I’m Dr. Lisa Piercey, a child abuse pediatrician, hospital administrator, and former state health official. I’m a lifelong Tennessean from a family of farmers and small business owners, and I’ve dedicated my career to serving rural and vulnerable populations, in both my clinical and business pursuits. I now serve as an advisor to multiple healthcare startups and invest in a range of deals, from early-stage to lower-middle market companies.


And I’m Dr. Alex Jahangir, an orthopaedic trauma surgeon at a busy Level 1 trauma center in Nashville, and a best-selling author who earned national recognition for leading the Nashville COVID-19 Task Force. My family fled war-torn Iran and immigrated to Nashville when I was 6 years old and I am driven professionally by serving marginalized populations and giving back to the community that had taken me in as a young child.

As a trauma surgeon and a pediatrician specializing in child abuse, Alex and I have seen the worst of the worst as doctors, and we’ve also shared some pretty tough moments while working together throughout the COVID-19 pandemic response, in our respective roles in state and local government. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye but often found common ground in improving access to high-quality healthcare for all.

We’re also both entrepreneurs, so naturally, we are fascinated by the innovation within the healthcare ecosystem and are inspired by the creativity and passion motivating the founders of emerging companies. We’ve been fortunate to meet some amazing, everyday folks doing extraordinary work and want to highlight their stories for you and share with you why they do what they do. These founders are advancing game-changing ideas and improving the lives of people around the globe.


Welcome to Who the Health Started That, the podcast where we take a closer look at the founders and the inspiration behind the healthcare startups that are revolutionizing healthcare. From digital health platforms to biotechnology devices, we’ll be featuring the founders and innovators who are tackling some of the biggest challenges in healthcare today. Join us as we explore the motivations, triumphs, and challenges of startups, and learn about the fantastic things happening in the world of healthcare entrepreneurship.

So, who the health started that? Tune in and find out!