Jared Inman

CMS Just Reshaped the Economics of Joint Replacement On Friday evening, CMS announced its proposed FY27 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). The headline is a 2.4% IPPS rate increase - or about $1.4B in additional funding. However, buried in the announcement is the return, and expansion, of bundled care. The proposed CJR-X model moves total joint arthroplasty back into a 90-day, two-sided risk framework, where hospitals are accountable for the entire episode of care, not just for the surgery. By pure blind luck, I posted about the "2 Loop" economics of TKA costs the morning of the day this announcement was made. For years, the orthopaedic industry optimized around the procedure itself - implants, alignment, robotics, and surgical technique. However, the issue is that the financial risk lies in medical complications, not orthopaedic complications. The care "loop" most responsible for costs is the one containing emergency department visits, readmissions, and downstream medical complications. They are the financial centre of gravity. That shift changes the conversation. Hospitals won’t just ask, “What implant do you use?” Now they’ll ask, “What keeps my patients out of the hospital?” CMS sweetened the pot by allocating up to $1,000 per patient for post-operative technology. That’s a clear signal that the system is moving toward continuous monitoring and data-driven recovery. Furthermore, $464M was earmarked for new technology under NTAP (New Technology Add-on Payments) for FDA "Breakthrough" devices - an additional incentive to innovate. If you can’t monitor the patient after they leave the hospital, you can't detect/correct problems before they become readmissions, and you can’t manage cost. And if you can’t manage cost, you will be punished. Get it right - the hospital meets spending and quality metrics - and earns a performance-based bonus. Get it wrong - and the hospital has to repay all costs above target back to CMS. If 90-day costs are king, then preventing a $10-11,000 average readmission cost is the crown. In real-world data comparing 1,719 Persona IQ TKAs to 8,594 controls, we’re seeing approximately $5,739 in mean savings over the 90-day episode of care. That comes from a combination of reduced ED visits (14.9% in controls to 8.1% in high PIQ users), reduced readmissions (8.8% in controls to 4.3% in high PIQ users), and reduced orthopaedic complications. These will be the numbers required to be aligned with the economic incentives CMS is now putting in place. This a structural shift toward value across the full episode of care and technologies that extend care beyond the hospital. Reducing downstream cost will move from “nice to have” to essential. As Ryan Zimmerman of BTIG put it, “our immediate thought is that this provides a ‘shot in the arm’ for Zimmer Biomet's PersonaIQ implant and Canary Medical Inc.”

”Why did you quit your job at Apple?!?” 😩 “How are you going to explain the gap in your resume?” 🤔 Because humans need rest. Because the grind lifestyle shouldn’t be the norm. Because you will never regret experiencing lifestyles of different cultures. Six months ago, my wife and I stepped away from our full-time careers to travel the world. That time allowed me to reflect deeply on the impact I want my work to have and the values I want to bring into my next role. It reinforced my belief that meaningful growth often comes from bold, intentional (my mom would say irrational) choices. I want to thank the following folks from the bottom of my heart at Apple who played such an important role during my time there: Alysia Ruiz, Agatha Kubalski, Ashley Lusk, Brandon Shriber, Kevin Quinn, Hannah Wood, Catherine Gregory & too many more. You may see me popping in asking for referrals, requesting coffee catch-ups. Thanks in advanced LinkedIn friends - hope you all have an incredible year full of growth, rest and laughs.

As some of my colleagues are aware, I am excited to share that I’ve officially started my full-time MBA journey at UCLA Anderson (Class of 2027)! Having just wrapped up our Summer Quarter, I am pleased with the decision I made and am grateful for the support of mentors, colleagues, friends, and family who encouraged me to take this next step. The transition from professional to student has its challenges but it has been incredibly rewarding to be a full-time learner once again. I want to shoutout Deloitte San Diego's Audit & Assurance practice for providing me such a strong foundation in teamwork, leadership, and industry acumen. Not a day goes by that I am not using those same skills that I honed in Audit with some exceptional professionals. With that said, the Fall Quarter begins next week and I am very much looking forward to continuing my development in strategy and leadership, collaborating with an incredible cohort of peers, and applying these lessons to create meaningful impact in the years ahead.

On the eve of our Oxford training event in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to reflect on what drives real progress in orthopedics: strong relationships and innovative technology. I first met Dr. Mark Wu six months ago at The Cutting Edge meeting. He was energized by what he saw from Zimmer Biomet and we quickly discovered a shared vision for the future of orthopedic care. As he shared again tonight, that meeting was a turning point. He left excited to bring ZB technology into his practice and Cedars Sinai. This evening, we had the chance to reconnect over dinner with his ZB team and celebrate his first six months as a ZB surgeon. We talked about his experiences with ROSA, Persona IQ, and data-driven care. When I asked him to reflect on the journey so far, he said it comes down to two things: technology and team. He specifically recognized Jared Inman, Travis Johnston, and Jeff Busey for their support (thank you guys for all your hard work!). I couldn’t agree more—when advanced technology meets a committed team, great things happen. Thank you Dr. Wu for your trust and support in Zimmer Biomet implants and technology! Tomorrow, it’s all about Oxford. Let’s GO!! 🚀 Ivan Tornos Brian Martin Paul Shortt Chris Friend Greg Mangan Mark Bezjak Kevin Thornal Gary Campbell Bradley M. Kessler Cade Sullivan #ZimmerBiomet #OxfordPartialKnee #ROSA #PersonaIQ #Teamwork #Innovation #Orthopedics #Leadership #SmartImplants

Hello, All! As some of you may have heard, my time at Aruna Bio has come to an end as of last week. It was a great two years of learning about the industry, #Biotech startup operations, building out a Quality Management System from scratch, and so much more that I could never list here or on a two-page resume. With that being said, it is time for the next chapter and I am officially #OpenToWork. I am open to positions here in Athens, Georgia, or anything remote, and I am looking to apply my expertise in the fields of Quality Operations, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control within the Biotech/Pharma industry. My network has been nothing short of fantastic in supporting me through this transition, and I cannot wait to see where I end up. Let's connect! Taylor

Earlier this month, I graduated Cum Laude from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Business Administration, a concentration in Financial Management, and a minor in Sales. I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences that made my time at Cal Poly so wonderful. I will cherish the connections that I have built with my professors and peers these past four years and will continue to #learnbydoing as I advance throughout my career. Although I am sad to be leaving the beautiful city of San Luis Obispo, I am excited to move up to the Bay Area and join Verkada in the San Mateo office. I would like to give a special thank you to all who have contributed to my college experience! I am ecstatic to see what the future holds.

***Forbes provided its magazine cover as a photo backdrop for attendees of the #forbeswomen conference. Used it along with a picture of my favorite Crew. I love it and thanks for all that believe along with ME - #lifegoals #careergoals #visualization #seeitbeit*** Powering through purpose, career, and parenting! This shot from February captures my greatest reasons for powering through. I was excited that the issue of support for working parents was discussed at the conference as well. Time for parents- yes both moms and dads should not be a luxury, it is important that both public and private sectors make time to heal and bond with families available. #careermom #workingparents #rolemodel Energized from the #forbes #forbeswomen power women summit today! Listening to such a great lineup of powerful women reminds me to continue to discover my voice and use it. Using my passion for maximizing the diverse workforce and advocacy, I can make a difference. " We are all born with power, sometimes it just take everyone sometime to find theirs". Looking forward to the event recap. #powerwomen #growthmindset #empowerwomen #culturematters #worklifebalance #workingmothers #thrivingatworkandlife #audi

I am very excited to share that I have officially accepted a Summer 2021 internship offer from Stryker within the Neurovascular Department as a Quality Engineering intern. Thank you to everyone at Stryker who has helped me throughout this interview process. I cannot wait for the opportunity to work with this amazing company!