When two of healthcare technology's most influential policy voices join forces for a conversation, you get more than talking points—you get the unvarnished truth about how healthcare transformation really happens in Washington and beyond.
Leigh Burchell, Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs at Altera Digital Health, and Leslie Krigstein, Vice President of Communication and Government Affairs at Transcarent, have spent decades translating between Silicon Valley innovation and Capitol Hill regulation. Their combined influence has shaped everything from meaningful use to the explosion of digital health adoption.
"My interest in lawmaking goes back to high school," Leigh shares, describing how dinner table conversations with her physician father and occupational therapist mother led to a career at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Then President Obama came along, "and the whole world changed."
For Leslie, it was watching her grandmother serve on Vermont's Governor's Advisory Board in the late '70s and '80s—"where there probably weren't a lot of women influencers in policymaking"—that sparked her passion. Years later, she found herself in the House chamber the night the ACA passed, knowing she was witnessing history.
In this revealing episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Leigh and Leslie pull back the curtain on:
✔ Why they're still counting clicks in 2025 (and what that means for doctors)
✔ How to humanize corporate interests while maintaining credibility on both sides of the aisle
✔ The delicate dance between innovation and regulation in the age of AI
✔ Why "pledges" are back and what's different this time under Trump 2.0
✔ How consumerization is finally revolutionizing healthcare—from bug bite photos to price transparency
✔ The art of being "the sharpest person in the room" while staying honest
✔ What it really takes to influence policy from inside commercial companies
"Every policy maker wants to talk about digital health," Leigh notes. "It's not just ASTP, ONC, CMS—it's DEA, CDC, Department of Homeland Security. It's massively exploding at the state level too."
But with AI "bullet training down the tracks" and policymakers scrambling to respond, both women navigate the precarious balance between enabling innovation and avoiding regulation that could "cut us off at the knees."
Their secret to exceptional influence? It's not what you might expect.
"If I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it," Leigh admits, crediting her Type A personality. But the real key is collaboration: "We all want the same thing. People can sense that among other people, so we hold hands and run in the same direction."
Leslie emphasizes the power of genuine relationships: "There are lasting relationships with folks on Capitol Hill that started with simple coffee... to invitations to baby showers and decades of friendship."
Both women have stood up to CEOs at 10 PM, defended patient interests over profits, and maintained their integrity when commercial pressures mounted. Leslie has even channeled her experience as a mother navigating her child's cancer diagnosis into more compassionate policy advocacy.
For aspiring policy influencers, their advice is clear: Be an advocate in all facets of life. Find your passion. Build trust through honesty. And remember—it's easier to go together than alone.
"I love reading regulations," Leigh confesses. "Weird maybe, but it's true. If you can find something you're passionate about and find a way to do that professionally, you'll be set."
From counting clicks to shaping AI governance, these two powerhouses prove that healthcare policy isn't just about rules—it's about translating innovation into impact while keeping patients at the center of every decision.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
03:45 From Hill to Healthcare Tech: Finding Your Policy Passion
06:29 Making Complex Policy Personal for Lawmakers
10:06 Bleeding Purple: Navigating Bipartisan Corporate Advocacy
13:16 The Deregulation Cycle and State-Level Explosion
15:00 AI and the Consumerization Revolution in Healthcare
21:44 Building Collaborative Networks for Policy Impact
24:42 The Power of Being the Trusted Expert in the Room
29:20 Finding Passion in Policy: Career Advice for Advocates
GUEST & HOST LINKS
Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurieasmcgraw/
Connect with Leigh Burchell on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-c-burchell-6b737011/
Connect with Leslie Krigstein on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliemirvine/
CONNECT WITH INSPIRING WOMEN
Website https://inspiringwomen.show/inspiring-women-podcast-episodes/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspiring-women-pod/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/inspiringwomen_podcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspiring-women-with-laurie-mcgraw/id1557474315