SoundPractice

What happens when a physician becomes a patient — and discovers that medicine can heal the body but leave the person behind? In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with Rana Awdish, MD, medical director of care experience at Henry Ford Health and bestselling author of In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope. Awdish's path to physician l...

What happens when the art of medicine collides with the rise of clinical algorithms, electronic health records, and artificial intelligence? In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos speaks with Devjit Roy, MD, MAS, MSPC, CPE, from Nathan Littauer Hospital in rural New York — about his book, Between Heartbeats and Algorithms: Reclaiming What Matters in Healthcare. Roy explains how the...

Few physicians ever experience healthcare from the perspective of a health plan, but Jacob Asher, MD, is an exception. A former ENT surgeon with Kaiser Permanente, Asher shifted gears in 2008 to pursue a career in commercial health plan management. Over the next 14 years, he served as California Commercial Market Medical Director for Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare. Today, he shares...

What does it take to build a culture of ethics inside a health system — and what happens when leaders lack the courage to defend it? In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with Arthur Caplan, PhD, one of the world's foremost bioethicists and the founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Department of Population Health. Dr. Caplan...

In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos speaks with two physician-researchers whose landmark study is sounding an early warning about the long-term consequences of state abortion restrictions on the U.S. physician workforce. Anisha Ganguly, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Anna Morenz, MD, MPH, assistant clinical profess...

What does commanding troops in combat have to do with leading a hospital? More than you might think. In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, U.S. Army (Ret) — former commander of U.S. Army Forces in Europe, CNN military analyst — to explore the surprising parallels between military and medical leadership. Soldiers and physicians share more in co...

What does it mean to truly flourish at work — and why are physician leaders especially vulnerable to losing that? In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with MaryCay Durrant, a nationally recognized expert on human fulfillment whose 30-year career has taken her inside transformation efforts at Deloitte, Pepsi, Johnson & Johnson, Hyatt, and — increasingly — the world of hea...

Pamela Sullivan, MD, MBA, CPE, is the author of the new book, Career Prescription Guide: A Physician's Guide for Career Transformation or Advancement. She is a national medical director, High-Risk Programs at P3 Health Partners and founder of National Healthcare Solutions LLC. Dr. Pamela Sullivan brings a career as varied as it is distinguished — from physical therapist to emergency medicine physi...

Join host Mike Sacopulos for a compelling conversation with Michael S. Hein, MD, MS, MHCM, PCC, senior vice president and executive coach, MEDI Leadership, about his new book, Shifting Towards Unorthodoxy. Drawing on nearly four decades in healthcare — from competitive swimming coach to general internist, CMO, CEO, and now executive leadership coach — Hein tackles a question that haunted him throu...

Join host Mike Sacopulos for an eye-opening conversation with Hugo Huang about the financial realities of adopting generative AI in healthcare organizations. Drawing from his Harvard Business Review article "What CEOs Need to Know About the Costs of Adopting Gen AI," Hugo explains why many companies are pulling back from AI implementation due to unexpected cost pressures — and what leaders can do...

In this deeply moving episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with Louis M. Profeta, MD, a clinical instructor of emergency medicine at Indiana University and Marian University Schools of Medicine, bestselling author, and speaker. Profeta shares his unconventional path to medicine — from a catastrophic neck injury that ended his Olympic dreams to choosing his college based on a bas...

Mike Sacopulos speaks with Jordan Grumet, MD, associate medical director of Unity Hospice, podcaster, and author of The Purpose Code. Grumet shares his deeply personal journey from burning out as an internal medicine physician to finding fulfillment in hospice care, and explains how his work with dying patients has revealed profound lessons about living with purpose. Most people get purpose wrong,...

In this enlightening episode, Mike Sacopulos sits down with three visionary leaders from the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) — Peter Angood, MD, president and CEO, Joe LiVigni, senior vice president of education, and Devin Glasgo, director of consumer experience and development — to discuss the groundbreaking launch of AAPL Helix. AAPL Helix is a comprehensive learning ecosyst...

In this insightful episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with Vivek Iyer, an internationally recognized executive coach and principal of Swanvesha Executive Coaching. The Significance of Swanvesha: Derived from Sanskrit, "Swanvesha" means "self-enquiry," embodying the fundamental principle of coaching — that true, lasting solutions arise from introspection and focusing on what li...

In this episode of SoundPractice, Matthew Mazurek, MD, assistant professor of anesthesiology at Yale School of Medicine discusses his new book, Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and Discrimination in Healthcare by the AAPL. Mazurek reveals sexual misconduct in healthcare occurs on multiple levels: - Confidential surveys show the problem remains significantly underreported. - Social media has created...

In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos explores the critical skill of strategic thinking with Michael Gardner, MD, vice president and administrator of Women's and Children's Hospital at University Health in San Antonio, Texas. Gardner shares his extensive journey through physician leadership and breaks down why strategic thinking is essential for physicians who want to shape the fut...

Media relations is more than press releases — it's a strategic tool for driving hospital goals like patient acquisition, physician recruitment, and employee retention. Key Insights - Media vs. PR: Public relations is the tree; media relations is its largest branch. Both must align with organizational priorities, not executive egos. - Platform Strategy: Tailor content for each platform. Facebook, L...

In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with John Sawyer, PhD, ABPP-CN, a neuropsychologist and medical director of professional staff experience at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, who leads initiatives to address physician burnout and improve well-being across Ochsner's 40,000 employees. With healthcare facing a workforce crisis — an aging population requ...

In this episode join healthcare executive and patient experience expert Susan Baker as she uncovers actionable strategies to increase patient loyalty and recommendations. From mastering respect-driven behaviors to leveraging social media testimonials, Susan shares insights that can transform your patient experience and drive revenue growth. Discover how to: - Define and demonstrate respect in ever...

In this compelling episode, we sit down with Mohamad Saad, MD, MBA, CPE, an internal medicine physician, healthcare leader, and certified coach, to explore solutions for two of healthcare's most pressing challenges: workforce disengagement and physician burnout. With 70% of employees disengaged and burnout at crisis levels, Saad presents a data-driven approach to organizational alignment and coach...

Healthcare is changing faster than ever, but it is not just about new technology. It is about patients becoming active, equal partners in their own care. In this episode, Mike Sacopulos sits down with Bertalan Mesko, PhD, director of The Medical Futurist Institute and author of The Guide to the Future of Medicine, Technology, and the Human Touch, to explore how patient empowerment is reshaping the...

In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and molecular virology, Baylor College of Medicine and the co-author of the new book (with Michael Mann) Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World. Hotez pulls back the curtain on the alarming rise of anti-science movements that are costin...

Physician leadership is evolving from informal, "oldest doctor gets the job" to rigorous, accredited training programs that could reshape healthcare administration. Mike Sacopulos interviews Daniel A. Handel, MD, MBA, MPH, CPE, chief medical officer at Atrium Health, to discuss the basics of the new Healthcare Administration, Leadership, and Management (HALM) fellowship. The exam, first held in No...

In this expanded episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos sits down with Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States, to discuss his remarkable journey from a rural community in Maryland to becoming the nation's top doctor. Adams shares personal anecdotes, professional insights, and the challenges he faced while serving as Surgeon General. This episode covers the nuan...

Host Mike Sacopulos interviews Jennifer O’Brien, a healthcare expert and author, to discuss her book, Care Boss: Leadership Strategies and Resources for Family Caregivers. They delve into the growing demographic of family caregivers, address the challenges they face, and the perspective of caregiving as a leadership role. Don’t miss this insightful discussion where Jennifer shares actionable advic...