Explore every episode of the podcast Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

In this episode, Chris Johnson, Founder and CEO of Bluebird Kids Health, joins the podcast to discuss managing the health of a broader patient population and expanding access to pediatric care. He also shares insights on democratizing access to care and building a strong reputation within the community to better serve children and families.

In this episode, Jeremy Cauwels, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Sanford Health, joins the podcast to discuss how Sanford is using AI and virtual care to expand access across rural communities, including bringing specialty expertise closer to patients who face significant geographic barriers to care. He also shares insights on strengthening the rural physician workforce through graduate medical education, preparing clinicians to use emerging technologies while maintaining clinical judgment and trust, and leading change with a continued focus on safety, quality, and the patient experience.

In this episode, Leonardo Marchini, DDS, MSD, PhD, Professor and DEO of the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, and Brendan Young, PhD, MBA, Associate Professor of Preventive and Community Dentistry, The University of Iowa, discuss their article "Beyond Hand Skills: A Case Analysis of Empathy and Critical Thinking Instruction", published in the Journal of the California Dental Association’s Blue Sky Thinking Collection. They explore behavioral science, patient-centered communication, self-reflection and innovative tools designed to prepare dental students for more thoughtful patient care.

In this episode, Karen Ignagni, CEO, EmblemHealth, discusses the evolving Medicaid landscape, healthcare affordability, interoperability, and how health plans can use technology, AI, care management, and value-based care to better support members. She also shares insights on her return to the CEO role and EmblemHealth's ongoing transformation.

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Mark Clement, the former President and CEO of TriHealth, reflects on his decision to retire, the importance of succession planning and the leadership lessons he has learned from decades of marathon running. He also shares how staying active, rounding with frontline teams and finding inspiration in others have shaped his leadership approach.

In this episode, Scott Becker examines Medicare Advantage exits, physician cognitive testing, AI's impact on healthcare leadership, rising physician compensation, and the need to rethink the physician training pathway. 

In this episode, Jake Ghannam, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Insightec, discusses how MR-guided focused ultrasound can expand access to neuroscience care, the strategic case for health systems, and how to build a successful program.

This episode is sponsored by Insightec.

Statistics and data referenced in this episode can be found at the following sources:

1.  Information and stats in this podcast were sourced from the following:Ney JP, Steinmetz JD, Anderson-Benge E, et al. US Burden of Disorders Affecting the Nervous System: From the Global Burden of Disease 2021 Study. JAMA Neurol. 2026;83(1):20-34. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.4470

2.  Kowal SL, Dall TM, Chakrabarti R, Storm MV, Jain A. The current and projected economic burden of Parkinson's disease in the United States. Mov Disord. 2013;28(3):311-318. doi:10.1002/mds.25292

3.  Marras, C., Beck, J.C., Bower, J.H. et al. Prevalence of Parkinson’s disease across North America. npj Parkinson's Disease 4, 21 (2018).

4.  https://essentialtremor.org/

5.  Pearson C, Hartzman A, Munevar D, et al. Care access and utilization among Medicare beneficiaries living with Parkinson's disease. npj Parkinson’s Dis. 2023;9(1):108.

6.  Dorsey ER, Sherer T, Okun MS, Bloem BR. The Emerging Evidence of the Parkinson Pandemic. J Parkinsons Dis. 2018;8(s1):S3-S8.

7.  Nicole A. Silva, Ariana Hernandez, Alok K. Dwivedi, Paul Mihas, Daniel A. Roque, Vibhor Krishna; Exploring the Patient Pathway to Focused Ultrasound Ablation for Essential Tremor: A Mixed-Method Approach. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2026; https://doi.org/10.1159/000551996

8.  https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/neurology-and-neurosurgery (July 2026)

9.  Surpassing DBS -Source: Carevoyance & Insightec Data on file

10. *Search: “Premarket Approval (PMA) Database” - https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPMA/pma.cfm

o P150038: Essential Tremor Indication

o P1550038/S006: Tremor Dominant Parkinson’s Indication

o P150038/S014: Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (unilateral) Indication

o P150038/S037: Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (Staged, bilateral) Indication

o P150038/S015: Post-approval study (PAS) results from the 5-year follow-up

In this episode, Kathy Donovan, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Hospital Sisters Health System, joins the podcast to discuss developing a long-range capital plan and aligning investments with the health system’s broader growth strategy. She also shares insights on managing growth across the organization and planning for the resources needed to support continued expansion.

In this episode, Dr. Andy Anderson, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer at RWJBarnabas Healh, shares how the system is improving mortality outcomes and patient experience through rapid response teams, standardized best practices, and a strong culture of accountability. He discusses strategies for scaling success, coordinating care, and fostering growth across the health system.

In this episode, Scott Becker discusses physician shortages, the role of AI and advanced practice providers, and why shortening the lengthy medical education and training pathway could help bring more doctors into the workforce.

In this episode, Jakob Emerson, Associate News Director, Becker’s Healthcare, discusses Medicare Advantage insurers exiting markets, plan and benefit changes heading into 2027, and how major payers are using AI to simplify healthcare navigation and gain a competitive edge.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Katherine Adams, MS, Director, Clinical Operations, Primary Care, CommonSpirit, who discusses using ambient listening, unified health records and remote patient monitoring to reduce administrative burden and support better clinical decision making.

In collaboration with Philips.

In this episode, Ceci Connolly, President and CEO, Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), discusses Medicare Advantage market disruption, plan exits, beneficiary impacts, and the need for risk adjustment reform to support sustainable coverage in local communities.

In this episode, Nick Barcellona, Chief Financial Officer at West Virginia University Health System, joins the podcast to discuss creating a seamless experience for patients and identifying opportunities for growth across the health system. He also shares insights on balancing operational priorities with the evolving needs of patients and the organization.

In this episode, Peggy Norton-Rosko, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, SVP, Chief Nursing Officer, Trinity Health, discusses strengthening shared nursing governance, using nurse input and data to improve patient outcomes, and addressing workforce challenges through academic partnerships, residency programs, career development, and thoughtful technology investments.

In this episode, Chase McGrath, Vice President, Product, Aspirion, and Nikki Ritchson, Senior Director, Payment Variance, Aspirion, discuss the latest federal IDR changes, the new CMS gateway portal and the technology infrastructure providers need to manage deadlines, compliance and submissions at scale.

This episode is sponsored by Aspirion.

In this episode, Greg Castle, U.S. Power & Grid Commercial Leader, Schneider Electric, and James Vun Cannon, Healthcare Segment Manager for Strategic Accounts and U.S. Digital Power, Schneider Electric, discuss rising power demand from AI, grid constraints and why health systems need to align IT, facilities, clinical and finance teams around long-term infrastructure and energy planning.

Learn more: https://www.se.com/us/en/work/solutions/healthcare/

This episode is sponsored by Schneider Electric.

In this episode, Dr. Sheila Bond, Head of Clinical AI, Wolters Kluwer Health, discusses the pillars of trustworthy clinical AI, including governance, validation, accountability and post-use monitoring. She also explores how healthcare organizations can build strong AI foundations while using technology to transform clinical workflows and help patients better understand their care.

This episode is sponsored by Wolters Kluwer.

In this episode, Alpa Vyas, Senior Vice President and Chief Patient Experience and Operational Performance Officer at Stanford Health Care, joins the podcast to discuss turning patient feedback into opportunities for improvement and engaging leadership teams in that process. She also shares insights on coordinating care and the role of patient and family advisory councils and user research in shaping the healthcare experience.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Romila Aloysius, Executive Director, Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute, AdventHealth, who discusses using AI and connected data to identify patients earlier, reduce data fatigue, improve care coordination and support proactive clinical decision making.

In collaboration with Philips.

In this episode, Scott Becker shares insights into 10 key healthcare themes, including rising costs, access and quality challenges, AI and technology, workforce needs, administrative spending, and more.

In this episode, Chris Ford, Associate Principal, ECG Management Consultants, and Amy Sebero, Chief Growth Officer, Janus Health, discuss how AI can strengthen revenue cycle operations, improve denial prevention and automate routine work while maintaining strong operational leadership and accountability. 

This episode is sponsored by ECG Management Consultants.

In this episode, John Walkup, MD, President of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Chair of the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, joins the podcast to discuss expanding access to child psychiatric care within the current workforce and the growing role of collaborative care. He also shares insights on the benefits and concerns surrounding shorter training pathways and how new approaches to care delivery could help address the need for pediatric behavioral health services.

In this episode, Patrick Frias, MD, CEO of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, discusses the health system’s More Than Possible strategy to expand pediatric care access across Metro Atlanta and rural Georgia, while advancing pediatric mental health, workforce development, research, and innovation.

In this episode, Mandy Richards, DNP, RN, APRN, ACNS-BC, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Executive and President, Children's Health, Intermountain Health, discusses strategies that have strengthened nurse retention, including leader check-ins, nurse leadership development, recognition programs and nurse residency programs that help new graduates build skills, confidence and a sense of belonging.

In this episode, Joseph Ng MD, MBA, Medical Director, Mather Hospital Northwell Health, President of Mather Medical Group, Critical Care Intensivist, Asst Professor of Medicine - Northwell Health and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, BC - Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Mather Hospital Northwell Health, discusses restructuring physician leadership roles to support work-life integration, reduce burnout and strengthen leadership development.

In this episode, Colin LeClair, CEO of Connections Health Solutions, joins the podcast to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in behavioral healthcare and the organization’s new AI initiatives. He also shares insights on administrative simplification and how technology can help reduce complexity and support more efficient healthcare operations.

In this episode, Dr. Scott Law, Co-Founder of Smile Doctors, joins the podcast to discuss Smile Express, remote monitoring and how technology is creating new ways to deliver orthodontic care. He also shares insights on managing patient expectations as technology continues to evolve, as well as his experience as the No. 1 user of AI dental monitoring and aligned technology.

In this episode, Jeffrey Akers, PharmD, MHA, BCPS, CPEL, Vice President of Pharmacy Services at UC Health Corporate Pharmacy Services and Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences at the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, joins the podcast to discuss medication access services and the role pharmacy can play in improving access to care and supporting patients throughout their treatment journey.

In this episode, Deborah Greer, MD, System Lead for Advanced Appeals and Settlements, Denials Management and Prevention at CommonSpirit Health, joins the podcast to discuss her 2026 priorities of consistency and capacity in healthcare operations. She also shares insights on the need for greater transparency and how technology can help close gaps and strengthen denials management.

In this episode, Holly DuBois, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Connections Health Solutions, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of upstream care and expanding access to behavioral health services. She also shares insights on using telehealth to address access challenges and what the future of psychiatry may look like as care delivery continues to evolve.

In this episode, Tina Bennett, Chief Experience Officer at Yale New Haven Health, joins the podcast to discuss the growing need for human connection in healthcare and the importance of prioritizing the patient experience despite budget cuts. She also shares insights on creating greater convenience for patients and finding ways to strengthen the healthcare experience while navigating financial pressures.

In this episode, Tanner White, MBA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer at Altru Devils Lake, joins the podcast to discuss the workforce challenges facing healthcare organizations and the importance of developing strategies to attract, retain and support staff in a changing environment. He also shares insights on leveraging community partners to strengthen local healthcare services, build relationships and address the needs of the community.

In this episode, Dr. Ed Lee, Chief Medical Officer, Nabla, discusses the shift from standalone AI tools to integrated clinical AI platforms, including ambient documentation, coding, clinical workflows, governance and the future of clinical intelligence.

This episode is sponsored by Nabla.

In this episode, PV Subba Rao, President, NTT DATA, discusses how agentic AI can improve revenue cycle outcomes, unlock cash and margin, reduce administrative burden and create capacity for broader health system transformation.

This episode is sponsored by NTT DATA.

In this episode, Graciana Garces, Chief Strategy & External Affairs Officer, Tejano Center for Community Concerns, Susan Boland, Manager of Nursing Operations, Avenue 360 Health & Wellness, and Eryn Sims, LVN & Hypertension Nurse Champion, Avenue 360 Health & Wellness, discuss building sustainable, community-centered approaches to hypertension care through food access, education, remote monitoring and personalized patient support. They also share lessons on overcoming transportation, technology and care coordination barriers while strengthening partnerships between community organizations and healthcare providers. 

In this episode, Denise Scarpelli, PharmD, MBA, CPEL, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at UChicago Medicine, joins the podcast to discuss GLP-1 medications and strategies for keeping drug prices down. She also shares insights on managing drug shortages and developing payer-adaptive models.

In this episode, Dwight W. McBee, Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, joins the podcast to discuss facilitating better communication with patients and advancing equity and inclusion in the healthcare experience. He also shares advice for emerging leaders and insights on building stronger connections with patients and the communities they serve.

In this episode, Christina Berg, RN, MHA, Sr. Director, Product Management, Imprivata, discusses how stronger patient identity can improve safety, protect against fraud, reduce duplicate records and denied claims, and create more efficient healthcare experiences. 

This episode is sponsored by Imprivata.

In this episode, Seema Verma, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Oracle Health and Life Sciences, discusses Oracle’s AI focused EHR strategy, trustworthy AI, revenue cycle transformation, oncology and using real time data to modernize healthcare.

This episode is sponsored by Oracle Health.

In this episode, Phillip Chang, MD, Chief Medical and Quality Officer at CommonSpirit Health, discusses physician burnout and well-being, the role of AI scribes and documentation tools, and how CommonSpirit supports both employed and independent physicians. He also shares lessons on physician leadership, moral injury and bridging the gap between clinicians and the C-suite.

In this episode, Tenisha Grimmer, MBA, CPA, PHR, Chief Financial Officer at Access Community Health Centers, joins the podcast to discuss removing barriers to care and building a positive workplace culture through intentional communication. She also shares insights on navigating Medicaid changes and the 340B program while supporting accessible, sustainable healthcare.

In this episode, Miguel "Mike" Vigo IV, MBA, Chief Revenue Cycle Officer, UC San Diego Health, discusses reducing controllable loss, strengthening revenue cycle fundamentals, addressing revenue leakage, and preparing for AI and automation. He also shares how UC San Diego Health is improving patient access, team development, charge capture, and patient throughput while balancing margins and reimbursement pressures.

In this episode, Jason Shenefield, MBA, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of Phelps Health, discusses expanding affordable care through direct-to-employer strategies, advancing patient experience with AI and ambient listening, and navigating workforce, reimbursement and regulatory challenges in rural healthcare.

In this episode, Matthew Hurford, President and CEO of Community Care Behavioral Health at UPMC, discusses workforce development, the growth of UPMC’s Telemedicine Bridge Clinic to 23,000 encounters, and strategies to expand behavioral health access, treatment engagement and recovery.

In this episode, Marlon F. Levy, MD, MBA, FACS, Chief Executive Officer of VCU Health System, joins the podcast to discuss managing strong demand while keeping the patient experience at the center of care. He also shares insights on staying grounded in what matters most to patients as healthcare organizations navigate growth and evolving needs.

In this episode, Lisa R. Fox, Chief Executive Officer, The Bradley Center, shares lessons on authentic leadership, resilience, building trust, investing in people and keeping children and families at the center of every decision.

In this episode, Melinda Giese, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Client Solutions at CHG Healthcare, discusses building a flexible workforce strategy, improving physician retention and autonomy, and using technology and AI to address workforce gaps.

In this episode, David Marcozzi, MD, MHS-CL, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at University of Maryland Medical Center, joins the podcast to discuss embracing changes across inpatient and outpatient care and viewing capacity as a strategic resource. He also shares insights on the importance of effective patient handoffs and how they can support safer, more coordinated care.

In this episode, Himalee Sabnis, MD, MSc, Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, joins the podcast to discuss bridging gaps in care and facilitating strong communication with patients and families. She also shares insights on strengthening connections across the healthcare journey to support more coordinated and patient-centered care.