Under the Same Sky
Under the Same Sky is our regular series of discussions with key thought leaders on the advancement of health equity. On each episode, Abner Mason, explores the advancement of health equity with other industry experts and thought leaders. Together, they’ll discuss challenges and opportunities that all healthcare organizations should consider as they work to advance their own health equity initiatives.
How to join or listen
Under the Same Sky is available both as a live program on LinkedIn (with recordings available after the show), and as a podcast:
To join live
Shows are streamed live on LinkedIn. Live listeners can also ask questions to Abner and our guest(s) by using the comment feature on LinkedIn. To join in, be sure to follow GroundGame.Health on LinkedIn. The broadcasts will be accessible from our company page at the scheduled time. If you use the LinkedIn app, you’ll be notified when the broadcast begins.To listen to recordings
Show recordings with audio and video are posted within the episode listings below, usually within 24 hours of the broadcast.To listen to the podcast
The audio portion of each episode is available through leading podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Subscribe to the show using your preferred app to receive notifications of new episodes.
Upcoming and past shows
Both upcoming and previously broadcast shows are listed below, by date.
Search events
Under the Same Sky featuring Tracy Watts
As we continue to face complex challenges like health disparities and climate change, the role of employers in shaping the future of healthcare is more critical than ever. In preparation for the 2024 Climate Week, we invited Tracy Watts, senior partner and US leader for healthcare policy at Mercer, to be our guest speaker for this Under the Same Sky discussion. This conversation explored the intersection of employer benefit programs, health equity, and climate change. Tracy shared insights and strategies that Mercer is using to help employers better protect their employees as they commit to building healthier and more resilient futures for clients and communities.
Under the Same Sky featuring David Michaels, PhD, MPH
Abner Mason was joined by Dr. David Michaels, epidemiologist, professor, and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Their conversation focused on the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health in light of the pressing issues of worker safety amidst climate change, specifically the new OSHA initiative recently announced by President Biden. This episode of Under the Same Sky explored the intersection of public health, occupational safety, and health equity.
Under the Same Sky featuring Mark Savage, JD
Abner Mason was joined by Mark Savage, JD, managing director of digital health strategy and policy at Savage & Savage LLC, for this episode of Under the Same Sky. The dialogue illuminated Mark’s journey leading to the development and implementation of electronic health information technology to impacting health equity and community populations. Mark shared insights from his role as the SDOH policy advisor for the Gravity Project, and he emphasized the importance of involving the community while using data to bridge the clinical and social aspects of healthcare.
Under the Same Sky featuring GroundGame.Health
This Under the Same Sky episode featured Susan Rawlings Molina, CEO, and Chris Burrows, community engagement manager, for GroundGame.Health. During this discussion, we shared more details about our merger with GroundGame.Health and also how we (as a newly combined organization) are helping people overcome health-related social needs. Susan and Chris shared real-world examples about how they are working to close the loop on the last mile in healthcare and significantly impact people’s lives.
Under the Same Sky with Erica Galvez, CEO of Manifest MedEx
Abner Mason hosted a discussion with Erica Galvez, chief executive officer at Manifest MedEx. During this conversation, Erica discussed Manifest MedEx’s initiatives to address health equity challenges and support population health management. Erica also discussed the new California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework and how it facilitates the secure and appropriate exchange of health and social services information to drive whole-person care.
Health Equity Predictions 2023 Year in Review: Under the Same Sky with Dr. Chris Gibbons, founder and CEO of The Greystone Group, Inc.
At the beginning of 2023, we highlighted health equity predictions for the year provided by more than a dozen influential health equity leaders. For the final Under the Same Sky discussion of 2023, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Chris Gibbons, MD, MPH, founder and CEO of The Greystone Group, Inc. During this event, Abner and Chris reviewed the 2023 predictions, broke them into five different categories, and discussed where the industry is at, as well as where it needs to go to advance health equity.
Under the Same Sky with Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan and Dr. Kaz Rafia of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
On November 30, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, hosted a discussion with Myechia Minter-Jordan (MD, MBA), president and CEO, and also Kaz Rafia (DDS, MBA, MPH), chief health equity officer of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. This conversation focused on the connection between oral health, behavioral health, and overall health, and the impact of oral health disparities.
Under the Same Sky with Yusuf Henriques of IndyGeneUS AI
On Thursday, October 26, Abner Mason hosted a discussion with Yusuf N. Henriques, founder and CEO of IndyGeneUS AI and IndyGeneUS Global. This conversation focused on how IndyGeneUS AI is using their combined experience from the FDA, the military, and in academia, to lead change and deliver high-quality, reliable disease insights that are inclusive of populations underrepresented in genetic research, while also building trust among these communities.
Under the Same Sky with Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola of Humana
On September 13, Abner Mason hosted a discussion with Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola (MD, MPH, FAAFP), chief health equity officer and senior vice president at Humana. The conversation was focused on Dr. Olayiwola’s priorities, experiences, and key initiatives to advance health equity. She discussed the importance of developing health equity strategies rooted in data and insights and also emphasized the need for cross-functional collaboration to address health disparities and barriers to care.
Under the Same Sky with Kevin Dedner, MPH
On August 24, 2023, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, hosted a conversation with Kevin Dedner, MPH, where he discussed his experience in solving complex public health problems as a public health executive. He is currently working to launch an AI-powered platform to provide trustworthy health information, referrals to care, and care support to traditionally underserved communities and priority populations to decrease health disparities and advance health equity. Watch the recording of the conversation to hear more.
Under the Same Sky with Dr. Leo Anthony Celi of MIT
Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, hosted a discussion with Leo Anthony Celi (MD, MPH, MSc), Clinical Research Director and Principal Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Computational Physiology at MIT. The conversation focused on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and the opportunities and challenges Dr. Celi is concerned about as the healthcare industry moves full speed ahead with AI investments and initiatives.
Under the Same Sky with Jane Sarasohn-Kahn of Health Populi and THINK-Health
Abner Mason hosted a discussion with Health Economist, Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. During this conversation they focused on the future of healthcare and innovative approaches to expanding access to care, particularly for those in traditionally underserved communities.
Under the Same Sky with Melissa Hanna and Dr. Amanda P. Williams of Mahmee
Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, hosted a discussion about maternal health equity with Melissa Hanna, CEO, and Dr. Amanda P. Williams, Medical Director, of Mahmee. They discussed Mahmee's unique and holistic approach to supporting women during pregnancy and postpartum care.
Under the Same Sky with Lisa Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA of Grapevine Health
Overcoming health disparities and guiding members to the care they need can challenge even the most committed health plans because individuals differ in how they understand, engage with, and use the current US health system. Establishing relationships and actually getting to know members is the first step that needs to be taken in order to build trust and uncover barriers. Listen as Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, hosts a discussion with Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Grapevine Health, about different challenges and solutions to empower members in their healthcare journey.
Under the Same Sky with Samantha J. Murphy of Salesforce
For health plan leaders, it's essential to have an effective outreach strategy in place to engage Medicaid members, make them aware of the impending redetermination process, and help guide them so they can retain health benefits coverage either through Medicaid if they remain eligible, or if they're not, through a Marketplace or other option. Listen as Abner Mason discussed this important topic and the role that technology plays in helping Medicaid members retain coverage with Samantha Murphy from Salesforce.
Under the Same Sky with Bryan O. Buckley, DrPH, MPH of NCQA
NCQA is playing a key role in the advancement of health equity, and our guest for this episode leads the development and growth of those efforts, aiming to make healthcare more equitable and accessible for people across the country. Listen as our founder and CEO, Abner Mason, chats with Dr. Bryan O. Buckley, director of health equity initiatives for NCQA.
Under the Same Sky with Eric Whitaker, MD, MPH and Garfield Collins of Zing Health
What can payers do now to help navigate through the challenges that come along with the new requirements of advancing health equity? Abner Mason hosted this discussion with Dr. Eric Whitaker, founder and executive chairman of Zing Health, and Garfield Collins, cofounder and COO at Zing Health.
Under the Same Sky with Matt Loper of Wellth
Wellth CEO and Co-Founder, Matt Loper, and our Founder and CEO, Abner Mason, discussed the concept of member incentives as member investments.
Under the Same Sky with Dr. Geeta Nayyar of Salesforce, and Nicole Cook of Alvee
As technology continues to evolve, so too does its role in healthcare. But how can it be used to help advance health equity? Nicole Cook, founder and CEO of alvee and Dr. Geeta Nayyar, chief medical officer at Salesforce, discussed this topic with our Founder and CEO, Abner Mason on August 11 at 11 am PT.
Under the Same Sky with Juan Fernando Lopera of Beth Israel Lahey Health
Juan Fernando Lopera, Beth Israel Lahey Health’s (BILH) first Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer joined our Founder and CEO Abner Mason on a recent episode of Under the Same Sky to talk about the importance of diversity equity inclusion (DEI), not only in healthcare, but across industries. In the episode, Juan talks about his personal journey and how that shapes the DEI work he does today.