The Leadership Lab with Asbel Montes

Is American healthcare headed toward a breaking point? Scott Becker,  founder and publisher of Becker's Healthcare and partner at McGuireWoods LLP, joins Asbel Montes for a candid conversation about why the current cost trajectory is unsustainable, who's actually responsible for the administrative crisis, and what it would take to build a healthcare system that truly centers the patient. From the...

What does it take to fix rural healthcare in America? In this episode of The Leadership Lab, host Asbel Montes sits down with Dr. Damon Darsey, a board-certified emergency medicine and EMS physician with over two decades of experience in public safety, acute care access, and emergency coordination. Dr. Darsey currently serves on the Governor of Mississippi's healthcare task force and is on the fro...

Healthcare costs keep rising, incentives keep pointing the wrong direction, and patients keep getting caught in the middle. So what would it actually take to build a system that works? In this episode of The Leadership Lab, Asbel Montes sits down with Dr. Dan McCoy, a physician, healthcare executive, and innovator, to make the structural case for why the system must change and what that change cou...

EMS has always answered the call. But what if the system that created EMS is the very thing holding it back? In this Clarity Special Edition of The Leadership Lab, Asbel Montes sits down with Dr. Hawnwan Philip Moy, Emergency Physician, EMS Medical Director, and incoming President of the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), to make the case for why physicians must step into the room wh...

EMS has been delivering value the healthcare system has never measured — until now. In this Special Edition of The Leadership Lab, Asbel Montes sits down with Dr. Eric Beck, CEO of ESO, to talk about how EMS data, AI, and physician leadership are converging to reshape healthcare economics from the ground up. Recorded live at Solutions Group's 5th Annual User Summit in Laguna Beach, California, thi...

What happens when healthcare payment systems no longer reflect the services providers actually deliver? In this Clarity Special Edition, recorded live from the fifth annual Clarity Summit in Laguna Beach, California, Asbel Montes sits down with Dr. Lisa Grabert — healthcare economist, visiting research professor at Marquette University, and nationally recognized expert on Medicare reimbursement po...

What happens when one of healthcare's most controversial funding models is also one of the biggest drivers of its future growth? In this episode of The Leadership Lab, Asbel sits down with Larry Richardson of AmeriPro EMS for an in-depth conversation about private equity in healthcare, EMS transformation, healthcare economics, reimbursement reform, AI innovation, workforce development, and what it...

What happens when healthcare providers stop treating data as a reporting tool—and start using it as a strategic asset? In this Clarity Special Edition, recorded live from the fifth annual Clarity Summit in Laguna Beach, California, Asbel Montes sits down with Fred Wilkins, President of VLI Tech and a 35-year veteran of EMS operations, technology, and mobile healthcare leadership. Fred's journey is...

What happens when healthcare leaders stop chasing fraud after the fact — and start preventing it before the money ever leaves the door? In this Clarity Special Edition, Asbel Montes sits down with Kimberly Brandt, JD, Deputy Administrator & Chief Operating Officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). With experience spanning CMS, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, HHS OIG, and th...

What happens when physicians realize they've been practicing medicine inside a financial system they were never trained to understand? In this episode of The Leadership Lab, Adam sits down with Dr. Jeff Beeson, emergency physician, EMS leader, educator, and healthcare innovator, for an in-depth conversation about physician leadership, healthcare finance, value-based care, EMS transformation, and t...

What if the biggest challenge in healthcare revenue cycle management isn't effort, talent, or technology, but how the entire system is structured to win? In this episode of The Leadership Lab with Asbel Montes, healthcare finance meets high-performance sports as we break down what football can teach us about building stronger, more efficient revenue cycle teams. Joining Asbel Montes is Griffin Heb...

What happens when a $1.5B business leader steps into government, and starts questioning how healthcare and EMS are funded? In this episode, Asbel Montes sits down with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to explore the intersection of healthcare finance, public policy, and frontline care delivery. With a background in scaling a national company across 49 states, Pamela brings a private-sector mindset into publ...

Healthcare systems are being reshaped by innovation, policy pressure, and financial reform, but one of the most overlooked drivers of change is how care is actually paid for. In this episode of The Leadership Lab with Asbel Montes, Dr. Nicholas Cozzi—emergency physician and EMS Medical Director—explores a foundational tension in healthcare finance: a reimbursement model that continues to prioritiz...

Leadership, self-compassion, and the courage to grow are shaping the future of healthcare leadership, starting with you. In this solo episode of The Leadership Lab, Asbel Montes shares a personal and strategic reflection on the inner work of leadership: how grace, humility, and the right circles of influence determine the long-term impact of high-performing leaders. Drawing from pivotal moments in...

Leadership, technology, and policy are converging in ways that could fundamentally reshape emergency medical services. In this episode of The Leadership Lab podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with longtime EMS leader Donnie Woodyard for a strategic conversation about the future of EMS, healthcare system integration, artificial intelligence, and the leadership decisions that will determine how emergen...

Power, law, and leadership are more connected than most executives in regulated industries realize. In this episode of The Leadership Lab podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with Texas State Senator Nathan Johnson, candidate for Texas Attorney General, for a focused conversation on constitutional authority, healthcare regulation, artificial intelligence, and the responsibility that comes with leading...

EMS sustainability, patient trust, and financial performance are more connected than many healthcare leaders are willing to acknowledge. In this episode of The Leadership Lab Podcast, the Solutions Group team is joined by Bill Mergendahl, founder of Pro EMS and Pro EMS Solutions, for a case study conversation on how modern revenue cycle strategy is reshaping financial outcomes across ambulance ser...

Money, faith, and leadership are more connected than most executives are willing to admit. In this episode of The Leadership Lab Podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with Matt Morizio, founder of Reconstructing Wealth, for a thoughtful conversation about how leaders form their relationship with money and how that relationship quietly shapes decision-making, anxiety, and impact. Drawing from personal ex...

Healthcare systems are only as strong as the voices shaping them, and EMS is too often left out of the conversation. In this episode of The Leadership Lab podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with New Hampshire State Senator Sue, a former paramedic, State EMS Director, mayor, and national trauma leader, for a candid discussion on leadership, rural healthcare policy, and how EMS can become a core part o...

Culture, candor, and innovation are redefining what it means to lead in emergency medical services. In this episode of The Leadership Lab Podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with the executive team of Pro EMS and Prodigy EMS to explore how leadership, operational strategy, and a mission-driven culture are transforming out-of-hospital care. From field experience to executive decision-making, this team...

Fragmented data, regulatory hurdles, and outdated EMS workflows are challenging the very foundation of U.S. healthcare delivery. In this episode of The Leadership Lab podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with Jonathon Feit, EMS innovator and data strategist, to explore how data, AI, and frontline insights can transform emergency medical services and the broader healthcare system. From network coverage...

Policy shifts, market pressures, and rising healthcare costs are redefining what it means to lead in U.S. healthcare. In this episode of The Leadership Lab podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with Loren Adler, healthcare economist at the Brookings Institution, to explore how evidence-based policy, innovative financing strategies, and pragmatic leadership can shape a more resilient and equitable health...

AI is transforming healthcare finance but will it solve problems or create new ones? In this episode of The Leadership Lab podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with Brian Choate to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping revenue cycle management and financial strategy in healthcare. From automating pre-bill processes to improving reimbursements, AI is already proving its value. But with opport...

What if artificial intelligence in healthcare doesn't just improve efficiency, but quietly creates compliance and privacy risks that could reshape the entire system? In this episode of The Leadership Lab, Asbel Montes sits down with Alexandra Farr, General Counsel at Solutions Group, for a powerful conversation about AI's legal, ethical, and financial impact on healthcare organizations. From her b...

Can affordability, transparency, and physician leadership rebuild trust in American healthcare? In this episode, Asbel Montes sits down with Brian J. Miller, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins and voting member of MedPAC, to explore the reality behind Medicare Advantage, prior authorization, and the future of value-based care. Drawing from his unique experience...