The ASHHRA Podcast

March is here, and healthcare HR is staring down three stories that cut straight to the core of organizational trust, workforce safety, and labor vulnerability — all in one week. ⚖️ LeapFrog's Credibility Collapse A federal judge ruled that LeapFrog deliberately assigned artificially low safety grades to hospitals that declined to participate in its voluntary survey. Five Florida hospitals we...

We are living in what one CHRO recently called “an era with no destination.” Jobs are evolving, technology is accelerating, and the rules of career progression are being rewritten in real time. In this forward-looking conversation, executive recruiter and career strategist Becky Heidesch joins us to unpack what AI, automation, and digital acceleration really mean for the workforce, especially for...

In this week’s News Drop, we unpack three developments that could directly impact provider compensation, skilled nursing operations, and your employee benefits strategy. 💸 CMS Efficiency Shockwave The 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is now hitting balance sheets, and the fallout is real. CMS finalized a 2.5% efficiency adjustment cut, alongside major practice expense reductions for facility-...

Recorded live at AdventHealth, this episode explores what it truly means to operationalize employee wellbeing at scale — and why it cannot live inside a single benefits line item. Kristin Duquaine, Executive Director of Employee Wellbeing, and Sarah Hawkins, Senior Manager of Employee Wellbeing, share how AdventHealth embedded wellbeing into its brand promise of “Feel Whole,” translating it into s...

In this episode, we track three major developments shaping healthcare HR strategy right now: a catastrophic escalation in the Kaiser strike, a growing middle management collapse, and a new IRS benefit that could fast-track your workforce into the AI era. 🔥 Segment 1: The Engine Room Walkout Kaiser Permanente’s strike has entered week four — and it just escalated again. More than 500 licensed oper...

Building Your Personal Brand Without Losing Your Professional Edge,  featuring Susie Jamerson , Chief People Officer of Corporate Services, AdventHealth Recorded live in Altamonte Springs, Florida, this episode brings real energy, real conversation, and real leadership insight. Susie Jamerson returns to the podcast, and this time, the conversation goes deep into something every healthcare leader i...

This Monday News Drop covers three developments that should be squarely on every healthcare HR leader’s radar. 📉 Segment 1: NCLEX Pass Rates Dip The 2025 NCLEX pass rate dropped to 69.1% , down from 69.7% in 2024. On paper, that’s a 0.6% decline. In reality? Nearly 100,000 nursing graduates did not pass . In a nation already facing a nursing shortage, even fractional declines matter. The exam is...

In this episode, Luke Carignan sits down with Kelly Trummer, AVP of Talent Acquisition at Wellstar Health System, to unpack what’s next for healthcare recruiting in a rapidly evolving workforce landscape.  With prior experience at Yale New Haven Health and Southcoast Health, she brings a national perspective on what’s changing—and what must change—inside healthcare TA.  For Kelly, talent acquisiti...

Healthcare HR leaders finally get a moment to exhale, but the work is far from over. In this week’s Monday News Drop, Bo Brabo , Luke Carignan , and ASHHRA President & CEO Jeremy Sadlier break down three critical developments shaping workforce strategy, compliance, and recruiting right now.  Segment 1: The 11th-Hour Telehealth Save Congress narrowly avoided the telehealth cliff. The Healthcare...

Healthcare HR leaders are heading into one of the most consequential weeks of the year. In this episode of the ASHHRA Monday News Drop, Luke Carignan , Bo Brabo , and ASHHRA President & CEO Jeremy Sadlier unpack three fast-moving developments that demand immediate attention from HR, finance, and executive teams.  Segment 1: A Tale of Two Coasts While New York nurses return to work after securi...

Healthcare HR is entering a pressure point week. In this Monday News Drop, Bo Brabo , Luke Carigna n, and Jeremy Sadlier break down three converging forces that are already reshaping labor strategy, care delivery, and executive decision making.  Segment 1: The “Peace Treaty” Hangover The New York City nurses strike has officially ended at NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai, but the real impact i...

In this week’s Monday News Drop, hosts Bo Brabo , Luke Carignan , and Jeremy Sadlier unpack the critical workforce, policy, and compensation trends shaping healthcare HR as we move deeper into 2026. From labor risk to pay strategy to the expiration of ACA subsidies, this episode delivers practical insight leaders can act on immediately. Key Topics Covered: Nurse Strike Risk & Staffing Ratios W...

We made it to Episode 200 , and this milestone edition of The ASHHRA Podcast could not be more timely. Kicking off 2026, co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan are joined by Jeremy Sadlier for a wide-ranging Monday News Drop that examines the forces reshaping healthcare HR, workforce strategy, and hospital operations right now—and what leaders must prepare for next. What’s Inside Episode 200: Workfor...

In this returning episode of The ASHHRA Podcast , co-host Luke Carignan sits down with Jeff Knapp , for a timely and candid conversation about artificial intelligence, workforce transformation, and what it truly means to lead with humanity in an age of rapid automation. Jeff brings a rare and powerful perspective to the discussion. With a career spanning roles at Aramark, Walgreens, PE-backed orga...

In this week’s Monday News Drop , Bo Brabo , Luke Carignan , and Jeremy Sadlier tackle two headlines that should have every healthcare HR leader paying close attention: reported job eliminations at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a new survey showing more than half of U.S. healthcare workers are considering leaving their roles. The conversation cuts through headlines and focuses on wha...

In this week’s Monday News Drop, Co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan , along with ASHHRA Executive Director, Jeremy Sadlier , break down the biggest healthcare HR trends and policy changes shaping the road to 2026—what HR leaders need to watch, prepare for, and take action on now . From telehealth reimbursement cliffs to workplace violence standards and double-digit benefit increases, this episode...

In one of our most eye-opening conversations yet, Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with clinical pharmacist Langley Kyle to unpack the truth behind GLP-1 medications—Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound, tirzepatide, and their compounded counterparts. Whether you're an HR leader, benefits strategist, or simply trying to understand why GLP-1s dominate workplace conversations, this episode breaks it al...

In this week’s Monday News Drop , co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan dive into one of healthcare’s most persistent and pressing issues — the national nursing shortage. But this time, they go deeper than headlines to ask the hard question: Is it really a “trend,” or just a long-term problem we keep failing to solve? Bo and Luke trace the roots of the shortage through decades of reports and researc...

We're thrilled to share the highlights from a mind-expanding episode featuring Cliff Jurkiewic z, VP of Global Strategy at Phenom, alongside our hosts Luke and Bo .  Dive Into Reality: Are We Living in a Simulation? The episode kicks off with a wild question: What if there’s a 50% chance we’re living in a simulation, according to Columbia astronomer David Kipping? Cliff explores quantum physi...

Welcome to The ASHHRA Podcast! In this episode, hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Keith Sorgius , a dedicated hospital advisor at RxBenefits, to dive deep into the world of pharmacy benefits and cost management for hospitals and health systems. With a rich background in pharmacy analytics, PBM consulting, and 340B in-house pharmacy management, Keith Sorgius shares his practical insigh...

In this week’s Monday News Drop , co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan get real about the future of HR — and why the next evolution of workforce planning is already here. From predictive analytics and skills ontologies to workplace flexibility and AI, Bo and Luke dig into what every HR leader should be thinking about as technology reshapes hiring, training, and team performance. This episode isn’t...

In this episode of The ASHHRA Podcast , co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Darlene Stone , Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Bayhealth , for a powerful conversation about the past, present, and future of healthcare HR. Darlene has seen it all, from the days of typewriters and paper timecards to today’s AI-driven workflows. With over 30 years in healthcare, s...

🎙️ Episode 190 – Veterans Day Special: Honoring Service, Saving Lives, and Building Pathways for Veterans In this special Veterans Day episode of The ASHHRA Podcast , co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan pause to honor those who’ve served — and to spotlight a powerful mission that could change the future for Veterans and the healthcare industry alike. This episode is filled with reflection, laughte...

In this week’s Monday News Drop , co-hosts Luke Carignan and Jeremy Sadlier dig into a treasure trove of 2025 healthcare HR data points , unpacking what’s really happening across the industry and what the numbers mean for the people on the front lines. From anxiety and depression among nurses to workplace violence and the growing shortage of support staff, this episode shines a light on the challe...

In this eye-opening episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan welcome Kinjal Patel and Brady Heiner from RxBenefits to demystify the complex world of pharmacy benefit management (PBMs). As costs skyrocket, driven by specialty drugs accounting for 50% of spend from just 2% of prescriptions, HR leaders face fiduciary risks, hidden contract clauses, and potential class-action la...