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Rounds: The Mental Health Moment
In Episode 6 of Rounds: The Mental Health Moment, Christina Farr and Stephanie Davis break down the latest healthcare headlines, then dig into the mental health space with Jake Cooper, CEO and Co-Founder of Grow Therapy, and Jon Cohen, CEO of Talkspace.
We'll cover:
- The latest headlines: CommonSpirit exiting its Conifer contract for $1.9B, Waystar exploring options including a sale, the rally in AI drug discovery names, and Neuberger and KKR investing in Datavant alongside New Mountain Capital
- How Grow Therapy differentiated from incumbents, what's next after its $150M Series D at a $3B valuation, and how it scales to 27,000+ providers without losing quality and continuity of care
- Where AI belongs in mental health care, from cutting provider documentation time by ~70% to the clinical relationship itself
- Why 73% of adults who knew they needed care skipped it, and why traditional EAPs leave employers needing a connected path instead of a cliff
- Talkspace's road from SPAC to UHS subsidiary, including the pivot from a D2C subscription app to a payor-based, in-network model
- What day one inside a hospital system looks like, and what the UHS deal signals about consolidation vs. staying independent
Hosts and Guests:
Christina Farr, CEO, Second Opinion; GP, Scrub Capital
Stephanie Davis, Healthcare Industry Analyst
Jake Cooper, CEO and Co-Founder of Grow Therapy
Jon Cohen, CEO of Talkspace
Sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank.
x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
In Episode 6 of Rounds: The Mental Health Moment, Christina Farr and Stephanie Davis break down the latest healthcare headlines, then dig into the mental health space with Jake Cooper, CEO and Co-Founder of Grow Therapy, and Jon Cohen, CEO of Talkspace.
We'll cover:
- The latest headlines: CommonSpirit exiting its Conifer contract for $1.9B, Waystar exploring options including a sale, the rally in AI drug discovery names, and Neuberger and KKR investing in Datavant alongside New Mountain Capital
- How Grow Therapy differentiated from incumbents, what's next after its $150M Series D at a $3B valuation, and how it scales to 27,000+ providers without losing quality and continuity of care
- Where AI belongs in mental health care, from cutting provider documentation time by ~70% to the clinical relationship itself
- Why 73% of adults who knew they needed care skipped it, and why traditional EAPs leave employers needing a connected path instead of a cliff
- Talkspace's road from SPAC to UHS subsidiary, including the pivot from a D2C subscription app to a payor-based, in-network model
- What day one inside a hospital system looks like, and what the UHS deal signals about consolidation vs. staying independent
Hosts and Guests:
Christina Farr, CEO, Second Opinion; GP, Scrub Capital
Stephanie Davis, Healthcare Industry Analyst
Jake Cooper, CEO and Co-Founder of Grow Therapy
Jon Cohen, CEO of Talkspace
Sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank.
x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
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Christina Farr retweeted
The meat industry tries very hard to keep cameras out of factory farms and slaughterhouses -- and a new undercover video shows why. Some day, our descendants will wonder about our collective blind spot to animal cruelty. A gift link to my column: nytimes.com/2026/10/17/opi…
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Uncomfortable but important read from @NickKristof (his courage for covering animal suffering in our denial culture is off the charts).
I can’t see how this is good for human health either, given the stress and suffering these animals endure.
nytimes.com/2026/10/17/opi…
I can’t see how this is good for human health either, given the stress and suffering these animals endure.
nytimes.com/2026/10/17/opi…
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The goal for AI in healthcare isn’t more AI in hospitals.
@ilyaburkov of @nebiusai says it’s the day nobody bothers to mention it.
WATCH:
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/episode/4CP7jp…
Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-h…
YouTube:
youtu.be/D5JXmgB72d8
@ilyaburkov of @nebiusai says it’s the day nobody bothers to mention it.
WATCH:
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/episode/4CP7jp…
Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-h…
YouTube:
youtu.be/D5JXmgB72d8
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Ban the sale of new fur products. Most people would support that for ethical reasons alone.
x.com/propublica/sta…
x.com/propublica/sta…
New: Little has been done to stop a bird flu outbreak on a Utah mink farm. Experts say officials’ failure to act is “irresponsible’’ and “astounding.” propub.li/47AsJDY
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My near term theory is AI is much better for provider systems than payers — with some caveats. Overall we are already seeing big spikes in utilization. It’s basically the opposite effect of Covid.
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Christina Farr retweeted
The demand for healthcare is infinite.
100 million people a week are using AI chat agents for mental health related problems.
And many of those conversations are serious. Talkspace CEO, Jon Cohen, points to reported data showing about a million people a week talk to AI about suicide, and around 600,000 of the chats ncing acute psychosis.
People are clearly turning to AI for support, many of them in real crisis. In early June, Talkspace launched Tee, the first safe AI agent for mental health support.
🎧 Listen to the full Rounds episode at the link in thread
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My secret skill I share at dinner parties is that I deeply love building fundraising decks.
Between myself and a few amazing designer friends I’ve built about 40 for health tech companies seed thru series D.
The combo of narrative storytelling + numbers is my happy place.
Between myself and a few amazing designer friends I’ve built about 40 for health tech companies seed thru series D.
The combo of narrative storytelling + numbers is my happy place.
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Not to give too much away but I do want my next intimate convening to be focused on the intersection of health-tech and policy.
If you think this sounds like something you'd want to be involved in, let myself or @RuthReader know.
If you think this sounds like something you'd want to be involved in, let myself or @RuthReader know.
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“You can actually tell by the sound of the drill whether or not that drill is going to fail soon.”
Thomas Knox, of VitVio on what ambient AI in the OR actually does.
Watch the full episode with @ilyaburkov of @nebiusai on Lifers:
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/episode/4CP7jp…
Apple: F
YouTube:
youtu.be/D5JXmgB72d8
Thomas Knox, of VitVio on what ambient AI in the OR actually does.
Watch the full episode with @ilyaburkov of @nebiusai on Lifers:
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/episode/4CP7jp…
Apple: F
YouTube:
youtu.be/D5JXmgB72d8
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Christina Farr retweeted
100 million people a week are using AI chat agents for mental health related problems.
And many of those conversations are serious. Talkspace CEO, Jon Cohen, points to reported data showing about a million people a week talk to AI about suicide, and around 600,000 of the chats ncing acute psychosis.
People are clearly turning to AI for support, many of them in real crisis. In early June, Talkspace launched Tee, the first safe AI agent for mental health support.
🎧 Listen to the full Rounds episode at the link in thread
And many of those conversations are serious. Talkspace CEO, Jon Cohen, points to reported data showing about a million people a week talk to AI about suicide, and around 600,000 of the chats ncing acute psychosis.
People are clearly turning to AI for support, many of them in real crisis. In early June, Talkspace launched Tee, the first safe AI agent for mental health support.
🎧 Listen to the full Rounds episode at the link in thread
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100 million people a week are using AI chat agents for mental health related problems.
And many of those conversations are serious. Talkspace CEO, Jon Cohen, points to reported data showing about a million people a week talk to AI about suicide, and around 600,000 of the chats ncing acute psychosis.
People are clearly turning to AI for support, many of them in real crisis. In early June, Talkspace launched Tee, the first safe AI agent for mental health support.
🎧 Listen to the full Rounds episode at the link in thread
And many of those conversations are serious. Talkspace CEO, Jon Cohen, points to reported data showing about a million people a week talk to AI about suicide, and around 600,000 of the chats ncing acute psychosis.
People are clearly turning to AI for support, many of them in real crisis. In early June, Talkspace launched Tee, the first safe AI agent for mental health support.
🎧 Listen to the full Rounds episode at the link in thread
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Watch the full episode 'The Mental Health Moment': linktr.ee/watchRounds
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Everyone across the health-tech industry is closely watching mental health chatbots. Demand from patients is sky-high, and it's a critical space for determining our regulatory future!
With @MikhailAlexa, @pelagohealth
secondopinion.media/people-are-alr…
With @MikhailAlexa, @pelagohealth
secondopinion.media/people-are-alr…
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lord give me the confidence of a billionaire asking me for the PDF (and the subscription is $25 a month).
x.com/alexrkonrad/st…
x.com/alexrkonrad/st…
lord give me the confidence of a VC who doesn't subscribe to my newsletter still asking me to recommend theirs on substack to "grow their audience"
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All my endocrinologist friends are low key amused, and maybe even a little horrified, on how influencers have gone gaga over ferritin. One influencer made herself a cake to celebrate her (actually elevated) ferritin.
It's getting silly out there.
It's getting silly out there.
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Christina Farr retweeted
Twenty dogs were found malnourished and neglected in an alleged Georgetown County dogfighting operation.
Twenty terrified animals. Used, abused, and treated like disposable weapons.
They were rescued. Now the people responsible must be held accountable.
Dogfighting is not nd the monsters who profit from it deserve no mercy.
Twenty terrified animals. Used, abused, and treated like disposable weapons.
They were rescued. Now the people responsible must be held accountable.
Dogfighting is not nd the monsters who profit from it deserve no mercy.
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Five things I did at SOS 26' that I hoped made it a memorable event:
- A patient story to kick off the event, and a patient story to end it
- A matcha bar and an affogato bar
- Insane amounts of outdoor space & light, no ballrooms
- Curated & diverse attendees
- No manels
- A patient story to kick off the event, and a patient story to end it
- A matcha bar and an affogato bar
- Insane amounts of outdoor space & light, no ballrooms
- Curated & diverse attendees
- No manels
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Christina Farr retweeted
"They don't have to be better than you. They just have to outlast your fundraise."
Thomas Knox of VitVio on how startups lose in healthcare.
@ilyaburkov of @nebiusai says hospitals may have the risk backwards. With AI, the startup could be the safer bet, while incumbents bolt from the 1990s.
New Lifers:
(00:00) Lead in
(01:03) Meet Dr. Ilya Burkov and Thomas Knox
(02:27) AI momentum in hospitals
(04:11) VitVio OR vision
(05:50) Founder origin story
(08:15) Capturing OR context
(09:19) Safety guardrails for AI
(11:03) Predictive OR automation
(14:40) Prevention and biomarkers
(16:47) Incentives shape AI
(18:57) Efficiency and trust
(25:27) Clinician-led adoption
(33:29) Infrastructure enables scale
(35:47) Hospital leverage and contracts
(37:29) Consolidation vs competition
(47:33) Committees and market noise
(54:02) AI becomes invisible
(55:38) Wrap
Thomas Knox of VitVio on how startups lose in healthcare.
@ilyaburkov of @nebiusai says hospitals may have the risk backwards. With AI, the startup could be the safer bet, while incumbents bolt from the 1990s.
New Lifers:
(00:00) Lead in
(01:03) Meet Dr. Ilya Burkov and Thomas Knox
(02:27) AI momentum in hospitals
(04:11) VitVio OR vision
(05:50) Founder origin story
(08:15) Capturing OR context
(09:19) Safety guardrails for AI
(11:03) Predictive OR automation
(14:40) Prevention and biomarkers
(16:47) Incentives shape AI
(18:57) Efficiency and trust
(25:27) Clinician-led adoption
(33:29) Infrastructure enables scale
(35:47) Hospital leverage and contracts
(37:29) Consolidation vs competition
(47:33) Committees and market noise
(54:02) AI becomes invisible
(55:38) Wrap
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Christina Farr retweeted
Great insights from fellow @Women_Of_Impact founding member @DrLisaShah We @achp agree wholeheartedly.
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"They don't have to be better than you. They just have to outlast your fundraise."
Thomas Knox of VitVio on how startups lose in healthcare.
@ilyaburkov of @nebiusai says hospitals may have the risk backwards. With AI, the startup could be the safer bet, while incumbents bolt from the 1990s.
New Lifers:
(00:00) Lead in
(01:03) Meet Dr. Ilya Burkov and Thomas Knox
(02:27) AI momentum in hospitals
(04:11) VitVio OR vision
(05:50) Founder origin story
(08:15) Capturing OR context
(09:19) Safety guardrails for AI
(11:03) Predictive OR automation
(14:40) Prevention and biomarkers
(16:47) Incentives shape AI
(18:57) Efficiency and trust
(25:27) Clinician-led adoption
(33:29) Infrastructure enables scale
(35:47) Hospital leverage and contracts
(37:29) Consolidation vs competition
(47:33) Committees and market noise
(54:02) AI becomes invisible
(55:38) Wrap
Thomas Knox of VitVio on how startups lose in healthcare.
@ilyaburkov of @nebiusai says hospitals may have the risk backwards. With AI, the startup could be the safer bet, while incumbents bolt from the 1990s.
New Lifers:
(00:00) Lead in
(01:03) Meet Dr. Ilya Burkov and Thomas Knox
(02:27) AI momentum in hospitals
(04:11) VitVio OR vision
(05:50) Founder origin story
(08:15) Capturing OR context
(09:19) Safety guardrails for AI
(11:03) Predictive OR automation
(14:40) Prevention and biomarkers
(16:47) Incentives shape AI
(18:57) Efficiency and trust
(25:27) Clinician-led adoption
(33:29) Infrastructure enables scale
(35:47) Hospital leverage and contracts
(37:29) Consolidation vs competition
(47:33) Committees and market noise
(54:02) AI becomes invisible
(55:38) Wrap
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