Jay R. Anders ’79 is a medical doctor and health care leader with a passion for improving patient care through the use of better data and technology. A few years ago, at the suggestion of his company’s marketing director, Dr. Anders added podcast host to his bio.

“I'm a thespian at heart,” he explained. “I've done a lot of plays and things like that when I was in high school and college, so it was kind of like, ‘Okay, let's give it a shot.’”

It turns out, Dr. Anders is a natural when it comes to podcasting — last year his monthly show, Tell Me Where IT Hurts, was awarded a Power Press Award, which recognizes journalistic work that “spotlights innovation or new insights in health care.”

After graduating from the Hilltop, Dr. Anders went on to earn a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He became an accomplished internal medicine practitioner, enjoying a 17-year career as a physician, department chair, clinic president, and medical director.

Dr. Anders believes his path to success can be traced back to his time at Illinois College. As an undergraduate student, he embraced widespread opportunities to grow as more than just a biology student. 

“It is all related to my liberal arts education; I can't emphasize that enough,” he said. “That preparatory work in college paved the way for what I did next. I was encouraged to grow in many areas through things like APO (a national service fraternity), speech, and band.” 

Throughout his life, Dr. Anders nurtured a love for technology and a curiosity about how it worked. 

“I’ve always had an interest in computers,” Dr. Anders says, recalling how he bought the first Apple computer in the late 70s and taught himself to program using two different languages. After nearly 20 years of practicing medicine, he drew on that curiosity along with the adaptability and skills he learned at IC, and his eclectic interests, to launch a new career in electronic health records. 

“My well-rounded experience at Illinois College allowed me to shift careers from doing primary care and managing a clinic to the electronic health care world without much of a hiccup,” he explains. 

Dr. Anders is now Chief Medical Officer of Medicomp Systems, where he focuses on product development and oversees a team of physicians and consultants. He believes that health care will continue to be enhanced by modern tools and artificial intelligence, but doctors will not be replaced. He hopes his work allows more focus on patient care rather than the mundane aspects of medicine, such as record keeping. 

His podcast features experts who also work in the intersection of technology and health care. The award-winning episode featured guest Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., who is the national coordinator for health information technology in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The two health care leaders spoke on the topic of interoperability, or the ability of computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information. The topic is vital is providing comprehensive care. 

What makes his delivery compelling is Dr. Anders’ knack for weaving together his expertise as a physician, his love for technology, and his humanity. He includes personal stories about his time navigating the health care system with his elderly mother, who recently passed. 

Tell Me Where It Hurts holds the top spot on its network, Healthcare Now Radio. The program covers complex systems and innovative ideas, but Dr. Anders is skilled at making these topics accessible and interesting for listeners. 

For those students who hope to lead a similarly adventurous career, Dr. Anders offers some simple advice:

“Be flexible and learn to adapt to new challenges. Don't get locked into a certain set of thought patterns. There are always opportunities to enhance your career if you really want to. And never give up; never say, I just can't do that.”

Tell Me Where IT Hurts is available to stream online here.