Ethan Davidoff Of Atlas Health On the Future of Artificial Intelligence

An Interview With David Leichner

Privacy and misuse of data: Protecting patient privacy is crucial as AI uses a lot of sensitive data. We need to make sure this data is handled responsibly and that it’s not misused or accessed without permission. Ethics matter a lot in this area.

As a part of our series about the future of Artificial Intelligence, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ethan Davidoff.

Ethan Davidoff is the CEO and founder of Atlas Health, an AI-powered platform that matches patients with philanthropic aid programs. He’s an active advocate for healthcare accessibility and affordability and strives for a future in which patients don’t have to make life-altering decisions to pay for necessary treatments. He earned his business degree from UC Berkeley and attended the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you share with us the ‘backstory” of how you decided to pursue this career path in AI?

Prior to starting Atlas Health, I was part of the founding team at RiskIQ (acquired by Microsoft) that leveraged AI to predict and prevent malware attacks that were targeting consumers of Fortune 500 brands. I saw firsthand how powerful machine learning could be applied to train algorithms to become smarter, better, more accurate and have a higher probability of success than can be solved by traditional rules engines.

After seeing one of my wife’s friends use GoFundMe to pay for cancer treatment she couldn’t afford, I was inspired to find a way to reduce the financial burden for patients that are dealing with chronic illnesses. After doing research, I found that there were over 20,000 philanthropic aid programs and nearly $30B in potential aid available to patients. I quickly realized this was another opportunity where AI could make solving this problem economically feasible for providers to help as many patients as possible. I founded Atlas Health on this premise and have scaled from an idea to a 8-figure business powering some of the top health systems’ financial aid departments.

What lessons can others learn from your story?

Financial toxicity is a pressing concern for patients facing serious illnesses like cancer, especially for underrepresented individuals. The combination of escalating drug prices, greater financial responsibility for patients (due to high deductible plans and out-of-pocket costs from insurers), and the impact of inflation and economic downturns have made it increasingly difficult for patients to afford essential treatments for illnesses like cancer. These patients not only encounter substantial medical bills, but also face disruptions to their employment and income, affecting both themselves and their family members. Issues tend to arise with paid time off, job retention, health insurance coverage, and more, making it increasingly difficult to get out of medical debt.

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll revealed that about a quarter of US adults struggle to afford medical costs, leading them to delay or forgo necessary treatments. The overwhelming financial burden of medical care can even drive patients to skip treatments to save money, thereby exacerbating their health outcomes. A CDC report highlighted that a staggering 9.2 million people in the US attempted to save money on prescription costs by either skipping doses or delaying refills. Financial toxicity has the potential to cost lives and significantly diminish the quality of life for millions. It’s crucial to use technology like AI to connect providers and patients to aid programs that reduce financial toxicity.

Our use of artificial intelligence has had a tangible impact on patients who are in their most vulnerable moments. While there are some fears around the technology, healthcare companies should feel empowered to responsibly innovate to better the lives of patients and healthcare providers.

Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now?

From a technology standpoint, we’ve been continuing to refine our AI and RPA-based solutions to ensure we’re providing both health systems and patients with an optimal experience. We’re using AI at an operational level for the most part, but we are aiming to make AI a fundamental part of the business DNA. So far, we’ve made progress by activating complex logic and matching engine rules to intelligently match patients to the most suitable philanthropic aid programs. This removes a big manual process of searching for programs online and reviewing complex eligibility requirements in order to match patients successfully to programs.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

The founder and CEO of RiskIQ has been a key part in my own personal career journey and evolution. He taught me to have a strong focus on product and operational quality, while staying in equilibrium with sales and marketing so that we are always actively listening to the market and what clients need in a technology platform. In healthcare, we are dealing with the most sensitive data out there. Even though we don’t provide a clinical product, we take our technology and security responsibility very seriously, which has shaped our mantra to build our product and company in a healthy way that can impact as many patients as possible.

What are the 5 things that most excite you about the AI industry? Why?

In healthcare specifically, there are a few opportunities with AI that are exciting in terms of how they can significantly impact the industry and improve overall patient care. Here are the top five aspects that excite me the most:

• Unlocking access to financial assistance: By leveraging AI, companies like Atlas Health can use this technology to make treatment, particularly high-cost treatments more accessible for so many patients. This type of work would normally take hospital staff hours and even days to do, but by leveraging technology to find financial assistance for patients’ treatment, we can free them up to focus on delivering care for their patients and afford patients the lifesaving treatment they need.
• Matching patients with their ideal programs: AI in healthcare can democratize medical information, enabling health systems to access reliable and relevant health data. This empowers our team at Atlas Health to ensure patients are being matched with eligible and available programs and given the opportunity to receive optimal treatment.
• Enhanced efficiency and reduced administrative burdens: AI can streamline administrative processes, making them more efficient and free up healthcare professionals’ time. This would allow them to focus more on patient care and less on paperwork and repetitive tasks.
• Data-driven decision making: AI has the potential to analyze vast amounts of medical data quickly and accurately. It can provide valuable insights that would typically require a whole team of experts to analyze, leading to better-informed decisions in patient diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Inspiring innovation: The healthcare industry is witnessing a rapid pace of innovation driven by AI. Exciting developments such as personalized medicine, telemedicine, and medical image analysis are transforming patient care and revolutionizing healthcare practices.

These AI-driven advancements have far-reaching implications that impact everyone, transcending specific industries. By responsibly integrating this technology and continuing to explore its use cases, AI has the potential to elevate our overall quality of life and revolutionize healthcare as we know it.

What are the 5 things that concern you about the AI industry? Why?

As companies rush to incorporate AI into healthcare, they have to also think about the potential concerns. While AI offers promising innovations, it is paramount for companies to take these issues seriously and consider them during the development and deployment of AI models and use cases. Many researchers and industry leaders have publicly acknowledged five concerning aspects of AI in healthcare:

• Bias: Sometimes AI algorithms can pick up biases from the data they learn from, leading to unequal health outcomes for certain groups. We need to be aware of this and find ways to address it, so that AI can contribute to fair and equitable healthcare.
• Misinformation: AI systems, like any technology, can sometimes generate inaccurate information. We have to be cautious about this and put in efforts to ensure that the insights AI provides are reliable, helping healthcare professionals make accurate decisions.
• Privacy and misuse of data: Protecting patient privacy is crucial as AI uses a lot of sensitive data. We need to make sure this data is handled responsibly and that it’s not misused or accessed without permission. Ethics matter a lot in this area.
• Lack of non-technical voices: It’s essential to have a diverse set of voices involved in the development of AI in healthcare. We need perspectives from not only technical experts but also healthcare professionals, patients, and other stakeholders to ensure that AI serves everyone’s needs and concerns.
• A lack of regulation: With AI advancing so quickly, some areas lack clear regulations. We should work together with experts and policymakers to develop guidelines and standards for AI in healthcare. This will help ensure safe and responsible use of AI, especially in critical decision-making situations.

As you know, there is an ongoing debate between prominent scientists, (personified as a debate between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg,) about whether advanced AI poses an existential danger to humanity. What is your position about this?

Thinking about healthcare specifically, we believe AI can be a powerful force for good in improving humanity’s well-being. That’s what we aim to do at Atlas Health, by harnessing the benefits of AI to connect hospitals and their patients with philanthropic aid programs in a highly efficient manner. Through the use of AI, we can intelligently match patients to philanthropic aid programs in real-time, ensuring swift enrollment for patients and streamlining the entire process. In this context, AI brings numerous advantages, including quick data analysis and streamlined workflows. Nonetheless, we remain vigilant about potential risks and take measures to minimize bias, striving to ensure equitable health outcomes for all patients. At Atlas Health, we implement rigorous testing and validation processes, adhering to strict ethical guidelines to safeguard patient privacy and safety. We’re committed to responsibly and transparently utilizing AI’s potential, with the paramount goal of leveraging AI to reduce the financial burden facing patients.

What can be done to prevent such concerns from materializing? And what can be done to assure the public that there is nothing to be concerned about?

To prevent concerns from materializing, it is crucial to prioritize responsible and ethical implementation of AI. While the rapid growth in the industry can put pressure on companies to quickly innovate, fairness and ethical considerations in AI endeavors should be the top priority. A continued commitment to experimentation and learning will pave the way for responsible widespread adoption of AI in the future. Moreover, transparency plays a vital role in addressing public concerns. Companies working with AI should be open about their projects and their objectives, providing insight into their processes. This transparency can help alleviate fears and assure the public that AI is being used for constructive purposes, mitigating any apprehensions about potential harmful applications. By proactively focusing on responsible practices and transparent communication, we can build trust and confidence in the responsible development and use of AI technology.

As you know, there are not that many women in your industry. Can you advise what is needed to engage more women into the AI industry?

Opportunities need to be carved out for women in the industry, and it needs to start before they even enter the field. A 2018 World Economic Forum report revealed that only 22% of AI professionals globally were female at the time, and women only accounted for 29% of the STEM workforce in 2019. To foster inclusion in the space, companies should invest in women’s careers starting at the university level and develop actionable goals to bring more women into the workforce.

Another starting point is for everyone of all genders to realize that whether we like it or not, AI is the future and recent AI breakthroughs are shaping it into the internet-level breakthrough we experienced in the 90s. Every woman who likes math and science, should be encouraged to leverage resources available to immerse themselves and find job opportunities in AI.

What is your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that had relevance to your own life?

A quote I live by is, “happiness isn’t about getting all you want, it’s about enjoying all you have.” We all have goals that we want to achieve, but I don’t let them control my present. Even though it’s very easy to get sucked into the minutiae of making your company as big and successful as possible, it’s even more important to appreciate all that you have right now, including your family and friends.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share a story?

Starting Atlas Health has been a big accomplishment of mine to bring goodness to the world. We interact with patients on a daily basis that have thought about discontinuing or not even starting treatment because it was either that or put food on the table for their family. One story that comes to my mind that still brings tears to my eyes. It was when we first started out and were working with one of our clients, King’s Daughters. We were able to secure a high-cost cancer treatment for a patient. She told us that she was ready to die because she didn’t want to saddle her living relatives with medical debt since she couldn’t afford the treatment. She told us that we are “angels sent from heaven” and that she would be forever grateful. This is just one of many stories that we hear on a daily basis about how patients can see hope in a sometimes hopeless situation. I wake up every day excited and motivated to lead a company that is directly impacting patients’ lives for the better.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I’m fortunate in that I’m already leaning into a movement of creating a more equitable healthcare system. Over the past couple years, individuals’ economic situations may have gotten worse and the number of individuals being diagnosed with chronic diseases isn’t decreasing. Even though the country isn’t at a place for universal healthcare, Atlas is doing everything we can to find philanthropic aid for those chronic disease patients that cannot afford treatment that will save or prolong their lives. Every patient we help is another moment of hope not only for us as a company but for that patient and their loved ones. Health equity is hard to achieve but I feel that we are well positioned to really improve healthcare disparities and help patients who otherwise would’ve been overlooked in our existing market.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Readers can visit our website, https://atlas.health/, or follow Atlas Health on LinkedIn and Twitter to learn more about our mission and upcoming announcements.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.