Navigating Health Tech Sales: Insights from Clinical Product Specialist

In the latest episode of Digital Health Interviews, our host Alex Koshykov had the pleasure of speaking with Bailey Morgan, a seasoned professional who has made a remarkable transition from working as a speech pathologist to becoming a key player in the healthtech industry.

Introducing Bailey Morgan: From Speech Pathology to HealthTech

Bailey began the conversation by offering an overview of her unique career journey. “I’m a speech pathologist by trade,” she shared, reflecting on her early career. Initially, she worked with adults in a medical setting, but her career took a surprising turn soon after. Transitioning from healthcare to beverage sales for startup brands in New York City, Bailey honed her business skills before entering the world of healthcare technology.

Her entry into healthtech came when she joined a startup seeking speech pathologists with a background in sales and marketing. This role allowed Bailey to help launch new products while learning the complexities of building a business — something her clinical experience hadn’t covered. “I got some awesome experience in building a business and all of the things that come with it that you don’t learn as a clinician,” Bailey reflected.

Today, Bailey is part of Athelos, a company that develops a range of health technology products, from remote patient monitoring to scribe tools and revenue cycle solutions. “It’s been a cool journey,” she added.

Leveraging a Clinical Background in Tech

Alex was intrigued by Bailey’s unique path and asked how her clinical background influenced her work in healthtech. “Does your clinical background help you in the work you do now?” he inquired.

Bailey explained that her experience as a clinician has indeed played a critical role in shaping her approach to her current position. “In my role now, I’m following a sales cycle,” she said. This background enables her to build trust quickly with other clinicians. “I understand the product better, I understand the pain better,” she emphasized, noting that her firsthand experience allows her to grasp the underlying reasons why certain healthcare products were developed.

Moreover, Bailey’s clinical experience gives her a deeper appreciation of the industry’s challenges. “I also have my reasons why I left healthcare,” she mentioned, hinting at the broader motivations that fueled her transition. “It helps me approach things differently than if I didn’t have a clinical background.”

Revolutionizing Healthcare Billing with AI at Athelos

Bailey Morgan’s current role at Athelos is nothing short of transformative for healthcare billing. As a product specialist, Bailey works specifically on the revenue cycle line, helping to automate the traditionally cumbersome process of medical billing. “We use AI technology to automate about 80% of the revenue cycle,” she explained, smiling at the thought of streamlining such a notoriously complex process.

For those unfamiliar with the term, the revenue cycle refers to the intricate process of submitting insurance claims and managing payments. Bailey humorously described it as “very sexy” before acknowledging the challenges that come with it. “Submitting insurance claims and going through that whole process is a pain for anybody that’s done medical billing before,” she added, emphasizing how tedious the manual work can be. But with the help of AI, Athelos has made this process much smoother, handling tasks like logging into payer portals and performing other time-consuming administrative tasks that once required human effort.

Bailey is particularly proud of the impact this innovation is having on private practices. “The margins right now in healthcare, especially if you’re in private practice, are not great. They’re competing with big hospital systems,” she explained. The AI technology at Athelos helps level the playing field, allowing private practices to retain more revenue, which ultimately supports their survival and growth. “I’m happy to be part of the change that’s giving more revenue back to practices,” Bailey said with enthusiasm.

Expanding Reach: Private Practices vs. Health Systems

Alex, curious about the company’s broader reach, asked Bailey if Athelos was focusing solely on private practices or expanding into larger health systems. Bailey explained that while her role is primarily focused on private practices, the company does work with both small and large healthcare providers. “We have other product lines that work with larger systems,” she shared.

One example Bailey mentioned is Strongline, a safety alerting tool designed specifically for nurses. “If they have an aggressive patient, they can hit it on their badge, and it’ll bring them help,” she explained. This tool is aimed at improving safety and security within larger health systems.

Despite the challenges of breaking into big hospital networks, Bailey has worked with a range of clients. “I have small and large practices I work with,” she said, highlighting her versatility and the wide applicability of Athelos’ products.

Overcoming Challenges in Health Tech Sales

Selling to health systems and private practices is no easy feat, and Bailey Morgan has firsthand experience with the complexities of the healthcare market. When asked by Alex about the main challenges that startup founders face, Bailey didn't hesitate to address one of the biggest hurdles — adoption.

“Health tech adoption is difficult,” Bailey explained. “For example, doctor’s offices still use fax machines, and people are often surprised and think I’m joking when I say that.” The resistance to change in healthcare, especially when it comes to integrating new technologies, is significant. Tech solutions are only as good as their adoption rate, and healthcare systems, constrained by small margins and high productivity demands, often struggle to evaluate new tools or vendors.

For startup founders, Bailey stressed the importance of focusing on implementation. “It’s not enough to just hand off the product and say, ‘Okay, see you later.’ You have to show how the new technology will be implemented, and that’s a key factor in succeeding in the health space.” Her advice was clear — founders must stay involved in the process to ensure their product is successfully integrated and used effectively.

Building Trust with Healthcare Executives

Trust is a cornerstone in healthcare sales, and Bailey has found that building trust with healthcare executives and decision-makers requires a thoughtful, relationship-driven approach. Drawing from her clinical background, she emphasized the importance of providing value, even beyond the product.

“I always approach it by asking, ‘How can I provide value to somebody?’” she explained. Sometimes that means offering help that has nothing to do with her product. Bailey shared how she’s happy to connect people with resources or contacts outside of her sales role, such as recommending a good website developer if that’s what someone needs. “In sales, you never want to push anybody. I always try to make my relationships organic.”

Bailey’s focus on building connections with healthcare professionals as individuals first — and clinicians second — has helped her gain trust naturally. “When I’m stopping by a practice or reaching out, I’m doing it to connect with that person on a human level first. If what I’m offering can help, then we talk about that.”

Nurturing Relationships with Healthcare Professionals

Once a relationship is established, how do you maintain it? According to Bailey, the key is to be easy to work with, especially when dealing with busy healthcare professionals like MDs, many of whom balance executive responsibilities with treating patients.

“Be mindful that they’re busy,” Bailey advised. “Sometimes we tend to over-explain, but being quick, concise, and easy to work with is crucial — especially for doctors who are often back-to-back with patients,” Bailey stressed the importance of being considerate of the emotional and professional demands healthcare providers face. Pushing a product too aggressively won’t be well received, but building an authentic, respectful relationship will go a long way.

Maintaining Momentum Through the Sales Cycle

Selling to healthcare executives is a long game, and as Alex pointed out, keeping momentum during the lengthy sales cycle can be tricky. Bailey agreed, emphasizing the importance of deeply understanding the buyer and their problems.

“It’s all about building relationships within the organization and guiding them through the process. You need to explain, in plain English, why your product is different and how it addresses their specific needs,” she said. “Work together, preempt objections, and don’t think of it as ‘us vs. them.’ It’s a collaborative effort in healthcare.”

Highlighting ROI Early On

When it comes to healthcare sales, ROI is critical from the very first meeting. Bailey shared how Athelos tackles this head-on: “We offer a free financial health analysis that clearly shows the ROI,” she explained. “This data-driven insight helps decision-makers see the value upfront — whether in time saved or revenue generated.”

Bailey stressed that, especially in healthcare, time is just as important as money. “You need to respect their time — whether that’s in meetings or the implementation phase.”

Tech Adoption Beyond Clinical Workflows

Tech adoption in healthcare isn’t limited to clinical and billing workflows. Bailey noted an increase in the use of CRMs within health systems and private practices. “In the past, they might have used project management tools like Monday or Asana, but now proper CRMs are being implemented.”

She also highlighted marketing and design as growing areas for tech adoption. “Private practices are realizing they need branding, a website, and marketing strategies, which opens the door for more tech solutions in these areas.”

AI in Healthcare: A Mixed Reaction

When it comes to selling AI-based solutions, reactions from healthcare executives can vary. Bailey shared a recent experience: “I just booked a meeting with a practice where the executive said, ‘I hate AI, I’m not implementing anything AI.’ But then she still let me schedule a meeting to discuss it, so we’ll see if I can change her mind.”

This response isn’t unusual. Bailey explained, “It’s usually a 50-50 split. Some health systems are forward-thinking and embrace AI, while others are much more resistant. Both viewpoints are valid — it’s largely a matter of education.” Concerns around AI often stem from issues like HIPAA compliance and accuracy. “Providers are cautious because patient information is highly sensitive, and errors can lead to serious consequences.”

AI tools, especially in areas like scribing, are still met with skepticism. “We’re not yet at the stage where clinicians fully trust AI to handle tasks like documentation without checking it themselves,” Bailey noted. “But I do believe we’ll eventually get to the point where AI tools can be trusted to perform tasks autonomously, and I think HIPAA regulations will evolve to address AI’s growing presence in healthcare.”

Predictions for AI Adoption

While some smaller practices might adopt AI in the next 5 to 10 years, Bailey believes it will take much longer for larger health systems. “Smaller practices will likely feel the pressure to adopt tech sooner, especially as it becomes harder to compete with hospital systems that offer better rates and efficiencies. For larger systems, it could take over 10 years before AI is widely embraced.”

Despite the slow pace, Bailey acknowledged the growing urgency for change. “There’s a lot of pain in the healthcare system right now. While 10 years might seem urgent by healthcare standards, it’s clear that the need for AI adoption is pressing.”

Navigating the “Different Universe” of Health Systems

Alex opened the conversation by acknowledging the significant difference in dealing with large health systems compared to private practices, likening it to a “different universe.”

Bailey agreed, emphasizing that one of the key differences lies in the relationship-building process. “It is a different universe,” she said. “Being open to building relationships with anyone, whether they're the decision-maker or not, is good. Authentic relationships matter.”

But building those relationships takes time and effort. She explained that understanding who the key decision-makers are is crucial, otherwise, you risk wasting time with the wrong people. “Knowing the right decision-makers is important because you could just spin your wheels talking to the wrong person,” she warned.

In her experience, networking has proven to be a powerful tool for getting in front of healthcare executives. “For New Yorkers — and this is probably true elsewhere — I do a lot of networking events that have a lot of health executives. Some of the best connections I’ve made have come from those events,” she shared. These events, often informal like happy hours or cocktail gatherings, offer a laid-back environment where executives are more accessible. “They’re usually pretty laid-back, which makes it easier to build relationships,” she added.

Advice for Startup Founders Selling to Health Systems

When Alex asked for advice beyond attending networking events, Bailey emphasized the importance of getting feedback from clinicians as early as possible.

“If you have an MVP, you’re ready to go take it to someone,” she urged. Bailey explained that in the healthcare industry, it’s essential to get real-world feedback from clinicians before fully developing a product. “You should go ask clinicians what they think because you can build awesome tech that does all these amazing things, but you shouldn't build it with a ‘people will come’ attitude.”

Her point was clear: early feedback can make or break a product. “As soon as you have any iteration of a product, you need to start getting feedback from clinicians. It’s either clinically correct and usable, or it’s not — there’s no middle ground,” she said. She cautioned that too often companies make assumptions, only to find later that they were wrong, which leads to wasted time and effort.

“I’ve seen companies make incorrect assumptions and then waste a lot of development time fixing those things,” Bailey shared, highlighting the importance of involving clinicians early on.

The Balance Between Clinician Feedback and Practicality

While getting clinician input is critical, Bailey was quick to note that not all feedback should be taken at face value. She gave an example of how non-technical suggestions can lead product teams down the wrong path if interpreted too literally.

“If they say, ‘I want the calendar to turn blue every time I check a patient in,’ you shouldn’t just think, ‘I need to make the calendar blue.’ What they want is a way to know when a patient is checked in,” she explained.

Bailey stressed that it’s vital to distinguish between the actual problem clinicians want solved and the specific features they suggest. “When you talk to people without technical backgrounds, they can suggest things that, if taken literally, could send you down a rabbit hole,” she cautioned. The key is to extract the core issue clinicians are trying to solve and focus on that.

Our previous episode was with Nishant Varma: Innovating Childbirth Safety & Bridging Continents in Women’s Health