The Emergency Mind Podcast

Organizational network analysis reveals how work really gets done: hidden influence, brokers, bottlenecks, leadership feedback loops, and the informal structures that shape performance under pressure.

Sarah Gebauer is a physician and founder of Validara Health who works at the intersection of clinical AI evaluation and governance. We cover what it actually means to evaluate an AI product for clinical safety, how physicians can draw on skills they already have to work effectively with these systems, and where those analogies break down. The core tension running through the conversation is that w...

In this episode of The Emergency Mind Podcast, I’m joined by Elvina Hewitt and Mena Ramos for a wide-ranging conversation about emergency medicine, healthcare innovation, AI, entrepreneurship, and what it means to build better systems from inside the reality of clinical work. All three of us came through Brown, spent time working in emergency care, and have since moved into different but overlappi...

Psychologist, performance coach, and yoga teacher Diane Malaspina shares a strengths-based approach to stress, resilience, and optimal performance for high-pressure professions.

In this episode of The Emergency Mind Podcast, Dan Dworkis speaks with Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, a social scientist at RAND Corporation, whose work spans disaster response, risk governance, and organizational performance under extreme conditions. Drawing on experience as a wildland firefighter, disaster recovery volunteer after Hurricane Katrina, and applied policy researcher, Aaron explores why some...

In this episode of The Emergency Mind Podcast, Dan Dworkis sits down with emergency physician and medical educator Joshua Feblowitz to examine how clinicians are trained to make decisions under pressure, and where traditional medical education struggles to prepare people for real-world uncertainty. The conversation spans experiential learning, simulation, metacognition, and the everyday tradeoffs...

In this episode of The Emergency Mind Podcast, Dan Dworkis sits down with Patrick Pollock, the world’s first Professor of Veterinary Surgery and Remote & Rural Medicine, to explore what really happens when humans, animals, and complex systems collide.

ECMO does not succeed because of a single clinician, team, or device. It succeeds because of systems. In this episode of The Emergency Mind Podcast, Dan talks with Christine Stead, CEO of ELSO, about how innovation in ECMO emerges from networks of people, data, organizations, and shared purpose. From the early days of ECMO development to the global response during COVID-19, they explore how system...

What do theater, crisis response, military service, and social work have in common? In this episode of The Emergency Mind Podcast, Dan Dworkis sits down with Adam Milano to explore a powerful idea: high-performance teamwork under pressure looks a lot like ensemble art.

Why do some performers keep improving under pressure while others hit a ceiling? One of the most powerful answers is curiosity. In this episode, Dan talks with Marius Aleksa, a performance advisor who has coached elite performers across professional baseball, special operations, medicine, and high-level athletics. Together they explore how curiosity helps people recognize their strengths, uncover...

Part 2 of 2! How do you know if your team is doing a good job? In this second part of a two-part series, we bring together leaders from medicine, the military, and crisis response to explore what team performance really means — and how to measure it beyond outcomes.

How do you know if your team is doing a good job? In this first of a two-part series, we bring together leaders from medicine, neuroscience, and crisis response to explore what team performance really means — and how to measure it beyond outcomes.

What happens when life-and-death decisions must be made by a team rather than an individual? In this episode, Dr. Mark Ramzy — cardiothoracic intensivist, emergency physician, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of REBEL EM — joins us to explore how teams think, decide, and act under pressure inside the ICU

What happens when life depends on perfect coordination between human and machine? In this episode, Thomas Preston — a veteran ECMO expert and executive leader at Integration Health — joins us to explore the high-stakes world of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and the complex teamwork it demands.

In this episode, Harry Moffitt shares his insights on human performance and philosophy. Moffitt, a director at Stoughton Group and Mission Critical Teams Institute, and a former SAS member, discusses his new book 'The Fourth Pillar: Modern Stoicism and the Philosophy of High Performance.' He touches on the importance of philosophy alongside physical, psychological, and social aspects of human perf...

How do complex systems shape the emergencies we face—and how can understanding them help you perform when it matters most? In this episode, I talk with epidemiologist and emergency responder Geoff Dougherty about how complexity science shows up everywhere from individual patient care to statewide population health. We dig into what makes a system complex, why small changes can have massive effects...

Coming home to your family after shift is a skill. In this episode, Dr. Art Finch and I talk about re-integration, and coming home as a process not an event. We introduce our new resource, "On Coming Home," a workbook for people operating in crisis and their families -- you can download it free at www.bit.ly/mctioch

Eric Benoit, acute care surgeon at Lahey Hospital, and Andrew Petrosoniak, emergency physician at St. Michael’s Hospital, join me on the podcast to discuss operating with uncertainty in high-stakes medical environments. This episode addresses managing risk, performing under pressure, and the importance of decision-making and reflection. Discover how they balance technical skills and knowledge with...

Explore the vital role of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in critical care with Alex Hodson, a seasoned critical care physician assistant. Learn about the dynamics of high-functioning healthcare teams, the training pipeline for APPs, and the importance of feedback and teamwork. Gain insights into the challenges and rewards of working in high-stress environments and understand how multidisciplin...

Dr. Sean Griffiths shares his experiences and insights from his training and career in emergency medicine, both within the United States Air Force and civilian practice. We talk through the stark differences between various emergency care environments, the importance of leadership, and the challenges of preparing for high-stakes medical emergencies in diverse settings. Dr. Griffiths emphasizes the...

Gloria Park, an expert in sport performance and positive psychology, joins the podcast to discuss her journey from competitive figure skating to human performance optimization. She emphasizes the importance of understanding emotions, stress, and social contexts in achieving peak performance. Gloria also explores the challenges and strategies for fostering human performance in high-stakes environme...

Dr. Jeremy Cannon is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania where he serves as the Surgeon Champion for the Penn Medicine-US Navy Trauma Training Partnership. He is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and Harvard Medical School and holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. He served as President of the Excelsior Surgical Society from 2022-2023 and recently...

Jon Becker, founder and CEO of Aardvark Tactical and host of The Debrief Podcast, shares his journey from law school to becoming an influential figure in the tactical community. Emphasizing the importance of humility and collaboration, Jon discusses how elite teams succeed by fostering a culture of continuous learning and shared purpose. Tune in to explore actionable insights on building effective...

Dr. Angie Loza-Gomez is double board certified in emergency medicine and emergency medical services. She is an attending physician at the Los Angeles General Medical Center and EMS Director in the Department of Emergency Medicine, as well as the Medical Director for several municipal EMS agencies in Los Angeles County. Dr. Gomez shares her extensive experience in emergency medicine and pre-hospita...

Paul Hughes, former UK military special operator / military intelligence, joins the podcast to talk about building shared situational awareness and the art of being "the glue" for multi-disciplinary teams.