Episode Overview

Podcast: The Digital Executive
Host: Brian (Coruzant Technologies)
Guest: Neil Batlivala, Co-founder and CEO of PearTeam
Episode: Neil Batlivala on Using AI to Transform Healthcare for Underserved Communities | Ep 1068
Date: May 31, 2025
Theme:
This episode explores how Neil Batlivala's personal experiences with economic and social disparity shaped his mission at PearTeam, an AI-enabled healthcare company focused on serving Medicaid and underserved populations. Neil discusses the evolution of PearTeam’s technology, the promise and challenges of using AI in healthcare equity, and his vision for democratizing innovative solutions across the healthcare safety net.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Life Influences and the Drive for Impact

• Personal Background & Motivation
  • Neil reflects on his upbringing in India and Singapore, observing stark economic disparities, including homelessness and lack of access to essential services ([01:23]).
  • His mother, a schoolteacher, became a critical influence, initiating outreach to the nearby slum ("jugi") through education and healthcare programs.
  • Memorable Anecdote:
    • Daily, his mother brought egg sandwiches for her children and children living under a bridge. One day, a child explained matter-of-factly that a friend had died, highlighting the lack of safety and support for the disadvantaged ([02:25]).
  • Quote:
    • “It was so nonchalant, so matter of fact. And it just put me in this ... very eye opening position of there’s no one really looking after these two kids. And so, you know, I've dedicated myself to healthcare and supporting those that need it most because of those experiences.” — Neil ([02:45]).

Diverse Career - From Engineering & Research to Leading PearTeam

• Engineering Innovation & Self-Reliance
  • Neil describes his journey through medical device design and machine learning, often approaching complex challenges “naively,” learning hands-on and building expertise independently ([03:52]).
  • Key Insight:
    • The value of being a "determined problem solver" and building knowledge from the ground up guides his leadership style.
    • PearTeam operates as a “bottoms up company”—iteratively identifying and solving the most impactful problems instead of imposing top-down solutions.
  • Quote:
    • “Jumping in and being determined, staying up late nights, researching, really getting into the weeds ... you can build up your own knowledge tree ... you don’t need anyone to tell you how to, you can just go and do it.” — Neil ([04:22])
    • “If you had to give me a shirt, it would just be ... determined problem solver.” — Neil ([05:47])

The Promise of AI in Healthcare – Making Care Equitable

• AI as a Tool for Reducing Barriers
  • Neil sees AI moving from back-office automation to direct patient interaction—conversational agents for care access ([06:29]).
  • AI has the potential to address immediate needs, crucial for vulnerable populations who otherwise face long wait times or resort to expensive ER visits.
  • Multilingual AI agents could support the >200 languages in the US, offering 24/7 service and infinite patience—key qualities for patients who may lack other support ([07:45]).
  • Real-World Example:
    • A care manager supporting a patient before surgery, going through every item in her cupboard—highlighting the emotional need for conversation, not just clinical support ([08:40]).
  • Financial Sustainability & Scalability:
    • Presently, PearTeam’s services must focus on high-need individuals due to cost constraints; but AI could lower the cost per patient drastically, enabling more universal access ([09:50]).
  • Safety, Equity & Iteration:
    • PearTeam carefully introduces AI through controlled, job-by-job deployment with robust human oversight and data labeling to ensure effectiveness and cultural competence ([10:55]).
  • Quote:
    • “AI is actually one of the ways we can bring access to the care delivery system ... instead of it being hundreds of dollars a month, you’re talking about $10 a month in this always available AI care manager. And that's what we're building towards.” — Neil ([09:50])

The Future Vision: Open Sourcing and Modernizing the Safety Net

• Ambitions for PearTeam and Broader Impact
  • In the next five years, Neil wants PearTeam to “open source our playbooks” and share their workflows, technologies, and lessons directly with state and federal stakeholders ([11:46]).
  • Systemic Change:
    • Envisions a shared, unified technology infrastructure connecting nonprofits, hospitals, food pantries, and shelters into an integrated care delivery system ([13:02]).
    • Example:
      • If shelters and hospitals were connected, shelters could receive notifications when clients are admitted, coordinate medication access, or enable food pantries to address dietary restrictions for diabetic patients.
  • Quote:
    • “The goal of PearTeam is not to hold on to the workflows and technologies that we build out, but instead show people how you can leverage both technology and a strong, operationally focused medical group to better serve our safety net.” — Neil ([12:00])
    • “What if a shelter organization had software ... so that it knew when one of its clients ... went to the hospital or went to a primary care office?” — Neil ([13:45])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Social Disparity Realization:
  “There are folks in disadvantaged situations through no fault of their own.” — Neil ([02:15])

• AI’s Human Touch:
  “You realize after a little bit … this is less about the conversation of what can I eat or not, it's more about having someone there that you can talk to because you're kind of scared.” — Neil ([08:55])

• On Sharing Innovation:
  “We’ve shown you … we’ve created the factory. Now let's show you how to create your own factory. The blueprint for the factory, so to speak.” — Neil ([12:32])

Timeline of Important Segments

• [01:23] — Neil’s childhood in India/Singapore and experiences with economic disparities
• [02:25] — Impactful anecdote about children living under a bridge
• [03:52] — Transition from engineer/researcher to healthcare leader; approach to problem-solving
• [06:29] — Vision for AI in healthcare: from automation to direct patient care
• [07:45] — Addressing linguistic and access barriers through AI
• [08:40] — Illustrative patient case and the need for empathy in care delivery
• [09:50] — Reducing costs to make care universally accessible via AI
• [10:55] — Safeguarding equity, cultural competence, and data integrity in AI deployment
• [11:46] — Five-year vision: open sourcing PearTeam’s playbook for systemic change
• [13:02] — The role of connected nonprofits and technology in unified care
• [13:45] — Concrete examples of integrated care infrastructure for the safety net

Conclusion

This episode delivers an inspiring look at how personal experience, empathy, and technological ingenuity can intersect to address deep-set healthcare inequities. Neil Batlivala’s journey reflects a commitment to tackling the toughest problems in the healthcare safety net—not just through invention but by building scalable, open, and inclusive solutions with AI at their core. Listeners come away with insight into both the challenges and promise of transformative healthcare innovation.