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On my hardest days leading clinics, I wanted to sit chairside with patients and talk…
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Ale Eguren shared thisBCBS recently published research suggesting that rising healthcare costs may be linked to the use of AI in medical practices and hospitals. The report claims that AI is being used to add extra diagnostic fees for patients, which leads to higher charges and increased costs for Americans. This has been a popular article in my healthcare circle, and I wanted to share some perspective. My overall take is that there's much more to the story, and at the core, I strongly believe AI is not driving healthcare costs up. Unfortunately, this issue could quickly turn into both sides blaming each other. One side might say, 'You're using AI to deny my claim,' while the other responds, 'You’re using AI to increase charges.' This creates an ongoing conflict and gives AI a bad reputation. However, other research and data tell a different story. For instance, denial rates for medical providers have increased in recent years, which adds more administrative work and puts extra pressure on an already strained system. For example, the American Hospital Association reports that a significant amount of money is tied up in administrative or mistaken denials that are eventually overturned. This total is much higher. About 40 times greater than the amount mentioned in the BCBS article. I want to focus on positive solutions because AI offers many ways to help payers support better patient care. While I mostly talk about medical providers here, I think it's helpful to look at a range of examples. The goal should be to create benefits for everyone involved. 🍵 Payers can review claim data and contact providers to coordinate better care by seeing what they think is missing from follow-up claims. 🍵 By reviewing claim data, payers can spot when patients have not seen their providers in a while. This can help prevent hospitalizations and even allow for direct outreach to those patients. 🍵 Sharing AI claim rules with providers helps them improve their documentation and reduce administrative denials. 🍵 Medical practices with strong documentation and low denial rates could be rewarded by reducing prior authorizations or even offering bonuses on their claims. This would lower the administrative burden for everyone. 🍵 Providers and doctors could receive updates when patients pick up their medications from the pharmacy, allowing them to follow up on any medication adherence issues. There are many more possibilities, but the main point is that we can use AI to automate certain tasks that add real value for both providers and payers, while also improving patient care outcomes. Link to articles: https://lnkd.in/gP56rkZt https://lnkd.in/gRZWCq_HNew BCBSA Research Shows AI Billing Raises Health Care CostsNew BCBSA Research Shows AI Billing Raises Health Care Costs
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Ale Eguren shared thisOne interesting pattern we’ve observed is that over time a clinic's billing function can start to deteriorate. The worst case I’ve seen is 20% revenue leakage. These are hard-earned procedures and considerate care that a clinic rightfully earns but doesn't collect. This problem can happen whether you handle billing in-house or use an outside company. Over time, clinic leaders may get used to collecting less money because it’s hidden by faster cash flow or better AR Days. Money still comes in, income looks good, and there are fewer collection headaches. But eventually, these hidden costs add up. Why does this happen? Well, it’s a slippery slope. Billing teams face many small pressures that can slowly affect their accuracy. First, coding correctly is difficult. You need proper documentation and must understand each payer’s rules. You also have to be ready to appeal denials. Over time, teams may choose the easier path to avoid extra work. Second, teams are often busy and need to send out bills quickly. If providers don’t have the right documentation, it can feel uncomfortable for billing staff to interrupt a doctor’s work. This is even harder when billing is outsourced, since it involves working with another organization. As a result, it’s easier to leave things as they are instead of getting full support for a higher-level code. Third, many teams start to think that underbilling is normal. They worry that coding higher could be seen as fraud or overbilling. But when compared to similar clinics, they actually stand out as an exception. For example, I once saw a patient with five health conditions marked as low complexity because the team was afraid of overcoding. All these factors put real pressure on teams to undercode. Since faster collections can hide the problem, people celebrate the progress and blame payers for lower payments. While that’s partly true, you might also be billing for less than you should. Here are some questions to consider: 🍵 Do you get claim denials but never appeal them? 🍵 Do you review your code distribution at least twice a year? 🍵 Do you regularly train your teams on the best practices for medical documentation? 🍵 Are your Days AR getting better, but your collections are not improving? If you’re not sure where your clinic stands, you should reach out to @camino. We can help diagnose this issue quickly. With a decaf in hand, Ale
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Ale Eguren shared thisHappy Hispanic Heritage Month! It's a special time to celebrate the roots I and so many others share. Our stories are rich with taking chances, nurturing one another, and creating pockets of familia wherever we go. So for today I want to talk about a Latina who is very important to me. My mom, Maria Isabel! At Camino AI Partners, I’ve worked only on healthcare projects. But there is one exception. I remember talking to my mom about all the work we were doing with AI, and she asked if I could help her with a new business venture she started with a friend. It was a passion project for them, and something that touched the lives of millions of folks in the Hispanic community. I wasn’t sure how I could help, but I thought, “This is a once in a lifetime chance to work on something my mom cares about.” Having the freedom to get involved has been one of the biggest blessings since I became a founder. This work has been rewarding and has brought us even closer. I want to brag about my mom for a moment. She and her business partner, both inspired by their own experiences with divorce, started Divorce Coaching Latino. It’s a place where people learn to become professional coaches to help Hispanic communities move forward after divorce. Our students have included professionals from legal, psychological, and financial backgrounds, as well as those who had a powerful experience and want to help others. I’ve attended many sessions and watched coaches grow, use their own stories, and support others. Their mission isn’t to promote divorce, but to help people build better relationships with themselves and those around them. Just last week, they reached some important milestones, and I feel lucky to be part of their team. Ali Peschiera Clark, Raquel Saavedra E, Micaela Villa Garcia If you ever get the chance to work with your mom, say YES. PS. What a crazy, fun photo of us. Sorry, Mom! Had to share it!
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Ale Eguren shared thisAs this week comes to a close, I wanted to share a project that began as a simple idea and, within about an hour, turned into a working prototype. We called it our AI Coaching Buddy! One thing I find exciting about working with AI is how quickly we can turn an idea into a working prototype now. Recently, I started working with a primary care client. We noticed a real need for more leadership and development coaching for some team members. I enjoy running these sessions, but I realized I wasn’t always consistent in how much progress we made each time. I think I could benefit from using stronger coaching frameworks. That’s when I thought about using AI with some well-known coaching guides and evaluation frameworks to build a rubric for myself. Now, after each coaching session, my grader gives me: ☕ An overall score ☕ Areas of improvement ☕ Missed opportunities for coaching moments ☕ A full breakdown of our conversation, organized by topic By combining transcripts, proven coaching frameworks, and AI, I’ve created something that’s been really helpful in our practice. If you’re interested in trying something similar, feel free to reach out!
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Ale Eguren shared thisI attended my first Claude Build Day event in Healthcare. It was super interesting, and we shared lots of lessons, tips, and tricks we’ve picked up along the way. I went hoping to sharpen my skills around AI tooling and building. And that’s exactly what I got! Here are a few things I learned: ☕ If you’ve avoided build events because you’re nervous or new to AI tools, don’t worry! Most people there hadn’t used Claude Code before, but many left with practical skills to get started. ☕ Building things is fun, but meeting the people there is even better. They have ideas, want to solve problems, and enjoy connecting. I found them inspiring and great to be around! ☕ People in healthcare need to share context. I met many who want to move into healthcare and have great ideas. When you combine them with those who have years of experience, it’s a strong mix. For example, someone thought a patient had dialysis once a month, but I know it’s usually three times a week! Big thanks to Anthropic, Sharon Rao, MD, and Marie Roker-Jones for organizing the event, and a shout-out to everyone building their startups that night. I met some great people and want to give them a quick mention for being awesome: Rohan Piple, Jessica R., Akash P., Emily Lee, David Esselman (meeting twice in one week? very cool) I also want to give a quick plug to Camino AI Partners. Staying sharp with AI is important to us, so joining and contributing to events like this is part of who we are! With a warm cup of coffee in hand, AleAle Eguren shared thisLast week I hosted my first workshop with Anthropic — a Claude Build Day for Healthcare in New York City. I'm honored to have co-hosted one of the first rooms in the world building on Fable 5.1, the week it launched with Marie Roker-Jones and Ajay Y. as part of Claude Community Events. I've always believed healthcare professionals don't have an interest problem with AI — we have an access problem. My goal was to put clinicians, health professionals, researchers, and health system operators in a room with the right tools, and watch what they build. A few of my favorites: Ajer Sher showcased Clementine Health: a software that supports inpatient care teams with discharge coordination and administrative readiness, designed alongside the teams who actually own that workflow. Rohan Piple who built AŠVA: a performance wellness program helping athletes find a competitive edge through mind, body, and emotional balance. David Esselman, the founder of MedEQ: an AI workflow that keeps prescribers current on drug label changes — new boxed warnings, contraindications — the moment they happen. Ryan Michie who built a scheduler that helps dialysis patients cut the wait time between their dialysis shift and waiting for their rides home. Thank you to everyone who came to build, and to Anthropic for making it possible! Bonnie, Roman, Swetha, Mishal, Tahmina, Jaziba, Jayprakash, Kathalyn, Sohaib, Jaison, Akash, Jessica, Ale, Eleesia, Natasha, Rahil, Abhishek, Sharon, Woody, Emily. Our next Claude Impact Lab is themed around mental health & wellness — join us: https://lnkd.in/gZNFFQDZ All content shot by: PVO Media ✨ #NYC #Healthcare #Tech #AI #HealthTech #Anthropic
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Ale Eguren shared thisI really enjoyed writing this case study about our work at Camino AI Partners. It only took a few cups of coffee to get past writer's block and finish it. If you're a medical professional, I hope you'll read it and share what stands out to you. Cheers ☕ , AleAle Eguren shared thisCASE STUDY: How a 6-Doctor Nephrology Practice Found $250K We enjoyed putting this case study together because it highlights the value of real partnership. In it, we share the practice’s background, their goals, and what we discovered during our work. Here’s what you’ll find inside: ☕ Why billing functions can start to underperform over time ☕ Why Ambient AI was not a solution for this independent practice ☕ How a small independent practice can gain confidence in what comes next Camino stands out because we combine operations know-how with AI expertise. Our diagnostic is fast and designed for independent medical practices. We built our system to support practices like these. Take a look at the case study to learn more. P.S. We’re also working on a new case study about Primary Care, so keep an eye out for that. https://lnkd.in/g5G4KyuZ #MedicalPractice #HealthcareOperations #HealthcareAI #IndependentPractice #PracticeManagementCase Study: How a 6-Doctor Nephrology Practice Found $250KCase Study: How a 6-Doctor Nephrology Practice Found $250K
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Ale Eguren shared thisWow, what a busy and fulfilling last month this has been. On the personal front, we packed up everything and moved from LA to NYC. Mirah Xu has started her MBA at Columbia Business School, and I’ve even been mistaken for a student there a few times. I’ll take it as a compliment—it must mean I look young! The move was a lot of work, but it’s already paying off. Work-wise, the days have been long, but Camino AI Partners is really gaining momentum in our second month. From the start, our goal was to make sure medical professionals aren’t left behind by new technology. Here are a few milestones I’m especially excited about: 🍵 Our first clients are already seeing some early progress, which makes me really happy for them. We’re launching new service lines together, and AI has played a big role in speeding things up. 🍵 Now, some clients are reaching out to us first, which happened sooner than I expected. We’re thrilled about it. 🍵 Through one of our partners, we’re even looking at a possible international expansion. It’s a bit uncertain, but very exciting. I’ve learned that it’s ok not to have a clear path planned out. The path will reveal itself as you walk it. Some weeks are easier than others. But it’s been my family, mentors, and early clients who have really fueled my motivation. A deep thank you to you all. With a decaf in hand, Ale PS. Featured in the photos are me at a Starbucks Reserve in NYC and a look into our move! Of course, my desk is one of the first things I had to set up! PPS. Coffee also helps with motivation! Some folks find it odd that I drink 4 to 5 cups a day. I find it delightful. In October I’ll be heading to Panama for the World Barista Competition. If you are somehow magically going too, let me know! #healthcare #medicalpractice #entrepreneurship #HealthcareAI
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Ale Eguren reposted thisAle Eguren reposted thisGood people, great conversations, and a beautiful night in Santa Monica. A few weeks ago, HAE SoCal brought the Harvard entrepreneurial community together at The Bungalow to kick off a new season of programming. It was a great evening of reconnecting, meeting new people, and bringing founders, investors, operators, and other alumni together. Thanks to everyone who came out. Looking forward to more evenings like this. Thank you chapter leaders Felix Bustos III, Ugulay Sloan, and Olga Martynov.
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Ale Eguren shared thisA little coffee pun in sharing a post I wrote. Choosing an AI vendor without a framework is like choosing coffee without knowing your roast. You'll get something, just not what you needed.Ale Eguren shared thisHow do you choose the right AI vendor for your medical practice? The answer is that it depends on your specific needs. That might not feel like a complete answer, so let me share a framework to help you make this decision. After talking with many companies, I’ve noticed two main ways to measure value. Most look to show a calculated ROI based on either cash or capacity. To figure out capacity, multiply the hours saved or created by the average cost of that team member’s rate. With that in mind, it’s important to go into this search with a clear vision of what you hope to get out of the system. These goals will land in GROWTH, MARGIN EXPANSION, and CAPABILITIES. If your goal is growth, saving or creating those hours can help your team be more productive and reach their potential. If you care most about margins, focus on the cash return. If you want new capabilities, look for a solution that balances both. When you start with a clear vision, you’ll know what to focus on in your discussions. You can also visit our website to find a full framework for building your AI department. #MedicalPractice #PracticeManagement #HealthcareProfessionals #AIinHealthcare
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Malory McLemore Aww I will miss LA very much, thank you!! Let me know if you are ever around!
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Ale Eguren liked thisAle Eguren liked thisI joined TrueContext this week as SVP Operations. Why here? Field service is where the physical economy actually happens: the pump that gets inspected, the turbine that gets serviced, and the elevator that gets certified. The record of that moment is the most valuable data an industrial company produces. Yet, most of it never reaches a system anyone can act on. TrueContext has spent decades capturing it, for thousands of businesses, inside the systems the rest of the operation already runs on. Now AI can read what was captured, and the company that holds the context wins. It's not surprising that the Service Council™ named TrueContext the most innovative solution at its executive symposium last week. I will own what happens after a customer signs: getting them to the outcome they hired TrueContext for and making sure they can see it. Thank you, Varun Nath, for the trust. To the TrueContext team: I am glad to be here.
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Ale Eguren liked thisIt's been three months since I've stepped in as Deputy Vice Dean of Wharton's MBA Program for Executives, and I feel more honored than ever to be in this role and to have the opportunity to contribute to the remarkable student experience at Wharton. I am grateful for the remarkable WEMBA staff and faculty members do deliver such an exceptional experience for our students. I am excited for the things we have planned for the future! #Wharton #WEMBAAle Eguren liked thisMeet Michael Christensen, the new Deputy Vice Dean of our MBA Program for Executives. Since joining our Management Department as a Lecturer in 2022, Deputy Vice Dean Christensen has taught #WEMBA students across all three cohorts, gaining a close view of what he says makes the program distinctive: the caliber of the students, the depth of classroom conversations, and a shared commitment to community and lifelong learning. In his new role, he will continue to champion students and the learning experience by strengthening their academic experience and enhancing how students learn. “I’m particularly interested in creating even richer experiences for Global cohort students by exploring new technologies and teaching approaches that make virtual learning more interactive and engaging,” Deputy Vice Dean Christensen says. Another priority of his is to observe colleagues in the classroom to learn from them. “I want to experience the classroom from the students’ perspective,” he says. “Our faculty are world-renowned, and we have so much to teach each other. One of the most important things I can do, and what we as faculty members can do, is to simply show up, watch, and listen.”
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Ale Eguren liked thisAle Eguren liked thisYC startups are hitting $1M faster than ever... and many of them aren't really software companies anymore 🫠 I sat through ~200 pitches from the latest batch Nearly 15 said they hit $1M ARR 🤯 Roughly 1 in 6 seem to be services business and if you only look at those with $1M+ ARR, it's 1 in 3 It's kinda crazy since this year's request for startups was exactly this Sell services, not software... And the batch delivered!
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Licenses & Certifications
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Generative & Agentic AI in Marketing Completion Badge
Harvard Business School AI Institute
IssuedCredential ID 692262191 -
AI-Enhanced Product Management Completion Badge
Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard (D^3)
IssuedCredential ID 356724117 -
Generative & Agentic AI in Finance Completion Badge
Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard (D^3)
IssuedCredential ID 605412571 -
Agentic AI Fundamentals Completion Badge
Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard (D^3)
IssuedCredential ID 688338818 -
Generative AI Fundamentals Completion Badge
Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard (D^3)
IssuedCredential ID 635457168 -
Predictive AI Fundamentals Completion Badge
Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard (D^3)
IssuedCredential ID 243112505
Courses
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Discrete Mathematics
MA293
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Electric Circuits
EK307
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Introduction to Engineering Computation
EK127
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Introduction to Software Engineering
EC327
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Mechanics
EK301
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Molecular Cell Biology
BE209
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English
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Spanish
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Chinese
Elementary proficiency
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