Our healthcare system wasn't designed for the 21st century. It is a century-old model built in an era without AI, designed to rescue sick people instead of keeping people healthy in the first place.
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, host Dirkjan Hupkes talks with Dr. Robin Blackstone about healthcare innovation, AI in medicine, and what real health system reform actually requires.
Whether you are following digital health trends or are a founder and investor building in the space, this conversation explores how a reimbursement system built after World War I still rewards treating sickness over prevention, and unpacks her Health 4.0 framework for closing that gap.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
The true cost: Why healthcare is the second line in the P&L of major US companies and why employees pay up to $6,000 per year for coverage.
Health 4.0: How to redefine care around continuous, personalized, AI-enabled health instead of episodic disease treatment.
Systemic incentives: What it would actually take for hospital CEOs, insurers, and health ministers to align incentives around wellness.
Data and equity: Why social determinants of health and data equity matter for building a system for "the other ninety-nine percent."
Technology's role: How AI connects people and systems to combat loneliness and drive decision-making.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:45 Introduction to Healthcare Innovation
06:35 The Journey of a Female Surgeon
09:33 Challenges in the U.S. Healthcare System
12:19 The Need for Systemic Change
15:27 Aligning Incentives in Healthcare
18:17 The Role of Technology in Health
21:18 Social Determinants of Health
24:15 The Impact of Environment on Health
27:05 AI’s Role in Personalized Medicine
30:09 Overcoming Barriers to Technology Adoption
33:01 Addressing Loneliness with Technology
35:41 The Role of AI in Human Connection
36:58 Understanding Health 4.0
41:16 Shifting from Crisis Management to Prevention
46:31 Incentive Changes in Healthcare
53:02 The Importance of Data in Healthcare
57:10 Monetizing Data and Equity in Healthcare
1:00:11 AI’s Role in Decision Making
1:02:16 Transforming Healthcare: A Personal Journey
1:05:46 Strategies for Healthcare Leaders
1:08:25 Reimagining Insurance and Payment Systems
1:10:44 Building a New Health System
1:11:50 The Human Element in Healthcare
1:16:18 Introducing Dr. AI: A New Frontier
1:21:23 Empowering Female Founders in Health Tech
1:27:17 How to Learn More and Connect with Dr. Blackstone
Links & Resources:
Show notes and blog: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/2026/07/30/episode-163/
Women Disrupting Tech on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/womendisruptingtech/p/episode-163?r=2v0lts&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Connect with Dr. Robin Blackstone:
Connect with host Dirkjan Hupkes:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkjan-hupkes/
FundingCoach.ai: https://fundingcoach.ai
Substack: https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/
About Women Disrupting Tech:
Every week, Women Disrupting Tech covers the decisions, patterns, and structural realities that female founders and investors rarely discuss in public but run into every time they meet. Follow to get it in your feed.
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