When it comes to transforming healthcare through smarter storytelling and stronger strategy, few voices resonate as powerfully as Saul Marquez, founder and CEO of Outcomes Rocket.
As a former medical device executive turned healthcare marketing leader, Saul has made it his mission to help organizations solve commercial challenges with authenticity, precision, and heart.
In this episode of Go-To-Market with Dr. Amy Cook, Amy sits down with Saul to talk about his journey—from humble beginnings in Chicago to leading a thriving healthcare marketing agency in San Diego.
Together, they explore what inspired him to enter healthcare, how early life experiences shaped his hunger for growth, and why true alignment between marketing and sales remains the foundation of every successful go-to-market strategy.
The conversation dives deep into the realities of today’s healthcare landscape—from regulatory pressures and cyber threats to the new era of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Saul shares actionable insights on how healthcare companies can adapt, communicate with authenticity, and leverage AI without losing the human touch. It’s an honest, inspiring look at what it takes to stay relevant, connected, and purpose-driven in a rapidly evolving industry.
Here are some interview highlights:
Amy: You’ve had a long career in the industry. What first drew you to it and what do you see as some of the biggest challenges today?
Saul: It actually started on the playground. I fell off the monkey bars as a kid, hit my head on the concrete, and ended up in the hospital with a mild concussion. I remember being terrified until the nurse came in, then the doctor, and finally my mom. The kindness and care they showed me stuck with me. Driving away from the hospital, I knew I wanted to be part of that world somehow.
That experience led me into healthcare. And now, through Outcomes Rocket, I get to support organizations that make a difference every day.
Amy: But healthcare isn’t without challenges. What are you seeing right now as some of the biggest issues?
Saul: Two big ones come to mind.
First, the regulatory environment. Funding cuts from recent legislation have forced health systems to make tough choices. This is often between keeping staff and investing in technology. Everyone’s trying to do more with less.
Second, cybersecurity. Healthcare is now one of the top targets for cyberattacks. Gartner reported that 66% of health systems experienced a successful cyberattack in 2023—meaning operations were actually halted or patient care was impacted. That’s huge.
So when vendors—whether medtech, pharma, or health IT—sell into this environment, they need to understand that reality. Your messaging has to reflect what your buyers are truly focused on today: cost containment and operational security.
Amy: That’s such an important point—meeting customers where they are.
Saul: Exactly. And in today’s noisy market, there’s also been a major shift in how content is discovered. SEO as we knew it is gone. We’re now in the age of GEO—Generative Engine Optimization.
We wanted to understand what that means for healthcare marketing, so we did our own research. The result was our report, AI Sources of Truth: How Chatbots Cite Healthcare Information. We analyzed over 5,400 citations from chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity to understand how they reference healthcare data.
Amy: That’s fascinating. What did you find?
Saul: Three key takeaways. . . .
To listen to the complete interview and learn the 3 key takeaways, click here.
