Humanizing Healthcare

In this episode, we talk with Jennifer Carron, Patient Experience Officer at BJC HealthCare about reveals how one of the Midwest's largest health systems is rethinking care from the ground up. Jennifer Carron didn't plan a career in healthcare — she fought her way into it as a mother sitting beside her critically ill son's hospital bed, watching what real relationship-centered care looked like for...

In this episode of Humanizing Healthcare, we sit down with Jason Wolf, President and CEO of the Beryl Institute, to mark three years of the podcast and take stock of where the patient experience movement stands. Jason founded the Beryl Institute in 2010 with a simple belief: that if healthcare leaders had a safe, neutral space to share ideas honestly, the whole field would get better. Sixteen year...

In this episode of Humanizing Healthcare, we speak with Camille Haycock— Senior Vice President and Chief Patient Experience Officer at CommonSpirit Health — about what it actually takes to embed human kindness into the operational, cultural, and clinical fabric of a national health system. CommonSpirit spans hospitals, clinics, and community care settings across more than two dozen states. Camille...

In this episode of Humanizing Healthcare, we speak with Stephanie Abbott — author, speaker, and former Chief Experience Officer — about what healthcare leaders miss when they've only ever seen the system from the inside. Stephanie spent years leading patient experience strategy at major health systems, including Adventist Health. She understood patient experience intellectually. Then she became a...

In this episode of Humanizing Healthcare , we speak with Jennifer Bright, CEO of International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), about what healthcare value really means and confront a question that challenges how most systems operate: Are we measuring what actually helps patients get better, or just what’s easy to count? Healthcare has become very good at tracking processes. But...

We are pleased to share a new episode of Humanizing Healthcare featuring Rafael Cohen, Chief Executive Officer at Pacifica Salud Hospitals. In this conversation, Rafael shares how Pacifica Salud has built a culture of person-centered care rooted in leadership, dignity, and humanity, even in the most complex and high-pressure moments. From rethinking hospital environments to making courageous polic...

Dwight McBee is back for round two on the Humanizing Healthcare podcast, and we can assure you that you'll want to hear what he’s been up to. As Chief Experience Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, Dwight is leading some seriously bold work around making care more compassionate, more responsive, and more human. We discuss how he’s helping an entire health system listen in real time, how he views AI as...

How do we make sure hospitals are truly listening to the people they serve? In this episode, I am joined by Jill Adolphe from Planetree to talk to Barbara Lewis, a powerhouse advocate for the patient voice and founder of Healthcare PX. What started as a personal tragedy for Barbara became a mission to elevate how hospitals engage with patients and families through PFACs (Patient and Family Advisor...

In this Humanizing Healthcare Live episode, we talk with Jeremie Saunders, Patient Advocate and C-Founder of the SickBoy podcast, about Laughing in the Face of Illness. Recorded at the 2025 Planetree Person-Centered Care Forum in Baltimore, MD on October 7, 2025.

In this Humanizing Healthcare Live episode, we talk with Allsion Pugh, Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, about how the Urgency of Connective Labor & Human Value in the Age of AI. Recorded at the 2025 Planetree Person-Centered Care Forum in Baltimore, MD on October 6, 2025.

In this Humanizing Healthcare Live episode, we talk with Edison Bond, Chief Experience Officer at Episcopal Health Services, about how they Advocate for Patient-Centered Care Through Health Equity. Recorded at the 2025 Planetree Person-Centered Care Forum in Baltimore, MD on October 6, 2025.

In this episode of Humanizing Healthcare , I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Laura Cooley, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Patient Experience . If you care about making healthcare feel more personal and not like you’re just part of a system, you’re going to love this conversation. We discussed what it means to humanize care in a time when AI and tech are rapidly changing everything. AI can...

I am so pleased to introduce Lisa Griffin, the Chief Consumer Officer at University Hospitals. In this role, she leads the organization’s commitment to improving the patient experience and making healthcare more accessible and equitable for patients. Her mission is to make healthcare feel as personalized and accessible as any other service in your life. She’s not only modernizing the infrastructur...

What if nursing homes felt more like real homes and actually improved lives? In this episode, we talk with Susan Ryan, CEO of the Center for Innovation, about reimagining eldercare through person-directed living and human-centered design. Susan brings decades of experience in nursing and eldercare transformation. She was instrumental in scaling the Green House Project, a nonprofit that replaces in...

What does it take to rebuild trust in healthcare, especially after it took a hit during the pandemic? In this episode, we talk with Jennifer Baron, Chief Experience Officer at NRC Health, about the evolution & importance of trust in healthcare. She breaks down the key drivers of trust and their role in shaping patient and provider experiences. Jennifer has over 30 years of leadership experienc...

What makes healthcare personal, even in large, fast-growing systems? It’s the power of human connection. In this episode, Amy Searls, Chief Experience Officer at Prime Healthcare, shares how she’s leading efforts to create meaningful relationships between patients, staff, and healthcare providers. Amy brings over two decades of leadership experience in patient and staff experience to her role. Pri...

What motivates blood donors to give part of themselves for nothing in return, and what can they teach us about human connection and empathy? In this episode, Adrian David, EVP & COO of New York Blood Center, joins us to discuss how they deliver donor experiences that save lives every day. Adrian brings an impressive blend of pharmaceutical experience and strategic insight to one of the country...

Humanizing Healthcare is dedicated to sharing insights and best practices to make healthcare more human and fulfilling for all. With healthcare innovators and thought-leaders, we discuss how to better support everyone in the healthcare ecosystem: clinicians, patients, families, and the broader care team, to deliver experiences and outcomes that inspire lasting relationships.

Over the last few decades, healthcare has become more transactional and impersonal, but there is still hope for delivering truly person-centered care. In this episode, Dr. Redonda Miller, President of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, shares her approach to person-centered healthcare. As a leader in one of the top academic hospitals in the country, Dr. Miller discusses the importance of asking for input...

For decades, the healthcare industry has increasingly been perceived as a profit-driven enterprise, often overshadowing the fundamental values of compassion and empathy that lie at the heart of patient care. But, some healthcare leaders are doing it differently. One of them is Mark Baiada, Chairman and Founder of BAYADA Home Health Care. He joins us to tell us more on how they deliver reliably com...

Navigating the healthcare system can feel daunting. From confusing jargon to impersonal encounters, many patients feel lost and overwhelmed. It’s easy for them to feel like just another entry on the assembly line. But what if healthcare could be different? Dr. Susie Kane, Mayo Clinic’s first Chief Patient Experience Officer, is proving that it can. She joins us in this episode to discuss the initi...

Is AI the key to solving healthcare’s biggest challenges? Imagine a world where healthcare is more accessible, less expensive, and far more personalized. It sounds like a dream, right? With the recent explosion of AI tools and capabilities, we’re inching closer to making that dream a reality. In this episode, we talk with Gianluca Mauro, AI expert, Founder of AI Academy, and author of From Zero to...

Generative AI is transforming healthcare, empowering patients and clinicians to collaborate like never before. In this episode, Chris Malone speaks with Dr. Robert Pearl, author of ChatGPT MD, about how AI tools are driving a shift toward prevention-focused, value-based care. Dr. Pearl, a thought leader and former healthcare executive, explains how AI can tackle chronic disease management, reduce...

Is healthcare ready to embrace rapid change? In this episode of Humanizing Healthcare, Rick Evans, the Chief Experience Officer at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP), joins us to talk about his role in reshaping the patient experience. Rick discusses how healthcare institutions can evolve to meet patient needs through technology and cultural shifts. He also reveals how NYP is leveraging technolog...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Seanna-Kaye Denham Wilks, Chief Experience Officer at Kings County Hospital, about how they are improving non-clinical caregiver engagement by applying co-design principles to policy and process improvements. This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Planetree Person-Centered Care Forum in New Orleans, LA.