What does it really take to build a healthcare company that lasts?

In this episode of Innovate and Elevate, Sharon Kedar sits down with Amir Dan Rubin, former CEO of One Medical and Stanford Medicine, to unpack a 30-year journey of building in healthcare. From early ideas around telehealth in the 1990s to leading One Medical through its $3.9 billion acquisition by Amazon, Amir shares what most people misunderstand about innovation in human health.

This conversation challenges the narrative of overnight success. Instead, it reveals that the most meaningful breakthroughs require duration, conviction, and the willingness to build long before the outcome is clear. Amir also shares how applying systems thinking from outside of healthcare shaped his leadership across multiple organizations and offers a blueprint for building companies that scale and endure.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

Building in healthcare is a long game measured in decades, not quarters
The real risk is not failure, but never finding out what could have been
Systems thinking from outside industries can unlock innovation in healthcare

As this episode highlights, success in healthcare often depends on:

Time horizons measured in decades
Cross-industry thinking and innovation
Operational excellence and consistency
The ability to persist through uncertainty

Connect with Sharon:

Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/
Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com
Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVA
Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email

Connect with Amir Dan Rubin:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirdanrubin
Healthier Capital: https://www.healthiercapital.com/

Organizations, resources and citations referenced:

One Medical: https://www.onemedical.com/
Amazon Deal with One Medical: https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/amazon-buy-one-medical-35-billion-deal-2022-07-21/
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-big-leap-gay-hendricks
The Toyota Way by Jeffrey K. Liker: https://www.mheducation.com/highered/mhp/product/toyota-way-second-edition-14-management-principles-world-s-greatest-manufacturer.html
Stanford Medicine: https://med.stanford.edu/
UCLA Health: https://www.uclahealth.org/

The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.

Chapters:

(00:00) What this episode reveals about building in healthcare

(02:45) Early ideas around telehealth in the 1990s

(05:57) Why timing and market readiness matter

(07:26) Long-term thinking in healthcare innovation

(10:48) Building before the outcome is clear

(15:30) Lessons from industries outside healthcare

(20:10) Systems thinking and operational excellence

(25:45) Scaling One Medical

(30:00) The real challenges of building in healthcare

(34:00) What it really takes to win in human health

About Our Guest: Amir Dan Rubin is a healthcare executive and entrepreneur known for building and scaling innovative care delivery models. He is the former CEO of One Medical, where he led the company through rapid growth, its IPO, and its $3.9 billion acquisition by Amazon. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Stanford Health Care and held leadership roles at UCLA Health, Optum, and Stony Brook University Health System. Across his career, Amir has focused on improving access, experience, and outcomes in healthcare by applying systems thinking and technology. He is currently the founder and managing partner of Healthier Capital.

About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at Sands Capital and McKinsey & Company, and she is a published author on personal finance. As the host of the Innovate and Elevate podcast, she passionately advocates for menopause care and HRT (hormone replacement therapy), challenging the silence around human health XX (also known as women’s health). She aims to help women navigate midlife and achieve longevity by aging with power. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.

This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts.