Beyond the Drip: Dr. Sohail Masood, Home Infusion Pioneer and IVIG Trailblazer, on Building KabaFusion with Patient-First Care

Welcome to Beyond the Drip, where we dive into the fascinating world of Infusion Pharmacy, from Home Infusion to Ambulatory Infusion Centers. Expect topical conversations on the latest happenings in Infusion from industry leaders who will bring you the latest news, trends and innovations in the infusion industry, as well as expert insights and stories to keep you informed and inspired.  In Episode 19, the hosts sit down with Dr. Sohail Masood, Founder, CEO and Chairman of KabaFusion, to discuss the experiences and principles that shaped his career in home infusion.  From arriving in the United States at 19 with little money to building national infusion companies, Dr. Masood shares how persistence, patient advocacy and a strong moral framework influenced his approach to leadership and growth. He reflects on the risks behind some of his biggest decisions, including continuing to provide IVIG to patients despite reimbursement uncertainty, as well as the lessons he has carried into KabaFusion’s expansion.  The conversation also explores revenue cycle management, payer relationships, IVIG and the growing role of technology and data in home infusion, offering a broader look at both the business and clinical challenges shaping the industry today.  Key Takeaways  - Patient care has remained central to Dr. Masood’s decisions, even when protecting access to treatment required significant financial risk. - KabaFusion’s national growth followed a deliberate “smiley face” strategy focused on major population centers. - Bad debt and DSO are critical RCM metrics, but many revenue cycle problems begin upstream with intake, authorization and documentation. - Dr. Masood believes IVIG will remain an important therapy despite payer pressure and the emergence of newer treatment options. - Technology and data will play a growing role in improving operations, reporting and decision making across home infusion. The episode shows how Dr. Masood’s patient-first philosophy has remained consistent even as his companies have grown and the industry has become more complex.  For home infusion leaders, his story offers a clear message: build strong financial and operational systems, invest in people and technology and pursue growth without losing sight of the patients the organization exists to serve. It is a perspective shaped by decades of experience and by a belief that financial success should be the result of doing good work, not the reason for doing it.  Want to hear the stories and lessons behind Dr. Masood’s remarkable journey? Listen to the full episode of Beyond the Drip for his perspective on building KabaFusion, putting patients first and navigating the future of home infusion.  Guest Speaker: Dr. Sohail Masood runs his businesses on a belief he's held since pharmacy school: grounding care firmly in empathy for both patients and healthcare professionals by restoring the humanity essential to quality care and better outcomes. Prior to him starting Crescent Healthcare, patients with rare neuromuscular diseases had nowhere to turn but the hospital. He created the market and the reimbursement pathways that let them heal at home with IVIG. Patient care has consistently been central to his mission. In 1997, when Medicare withdrew coverage for IVIG treatment for CIDP patients, he personally committed $2 million to ensure uninterrupted access to therapy, while simultaneously advocating before Medicare to reverse the decision, an effort that ultimately succeeded. His advocacy also helped secure Medicare coverage of IVIG for Pemphigus and Pemphigoid in 2003, expanding access beyond CIDP. When an IVIG shortage stalled a landmark Stiff Person Syndrome study, he donated the drug himself to keep the research moving forward. Dr. Masood and pharmacist Mona Masood founded Ultracare in 1992, the seed that grew into Crescent Healthcare in 1995. He founded MAAS Medical to develop a state-of-the-art home infusion pump which was acquired by Baxter in 2007. He founded KabaFusion in 2010, now the largest independently owned privately held home infusion company in the U.S. with 33 pharmacies nationwide providing care to patients in 48 states. Achievements and Honors: **3x Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.** 1999 for Crescent Healthcare- 2017 and 2023 for KabaFusion. **2022 Gene Graves Lifetime Achievement Award.** The National Home Infusion Association's highest honor, recognizing his 35+ years advocating for patients and the industry. **2019 USC Mann Most Distinguished Alumni Award.** Honored by his alma mater for his philanthropy and service.