Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

In this episode, Krista Nelson, CEO of Optum Health, shares her vision for strengthening value based care through a more focused care delivery model, stronger clinician support, and expanded technology capabilities. She also discusses Medicare Advantage policy stability, the role of AI in reducing administrative burden, and how partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem can improve outcomes and...

In this episode, Megan Eubanks, MBA, Senior Director of Business Operations for Perioperative and Procedural Services at The University of Kansas Health System, discusses how her team is using AI and advanced analytics to improve operating room utilization, increase surgical volume, and expand patient access to care. She also shares lessons on building resilient perioperative operations through tr...

In this episode, Laura Dyrda, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Becker’s Healthcare, discusses the latest hospital divestitures, strategic transactions, and emerging acquisitions shaping the healthcare landscape. She also explores what these moves signal about health system financial pressures and the growing push to expand behavioral health access.

In this episode, Sharmila Makhija, MD, MBA, founding dean and CEO of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, shares how the school integrates clinical training, the arts, and whole health principles. She discusses strategies to address rural physician shortages, foster student well-being, and prepare the next generation of doctors for the evolving healthcare landscape.

In this episode, Jose Azar, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Quality and Clinical Service Line Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health and Professor of Medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, discusses launching the Agile Institute to rapidly implement evidence based care and drive systemwide culture change. He shares how physician led collaboratives, CMS five star performance, and...

In this episode, Dustin M. Riccio, MD, MBA, President and CEO of St. Joseph's Health System, shares how he is leading strategic growth, strengthening culture, and amplifying the organization's voice across Northern New Jersey. He discusses balancing rapid change with operational excellence and investing in both community care and team engagement.

In this episode, Ada Demir, Vice President of Supply Chain at Dartmouth Health, joins the podcast to discuss the growing challenge of remaining within budget in today’s healthcare environment. She shares how C-suite alignment is critical to managing supply chain costs, the importance of vendor diversification, and offers practical advice for supply chain leaders navigating ongoing financial and op...

In this episode, Scott Becker explores key healthcare trends including the rapid growth of nurses and AI use, while highlighting major challenges such as physician shortages, rising costs, hospital financial strain, and the urgent need to address supply and demand across the system.

In this episode, Dr. Narayana Murali, Chief Medical Officer of Medicine Services and Professor at Geisinger College of Health Sciences, shares how Geisinger redesigned its approach to advanced care planning, increasing engagement from 5% to nearly 50% among high risk seniors. He also discusses driving physician and APP alignment, scaling high reliability and zero harm principles, and expanding hom...

In this episode, Katrina Anderson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth at Clinician Nexus, and Jessica Wells, Principal at ECG Management Consultants, discuss how health systems can better align clinical education, technology, and workforce strategy to build a sustainable clinician pipeline. The conversation explores student placement, preceptor support, and how intentional, data driven appr...

In this episode, Erin Shipley, CEN, MSN, RN, Vice President of Consumer Experience at Cooper University Health Care, joins the podcast to discuss the Cooper Experience Excellence Program and its impact on patient and team engagement. She shares how expanding access to technology and training is empowering team members, improving efficiency, and creating new opportunities for organizational growth.

In this episode, William A. Wertheim, Executive Vice President at Stony Brook Medicine, joins the podcast to discuss embedding care directly into the communities they serve, including the development of a new East Hampton emergency center. He shares how structural transformation and shared governance are helping merge clinical and academic priorities, and reflects on the importance of living out c...

In this episode, Vineet Gupta, PhD, FASN, Vice President of the Office of Innovation and Commercialization and CEO of Medical Branch Innovations at The University of Texas Medical Branch, discusses embedding innovation as a fourth pillar alongside clinical care, research, and education. He shares how strategic focus areas such as brain health, kidney health, healthy aging, and AI driven solutions...

In this episode, Jennifer L. Kowalski, Vice President of the Public Policy Institute at Elevance Health, discusses how rigorous research and data shape Medicare Advantage strategy, from supplemental benefits to dual eligible integration. She shares insights on affordability, care navigation, and how evidence based policy can strengthen value, access, and long term sustainability in the program.

In this episode, Dr. Kenneth Altman, Chair of Otolaryngology at Geisinger Health System, shares how his team is improving access to head and neck cancer care, empowering frontline providers, and building interoperable systems across a growing rural network. He also reflects on cultivating professionalism, supporting the next generation of clinicians, and investing in people to drive long term orga...

In this episode, Vikram Kashyap, MD, FACS, Endowed Chair of the Frederik Meijer Heart and Vascular Institute and Vice President of Cardiovascular Health at Corewell Health, discusses reducing mortality through systemwide collaboration, navigating anesthesia workforce transitions, expanding into heart and lung integration, and building a unified cardiovascular strategy across the state.

In this episode, Ericka Powell, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital within WellSpan Health, discusses reducing length of stay variation, strengthening physician engagement, and using data driven care pathways to improve quality, workforce stability, and value based performance.

In this episode, Dawn Maroney, President of Alignment Health and CEO of Alignment Health Plan, joins the podcast to discuss how payer–provider relationships are evolving amid cost pressures and workforce shortages. She explores common gaps between strategy and execution, the importance of disciplined operational follow-through, and why healthy competition remains essential to driving innovation, v...

In this episode, Christopher Burks, Vice President of Laboratory and Support Services at Brown University Health, discusses integrating newly acquired hospitals, aligning revenue and operations, and building the laboratory bandwidth needed to support ambulatory growth and long term system expansion.

In this episode, Deirdre Salanger, Chief Operating Officer of Strong Memorial Hospital at University of Rochester Medical Center, discusses returning from maternity leave into a new leadership role, strengthening workforce engagement, and balancing access and capacity amid financial pressures. She shares how digital tools, disciplined investment, and academic partnership are positioning the organi...

In this episode, Dr. Bill Cooper, Senior Vice President for Professionalism and Clinical Excellence at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, shares how structured feedback, credo based evaluations, and peer led cup of coffee conversations strengthen culture and patient safety. He explains...

In this episode, Clair Kuriakose, Vice President and Chief Advanced Practice Officer at Stanford Health Care, shares how intentional team based care drove a 17 percent rise in ambulatory APP visits, outlines efforts to ease capacity strain through Stanford Health Care at Home, and discusses building strong governance to responsibly scale AI and advanced practice innovation.

In this episode, Alen Brcic, Chief Human Resources Officer at Methodist Health System, shares how a focus on engagement, retention, and culture has driven top percentile performance in turnover and employee engagement. He discusses leveraging AI in talent strategy, strengthening leadership accountability, and upskilling the workforce to elevate patient experience and prepare for the next century o...

In this episode, Dr. Janice Walker, DHA, RN, inaugural Chief Nursing Officer of UF Health, discusses building an integrated nursing strategy, driving quality outcomes, and creating a culture of shared governance. She shares insights on recruitment, retention, and developing talent pipelines to strengthen workforce stability across the system.

In this episode, Jakob Emerson, Associate News Director at Becker's Healthcare, breaks down the latest Medicare Advantage enrollment trends, including slowing overall growth, major gains for regional and system owned plans, and mounting federal scrutiny of large insurers. He explores what CMS actions, risk adjustment settlements, and market exits mean for payers, providers, and the future of the p...