What I Do
Joe Burbach
Helping healthcare organizations navigate strategy, technology, and patient-centered innovation.
I founded JoeCo in 2008 as a way to offer big-picture strategy without the big-agency fuss. It’s just me—working closely with clients as a player-coach to help turn ideas into action. I guide transformation efforts that align vision, technology, and execution in ways that create real value for real people.
My work spans healthcare systems, digital platforms, payers, startups, and nonprofits. And while the tools have evolved—today including AI and automation—the goal remains the same: to build thoughtful, sustainable solutions that center the patient, honor compliance, and make complex systems work better for the people they serve.
Today, I’m especially interested in helping healthcare organizations understand where AI fits into their ecosystem—ethically, operationally, and strategically. Whether that means auditing current content and workflows, advising on AI use cases, or building governance frameworks around trust and privacy, I’m looking to partner with teams who care deeply about doing it right.
Clients
I'm grateful to have worked with smart, demanding, good people.
Earning their respect and accolades is my proudest achievement.
During the past 15+ years, I've had long-term, recurring partnerships with:
Health Systems & Clinics
M Health Fairview & UMP – Unified digital roadmap; launched Sitecore patient platforms.
North Memorial Health – Built SharePoint intranet for system-wide communication.
Summit Orthopedics – Produced post-op rehab video content to support recovery.
CedarCrest Surgery Center – Developed brand identity and patient-facing website.
Gillette Children’s Specialty Care – Delivered 5-year strategic plan and site redesign.
CommonSpirit Health – Advised on AEM component-based web system.
Institute for Athletic Medicine – Led the design and development of a Sitecore-based website.
Payers & Medicare Advantage
Vermont Blue Advantage & NextBlue ND – Led content and onboarding strategy; ensured CMS compliance.
Health Tech & Virtual Care
PTRx (Founder) – Scaled to 375,000+ patients; acquired by ASH, now used across 50M+ covered lives.
American Specialty Health – Post-acquisition advisor on digital content and virtual care strategy.
Plethy Health – Created rehab protocols and licensing strategy for motion-based recovery platform.
Other Brands I’ve Helped
US Bank | Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day | Kemps | Cargill | General Mills
Kroll Ontrack | Harley-Davidson Motor Company | Porsche Cars North America
American Standard | Ginn Luxury Resorts | The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Here's a sampling of what they've said about our collaborations:
Scott Kulstad, Executive Director at MHealth Fairview
I've found Joe to be nimble, responsive, innovative and creative. Most importantly, he has always been a trusted colleague, a pro's pro who has earned my respect and confidence.
Jaynie Bjornaraa, PT, PhD, Senior Vice President, Rehab Servives and Digital Fitness Solutions at American Specialty Health
Joe’s collaborative spirit, foresight into emerging trends, and results-driven mindset make him an invaluable partner. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside him and highly recommend him to any organization looking to advance its digital health and patient engagement strategies.
Angella Lindell, Content Developer at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare
His background in information architecture design, advertising, digital strategy, marketing, and project-management proved invaluable on the Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare website redesign. Joe was strategic, open, creative, flexible—all without ever uttering the words, “That’s not part of my contract."
Edwin Chen, Brand Manager at Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day
Joe has consistently shown his uncanny and, frankly, amazing ability to evaluate various scenarios in the digital space, many of them unpredictable, and recommend strategic and inspired solutions. I'm very impressed by his overall, big picture view of brand strategy, no doubt honed from his extensive agency and client background, and have come to rely on him as a sounding board for topics beyond the original digital scope of his role.
Jody Hilgers, Vice President - Marketing at University of Minnesota Physicians
We looked at agencies of well over 100 people, and we looked at Joe. In the end, we selected Joe as he brought the right mix of experience, proven track record, and collaborative spirit. Working closely with my team, and following dozens of interviews and sifting through mountains of data, Joe produced a strategic, thorough and pragmatic roadmap that is still referenced today.
Stacy May, Director - Digital Marketing at Kroll Ontrack
Complimenting his creative, robust marketing skills, Joe has a very strong sense of logic, works very well with people of all personalities and at all levels and is a great facilitator of communication, ideas and knowledge sharing
Tom Gabriel, Chief Executive Officer at Gabriel deGrood Bendt
He asks the right questions, thinks both big picture and nuts-and-bolts. Then, drawing upon his broad experience and background, he’s able to separate what matters from what doesn’t, and tap into a varied set of marketing disciplines, bridging both digital and traditional realms.
Primary Brands: Summit Brewing Company, Gold'n Plump Chicken, Activision Publishing, MacPhail Center for Music
Marcus Fischer, President & Chief Strategy Officer at Carmichael Lynch
He has a unique ability to help formulate the strategic direction while also knowing the finer points of how to get it done. One of the most important traits Joe has is that he has the optimism to see the potential of an idea and yet is still able to stress-test the idea. Your team is better when Joe is on it.
Primary Brands: Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Porsche Financial Services, American Standard Brands
About Me
I love my work. Every day, I get to partner with people who care deeply about what they do—which means no one’s ever content with the status quo. Each project brings a new challenge, a new idea to explore, and a new opportunity to have fun while doing meaningful work.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve worked across digital and traditional spaces for a wide variety of brands. My focus has always been strategy—with a strong grounding in client relationships, creative thinking, and the ability to get things over the finish line. In my heart, though, I’m a writer. My favorite gig might still be editor-in-chief of the daily student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Nothing teaches a can-do mindset like filling 16 pages of broadsheet every single day.
I spent the first part of my career in the agency world, directing work for brands like Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Porsche Cars North America, American Standard, and Cargill. I came to realize that it’s often just two or three key people who make the difference between an average team and an exceptional one.
Today, I try to be one of those people. For the past 15+ years, I’ve worked independently to help healthcare organizations, startups, and mission-driven brands turn vision into action—with special focus on strategy, technology, AI, and patient-centered innovation.
When I’m not in a meeting or pecking away on my laptop, you’ll probably find me behind a camera lens, reading a good book, scribbling down an idea, volunteering on a couple community boards, or spending time with my wife and two boys.
