CHEPA seminar: Leveraging Bitcoin for Better Health Outcomes

CHEPA’s first seminar of the 2024-25 academic year is entitled “Leveraging bitcoin for better health outcomes: A new paradigm in public health & health care.” 

In this talk, CHEPA member Dr. Emma Apatu, and colleague Jon Gordon, founder of Satoshi Health Advisors in Austin, Texas, will discuss how Bitcoin, as an alternative monetary network and form of money, can be leveraged to support health, public health, and healthcare.

The seminar takes place on Wednesday, September 18 from 12 noon to 1 pm, (please note the start time) in room CRL-B119 and on Zoom.

Apatu is an Associate Professor (part-time) in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster, where she previously served as program director of the Master of Public Health program for five years. She has co-authored 50 peer-reviewed publications on various interdisciplinary topics ranging from public health and healthcare to education and disaster sociology.

Apatu says she recognized the revolutionary potential of Bitcoin in 2021. She is intrigued by its intersection with work, life, and health, and is a passionate advocate for what she believes is Bitcoin’s ability to improve individual and community socioeconomic outcomes both locally and globally.

In 2024, Apatu launched Dream Grad Academy, an education platform and consultancy partnering with Bitcoin companies to empower individuals and organizations economically. She serves as a Mentor with www.Bitcoinmentor.io, helping individuals along their Bitcoin educational journeys. She is also a member of the Bitcoin Coalition of Canada‘s Education & Public Engagement Committee and an advisor at the non-profit organization Bitcoin is Better. Her recent writing has been featured in Bitcoin Magazine, including the article “Bitcoin & Public Health: Addressing the Debt Money Crises.”

Jon Gordon brings over nine years of diverse healthcare industry experience to his role as founder of Satoshi Health Advisors. His background includes strategy consulting for hospitals and health systems, payor business strategy, medical supplies product management, and startup business development and sales.

Gordon is an active member of the Austin Bitcoin community. He believes that Bitcoin is the best form of money humans have ever discovered and has the potential to transform our reality.

He holds a BA in Economics from Northwestern University and completed a double master’s degree (MS/MA) in health economics and policy at the University of Chicago and London School of Economics in 2020. Gordon is also a certified yoga teacher, specializing in Himalayan Kriya Yoga,  and has written extensively on the connection between bitcoin and yoga.

For a Zoom link to participate remotely, email ramsay@mcmaster.ca.