VBC Corner: Dean Rottinghaus, Chief Clinical Officer, QurHealth

In this episode of the Value-Based Care Corner, John P. Carter sits down with Dean Rottinghaus, Chief Clinical Officer at QurHealth, to explore how healthcare-specific agentic AI can support clinical, administrative, and patient engagement workflows. Dean explains how QurHealth grew from Ventech Solutions’ longstanding work with CMS quality-measure data and the need to maintain stronger connections with patients following discharge. That foundation led to Sheela, a voice-enabled agentic AI platform designed specifically for healthcare and capable of supporting patients, providers, and payers. The conversation examines applications ranging from pediatric oncology protocols and insurance eligibility inquiries to patient scheduling, care plan education, follow-up, and reactivation. John and Dean connect these workflows to core value-based care priorities, including closing care gaps, reducing avoidable readmissions, strengthening attribution, improving quality performance, and extending operational capacity across large health systems and rural healthcare settings. **Key Takeaways** - Healthcare-specific AI must account for clinical protocols, patient information, compliance requirements, and existing healthcare workflows. - Agentic AI can support multiple points across the care continuum, including administrative functions, patient access, care coordination, and ongoing engagement. - Proactive post-discharge communication can help patients understand their care plans, medications, and next steps while improving care transitions. - These capabilities may help healthcare organizations expand their reach, supplement limited workforce capacity, and maintain stronger connections with patients. **What You’ll Learn** 01:18 – How CMS quality-data experience led to QurHealth 02:20 – What makes Sheela healthcare-specific 05:14 – Where agentic AI is being applied today 09:13 – How post-discharge engagement supports value-based care 12:14 – Where QurHealth sees opportunities to scale