Shapeshifting Human Health: One Medical’s 30 Year Journey with Former CEO Amir Dan Rubin

What does it really take to build a healthcare company that lasts? In this episode of Innovate and Elevate, Sharon Kedar sits down with Amir Dan Rubin, former CEO of One Medical and Stanford Medicine, to unpack a 30-year journey of building in healthcare. From early ideas around telehealth in the 1990s to leading One Medical through its $3.9 billion acquisition by Amazon, Amir shares what most people misunderstand about innovation in human health. This conversation challenges the narrative of overnight success. Instead, it reveals that the most meaningful breakthroughs require duration, conviction, and the willingness to build long before the outcome is clear. Amir also shares how applying systems thinking from outside of healthcare shaped his leadership across multiple organizations and offers a blueprint for building companies that scale and endure. What You’ll Learn from this Episode: Building in healthcare is a long game measured in decades, not quarters The real risk is not failure, but never finding out what could have been Systems thinking from outside industries can unlock innovation in healthcare As this episode highlights, success in healthcare often depends on: Time horizons measured in decades Cross-industry thinking and innovation Operational excellence and consistency The ability to persist through uncertainty Connect with Sharon: Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/ Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVA Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email Connect with Amir Dan Rubin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirdanrubin Healthier Capital: https://www.healthiercapital.com/ Organizations, resources and citations referenced: One Medical: https://www.onemedical.com/ Amazon Deal with One Medical: https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/amazon-buy-one-medical-35-billion-deal-2022-07-21/ The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-big-leap-gay-hendricks The Toyota Way by Jeffrey K. Liker: https://www.mheducation.com/highered/mhp/product/toyota-way-second-edition-14-management-principles-world-s-greatest-manufacturer.html Stanford Medicine: https://med.stanford.edu/ UCLA Health: https://www.uclahealth.org/ The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions. Chapters: (00:00) What this episode reveals about building in healthcare (02:45) Early ideas around telehealth in the 1990s (05:57) Why timing and market readiness matter (07:26) Long-term thinking in healthcare innovation (10:48) Building before the outcome is clear (15:30) Lessons from industries outside healthcare (20:10) Systems thinking and operational excellence (25:45) Scaling One Medical (30:00) The real challenges of building in healthcare (34:00) What it really takes to win in human health About Our Guest: Amir Dan Rubin is a healthcare executive and entrepreneur known for building and scaling innovative care delivery models. He is the former CEO of One Medical, where he led the company through rapid growth, its IPO, and its $3.9 billion acquisition by Amazon. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Stanford Health Care and held leadership roles at UCLA Health, Optum, and Stony Brook University Health System. Across his career, Amir has focused on improving access, experience, and outcomes in healthcare by applying systems thinking and technology. He is currently the founder and managing partner of Healthier Capital. About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at Sa