The Missing Piece with April Reed

What can healthcare learn from aviation, AI, and even space travel?  In this fascinating conversation, Dr. Matthew Cooper — cardiac surgeon, aerospace medicine leader, former Fortune 100 Chief Medical Officer, and FAA Senior Aviation Medical Examiner — shares how decades of high-stakes decision-making shaped his perspective on leadership, patient safety, and the future of medicine.  From performin...

Andy Farella, SVP and CIO at the NBME and 2022 Philly CIO of the Year, has watched healthcare technology evolve from the first desktop PC to full-scale AI-driven medical assessments — and he's been building it the whole way.   In this conversation, Andy gets honest about what EMRs got wrong, why healthcare moves slower than it should, and why the defining challenge for every leader today is figuri...

What actually drives sustainable growth in a company—and why do so many get stuck?  In this episode of  The Missing Piece , April Reed sits down with Todd Treml, CEO of Touching Hearts at Home, to explore what 30+ years in franchising, leadership, and private equity have taught him about scaling businesses the right way.  From building franchise systems to leading a purpose-driven home care organi...

Erika Maritz spent 14 years as a radiation therapist watching cancer patients —and after seeing them sent home with feeding tubes, discharge instructions, and a roll of tape, she decided to start designing a better solution from home. Now founder of Maritz Medical Solutions, she's disrupting the feeding tube category with a support system designed around patient dignity, not clinical convenience....

What if AI could give clinicians their time back, and improve patient care at the same time? In this episode of  The Missing Piece Podcast , April Reed sits down with healthcare IT leader and AI strategist Robert Henehan to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of healthcare. From his early exposure to electronic medical records to leading AI innovation today, Robert shares r...

Nathan Franklin has an unconventional path: from rural Wisconsin farm kid to political staffer to energy executive—now VP of External Affairs & Sustainability at Emplify Health. In this episode, April Reed and Nathan explore how Emplify Health is reimagining what's possible in healthcare.  Topics covered on this episode:  How to crowdsource innovation from your workforce  Why AI is a multiplie...

Kevin Stansbury, CEO of Lincoln Community Hospital, shares what it really takes to lead a rural healthcare facility—and why it matters now more than ever.  After a personal tragedy reshaped his perspective, Kevin shifted his career toward mission-driven work, becoming a strong advocate for small hospitals serving isolated and underserved communities.  In this episode, he breaks down:  The real cha...

Most organizations don’t fail because of bad strategy.  They fail because they don’t know how to execute change.   In this episode of  The Missing Piece , April Reed sits down with Joseph Oddo — a technology executive who has spent over two decades leading transformation inside some of the most complex organizations in healthcare and enterprise.  But this conversation isn’t about titles or accolad...

What does it really take to lead IT teams in complex, mission-critical environments?  In this episode of  The Missing Piece , host April Reed sits down with IT leader Steve Howard to explore how technology leadership goes far beyond systems, networks, and infrastructure.  Steve shares his unconventional journey into IT, how his background in psychology shaped his leadership style, and why building...

In this episode of The Missing Piece Podcast, host April Reed sits down with Dr. David Feldman, Associate Director at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute, to explore the world of rare and complex orthopedic conditions. Dr. Feldman shares his journey into medicine, his years in academic leadership at NYU Langone Medical Center, and the moment he realized something important was missing in th...

What is the biggest mistake home health and hospice agencies are making today? In this episode of The Missing Piece , April Reed sits down with Teresa Harbour, Chief Operating Officer at the Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP), to discuss the #1 deficiency impacting home health and hospice agencies today—and what it means for patient care nationwide. From her beginnings as a 21-year-old...

In healthcare, most clinicians don’t burn out because they stop caring.  They burn out because they can’t care for patients the way they want to.  In this episode of  The Missing Piece , April Reed sits down with Joshua Todd, Vice President of Operations at DPI Anesthesia, to talk about what it truly takes to scale healthcare operations without losing the heart of patient care.  We discuss:  • The...

What does it really take to build a career in psychiatry — and lead a growing mental health organization?  In this episode of  The Missing Peace , host April Reed speaks with Dr. Qays Munir, board-trained psychiatrist and Medical Director at Boston Neurobehavioral Associates.  Dr. Munir shares his unexpected journey from leaving Boston University to completing medical school in Pakistan, matching...

In today’s evolving healthcare landscape, nursing informatics plays a critical role in improving patient care by connecting clinical practice with technology. In this episode of The Missing Piece Podcast , host April Reed sits down with Patrick Palma , National Director of Clinical Informatics at Covenant Living Communities and Services, to explore how informatics is reshaping nursing and healthca...

Cybersecurity in healthcare is more than a technology challenge—it’s a leadership challenge. In this episode of The Missing Piece, April Reed sits down with Jason Stradley, a four-time Chief Information Security Officer and current CISO at Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network. Jason shares his unconventional path into cybersecurity, the lessons he learned through failure, and why the stro...

On this episode of The Missing Piece, host April Reed sits down with Dr. Chantal Gil, licensed psychologist, Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Medicine, and Clinical Director of the Duke Center for Eating Disorders, for a powerful conversation about healing, identity, and the future of mental health care.  Dr. Gil shares her journey into eating disorder treatment, her work supportin...

Healthcare is one of the few areas of modern life where we still accept a reactive model as normal. We push through fatigue, ignore subtle symptoms, and wait until something breaks. In this episode of The Missing Piece Podcast, April Reed sits down with Dr. David Saintsing, emergency medicine physician, entrepreneur, and CEO of Ikigai Health Institute, to explore what modern medicine can—and shoul...

In this episode of  The Missing Piece Podcast , April Reed sits down with Dr. Amy Neal, Associate Medical Director at Capital Health Plan, board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine, and a physician leader deeply committed to changing healthcare from the inside out.  Together, April and Dr. Neal explore:  How food access, cost, and education shape health outcomes  What physicians must...

Artificial intelligence has been in healthcare longer than most people realize — but only now are we seeing its true potential. In this episode of The Missing Piece Podcast, host April Reed sits down with Nick Yaitsky, Chief AI Officer and a leading voice in healthcare digital transformation, to unpack what it really takes to turn AI ambition into measurable impact. Together, they explore: -Why AI...

In this episode of The Missing Piece, host April Reed sits down with transformational leader George Adair — Enterprise Strategist, Founder of Keystone Technology Partners, and a visionary in healthcare IT, AI adoption, and digital transformation.    With nearly two decades of experience modernizing infrastructures, leading high-performing teams, and delivering millions in organizational value, Geo...

The future of emergency medicine is being rewritten — and Dr. Lisa Birdsall-Fort is one of the leaders driving it. In this episode of The Missing Peace Podcast, April sits down with Dr. Lisa Fort — Assistant Chief Medical Information Officer, System Chief Officer over Ochsner’s Virtual Care Center, Senior Emergency Medicine Physician, and leader in digital innovation. From Hurricane Katrina to AI-...

In this episode, Mark Molnar shares his personal journey from banking and corporate leadership into the senior care world, revealing how a family crisis transformed his purpose — and how Senior Care Authority became a trusted guide for families navigating one of life's most emotional decisions.  Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a healthcare professional, or someone supporting aging parents, this ep...

In this episode, Shane Pilcher shares his unique journey from clinical care to becoming an Administrative Director, Chief Information Officer and Information Security Officer at Siskin Hospital, revealing how relationships, culture, and innovation shape successful healthcare IT. Whether you’re a healthcare leader, a tech professional, or someone curious about the future of digital transformation,...

In this episode of The Missing Piece Podcast, April Reed sits down with Wayne Gillis to explore the future of healthcare through the lens of AI, leadership, and mentorship. Wayne shares how technology and human connection work hand in hand to drive meaningful change. 🎙️ What you’ll learn in this episode: - How AI is reshaping podcasting and healthcare operations - Why mentorship is key to leadersh...