Two-Time Breast Cancer Survivor PA Carrie Hodge is Finding New Ways to Bridge Gaps in Care

“It’s amazing how someone who has been through so much still remains laser-focused on helping others”

February 20, 2025

By Dave Andrews

Doing things a certain way just because “that’s how it’s always been done” has never been an acceptable rationale for Caroline “Carrie” Hodge, PA-C. Throughout her career—from the emergency department (ED) to the boardroom—Hodge has consistently taken the tougher, more solutions-oriented path to patient care.

“Sometimes we get stuck in repetitive mindsets in healthcare,” said Hodge, co-founder and CEO of Dimer Health. “Making fundamental changes in how we approach care is critical if we want to see improved patient outcomes.”

Before launching her own company, Hodge spent years in emergency medicine where she often saw glaring gaps in care—problems that, in many cases, were simply accepted as part of the system. Chronically ill patients frequently left the ED with temporary fixes rather than lasting solutions.

“I remember one case vividly: a woman I diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the ED,” Hodge recalled. “I couldn’t get her in to see an oncologist for over three months. And this wasn’t a rare occurrence. Oftentimes, patients were waiting months for critical care, and it didn’t make sense to me.”

To create real change, she knew she had to do more than just identify problems—she had to position herself where she could drive action that would lead to positive changes.

“I realized that if I wanted to fix things, I could not just be ‘shouting from the bottom of the mountain’ and expect to see results,” she said. “I needed to get myself closer to where the decisions were being made.”

Hodge stepped up, leading her hospital’s PA group to give her colleagues a stronger collective voice in shaping patient care. As her leadership expanded, she transitioned into corporate medicine, where she oversaw clinical operations and advocated for improved utilization of advanced practice providers.

The ‘Lightbulb Moment’
Despite her success in both clinical and corporate settings, Hodge felt she wasn’t doing enough to fundamentally improve care delivery. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she believes many of healthcare’s inefficiencies were further exposed on an unprecedented scale.

“So many people died in their homes from treatable conditions because they were too afraid to come to the hospital, and we couldn’t bring care to them,” Hodge said. “I remember thinking, ‘This doesn’t make sense. We live in a modern society where you can get an Amazon package in a day, but we still can’t get basic healthcare to people where they are, when they need it.’”

At the same time, Hodge was battling breast cancer for the second time. After enduring 16 rounds of chemotherapy, she gained a new perspective on her purpose and even more determination to make a significant impact in healthcare.

“Once my cancer was in remission, I had this moment of clarity,” she said. “The fear of not trying became bigger than the fear of failing. From that point on, I didn’t want to spend my life doing anything that didn’t fulfill me at my core.”

Taking a Leap of Faith
Determined to rethink post-hospital care, Hodge co-founded Dimer Health in 2023, building a predictive model to proactively bridge gaps in post-discharge care.

“I had always wondered, ‘Why are we waiting for patients to get sick again and return to the ED?’” Hodge said. “Why weren’t we delivering care to them before they reached a crisis point?”

Dimer Health’s model focuses on early intervention, medically managing patients before their conditions deteriorate to the point of hospitalization.

In less than two years, Dimer Health’s transitional care model has been deployed across parts of New Jersey, New York, and Florida. The rapid adoption is a testament to its effectiveness, as well as to Hodge’s leadership.

“It’s amazing how someone who has been through so much still remains laser-focused on helping others,” said Gidon Coussin, DMSc, PA-C, co-founder of Dimer Health.

Coussin—who has experience launching several start-up companies in the technology industry before pivoting to a career in healthcare—has worked with a wide range of leadership styles, but he says Hodge stands out.

“I’ve met a lot of CEOs throughout my career who are the ‘alpha’ types, or the know-it-alls,” Coussin said. “But Carrie? She leads with humility and compassion, qualities that, after everything she’s been through, are even more inspiring. She’s exactly the right person to be driving this change.”

A Challenging Path Worth Traveling
Hodge admits her chosen career path has not been an easy one. Starting a company, challenging long-standing care models, and introducing new technology have all come with countless moments of skepticism and resistance.

“I can’t tell you how many times people told me I was wrong,” she said. “Or worse, just ignored me completely.”

But instead of discouraging her, the pushback only fueled her determination. “At first, I questioned myself. Maybe I was wrong,” Hodge said. “But then I realized, maybe I just see opportunities before others do.”

Overall, Hodge aims to redefine what is possible in post-hospital care—a field that she feels has been stuck in outdated models for decades. She hopes her journey inspires other healthcare providers to challenge the status quo and act when they see a problem that needs solving.

“If you see something that is broken, don’t let the naysayers stop you,” Hodge said. “Be the person who fixes it.”

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