Cleerly Is the Mammogram of the Heart with Jim Hartman

In this episode, your host, Jordan Burgin, is joined by Jim Hartman, Chief Commercial Officer at Cleerly, to talk about why heart disease is still caught too late and how AI-driven coronary CT analysis is moving diagnosis upstream, before the heart attack ever happens. Jim shares the personal story behind his switch from cardiac surgery to prevention, breaks down what Cleerly actually sees inside the arteries, and walks through the commercial playbook he used to take the company from pre-revenue to scale from reimbursement battles to hiring for skill, will, and fit. Key Topics Why heart disease is still diagnosed “on the back end” and the case for imaging the heart What a Cleerly coronary CT analysis sees that a calcium score misses Building a commercial engine from pre-revenue to scale Hiring for skill, will, and fit in a mission-driven startup Related Insights The shift from a “sick-based” system to value-based, subscription-style care Why financial ROI now outweighs clinical enthusiasm in hospital sales Using AI tools for market segmentation and smarter territory planning Core Challenges Physician inertia: even with cutting-edge technology and a deep body of clinical data, established physician habits change slowly. Adoption depends on proving clinical value, workflow efficiency, and ROI all at once and, in today’s ~1–2% hospital margins, the financial case can be the showstopper. Reimbursement and capacity: securing coverage took nearly five years, forcing an early pivot to the concierge market. Even now, with demand rising, a shortage of CT machines and radiology techs leaves some markets up to six weeks behind on coronary CT. 🎧 Tune in now to hear how Jim Hartman is building the commercial engine behind a world without heart attacks. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx, visit https://www.thisiscruxx.com/ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; TTP plc -   / the-technology-partnership   With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, TTP plc can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at https://www.ttp.com/