Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: "Building Always-On Healthcare"

Guest: Lee Bienstock, CEO of DocGo
Host: Scott Becker
Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the rise of "always-on" healthcare through technology-driven mobile and virtual care models. Scott Becker interviews Lee Bienstock, CEO of DocGo, diving into DocGo’s recent acquisition of SteadyMD, their evolving healthcare model, how technology supports on-demand care, and the impact on hospitals, health systems, and payers. The conversation is brimming with optimism about technology-enabled, patient-centric approaches and the future of “healthcare at any address.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DocGo’s Mission & Operations

[00:50–03:54]

• Mobile Healthcare Model:

  • DocGo brings healthcare directly to patients—where and when it’s needed—improving engagement and outcomes.
  • Services include large-scale medical transportation (750,000+ transports per year), mobile labs, phlebotomy, care gap closure, and primary care at home (150,000+ patient visits), as well as remote health monitoring (50,000+ patients).
  • Technological Orchestration:
    • Over 1,000 mobile units and thousands of clinicians are coordinated through a proprietary, integrated tech platform (with Epic integration).
    • The platform ensures the right clinician, vehicle, and license matches the specific patient need, maximizing efficiency and scalability.
  • Historical Parallel:
    • Lee describes a return to the "doctor home visit" model, modernized and scaled with technology.

• Lee Bienstock’s Background:

  • Wharton graduate, White House Fellow, and 12-year Google veteran.
  • His tech experience infuses DocGo’s technology-driven care delivery.

Notable Quote:

“If you meet your patients where they are... they're gonna be more engaged, they're gonna be more satisfied, and that leads to better health outcomes. That’s really what everybody wants.”
— Lee Bienstock [01:24]

2. The SteadyMD Acquisition

[03:54–06:38]

• SteadyMD Overview:

  • An all-50-state virtual care provider; ~1 million telehealth visits, 2 million lab orders annually.
  • Brings extensive telehealth reach and hundreds of clinicians.

• Strategic Integration:

  • Hybrid Care Model:
    • Home visits are performed by licensed practical nurses (LPNs), medical assistants, or mobile phlebotomists, overseen in real time by advanced practice providers (MDs, NPs, PAs) virtually.
    • This "hands, eyes, and ears in the home" model keeps highly trained providers centralized and efficient, addressing clinician scarcity and burnout.
    • SteadyMD’s tech, clinicians, and customer base enhance DocGo’s ability to scale.

Notable Quote:

“The only way you can really do this is by leveraging technology... The advanced practice provider... oversees the visit virtually and they direct and diagnose and treatment plan and they synchronously oversee the hands, eyes and ears in the home.”
— Lee Bienstock [04:39]

3. Industry Partnerships: Hospitals, Health Systems, and Payers

[06:38–09:59]

• End-to-End Solution:

  • DocGo combines:
    • Technology platforms (for operations, matching clinicians to patients, etc.)
    • Service provisioning (ambulances, clinicians, in-home care)
  • Addresses common complaints about fragmented “point solutions”:
    • Many health systems feel overwhelmed by siloed software and lack bandwidth for full integration.
    • DocGo’s strategy is to offer a unified platform—tech + real services—solving workflow and staffing challenges together.

• SteadyMD’s Role:

  • Brings additional tech and high-volume virtual care capacity.
  • Enables hospitals/health systems to implement digital transformation and scale clinical services.

Notable Quote:

“A lot of people are clamoring to work with [systems] and sell them their solutions, but they tend to be just one aspect... Our strategy has always been pair the software and the technology with the services and the clinicians.”
— Lee Bienstock [08:36]

4. The Future: “Always-On, Always-Available” Healthcare

[10:46–12:33]

• Vision:
  • Healthcare must become as “always-on” as consumer tech—available any time, at any address.
  • DocGo’s platform is building toward an ecosystem where:
    • Patients are monitored remotely between visits.
    • Virtual visits are accessible on-demand.
    • Physical services (labs, vaccinations) are delivered at home.
    • Hospitals remain vital for higher-acuity care, with seamless transport and care transitions.
  • Philosophy: “Healthcare at any address”—delivering care wherever the patient is.

Notable Quote:

“We’re going to enter an era for health care of just always on, always available care. That’s going to be the expectation of patients... And we’re building out a company that’s going to help bring that era into fruition.”
— Lee Bienstock [11:09]

• Optimistic Outlook:
  • Lee is hopeful about tech adoption in healthcare, pointing to strong industry interest in transformation.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Matching Tech with People:

  “If you just bring technology or just bring a point solution, that then puts the problem with the health system... if you could bring solutions that are a little bit broader and both solving both the technology and people problem, you’re really solving a big problem.”
  — Scott Becker [09:59]

• On Inspiration and Impact:

  “This is probably the most inspiring concept... the most uplifting and positive. I can’t even tell you how much that message resonates and I hope that you’re right and we can get there.”
  — Scott Becker [12:33]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• DocGo’s Model & Lee’s Background — [00:50–03:54]
• SteadyMD Acquisition & Integration — [03:54–06:38]
• Impact for Health Systems & Payers — [06:38–09:59]
• The Future of Always-On Care — [10:46–12:33]

Summary

Lee Bienstock details how DocGo is pioneering mobile and virtual healthcare, especially through the acquisition of SteadyMD. By marrying technology and human resources—providing both a robust digital platform and real-world clinical services—DocGo aims to create an “always-on” healthcare environment, available at any address. The episode is peppered with optimism about the industry’s willingness to change, and illustrates how comprehensive, tech-enabled models can relieve pressure on clinicians, hospitals, and payers while elevating patient care. Bienstock’s vision is clear: to make healthcare accessible, efficient, and seamlessly integrated into daily life.