Excellence In Healthcare Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Host: Jarvis T. Gray, The Quality Coaching Co.
Guest: Dr. Philip Alberti, Founding Director, AAMC Center for Health Justice

Episode Summary

In this inspiring and thought-provoking episode, Jarvis T. Gray welcomes Dr. Philip Alberti, a leader in health equity and public health strategy. Dr. Alberti shares his journey from a public health background into the world of academic medicine, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, collaborative leadership, and building trust between healthcare organizations and the communities they serve.

Key discussions include shifting perceptions of organizational trustworthiness, the pivotal role of healthcare in multi-sector partnerships, and practical advice for leaders committed to health equity.

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Leadership as Partnership: Dr. Alberti believes in leading through collaboration and transparency, ensuring all voices are heard in the decision-making process.
• Health Justice & Career Inspiration: His longstanding passion for community-partnered science and public health led him to help build out the AAMC Center for Health Justice.
• Evolving Healthcare Trends: The conversation is shifting from communities needing to trust healthcare to organizations having to prove their trustworthiness through transparency and accountability.
• Building Community Trust: Addressing mistrust isn't just about historical wrongdoing; current harms and misinformation are active challenges. Strategies must be customized to diverse communities.
• Authentic Community Engagement: True impact comes from genuine, locally-relevant partnerships—moving beyond checklists and towards meaningful, sustained dialogue and coordination.
• Personal Growth & Career Lessons: Dr. Alberti reflects on pivotal moments in his career, the value of following one's passion, and lessons from mentors (including his barber father).
• Challenges & Opportunities: Healthcare shouldn’t shoulder the full burden of addressing social determinants of health alone. The opportunity lies in fostering robust, multi-sector partnerships.
• Inspiration & Motivation: Dr. Alberti draws inspiration from collective good, family, and the drive to leave a positive mark for future generations.

Rapid-Fire Insights

• Best Career Advice: Follow your passion and ensure partnerships are mutually beneficial.
• What Would He Change?: He'd consider adding clinical experience (such as a nursing degree) to further inform his public health work.
• Recommended Reading: "Artie the Smarty" — a childhood story that highlights perseverance and impact.

Resources & Links

• AAMC Center for Health Justice: aamc.org
• AAMC CHARGE Collaborative: Open to all interested in health equity; details and signup on the Center’s website.
• Connect with Dr. Philip Alberti:

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

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Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Episode Overview:
In this episode, Jarvis T. Gray dives deep into what truly makes a healthcare leadership program effective, moving far beyond basic workshops or compliance certificates. Jarvis shares lessons from the field and the three pillars that set great programs apart: clarity, structure, and sustainability. You’ll hear practical advice and stories that can help you build—or revitalize—a leadership development initiative that delivers real change in people, teams, and patient outcomes.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Common Pitfalls in Leadership Programs:
   • Why so many programs have good intentions but little real impact
   • Examples of why programs lose momentum and fade away
2. The Three Essential Pillars of Effective Leadership Development:
   • Clarity:
     • Define the specific kind of leaders you need
     • Align your program with organizational strategy and culture
     • Set clear leadership competencies and measurable outcomes
     • Example: A rural health center’s six competency model
   • Structure:
     • Build programs for real-life application
     • Blend knowledge (theory), practice (application), and reflection
     • Importance of multi-level support and integrated learning
     • Protecting time for growth
   • Sustainability:
     • Strategies to maintain momentum after the program ends
     • Systems for accountability, coaching, and peer support
     • Measuring behavior change and organizational impact
     • Real-world improvement: decreased conflict, increased satisfaction, and lower turnover
3. Practical Reflection Questions & Challenges:
   • Is your team clear on the kind of leadership you’re building?
   • Is your development integrated into daily work or just an “extra”?
   • What’s missing in your current approach—and what will you do about it?

Action Steps and Takeaways:

• Reflect: What one element is missing from your current leadership development approach?
• Act: Choose an idea from the episode, start a conversation, propose a change, or design something new.
• Share: If the conversation sparked ideas, connect with Jarvis on LinkedIn to keep building together.

Connect with Jarvis T. Gray:

• LinkedIn (reach out and share your wins, challenges, or what’s working in your organization)

Quotes:

• “Leadership development must serve your organizational strategy.”
• “Blend learning with practice and reflection. Get buy-in from every level.”
• “If you can’t measure it, you can’t multiply it.”

Next Episode Teaser:
Look forward to more real-world strategies and stories to help you lead with courage, clarity, and purpose.

Thank you for listening to Excellence In Healthcare—where better leaders build a better healthcare future. 

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Host: Jarvis T. Gray, The Quality Coaching Co.
Guest: Dana Smith, Founder of Earth and Ether Holistic Coaching

Episode Highlights

1. Meet Dana Smith – A Journey in Nursing and Holistic Coaching
Dana shares her diverse experience in healthcare, from ER and cardiac surgery nursing to working in aesthetics, pain clinics, and her journey as a military spouse. Through both personal and professional challenges, she found her calling in holistic nurse coaching, blending science, research, and ancient healing modalities.

2. Building a Unique Business: Earth and Ether Holistic Coaching
Dana explains the services she offers, with a firm grounding in evidence-based practice alongside holistic and energetic healing. She describes her coaching style as a fusion of “wicked nerd science” and “woo woo,” focusing on one-on-one coaching packages (3, 6, or 12 months) tailored to individual client needs, with a strong emphasis on nutrition, wellness, and personal connection.

3. Values at the Core of the Business
Dana opens up about her personal experiences as both a nurse and a patient—navigating preeclampsia and genetic cancer risks. These experiences cemented her commitment to:

• Connection: Deeply seeing and hearing clients, combating society’s “loneliness epidemic.”
• Support: Non-judgmental, personalized care.
• Empowerment: Helping clients recognize and nurture their own strengths and resilience.

4. Business Coaching Strategies with Jarvis T. Gray
Jarvis offers actionable strategies tailored to Dana’s stage of business growth:

• Create a Customer Avatar: Define the ideal client’s demographics, challenges, and goals to better target services and messaging.
• Craft a Market Dominating Position: Develop a concise introduction (one or two sentences) that quickly conveys the unique value and results Dana delivers.
• Define Offers and Wins: Clarify the “quick wins” Dana’s packages deliver within the first months, and consider “risk reversal” strategies (like money-back guarantees) to lower client commitment anxiety.
• Network with Intention: Use the “Five Question Method” when networking to guide conversations and set measurable networking goals.
• Financial Savvy: Keep close tabs on business finances by regularly reviewing profit & loss statements, even in the early stages.

5. Looking Ahead and Staying Connected
Dana reflects on the strategies she plans to implement, especially around defining her client avatar and intentional networking. She expresses gratitude and enthusiasm for the practical advice and the supportive tone of the conversation.

Connect with Dana Smith & Earth and Ether Holistic Coaching

• Instagram: earth_ether.holism
• Alignable: Earth and Ether Holistic Coaching
• Email: danasmithnursecoach@gmail.com

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Rekha Voruganti currently serves as the Sr. Quality Improvement Services Coordinator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Hailing from Columbus, Ohio born, she and her son are born and bred buckeyes!By training, Rekha holds a Bachelor of Science in Evolution and Human Ecology, and Masters of Business Operational Excellence, both from THE Ohio State University. She is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and truly finds joy in helping staff and teams connect back to their purpose through problem-solving and collaboration.Here in Episode #113 Rekha starts our show with encouragement for us to be the facilitators and decision support for our teams. Rekha shares how an intro course ignited her current path into healthcare quality. She provides a great overview of the empowering concepts of health literacy; and shares a dark moment story centering us to first add value to our teams. Rekha teaches us how she incorporates stakeholder meetings into her leader standard work.She shares tips for managing stakeholder expectations in the virtual world. Rekha teaches us the power of the phrase, “how can I do better”. She shares an AHA moment, allowing her to find true success with her team. Rekha tells why health literacy and health equity are top of mind for her. Why we speak her future responsibility as a Hospital Board leader into the universe. And why we all should go slow to go fast.• Connect with Rekha on LinkedIn• Access the Healthcare QualityCast LinkedIn Group• Leaves Us a Rating• Earn Your Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Certification• Request a Corporate Demo of our online QI Academy

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Raghivi is a passionate Healthcare Quality and patient safety professional with work experience of around 14 years, out of which 8 years in hospital quality and patient safety. Raghivi believes deeply in leadership values, and produced appreciable results with help of systematic planning and teamwork aligning with key strategies across her organization.By training, Raghavi has earned her Bachelor of Psychology, and Masters of Business Administration; and holds additional certifications as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from ASQ, credentials in ISO 9001:2015 Quality and Risk management practices, clinical audit training by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH), expertise under Joint Commission International.Currently, Raghavi serves as Head of Quality for Meitra Hospital in Kozhikode, India. Here she is responsible for the entire quality and patient safety management. Reporting directly to the Board and Chief Executive Officer, her focus centers on strategic plans for business excellence.Here in Episode #112, Raghavi starts our show with a mindset that moves us from being dreamers to doers. Raghavi highlights how her background in aviation set the path for her healthcare career. She gives us an audio tour of the Malabar region in which she lives, and an overview of the Indian Healthcare System. Raghavi shares how moments of gender discrimination empowered her to become a better healthcare leader. How she leverages SMEs to build strong project teams. Raghavi encourages us to include ROI into ALL our project work. She highlights a great AHA moment driven by team recognition. She spotlights many aspects of high-quality healthcare practices across India. Raghavi shares an update on the impact of COVID-19 on her local community. Raghavi puts out a call for more patient-centered citizens to enter healthcare. She gives us her best career advice for us to go forward with our talents. And why being well balanced will help you to be a great quality person.• Connect with Raghavi on LinkedIn• Access the Healthcare QualityCast LinkedIn Group• Leaves Us a Rating• Earn Your Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Certification• Request a Corporate Demo of our online QI Academy

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Stacy Melvin brings nearly 20 years of leadership experience to the podcast, having served in both operations and corporate executive roles at the largest academic, non-profit, health system in the Gulf South.Stacy has built high-performance teams and led complex organizational change and holds her MBA, PMP, Lean Green Belt, and AIM change management certification. Stacy is currently the VP of the Project Management Office with responsibility for 40 strategic program and process improvement managers working to make her health care better, safer, and more affordable. Stacy also serves as an Adjunct Instructor for Loyola University in New Orleans and is a leadership coach.Here in Episode #111, Stacy starts our show with a leadership mindset for us to slow down and think. Stacy walks us through her career and highlights how both project management and process improvement remained common connectors along her path. She highlights a day in the life of a healthcare executive, and how she works to balance the right resources, on the right project, at the right time.Stacy shares a dark moment story getting us to reflect on being the right people for the right job. She gives us a key nugget around what to ask before taking our next job. She tags us all with new responsibilities as Moral Managers. We discuss why “real recognize real”. Stacy tells us why she can “show us better than she can tell us”. She reflects on how the work of improvement professionals can impact staff burnout. Stacy calls for healthcare leaders to create more relaxed team cultures. She shares her best career advice ever. And Deb Grimes, watch your seat!• Connect with Stacy on LinkedIn• Access the Healthcare QualityCast LinkedIn Group• Leaves Us a Rating• Earn Your Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Certification• Request a Corporate Demo of our online QI Academy

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Dr. Eric S. Weaver is nationally recognized for his work in primary care transformation and value-based care.  He is the Executive Director of the Accountable Care Learning Collaborative, a nonprofit organization established by former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and former CMS Administrator Dr. Mark McClellan to accelerate the value-based care readiness of healthcare organizations.  Eric has an extensive executive leadership track record with physician-led ACOs and risk-bearing entities.  He previously held the role of corporate vice president for Innovista Health Solutions, a population health management services organization, and oversaw enterprise capital investment strategy and technology adoption.  Eric was also the President, and CEO of Austin, Texas-based Integrated ACO – one of the most successful physician-led Accountable Care Organizations in the Medicare Shared Savings Program before its acquisition by Evolent Health.  Eric is a committed health care executive with Fellow designations from the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Medical Group Management Association and the Health Information and Management Systems Society. He received his Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Texas State University and his Doctor of Healthcare Administration degree from the Medical University of South Carolina.  He was the recipient of the ACHE Robert S. Hudgens Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year and the Modern Healthcare “Up & Comers” Award in 2016.  In addition, he was named to Becker’s Hospital Review list of “Rising Stars: 25 Healthcare Leaders Under 40” in 2015, and awarded the Young Alumni Rising Award from Texas State University.  In addition to his work as a healthcare executive, Eric serves on various Boards such as the Texas State Development Foundation, the Dell Medical School Society for Health & Business, and the Half Helen Foundation.  In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling with his wife and daughter.Here in Episode #110 Eric starts our show with a leadership mindset that centers us around fostering strong relationships.  Eric walks us through his career path going from the administration, and into blazing a path for value-based care. He also gives us a current state report of the state of value-based care. Eric shares a dark moment story around using leadership setbacks to gain career focus. He tells us why taking smart career risks will pay-off over time. He also highlights how to use your WHY, to build great teams. Eric shares how the ACLC continues to build strong partners throughout the pandemic. He gives us his personal AHA connected with improvement opportunities for healthcare. He shares thoughts on how quality people will drive healthcare transformations. He ties in connections between innovation, entrepreneurship, and value-based care. And gives us his best career advice. • Connect with Dr. Eric on LinkedIn• Learn more about the ACLC• Check out Eric’s Podcast• Access the Healthcare QualityCast LinkedIn Group• Leaves Us a Rating• Earn Your Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Certification • Request a Corporate Demo of our online QI Academy

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Dr. Chris Recinos is the CEO and founder of Nurse Leader Network, and Tikidas an educational platform for nurses. She is also the creator of the mental health app for teens, Hello, Harmony.Her former roles include Chief Nurse Executive for Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, Deputy Nurse Executive for the Veterans Administration, and a variety of academic, nurse practitioner, and registered nurse roles. In her spare time, she can be found advocating for suicide prevention policiesHere in episode #109, Chris starts our show with an important message and reminder that YOU MATTER. Chris is a chief nurse executive turned entrepreneur and shares an amazing story about the nurse that set her on her path. Chris shares with us key insights into her motivation and drives throughout her entrepreneurial journey.Chris reflects on a dark moment story centered around leadership bias and having tough conversations. She shares how she uses fun facts to build strong connections across her teams. She spotlights team burnout during COVID-19 and reminding us to stay mindful of our personal limits. Chris shares how COVID-19 has faster creativity and innovation across healthcare. She gives us great insights on how we can all become advocates and supporters for improving mental health; calls out diversity and inclusion as a key opportunity for improvement in health care, and closes our show with the best career advice that she's ever received and has ever given.• Connect with Dr. Recinos on LinkedIn• Learn more about the Nurse Leader Network• Check out Chris’ Podcast• Access the Healthcare QualityCast LinkedIn Group• Leaves Us a Rating• Earn Your Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Certification

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Dr. Lori Armstrong, DNP, RN NEA-BC, the CEO and Chief Clinical Officer at Inspire Nurse Leaders, specializes in educating and growing nurse and healthcare leaders to become their best enabling them to achieve great outcomes for themselves, their patients, and teams.For over 25 years, Dr. Armstrong has held executive level and senior leadership roles at top hospitals including Kaiser Permanente, New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, and Stanford Children’s.Academically, Lori earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice - Executive Leadership at Drexel University and is a graduate of Harvard’s Executive Leadership Program. Lori serves on several national boards and is the recipient of multiple awards including Silicon Valley Woman of Distinction and the Jennifer L. Howse Leadership Award.Most recently her passion for the link between leadership and quality patient and organizational outcomes led Lori to create The Nurse Leader Academy (NLA). The NLA is a uniquely designed leadership development curriculum helping nurses and healthcare leaders achieve top decile performance. Lori’s expertise, humor, and contagious energy make her a sought-after speaker, teacher, and coach.Here in episode #107, Lori starts our show with a leadership mindset encouraging us to let our actions speak loudly.Lori walks us through her many career transitions, going from the Bedside to Senior Nurse Executive, and now as the CEO of Inspire Nurse Leaders.Lori gives us a dark moment story that teaches us to seek opportunity within adversity.Lori challenges us to show-up if we want to build intimate connections with our teams.She teaches us how she leveraged Fridays to enhance the presence of her leadership team with the frontline.Lori calls on quality-people directly to lead the going surge of healthcare transformations.She highlights mental health and wellbeing as the future needs requiring better support across the industry.She shares how providing 1:1 coaching is impacting her current path, and how being an entrepreneur is turning her into a social media pro!Links Connect with Lori on LinkedIn Access the Healthcare QualityCast LinkedIn Group Leaves Us a Rating Request a Corporate Demo of our online QI Academy

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

Send us a text

Bonnie (Baruch) Barnes, FAAN Co-founder, CEO at The DAISY FoundationBonnie Barnes was retired from a long career in advertising and marketing and was growing wine grapes in Sonoma Valley when her step-son Patrick died.You’ll soon hear her story of how she and her husband Mark turned their attention to the profession of nursing and created The DAISY Foundation.Stuart Downs, DNP, RN, CENP, CPHQ, NEA-BC, FAONL, FACHE Chief Operating OfficerDr. Stuart Downs is the Chief Operating Officer of WellStar Atlanta Medical Center. In collaboration with an integrated system leadership team, Dr. Downs drives the implementation of policies and standards across the hospital system to ensure evidence of high quality in the provision of patient care across all service lines.Inducted as an inaugural fellow in the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), Dr. Downs is a past member of the AONL Board and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the International Daisy Foundation.Here in episode #106, Bonnie and Stuart share the spotlight in this unique and incredibly insightful episode;Bonnie starts our show with 3 mindsets that allow her to lead such a powerfully, influential recognition program;Stewart add to our kick-off with the mindset that leadership is the goal and not the role;Bonnie shares insights on Patrick’s journey and how the experience launched the Daisy award;Stewart shares how his original career plans to be a pilot were rerouted due to the personal impact of a nurse;Bonnie gives us three vital takeaways for all health care leaders to know about the Daisy Award;We get the scoop on how the Daisy Award and Cinnabon came into partnership;Stewart provides us with insights on the impact of the Daisy Award with the front line and additional benefits of the Daisy program on hospital leadership teams;Bonnie provides details on many of the challenges realized with launching an international program;Stewart gives us a “day in the life” view as a healthcare senior executive, and his passion around professional career development;And we highlight staff burnout and mental health as some of the greatest concerns for health care leaders moving into 2021 and beyond. Connect with Bonnie on LinkedIn Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn Learn more about the Daisy Foundation Order the award-winning book Access the Healthcare QualityCast LinkedIn Group Leaves Us a Rating Earn Your Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Certification

Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations.

• Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.