When it comes to shaking up the healthcare marketing and PR landscape, few names resonate quite like Mike Mosquito—technologist, storyteller, and host of The Buzz podcast. He recently joined me to talk about his recent win as Healthcare Marketing & PR Trailblazer of the Year at the 2025 Swaay.Health Awards. On the show, I talked with Mike about his journey in the space, what it means to lead with candor, and how authenticity is reshaping the future of healthcare conversations. From his early days building patient portals at McKesson to today’s role as a superconnector and media voice, Mike has never been afraid to turn the industry narrative on its head.

Key Highlights:

• The importance of challenging traditional norms and moving beyond “safe” conversations.
• Why authenticity and vulnerability are essential to building trust in healthcare marketing today.
• How building platforms like The Buzz and The Recap has created space for authentic industry dialogue.
• A forward-looking perspective on the role of AI, community, and human connection in shaping the future of healthcare.

For Mike, being recognized as a trailblazer isn’t about polished campaigns, it’s about building platforms that elevate real voices and real solutions. “I don’t consider myself a traditional marketer,” he shared. “I see myself as a superconnector, someone that builds platforms that enable candid voices and help others shine.” That drive to champion authenticity has fueled not only The Buzz Podcast but also his ongoing projects like The Recap, both of which challenge the industry to move past safe conversations and showcase what’s really happening inside healthcare systems and within the healthcare industry.

The heart of Mike’s philosophy is a call to retire sterile, over-polished messaging in favor of what he calls earned vulnerability. “Sterile messaging falls on deaf ears now,” he explained. “When you show real outcomes, real failures, and the lessons learned—that’s what builds trust.” His approach has resonated with audiences across the country, propelling his podcasts to many different stages and sparking new communities around open, unfiltered conversations. Whether tackling burnout, AI, or the human side of digital transformation, Mike insists on keeping the dialogue raw and deeply human.

Our conversation led to looking ahead at the healthcare landscape. We chatted about AI and human-centered innovation as key forces reshaping care, when balanced with transparency and equity. He’s particularly energized by solutions that close access gaps in mental health, while cautioning against narratives that position AI as a human replacement. As he told me, “Humans are always going to be in the play. The future of healthcare depends on us building inclusive, transparent, and equitable solutions.” With his candid style and commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices, Mike Mosquito is proving that trailblazing in healthcare marketing isn’t about chasing buzzwords, it’s about creating communities where truth, innovation, and humanity meet.

Check out all of the 2025 Swaay.Health Award winners, and keep an eye out for this year’s nominations—you won’t want to miss them!