America's healthcare crisis is at a boiling point, and surprisingly, that might be exactly what we need. For the first time in decades, the broken, outrageously expensive U.S. healthcare system is under a microscope, sparking conversations that go beyond political chambers and into our communities. Dr. Toyin Ajayi, co-founder and CEO of Cityblock Health, sees this as a pivotal moment. In a recent episode of the CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/22/cnbc-changemakers-power-players.html), she told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin, “We’re in a moment where health and healthcare—and what it means to be healthy—is the subject of a national discussion. I’ve never seen that before.” But here’s where it gets controversial: Amid federal funding cuts for research, polarizing policies under President Trump’s administration, and a record-breaking government shutdown over healthcare funding, how can anyone be optimistic?
Ajayi’s optimism stems from the unprecedented attention the system is finally receiving. “Healthcare is so unaffordable in the United States, inexplicably unaffordable,” she notes. Despite spending more per capita on healthcare than any other developed nation, the U.S. lags in health outcomes. Doctors and nurses are burned out, rural areas struggle to attract primary care physicians, and an aging population is amplifying the strain. “The status quo wasn’t working. Everybody’s kind of mad about it,” Ajayi adds. This frustration, she believes, is the catalyst for change.
But is public outrage enough to fix a system this broken? Movements like “Make America Healthy Again” are gaining traction, regardless of whether everyone agrees with their positions. “There are people who identify as being part of a movement around health. That’s incredible,” Ajayi says. For the first time in decades, conversations about health are happening at the grassroots level, not just in Congress. People are asking critical questions: “Who can I elect who will help me and my children live healthier lives?”
Cityblock Health is at the forefront of this shift, providing integrated health services—clinical, behavioral, and social—to over 100,000 Medicaid and dual-eligible patients across more than 10 states. Their community health workers conduct in-home assessments, coordinate care, and connect patients to essential services like food banks and transportation. But with trust in the U.S. healthcare system at an all-time low, can any organization truly rebuild it? Ajayi believes the answer lies in meeting people where they are—literally and figuratively. “Medicine operated on a hierarchy for so long—it was us and them,” she reflects, drawing from her experiences in underfunded pediatric units in Sierra Leone and high-tech hospitals in Boston. “That doesn’t work. We have an opportunity to regain trust by showing up in people’s homes, on their smartphones, in their social media feeds, using language that’s relatable and intelligible.”
And this is the part most people miss: AI could be the game-changer. Cityblock is investing in AI technology to make healthcare more accessible, trustworthy, and understandable, especially for those on government health plans. “We want to look back in 10 years and say we developed AI tools that made life better for people who didn’t have a seat at the table,” Ajayi explains. But here’s the question: Can AI truly bridge the gap between a broken system and the people it’s meant to serve, or is it just another band-aid solution?
As Ajayi continues to push boundaries, her inclusion in the 2025 CNBC Changemakers list (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/24/these-are-the-2025-cnbc-changemakers.html) underscores her impact. Meanwhile, CNBC is now accepting nominations for the third CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business list (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/30/2026-changemakers-list-nominate-leader-women-transforming-business.html), celebrating women reshaping the business landscape. To follow this conversation, listen to the CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cnbc-changemakers-power-players/id1840209228) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1ZqQQxtXROfgDDmy4UqTaz).
What do you think? Can grassroots conversations and AI-driven solutions fix America’s healthcare crisis, or is the system too far gone? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
