BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 16, 2025 / The intersection of healthcare and technology often creates friction points that impact patient care. When industry experts discovered patients were struggling with basic pharmacy needs in the digital space - such as one frustrated patient who spent three hours trying to understand their medication pricing - they knew something had to change. "I encountered a patient who had to drive 40 miles to a physical pharmacy because they could neither see their insurance-covered price online nor could they place an order. That's when I knew we had to revolutionize this experience," says Bhakti Mahato, a distinguished healthcare leader and product manager with 18 years of experience spanning major insurance companies, startups, and tech giants like Amazon. Her journey began with creating Humana Vitality, a pioneering fitness tracker program, in 2011. "As a 25-year-old new to US healthcare, I initially underestimated the impact fitness tracking could have on health outcomes," she reflects. Through direct patient interactions, she gained crucial insights into the vital role of fitness in maintaining health. She developed empathy for patients and decided to transition to product management to stay close to patients and listen to their experiences.

In 2015, she graduated with an MBA from University of Cincinnati, followed by getting a certificate in Product Strategy from Kellogg's school of business in 2021.

Throughout her 18-year career, she has involved engaging with diverse patient demographics with unique needs. This varied exposure strengthened her commitment to making healthcare both accessible and affordable by building technology driven solutions.

In 2022, she launched Interoperability Standards for RxAdvance, a start-up in Massachusetts. "Interoperability is important to US Healthcare system. Patients' information is dispersed all over the legacy systems, which can lead to dramatic consequences if the right information is not available to providers at the right time. I reviewed the HL7 guidelines and built FHIR framework to launch Interoperability as a product-as-a-service (PAAS) for our patients, providers, and analysts," Bhakti explains. "Patients can access their critical health information using a user-friendly application from anywhere, anytime. They can choose to share their information with their providers, and the entire transaction is extremely secure through FHIR and OAuth connection."

After spending years of building innovative solutions, Bhakti decided to take a leap by joining Amazon Pharmacy in 2022. Her product vision to revolutionize digital healthcare led to the launch of a new online shopping experience for medications offering upfront price transparency, making healthcare interoperable for patients. "Launching a novel online shopping experience within healthcare's stringent framework, especially at Amazon's scale is not easy. Beyond making medications affordable and accessible, we needed to establish trust in an unprecedented online pharmacy model," she explains. Today, Amazon Pharmacy serves millions of customers across the US.

US healthcare is reforming toward digital health and telemedicine. In July 2025, Trump administration announced the launch of digital health initiative backed by top technology companies, including Amazon https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/white-house-tech-leaders-commit-create-patient-centric-healthcare-ecosystem to make healthcare services transparent and easily accessible.

"We recognized early on that price transparency was a critical need for our patients, as well as an emerging priority in healthcare policy, so we built it." Bhakti's contributions to building a cost-efficient, technologically advanced digital pharmacy align perfectly with national healthcare digitization goals.

The innovation didn't stop there. Recognizing healthcare's dynamic nature, she continues to pioneer nimble solutions that adapt to constant change by using artificial intelligence.

"With 30% of U.S. healthcare funding consumed by administrative costs, directly impacting patient expenses, my goal is to leverage AI to reduce these costs by 80% in next five years. AI is nimble and excels where change is constant," she states.

As a healthcare technology evangelist, Bhakti actively promotes responsible AI adoption in healthcare while serving as a Senior IEEE member and conducting educational presentations on healthcare AI applications. "There's significant anxiety about AI, particularly among older patients. It's crucial to educate communities about how AI can reduce healthcare costs while maintaining safety standards."

Her impact extends beyond technical innovations into the realm of professional development and education. She continues to influence young minds at universities, including Ivy Leagues like Columbia and Cornell. "Technology in healthcare isn't just about writing code - it's about improving lives," she emphasized during her talk at Drexel university in April 2025, helping bridge the gap between academic theory and practical healthcare challenges.

"I love healthcare and building products that genuinely improve people's lives. That's what drives me forward, and that's the difference I'll continue to pursue wherever my journey leads," she concludes.

Contact: prernasrk@gmail.com

SOURCE: Mahato PR