Katie’s Notebook: September 3, 2025
Hello friends,
Greetings from a happy parent whose kids are now back to a regular school schedule. Summer is fun but summer is also chaos. Between camps, vacations, pool days, and back-to-school prep, I am so grateful to be entering a new era of routine. I’ve always loved September and while North Carolina is typically still hitting the upper 80s with high humidity, the weather this past week dropped to the 60s and 70s, which made it feel like it might actually be pumpkin spice latte season. I celebrated the unofficial beginning of fall on September 1st by making some pumpkin muffins. I don’t want to wish away the present, but I am so looking forward to (my favorite) sweater for the weather in the near future.
Let’s jump into the FIVE for you
A Definitive Guide: How to Get Paid for Treating Patients by Text by the ever-insightful Chrissy Farr is fantastic. I’ve long admired Summer Health for their pediatrician texting model. Read it if you are in the virtual care space or if you are looking for solutions for yourself or family.
6 things to be hopeful about in healthcare by Venture Valkyrie made me smile. There are endless problems to solve in healthcare (and the world) and a little optimism is good for the soul.
Beyond the Hype: Building Ethical B2B Influencer Strategies in Digital Health , a podcast interview hosted by Megan Antonelli was also really refreshing. I loved hearing from Danielle Wiley, a woman with 30 years of experience, speak about how influencing and content has evolved over time and the differences between consumer and B2B audiences. Worth a listen!
AI can now imagine antibiotics we never could. As a child who grew up in the 80s and 90s, I was often given ‘pink medicine’ or amoxicillin for most ailments. Medical providers didn’t know if our symptoms were from a virus or bacteria, but they figured, what could it hurt to give out an antibiotic? Well, a lot actually, when it came to public health and our mounting resistance to antibiotic therapy for some nasty things like MRSA. This article blew my mind on the ways that AI could help develop new antibiotic therapies and the test data so far. Archeologists, extinct animals, futuristic concepts, cell biology, STIs, and pharma companies not giving a hoot? This article has it all.
Who’s gonna win the voice scribe war? Epic vs. Abridge. I should have been less surprised by the news that Epic was releasing AI scribe tools because eventually Epic always builds what other companies are deploying in the market (vs. Cerner who just buys those solutions) but I was surprised because of the size of the market Abridge and Ambience already have cornered. In the past six months every physician I’ve seen has used Abridge to take notes during the visit and with open notes I can read them and confirm their accuracy. So what’s the play, Epic? Hope that when contracts run out with incumbents they will come back to you because the solution is already part of your EHR service? I have my popcorn out to watch this unfold.
What I’ve been writing
What health tech companies can learn from Xealth’s journey, Digital Health Insights
Closing the trust gap: Women and tech-enabled home care, Digital Health Insights
How home-based postpartum care could improve health for women and children, Digital Health Insights
Fun Finds
These new jeans are the perfect fall addition to my closet and fit like a glove when I tried them on.
I’ve always been a top+bottom pjs set kind of girl, but recently I wanted to add some comfy but cute cotton nightgowns to my rotation. There are lots of expensive brands out there I lust after, but then I stumbled across this 100% cotton t-shirt dress for less than $10 and figured I’d give it a try as sleepwear. I sized up for extra comfiness and to plan for inevitable dryer shrinking and I LOVE IT. So much so that I went back and ordered two more. They are about to sell out so if you are also in the same boat, don’t sleep on these dresses/night shirts!
I think Quince is phasing out my favorite mock neck sweater but it’s ok because I HAVE A BACKUP. I ordered this sweater in black last year and was a little nervous since it has some cashmere in it and wool usually makes me itch. However, there was no itching and it washed beautifully! I’ll be adding this $29.00 luxury item to my drawer in multiple colors.
It has been a busy summer reading and I have some new suggestions for you! I’ve been on an art theft novel kick and enjoyed both this one that takes place in Egypt and the Met and this one that focuses on repatriation of Chinese art with a dash of college-aged Ocean’s 11 vibes. Both books raise great questions around colonialism and the distribution of relics around the world. I was in Copenhagen this summer and museum had a small plaque about a man who acquired over 900 objects for the museum with some black market shopping. Fascinating all around. Stay tuned for cozy fall novel suggestions in my next Note.
That’s a wrap on this issue!
Be well,
Katie
Note: As a solopreneur I use affiliate links for some of the products I believe in as a means of diversifying my income. When you buy something I have linked to, I may receive a small commission from that company at no cost to you.
