The Pursuit of Health Podcast

The Pursuit of Health is a weekly podcast dedicated to a thorough exploration of the American Healthcare System at a critical time in our nation’s history. The podcast’s creator and host, Dr. Eric Fethke, is a pediatric cardiologist and educator trained at Columbia University, with over 25 years of experience practicing medicine. Students, professionals, and everyday people alike are invited to learn from guest experts who are pursuing groundbreaking work to improve America's health. Join us on our journey towards a better healthcare!

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The Pursuit of Health Podcast

Ep81: Breaking the Emergency Room Trap w/Ryan Johnson

July 21, 2025 • Dr. Eric Fethke

A conversation with Ryan Johnson

Healthcare is a game of moving targets.

No one knows this quite like Ryan Johnson, an ER nurse turned CEO and co-founder of health-tech innovators Float.

Float are in the business of helping hospitals free-up needed capacity, empowering patients through home treatments, paying nurses fairly for their work, and easing staffing pressures.

The result? Reduced costs, better patient outcomes, and a mission that reconnects healthcare with its human purpose. This is the innovation that American healthcare needs!

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We spoke about why chronic-care patients are still forced into emergency departments and hospitals for routine care, the definitions of specialist terms such as facility fees, infusion centers and gig work, the barriers that remain for FloatHealth to become widely adopted, and why the biggest cause of harm to our system is inaction.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4