Be Empowered: The Podcast

This week on Be Empowered , we sit down with Dr. Leah Houston , board-certified emergency physician and founder of Evercred (https://www.evercred.com/) , a platform transforming how healthcare professionals manage their credentials and identity. After more than a decade in emergency medicine—from Level 1 trauma centers to rural hospitals—Dr. Houston saw firsthand how broken credentialing systems s...

In Part 2 of our AI in Medicine series, we move beyond the hype to talk about what’s at stake. We discuss: ⚠️ The risks of bias, misinformation, and over-reliance on algorithms 🩺 How AI may reshape the physician–patient relationship 🔍 What clinicians need to know to adapt—and stay empowered—in a rapidly changing field AI is here to stay, but medicine’s heart remains human. This conversation expl...

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping medicine—from diagnostics to workflow efficiency to patient outcomes. But what does that really mean for clinicians and patients on the ground? In Part 1 of this two-part series, we explore: 🧠 The emerging uses of AI in clinical practice 💡 How it’s transforming diagnosis, research, and decision-making ⚖️ Why ethical use and human oversight still matter This e...

In Part 2, Ethan Nkana takes us deeper into the strategy behind physician contract negotiation—from understanding hospital incentives to identifying the clauses that truly shape your career, financial security, and autonomy. We cover: • What hospital execs really think during negotiations • Key clauses that can make or break your career (non-competes, tail coverage, RVUs, termination language) • H...

In Part 1, we sit down with Ethan Nkana, JD, MBA —former hospital executive and founder of the Rocky Mountain Physician Agency —to unpack why physicians consistently end up with contracts that undervalue their time, talent, and training. Ethan shares how his experience inside health systems opened his eyes to the massive leverage imbalance doctors face—leading him to create a first-of-its-kind “ag...

In Part 2, we shift to Dr. Otten’s powerful work beyond the clinic . As the executive producer of the documentary Suck It Up, Buttercup , Dr. Otten uses storytelling to expose the systemic forces harming both clinicians and the communities they serve. We explore: • The inspiration and urgency behind the documentary Suck It Up, Buttercup • How the film amplifies the hidden emotional burden carried...

In Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Todd Otten , we explore his 20+ year journey in medicine and trying to advocate in a broken healthcare system. Dr. Otten opens up about burnout, moral injury, and the moment he realized that the system was failing both patients and physicians. We dive into: • His clinical roots and leadership in primary care • The emotional and systemic pressures driving phys...

This week on Be Empowered , we sit down with Dr. Sweta Goel , founder and owner of Prime Neurology ( https://www.primeneurologynj.com/) in Fairlawn, NJ. We discuss: 🏥 The challenges and rewards of starting her own medical practice 📚 Why teaching and mentorship remain central to her work 🧩 Balancing clinical care, business ownership, and professional life Her story is a testament to following wh...

This week on Be Empowered , we unpack one of the biggest shifts in modern medicine: the transformation of doctors from independent practitioners to employees of large healthcare systems . We explore: 📉 How consolidation, corporate ownership, and insurance pressures reshaped physician autonomy ⚖️ What’s gained—and what’s lost—when doctors trade independence for employment 💡 Strategies to navigate...

This week on Be Empowered , Part 2 of our sit down with Dr. Mike Boffa —board-certified neurologist, epileptologist, and clinical neurophysiologist—who made a major career shift from academic medicine to the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Boffa shares openly about what it’s like to leave the traditional path in medicine and embrace a new role where he can make an impact on a broader scale. In this e...

This week on Be Empowered , we sit down with Dr. Mike Boffa —board-certified neurologist, epileptologist, and clinical neurophysiologist—who made a major career shift from academic medicine to the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Boffa shares openly about what it’s like to leave the traditional path in medicine and embrace a new role where he can make an impact on a broader scale. In this episode, we...

This week on Be Empowered , we have Part 2 of our sit down with Dr. Ryan Williamson —board-certified neurologist, U.S. Navy veteran, and founder of Transcend Health —to talk about the science of human longevity and how to create a life of deeper meaning and impact. Dr. Williamson shares his journey from military service to medicine to building a practice that empowers people to optimize health and...

This week on Be Empowered , we sit down with Dr. Ryan Williamson —board-certified neurologist, U.S. Navy veteran, and founder of Transcend Health —to talk about the science of human longevity and how to create a life of deeper meaning and impact. In Part 1, Dr. Williamson shares his journey from military service to medicine to building a practice that empowers people to optimize health and extend...

This week on Be Empowered, we have Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Michelle Boudreau—Board-certified Neurologist, Clinical Neurophysiologist, and founder of NeuroExpert Services, LLC—about how she built a career that blends clinical work with high-impact non-clinical roles. From leading a neurology department to becoming a telestroke innovator, performing disability file reviews, and serving as a...

This week on Be Empowered , we chat with Dr. Michelle Boudreau —Board-certified Neurologist, Clinical Neurophysiologist, and founder of NeuroExpert Services, LLC —about how she built a career that blends clinical work with high-impact non-clinical roles. Dr. Boudreau shows how physicians can leverage their expertise beyond direct patient care. You’ll hear: 📂 The ins and outs of disability file re...

Healthcare doesn’t have to mean hospital shifts forever. In this episode of Be Empowered, we explore the growing world of non-clinical career paths for healthcare professionals—roles that let you use your skills, expertise, and passion outside traditional patient care. 🌟 Learn how to: 💼 Transition into new industries 🧠 Leverage your medical knowledge in innovative ways 🌍 Build a career that al...

This week on Be Empowered, it's Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Susan Flyer —board-certified anesthesiologist, locums physician, and outspoken healthcare advocate—to explore her remarkable journey from Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse to MD. With a career that spans the bedside, the operating room, and now the national conversation on healthcare policy, Dr. Flyer shares: 🏥 How...

This week on Be Empowered, we sit down with Dr. Susan Flyer—board-certified anesthesiologist, locums physician, and outspoken healthcare advocate—to explore her remarkable journey from Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse to MD. With a career that spans the bedside, the operating room, and now the national conversation on healthcare policy, Dr. Flyer shares: 🏥 How her early nursing experi...

What happens when you realize the traditional healthcare path isn’t serving your purpose—or your well-being? In this episode, we sit down with Mariam Ali, PA-C , founder and director of Zen Aesthetics Med Spa , who courageously left clinical medicine to build something of her own. With elite training from Allergan and MERZ, Mariam fuses medical expertise with an artistic vision to offer subtle, em...

What happens when you realize the traditional healthcare path isn’t serving your purpose—or your well-being? In this episode, we sit down with Mariam Ali, PA-C , founder and director of Zen Aesthetics Med Spa , who courageously left clinical medicine to build something of her own. With elite training from Allergan and MERZ, Mariam fuses medical expertise with an artistic vision to offer subtle, em...

We’ve talked about the tensions—now it’s time to hear from the other side. In this episode, we sit down with Nurse Practitioner Simran Grewal to explore: 🧠 What training and preparation looks like for APPs 💬 Her take on the MD/APP divide—and how we got here 🤝 Why respectful collaboration matters more than ever 🧭 The challenges, misconceptions, and hopes for the future 💬 What does it really me...

In Part 2, we go deeper into the impact on patients, physicians, and the future of healthcare. 🔍 The blurring of titles and transparency issues 🩺 Patient safety, supervision, and accountability 🤝 What true collaboration could look like 🗣️ Why this conversation is emotional—and necessary 💬 Is there a way to protect both professional standards and access to care? These two episodes are honest, n...

The growing presence of Advanced Practice Providers (NPs, PAs, CRNAs) has changed how care is delivered—but it didn’t happen overnight. In Part 1, we explore: 📈 The rise of APPs in the U.S. healthcare system 💼 Corporate interests and cost-saving strategies driving change 🧠 Differences in education, training, and scope of practice 🔥 Why physicians are speaking out—and often being silenced 💬 Ho...

In part two, Dr. Javidi dives into how she built Rebel & Thrive , her Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice rooted in values, time, and trust. 💡 What Direct Primary Care really looks like 🔑 How autonomy and alignment changed everything 🌱 Healing both patients and physicians—on her own terms 💬 Can leaving the system be the path to truly healing it? 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermedlife 🌍...

What happens when practicing medicine no longer feels like healing? In part one of our conversation with Dr. Leila Javidi (@drleilaissad), she shares: ⚠️ Why she left a broken system behind 🧠 The emotional toll of practicing in high-volume, low-agency environments 🔥 The moment she realized she had to choose herself to keep going 💬 What does it take to walk away—and create something better? 📲 F...