Blaine Warkentine

Healthcare Technology Strategist

I translate between clinical reality and commercial strategy. 20+ years building at the boundary of medicine and technology.

MD (Medical College of Wisconsin)
MBA (University of Utah)
Built BrainLAB's $250M Ortho Vertical
Multiple Healthcare M&A Exits

What I Do

I help health systems adopt innovation safely, and I help innovators navigate health systems successfully.

Health System Partnerships

I've spent 20+ years building relationships between technology companies and health systems. I know how deals get done, where they stall, and why. From pilot programs to system-wide adoption, I speak the language on both sides.

Healthcare M&A Advisory

I've been in the room when healthcare companies get acquired. InVivoLink (HCA Healthcare), PumpOne (Anytime Fitness), Disior (Paragon 28) — I've helped navigate the diligence process, validate market positioning, and close deals.

Medical Device Commercialization

I built BrainLAB's orthopedic navigation vertical from zero to $250M. I know what it takes to bring surgical technology to market, gain surgeon adoption, and scale globally.

Available for fractional strategy, advisory board seats, and M&A consulting engagements.

Let's Talk

Where I've Been

Key roles that shaped how I think about healthcare innovation.

BrainLAB
Clinical Orthopaedic Director
2003–2009
Built orthopedic navigation vertical from $0 to $250M. Defined clinical strategy, pioneered adoption across Europe and North America, established surgeon advisory councils.
PumpOne
Chief Medical Officer
2008–2016
8-year CMO tenure leading clinical validation and health system partnerships. Contributed to acquisition by Anytime Fitness.
InVivoLink
Chief Medical Officer
2012–2013
Orthopedic analytics platform. Contributed to acquisition by HCA Healthcare, validating the clinical data strategy.
Pristine Surgical
Clinical Lead
2016–2023
7 years leading clinical adoption of single-use arthroscopy platforms. Grew surgeon partnerships and validated environmental positioning.
Disior
US Commercial Strategy
2021–2022
Contributed to US market strategy and surgeon engagement. Acquired by Paragon 28, validating the orthopedic technology thesis.

What I'm Building Now

Two ventures at different stages, both solving real problems in healthcare.

Q1 2026 Launch

Sh-Room

The Silent Mushroom Incubator

A $79 whisper-quiet home mushroom growing system designed for people who want to grow functional mushrooms at home, not buy supplements.

Noise Level
<18 dB
Gross Margin
62%
Setup Time
2 minutes
Recycled Material
78%

Current focus: Closing $2M seed round and launching Kickstarter. This is the validation gate — if the market responds, we scale manufacturing.

Visit sh-room.com
Partnership Validation

Family Care Cooperative

Worker-Owned Home Care

Solving the discharge crisis with W-2 caregivers who earn $25–30/hr + equity. Families save 2/3 vs traditional home care ($3,500 vs $9,900/mo).

Family Savings
66% less
Turnover Goal
77% → 15%
Caregiver Wage
$25–30/hr
CMS Aligned
ACCESS/ELEVATE

Current focus: Partnership validation with Colorado health systems, particularly around discharge crisis economics. Hiring operations lead to handle day-to-day execution while I architect partnerships and regulatory strategy.

Education & Credentials

Clinical training, business foundation, and deep domain expertise in orthopedic technology.

MD
Medical College of Wisconsin
Full medical degree with deep clinical training in orthopedic medicine and surgical technique.
MBA
University of Utah
Business foundation in strategy, finance, and healthcare commercialization.
Orthopedic Residency Training
University of Maryland
Advanced orthopedic surgical training, including rotations in trauma, sports medicine, and joint reconstruction.
Surgical Navigation Fellowship
Long Beach Memorial / DePuy BrainLAB
Specialized fellowship in image-guided surgery and intraoperative navigation technology.
B.S. Business Administration
University of Colorado Boulder
Undergraduate foundation in business, economics, and organizational leadership.
Patents
Surgical Navigation & Imaging
Multiple patents in surgical navigation, imaging, and intraoperative guidance assigned to BrainLAB.