Your Medtech Reimbursement Plan Needs Work (Steal Her Playbook)

I'm joined by Courtney Turich, Global VP of Sales and Marketing at Cooler Heads, as we explore how scalp cooling technology is transforming chemotherapy for cancer patients and the go-to-market challenges of selling devices outside the traditional surgical setting.

From Stryker Sales to Shark Tank
→ Built her career at Stryker as one of few women in her division, then launched Monkey Mat and landed a deal with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner on Shark Tank
→ The biggest lesson from Shark Tank: the hardest part of entrepreneurship is simply getting started

The Mission Behind Cooler Heads
→ Mechanical cold caps circulate cold fluid to protect hair follicles from chemotherapy, adding 2-3 hours to treatment sessions across pre-cooling, infusion, and post-cooling phases
→ Courtney joined pre-commercialization to build the commercial strategy, helping treat their very first patient after FDA clearance

The Reimbursement Journey: Category 3 to Category 1
→ Transitioned to Category 1 CPT codes in January 2026, shifting from patient-purchased caps to facility-dispensed disposables
→ Hired a VP of Market Access and engaged a third-party agency to push commercial payers to follow Medicare's lead

Selling to Infusion Centers: A Different Playbook
→ The decision maker isn't the oncologist, it's often the cancer center director or lead infusion nurse, with 6-9 month sales cycles even at lower price points
→ Every facility has a different adoption process, making early identification of key decision makers critical

Go-to-Market: Relationships First, Then Scale
→ Leveraged existing relationships to land UPMC, then expanded across their infusion centers while using private centers for faster early traction
→ Patient advocacy became a powerful growth driver, with patients switching facilities to access scalp cooling

Best Quotes:

"Titles mean nothing in the startup world. I really like that cowboy, cowgirl feel of a startup."

"There's no perfect time. You've gotta just jump in and start selling. You could delay your launch over and over again, but you just gotta get that first sell."

"Crawl, walk, run. It is imperative. Get out of the mindset of paralysis by analysis and just get going."

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FIND SPENCER JONES ON SOCIAL
Spencer's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/medtech-innovation/
XO Medtech LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/xo-medtech/

FIND COURTNEY TURICH ON SOCIAL
Courtney's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyturich1/
Bold Moves, Confident Choices Podcast - YouTube
Cooler Heads - https://www.coolerheads.com/

Episode Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Courtney Turich and Cooler Heads
1:12 - Career Journey from Stryker to Shark Tank
3:05 - Startup Mentality and Wearing Multiple Hats
3:24 - Skills That Transfer from Big Corp to Startups
6:25 - How the Medtech Selling Environment Has Evolved
10:11 - What Is Cooler Heads and How Scalp Cooling Works
14:38 - Reimbursement Journey: Category 3 to Category 1
18:47 - Market Access Strategy and Working with Payers
30:52 - The Shark Tank Experience with Monkey Mat
35:32 - Go-to-Market Strategy for Infusion Centers
48:57 - What's Next: Series B and Scaling for Acquisition
49:51 - Biggest Advice for Medtech Founders
55:24 - Leadership, Empathy, and Being Bold