare and entrepreneurship resonate with me, and I am thrilled to share them here. What inspired you to go into the field of healthcare? I come from a family in the midwest where my dad runs the local auto parts store. It is the lifeblood for my family, who is still very involved in the local community of my hometown of Winona, Minnesota. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 12, and that ignited my interest in healthcare. The ability to manage my condition was very empowering. From that day on, I told people I wanted to be an endocrinologist, and most people didn’t know what that was. MORE FOR YOU $100M Magic: Why Bruno Mars And Other Stars Are Ditching Their Managers The Best Things To Do In Copenhagen This Spring How To Manage Private Equity Capital Calls After entering the field of medicine, what made you pivot into the business of healthcare? After completing my medical degree at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and my master's in Health Services Research at Stanford University, I worked as an internist. I later became the chief medical officer of Castlight Health and eventually became the chief medical officer and president of Livongo, leading the company through a successful Initial Public Offering and the industry's largest merger with Teladoc Health. I stopped clinical practice when we decided to take Castlight public. I had just had my third baby and realized it was challenging to be breastfeeding one child, birthing another, taking Castlight public, and moonlighting as a hospitalist. I am most happy when I am busy. I strongly believe that the combination of both sets of training, as both a medical doctor and a business leader, have been very important to my career development. One of my favorite stories is that one day, we had a very bad meeting at Castlight and everyone was super upset. Later that evening, I went into my shift into the hospital and I literally coded someone seconds after parking my car at the hospital. And I thought: the care I deliver actually matters in the context of this person’s life. It really does put things into perspective. I like hard problems, and I like solving them. When we launched Castlight, the question was, how do we make a free market in healthcare? There are people spending $200 on a hairdresser, but having difficulty paying a $20 co-pay for their doctor’s appointment. Building on that concept, Livongo was all about: how do we make it easier for people with chronic conditions to manage their health. We combined data science with a deep empathy for people living with chronic conditions to improve that experience. Homeward Health is a very different business from Castlight and Livongo, but I’ve built upon many learnings from my previous businesses to thoughtfully use technology to scale access to clinical services. At Homeward, we are focused on expanding access to healthcare in a system that is tragically broken for people who live in rural communities. It’s not a little broken, it’s a lot broken. In fact, there is a 23% higher rate of mortality if the last 3 digits of your zipcode are designated as rural. Since launching Homeward, I have heard people say, great, you are going into a niche area. And I respond: 60 million people live in rural communities. Homeward’s total addressable market is actually twice the size of Livongo. This is a very big problem. What is Homeward, and what made you decide to tackle rural healthcare as your latest venture? Homeward is a company focused on rearchitecting the delivery of health and care in partnership with communities everywhere, starting in rural America. We enter the market as an in-network provider and partner with health plans to care for Medicare eligible beneficiaries. We are a value-based care provider, meaning we take full-risk on the total cost of care for our members. We believe this approach effectively aligns incentives for all parties involved by incentivising health outcomes rather than being paid for the total number of visits. By taking full-risk on the total care, we can also more flexibly deploy technology-enabled services in rural markets, which are often not reimbursed in a fee-for-service model. Finally, care models and technology are implemented in a way that ensures practitioners operate at the top of their licensure, meaning they can do what they were ultimately trained for. How does Homeward fit into the current healthcare market and what sets it apart from other companies? We differentiate ourselves by, first, being an in-network provider, and, second, building a technology platform that helps scale access to providers. Our technology is able to connect to our members via cellular technology rather than relying on the Wifi or broadband access, which is often inaccessible in the communities we serve. This has been hugely helpful in connecting with individuals in rural areas where internet access may be limited. Furthermore, in rural markets, building trust with our members is key, and that is why we often begin our care journey with an in-home visit. Our providers will physically enter their phone number into the person’s phone, which helps to establish a connection and build trust. Many people in rural markets have family members who have moved to urban areas for work, so the support of younger generations may not always be physically present. How has Homeward been received by health plans? It is widely acknowledged that healthcare in rural markets is subpar in terms of outcomes, cost, and experience. Homeward had success in partnering with health plans to provide care to Medicare and MA plan beneficiaries in these areas, as there is a clear need for improvement. They love how Homeward can help manage challenging populations on their behalf, improve key health plan metrics such as HEDIS and CAHPS measures by improving the member experience, and help improve penetration in Medicare Advantage. You have been an advocate for women in leadership positions throughout your career. Why is this so important to you? Women are the dominant healthcare purchasers, so it is important to have representation and understanding of women’s perspectives in leadership positions. As a woman and the mother of two daughters, I strongly believe in the value of diverse leadership styles and empowering women to take on leadership roles. Women have different approaches and leadership styles, which tend to be more inquisitive. In order to bend the curve, you have to understand who the decision makers are. I am on the boards of multiple companies with women founders, including Toyin Ajayi of Cityblock Health and Kate Ryder of Maven, and believe it is crucial to support and mentor the next generation of female leaders. What advice would you give to the next generation of women leaders? I think it is simple: Bet on yourself. And I say this to my children too: You never say “I can’t,” you say “I can. ” Part of growing and learning is about making mistakes. Enjoy the process, and double down on your strengths. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them in your transition from practicing physician to entrepreneur? One challenge I faced was the shift in mindset from a hierarchical medical training environment to a more team-oriented and collaborative business setting. In a healthtech company, we are creating something new and novel, and there are elements from each person’s unique skill set which are critical for the success of the company, from tech, to sales, to clinical expertise. I also felt at times: “If you don’t see me, then I am not important. ” But I have learned that sometimes it is important to try things differently for a bit. After Livongo, I joined General Catalyst as an executive-in-residence, and I wasn’t in the limelight for a period of time. That experience gave me time to think about what I cared most about and what I really wanted out of my next business. It led me to found Homeward, which has been an amazing experience. Likewise, leaning in and leaning out as my kids have been different ages has been very important to me. I worked more when they were younger, because I believe the kind of influence I have on them is different throughout the years. Lately, I lean in more, as my kids are becoming more independent throughout their teenage years. To learn more about Homeward Health, click here . Follow me on LinkedIn . Deeptee Jain Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.