Working Healthcare

Join hosts Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez for a high-impact episode of Working Healthcare as they tackle one of the most urgent challenges in U.S. healthcare: the physician shortage. In this future-focused conversation, Dr. Daniel Solomon—a Harvard rheumatologist and health systems researcher—and Mark Elfers, a former Marine and now CEO of GreenCape Health, share how digital innovation is reshapin...

Tune in to a powerful, solutions-driven conversation about youth mental health, education, and the growing physician shortage. Join host Meredith Hirsh for an in-studio Working Healthcare interview with Ali Kaufman—founder of Space of Mind and the Community Classroom Project—as they explore how America’s mental health crisis is impacting kids where it hurts most: inside the classroom. With fewer t...

Join host Meredith Hirsh, co-host Mike Chavez and psychiatrist Dr. Wendy Dean for a powerful episode of Working Healthcare that exposes the deeper crisis behind physician burnout: moral injury. Dr. Dean—author, podcaster and co-founder of the nonprofit Moral Injury of Healthcare—explains why so many clinicians are not just exhausted but ethically broken. Moral injury happens when healthcare profes...

Private equity in healthcare is booming—and few people understand its impact like Dr. Robert Colton. In this remote episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh and co-host Mike Chavez connect with Colton—physician, entrepreneur and founder of MDVIP—from his base between Boca Raton and the mountains of North Carolina to unpack how private capital is transforming the way care is delivered. Wi...

Join Meredith Hirsh and co-host Mike Chavez for an inspiring conversation with Christa Eitel, Executive Director of Finance and Operations at The Hirsh Center, as she opens up about navigating bold career shifts and finding courage in the chaos of working motherhood. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Christa shares how she transitioned from a career in higher education to the fast-paced world...

Before Jeff Scott escapes the Florida Capitol’s legislative madness for some well-earned peace and quiet on a boat, he sits down with Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez to make sense of the chaos. In this episode of Working Healthcare, we dive into what the 2025 Florida legislative session means for everyone in the healthcare space—what passed, what didn’t, and why it matters far beyond state lines. F...

Meredith Hirsh kicks off a new chapter of Working Healthcare with occasional co-host (and self-proclaimed sidekick) Mike Chavez. In this stand-alone episode, they take on everything from burnout and broken business models to why healthcare leadership sometimes feels like herding cats with a stethoscope. Mike’s testing the waters as co-host material—think of it as an on-air audition with fewer jazz...

Season 2 of Working Healthcare has arrived, more timely, relevant, and thought-provoking than ever.   Join host Meredith Hirsh as she welcomes a dynamic lineup of clinicians, policy experts, students, and innovators for honest conversations about the forces reshaping healthcare today. From workforce challenges and systemic reform to the bold ideas emerging from the next generation, this season div...

Join Meredith Hirsh in a special one-year anniversary episode of Working Healthcare! Today, we celebrate 52 episodes of exploring the American healthcare system and dive deep into the future of healthcare with a powerful, insightful discussion featuring the voices of Gen Z. From aspiring healthcare professionals to future leaders, these students share their unique perspectives on what healthcare m...

Listen in as Dr. Damian Caraballo—an emergency physician, health policy leader, and tireless advocate for healthcare reform—sits down with Meredith Hirsh after returning from a lobbying trip to Washington, DC. Damian breaks down how decades of policy shifts have tilted power toward insurance companies, sidelined physicians, and left patients buried under rising costs and limited access. He walks t...

Dig into the shifting landscape of healthcare leadership as Meredith Hirsh challenges executive coach and podcast host Karl Pister to unpack the evolving—and increasingly controversial—definition of professionalism in medicine. With more than 30 years of hands-on business experience and a background in clinical social work, Karl brings a rare blend of empathy, real-world insight, and executive wis...

Explore the hidden world of rare diseases in this in-studio interview with biotech veteran Peter Carbone. With passion and clarity, Peter explains how rare conditions—often affecting fewer than 200,000 people each—shine a spotlight on the cracks in our healthcare system. He unpacks why patients face years of misdiagnosis, endless referrals, and costly treatments, and how the system continues to le...

Tune in for a powerful conversation as Meredith Hirsh sits down with Mark Craig, Chief Executive of Write-Off Warrior and longtime revenue cycle expert turned national advocate. What began as a consulting career took a sharp turn when Mark watched his rural hospital clients shut their doors—not because of poor performance, but due to crippling underpayments and predatory insurance practices. Toget...

Step into the studio with Meredith Hirsh for a candid, high-energy conversation with dynamic healthcare leader and master connector, Mike Chavez. to unpack what it really takes to lead—and thrive—in today’s complex medical landscape. At just 14, Mike learned the art of sales, and since then, he’s built national healthcare networks, launched game-changing ventures, and mastered the power of authent...

It’s been a few months since Meredith Hirsh sat down with Justin Hand, Founder and Managing Director of Westcove Partners, and after some thoughtful reflection and feedback from you all, we are finally ready to drop this interview—just in time for April 15th, Tax Day. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this one! We’re diving deep into how healthcare transactions have evolved from the 1990s to today,...

Join Meredith Hirsh as she sits down with NIH-trained Scientist-Entrepreneur Amrie Grammer to explore the alarming cuts to NIH funding and their profound implications for medical research and public health. With a staggering decline in grants impacting groundbreaking studies, Amrie sheds light on how these budget reductions threaten advancements in treatments and disease prevention. As the co-foun...

Join Meredith Hirsh in a sit-down interview with Dr. Karleen Su, a passionate rheumatologist and advocate for private practice physicians. Karleen shares her transformative journey from struggling with burnout in the early years of her practice to becoming a powerful voice in the medical community. She opens up about the challenges of managing finances, staff, and patient care while navigating the...

Explore this engaging episode of Working Healthcare as Meredith Hirsh interviews Dr. Warris Bokhari, CEO and Co-founder of Claimable. Warris shares his journey from anesthesiologist to innovator in healthcare technology, highlighting the differences between the NHS and the American healthcare system. He tackles the pressing challenges of insurance claims, revealing that while less than 1% of denie...

Dive into this impactful episode with Dr. Jin Lee, a neuropsychologist and healthcare advocate, as she advocates for an urgent shift toward healthcare equity. Jin exposes how systemic biases in medical research and treatment impact anyone who is not a white male—especially women and marginalized communities. Dr. Lee highlights staggering facts: 70% of those with chronic pain in the U.S. are women,...

In this eye-opening episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh sits down for an in-studio interview with Dr. Nate Lowen and Tracy Walker to uncover the troubling realities of the American healthcare system. We delve into the controversial practices of insurance clawbacks—where insurers retroactively reclaim payments—and the widespread issue of erroneous claim denials impacting both patients and...

Join Meredith Hirsh in this inspiring episode of Working Healthcare to explore Eric Schwab’s journey into value-based care. As Chief Operating Officer of a large independent primary care group, Eric reveals the process of transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based care, highlighting both the benefits and the challenges. He tackles the controversies surrounding this healthcare model and shar...

In this insightful episode of Working Healthcare , Meredith Hirsh sits down with Chuck Melendi for his first interview since leaving Johnson & Johnson, offering a rare, insider perspective on the complex world of Big Pharma. Chuck’s 30 years' experience navigating pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and biotechnology offers listeners a rare, insider perspective on the industry's inner...

Join Meredith Hirsh for a sit-down interview with Dawn Scranton, the Principal Owner of qbSolutioneers, about the future of healthcare finance—and it’s more exciting than it sounds! With over 30 years of experience, Dawn breaks down why so many medical practices still struggle with outdated financial systems, and how simple changes can improve everything from how quickly they get paid to how they...

In this eye-opening episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh sits down with Dr. Rebekah Bernard, a passionate advocate for physician-led care, to challenge the growing trend of nurse practitioners and physician assistants taking the reins in primary care. Rebekah, author of Imposter Doctors and Patients at Risk, argues that the increasing reliance on these providers, driven by cost-saving mot...

In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh speaks with Dr. Diana Barratt, a neurologist and sleep medicine expert who has embraced a non-traditional approach to patient care. Diana discusses her decision to opt out of Medicare and traditional insurance contracts, and the benefits of transitioning to a fee-for-service, concierge model. With rising physician burnout and dissatisfaction wi...