About Strive: Exploring Mind, Medicine, and Motivation
Dive into Strive, hosted by Sai Mannam. This podcast melds the intricacies of the mind with the marvels of medicine, all underpinned by trying to learn what drives people. From personal tales of resilience to candid conversations with diverse experts, Strive offers insights into life's challenges and the relentless pursuit of growth. Join us as we uncover the wisdom and determination that propels us towards a purposeful existence. Disclaimer: Views are the host's & guests', not affiliated with UPenn.
Episode 39: Ed Gaines - Healthcare Reimbursement, Prior Authorization, and the No Surprises Act
In this episode of the Strive Podcast, we speak with Ed Gaines, a nationally recognized expert in healthcare reimbursement, medical coding, and physician payment policy, to unpack the economic infrastructure that shapes modern medicine.
Together we discuss:
• Why reimbursement education is largely absent from medical training
• How documentation and coding directly influence physician payment
• The real implications of the No Surprises Act for patients and providers
• The growing burden of prior authorization and payer oversight
• Why independent practices may be regaining leverage against health plans
• What young physicians should know about contracts, negotiations, and advocacy
This conversation offers a rare inside look at the policy, incentives, and payment systems that quietly determine how care is delivered in the United States, and why physicians must understand them to protect the future of the profession.
25 Feb 2026
Episode 38: Elad Levy - Building Paradigm Shifts in Modern Neurosurgery
In this episode of the Strive Podcast, we speak with Dr. Elad Levy, Chair of Neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo and Distinguished Professor, to explore how paradigm shifts in medicine are built. A pioneer of mechanical thrombectomy and U.S. Interventional Principal Investigator of the landmark SWIFT PRIME trial, Dr. Levy reflects on the transformation of stroke care before and after 2015 and breaks down how bold ideas evolve from promising cases to national guidelines. We discuss the systems-level constraints that still shape outcomes today, the creation of Atlas, the nation’s first ambulatory neurovascular surgery center, and the operational philosophy behind the Jacobs Institute as an engine for scalable innovation. From leading a rapidly growing academic department to advancing endovascular brain–computer interfaces, this conversation is a masterclass in building teams, redesigning care delivery, and sustaining innovation at the highest levels of medicine.
4 Feb 2026
Episode 37: Russell Lonser - Surgical Innovation, Translational Science, and Responsible Leadership
In this episode of the Strive Podcast, we host Dr. Russell Lonser, Chair of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University and a global leader in neurosurgery and physician-scientist training. Dr. Lonser reflects on the experiences that shaped his approach to risk, responsibility, and innovation; discusses how simplicity drives scalable impact in surgery and research, and shares insights from his groundbreaking work in von Hippel–Lindau disease and neurological gene therapy. A candid conversation on leading at the intersection of clinical care, discovery, and ethics.
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
4.1 / 5
9 ratings
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