Skills
About
Mark Francis is a technology executive with deep experience in aging and healthcare. Currently, the Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Electronic Caregiver, Mark's career spans leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, Intel, Health Hero Network, and Age Wave. A builder and inventor, Mark has been awarded 17 US patents and his ventures have raised over $500 million. In the area of digital health, Mark's ventures have achieved multiple exits, including acquisitions or JVs with Bosch, SCAN, and GE. Mark serves as a Mentor to the NIH StartUp Challenge and is the Founder of CaregiverZone. He was educated at Harvard, Pitt, and Cambridge.
Mark Francis
Published content
expert panel
Across boardrooms and innovation labs, established health systems and provider organizations are asking the same question: As capital again floods healthtech, how should incumbents respond? Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank bring deep expertise in patient experience, workforce strategy, equity, policy and technology to help guide that answer. In 2024, venture capital investment into healthcare rose to $23 billion (from $20 billion in 2023), with nearly 30% of that funding directed to AI-enabled ventures. In the first half of 2025, healthtech investors injected $6.4 billion into U.S.-based digital health companies—fueled largely by AI‑driven innovation. That renewed momentum intensifies the pressure—and the opportunity—for incumbents to move beyond incumbency toward true transformation. However, the Think Tank’s experts caution: The window to adapt is narrow, and missteps risk disruption. What follows are thematic frameworks, expert-driven insights and real‑world examples to help senior executives in provider organizations navigate partnerships, acquisitions and internal innovation.
expert panel
As healthcare costs rise faster than reimbursement rates, insurers like UnitedHealth and Molina are grappling with shrinking margins—and the ripple effects are being felt across the care continuum. From rising drug prices and expensive therapies to increased patient utilization and workforce shortages, these challenges are straining traditional payer-provider dynamics and threatening the affordability and accessibility of care. Recent financial disclosures illustrate the urgency of transformation. UnitedHealth, for instance, cut its profit outlook amid unexpectedly high medical claims costs, triggering sharp stock declines and signaling that traditional models may no longer suffice. As margins compress, the imperative to rethink payer-provider relationships has never been stronger. To understand how healthcare leaders can preserve access and affordability in this evolving landscape, we turned to members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank —a curated group of experts in patient experience, policy, digital health, equity and workforce transformation. Their insights reveal not only how payer-provider relationships are changing, but also what strategies healthcare organizations must adopt now to ensure care delivery remains equitable, efficient and financially sustainable.
Company details
Electronic Caregiver, Inc.
Company bio
ECG is an NIH-funded digital health technology and services company working with over 150 provider partners across the US to improve health outcomes and expand access to care. ECG's AI-driven virtual caregiver - Addison - provides unmatched engagement, companionship, and care support for patient receiving care-at-home. Twice named an Inc. 5000 company, ECG is often listed as a Top 5 telehealth firm.