Edward Fields has spent his career tackling big challenges, from adult education to healthcare innovation. As the CEO of Community Wellness and HealthTrust AI, he’s on a mission to empower independent physicians with technology that reduces administrative burdens and improves financial performance—so they can focus on patient care. Inspired by his father, a renowned physician-scientist, Edward transitioned into healthcare to drive meaningful change. His work is redefining how AI can support both doctors and patients. Oh, and during the pandemic? He picked up surfing on Oahu’s North Shore. Read on to learn how Edward is reshaping healthcare.
Your background started in adult education, but today you’re leading innovations in healthcare. What inspired that shift?
I’ve always worked on issues that I care about, and after working in education, I became interested in healthcare. My father was a physician and scientist, and I grew up working in his lab counting cells as a boy (not sure he actually used my data!).
Thinking about my own journey and what was next after working in online education, healthcare drew me in—and for the last five and a half years, it has been all-consuming.
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an emerging model that puts doctors and patients back at the center of care. Do you see a connection between DPC and the work Community Wellness is doing?
At Community Wellness, we adopted a “Patient First” approach, meaning every decision we made started with, “How best can we help this patient?”
In a healthcare ecosystem with the payer challenges every provider faces—particularly smaller independent providers—that presented an array of challenges, even though it was always the right thing to do.
Now, as we look forward to spinning the AI technology built inside of Community Wellness into HealthTrust AI, our work to support the financial health and well-being of independent physicians and their practices has become more important than ever.
We’re super excited about the role that AI Agent technology can play in helping doctors improve the financial performance of their practice while also helping more patients get better health outcomes.
Healthcare is full of administrative headaches that take time away from patient care. How does HealthTrust AI help physicians stay focused on their patients?
The amount of “non-value-added” time that physicians have to spend just to get paid for serving their patients—coupled with the payer-driven inefficiencies imposed on them by the industry—is over the top.
The additional headcount independent physicians have had to add and now manage just to keep their practices running is both an economic burden and a time sink.
With HealthTrust AI, AI Agents are increasing existing staff productivity, improving core processes, and accelerating cash flow. Bottom line: this allows physicians to see more patients and spend more time with the ones they do see—leading to better health outcomes.
What’s a fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know?
During the pandemic, I got stranded on the island of Oahu, living on the North Shore, which is home to some of surfing’s most famous breaks.
I became a “later-in-life” surfer (turning 65 this year and getting my Medicare card!) and can’t get enough of it.
Who else in healthcare inspires you, and why?
My father, Dr. Bernard Fields, who was Chair of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Harvard Medical School and author of Fields Virology before he passed away 30 years ago at age 56.
He was an inspired physician, scientist, and educator who touched the lives of people across the world. His work continues to inspire me every day.
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