Q&A with Dr. John Simon, CEO and Founder of SimonMed Imaging

RamaOnHealthcare December 17, 2024

Founded based on rapidly evolving technology and bringing it to the community

Today, RamaOnHealthcare talks with Dr. John Simon, CEO and Founder of SimonMed Imaging.

Dr. John Simon, CEO and Founder of SimonMed Imaging

RamaOnHealthcare (ROH): How has technology impacted your perspective within healthcare today and what do you anticipate that will be like in five years?

John Simon (JS): SimonMed Imaging was founded based on rapidly evolving technology and bringing it to the community in an affordable and accessible manner. This technology enables more accurate and quantitative imaging for better diagnoses and early detection of disease.

In the next 5 years, we will see the evolution and adoption of AI throughout radiology enabling new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of disease, and for continued development of preventive or screening exams to either avoid illness completely or to eliminate it early for a much better healthspan. There will also be new developments in theranostics for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of disease and at the same time new imaging to improve fitness such as muscle health.

ROH: Where and how do you foresee, healthcare, and healthcare leaders addressing patient care and ongoing health shortly?

JS: I foresee healthcare taking a dramatic change in addressing patient care, as we continue to incorporate technology. With the help of technology, healthcare diagnosis will be personalized, quicker and more accurate for the individual. With faster and correct diagnosis of illnesses, healthcare will be able to provide proper precision or personalized next steps, increasing chances of recovery and survival, and improving healthspan.

ROH: Leveraging digital health technologies (wearables, telehealth, remote monitoring, radiology, imaging, etc.) is empowering consumers everywhere. Where do you foresee that going?

JS: Radiology and imaging are an integral part of healthcare today because of their ability to provide detailed, non-invasive insights to patients’ health, ultimately allowing for early detection, accurate diagnosis, and treatment planning. At SimonMed Imaging, we are incorporating new technology, particularly AI into digital health imaging and this will truly be impactful for innovative solutions to improve outcomes and save lives.

ROH: How is the role of healthcare providers changing – and what is prompting that?

JS: The role of healthcare providers is changing with radiology by healthcare providers playing a larger role in early detection, personalized treatment plans, and less invasive procedures. The continuing implementation of radiology and screening for advanced care is changing how involved healthcare providers are in care. With the help of healthcare providers using radiology, this relationship calls for less invasive procedures, personalized treatment planning, and earlier disease detection.

ROH: As a Thought Leader, what advice do you have to help others keep up with rapidly changing, challenging, and transformative industry of healthcare?

JS: As a thought leader in the MRI and radiology industry, I advise others to embrace upcoming innovations and focus on personalized patient-centered care. As technology evolves rapidly, overwhelming changes can lead to a sense of disconnection in patient care. What’s important is to continue to stay engaged in patient care, and put our patients first. Although the rapid change in healthcare can be intimidating, it’s important to train yourself to quickly evolve and keep up with the change, expect sudden change, and never get too comfortable.

ROH: What do you see are the biggest challenges within healthcare today?

JS: The biggest challenges in healthcare today relate to the increasing costs and unaffordability of healthcare. Today, healthcare costs have increased significantly, making paying for healthcare difficult. Because healthcare costs are increasing, patients are deferring preventive and necessary healthcare. Preventive healthcare is extremely important in understanding your own body and health, and expensive healthcare costs make it harder to obtain a clear vision of your health.

ROH: What would you say to those considering a career in healthcare leadership today?

JS: I would advise those seeking a career in healthcare leadership to always emphasize the importance of continuous learning and growth. Because healthcare is making its way into healthcare more prominently today, accepting the continuous growth of technology and being open to learning will make you a better leader in the industry. Allowing yourself as a leader to accept learning gives your healthcare company and business a more relatable and caring leader to look up to.

ROH: How can artificial intelligence benefit healthcare?

JS: In terms of artificial intelligence benefiting healthcare radiology and imaging, utilizing AI has multiple benefits that contribute to patient care and support to healthcare professionals. AI can generate faster and more accurate image results than traditional methods. This helps radiologists detect diseases, such as cancers or fractures, earlier and with greater precision, improving patient outcomes. With more accurate and faster results of screening, AI opens the opportunity to discover early-stage diseases and cancers, detecting and diagnosing them for better treatment options.

AI also can help personalize both the diagnosis and treatment of disease. This personalization leads to a better chance of better outcomes and a better health span.

ROH: Perhaps the best way to improve healthcare is to first do a better-maintaining health! How might we accomplish that?

JS: The best way to maintain a healthy body is to take a step forward into taking care of your health preventatively. Take pride in proper precautions to protect your health and learn as much about your baseline health and any individual risk factors. Invest in developing a good support team as well as your own self-education plan to keep you updated and on plan. There are ongoing remarkable innovations in healthcare technology such as MRI screenings or cardiovascular screenings that can diagnose early diseases while treatable or help you avoid them completely. There are rapid advances more broadly in all areas of preventive healthcare to ensure not only a longer, but healthier life. Also, remember to be an advocate for yourself, family and friends to ensure all receive the best personalized treatments to guarantee the best outcomes.

About Dr. John Simon

Dr. Simon has been practicing radiology for over 30 years with special expertise in women’s imaging, body imaging, and interventional. Dr. Simon is a board-certified radiologist with an additional Certificate of Added Qualification in Interventional Radiology. He graduated in three years at the age of 20 from Harvard with Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude honors. Dr. Simon completed Medical School at the University of Chicago and accelerated radiology training and fellowship training at the University of Michigan.