Heroes of Healthcare

With a perpetuating labor shortage resulting in healthcare facilities reporting continued losses year-over-year, healthcare professionals are desperate for reprieve. While there is no impending wave of new professionals to hit the workforce any time soon, the world has begun to see a wild jump in the development of AI.

On this episode, we’re joined by Ken Perez, Vice President of Healthcare Policy and Government Affairs at Omnicell — an organization at the heart of the future of pharmacy. With promising developments emerging, Ken offers a glimmer of hope for healthcare facilities and pharmacy techs worldwide.

Join us a...

This is the first episode in a special three-part series on OxyContin and the opioid crisis. The next episode will be live on 4/11/23.

At some point, the opioid epidemic has touched nearly everyone’s life in this country. That makes it one of the few issues that cut across every demographic and political line.

The people want the corporations held responsible for their part in the epidemic, but that’s no easy task when it means taking on some of the world’s most powerful corporations.

Today’s guest not only had the courage to take...

Headlines, studies and endless social media posts remind us that occupational burnout is more widespread than ever — but how exactly do we define burnout? And more importantly, how do we prevent it?

This week we are joined by Ginny Bonner, Senior Consultant of Physician, APP and Nursing Experience, Development and Well-Being at Banner Health. Ginny defines occupational burnout as a syndrome characterized by a high degree of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a low sense of personal accomplishment — but it goes far beyond this.

Join us as we discuss: The causes and effects of burnoutBanner Health’s role i...

One great thing about medicine in the US is the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that can tackle some of the biggest challenges in health.

The downside?

Smaller markets, like pediatrics, are often overlooked in favor of bigger, more lucrative problem solving solutions. This means healthcare heroes in these smaller sectors have to step up to fill those gaps in funding and recognition in order to gain market momentum.

That’s exactly what Dr. Steven Goudy is doing as a business innovator and founder, in addition to his role as Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology at...

In this episode, Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer of Annovis Dr. Maria Maccecchini discusses the biological difficulties of treating cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Dementia, and how two developing therapeutics may hold the key to stopping them.

Concarlo Therapeutics is developing a drug that could transform the way we treat cancer. In this episode, Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer, and acting CEO of Concarlo Therapeutics, Dr. Stacy Blain,shares her journey of researching, testing and securing funding for a drug that kills off cancer cells.

Join us as we discuss:
Clinical grade manufacturing processesFDA regulations and clinical trialsCancer cell proliferation and necrosis

In the past fifty episodes, we’ve spoken with heroes of healthcare from White House public health experts to the makers of Covid-19 tests. Now, co-hosts Ted Weyn and Olivia D'Angelo reflect on their favorite lessons from the past year’s episodes and share a glimpse into what they have planned for the future. Join us as we discuss:Workforce shortages and technological limitationsSupply and demand issues in patient care Innovative healthcare research, testing and technology

To better meet the needs of patients, healthcare systems are embracing new technologies that allow for most non-emergency visits to be performed remotely.

In this episode, VP and Chief Quality Innovation Officer of the Heart & Vascular Institute at Hartford HealthCare, Howard L. Haronian shares his perspective on how new innovations allow for more equitable communication with insurance companies and more efficient patient-data usage. Join us as we discuss:

To better meet the needs of patients, healthcare systems are embracing new technologies that allow for most non-emergency visits to be performed remotely.

In this episode, VP and Chief Quality Innovation Officer of the Heart & Vascular Institute at Hartford HealthCare, Howard L. Haronian shares his perspective on how new innovations allow for more equitable communication with insurance companies and more efficient patient-data usage. Join us as we discuss:

- Preventing physician overload and burnout
- Aligning incentives for insurance companies and patients
- Increasing the value of care through data collection

SSM Health is one of the largest health systems in the midwest. As a faith-based, not-for-profit hospital network, their mission is to treat and heal their friends and family in the communities they serve. 
In the episode, Physician and Provider Recruiter for SSM Health, Jason Nelson shares an inside glimpse into the experiences of physicians and advanced practitioners working for SSM. Listen as we discuss:  
- Rumors of physician shortages 
- Maintaining work-life balance for their staff
- Effective methods for collecting and processing patient feedback

Capillary flow membranes are the base for both Covid and pregnancy tests. Once sprayed with a protein solution, they act as a key indicator by changing colors when in contact with the right compounds.  
In this episode, head of product management for diagnostic manufacturing materials at MilliporeSigma, Shawn Gaskell explains the creation processes for these tests, their evolution during the pandemic, and how they might revolutionize medicine in the near future.  
Join us as we discuss:
- The deployment of rapid Covid-19 tests
- The expansion of telehealth technologies
- How Technology will help alleviate the...

In every profession, there are systems in place to cover for when someone can’t show up for work. In education we have substitute teachers but in healthcare, we have Locum Tenens.
In today’s episode, our hosts Ted Weyn and Olivia Reed, come together to share how the physicians and doctors come to work in Locum Tenens, the inspiration for the Heroes of Healthcare podcast, and the work that Jackson & Coker is doing to lobby for legislation that supports this needed career path.
Join us as we discuss:
Legislation that impacts locum tenen physicians 
Why hospi...

There is a longstanding cultural belief that all illnesses can be healed by a surgery or drug prescribed by a doctor. While advances in healthcare are saving lives, there are holistic healthcare practices backed by evidence that can be used to treat illnesses.
In today’s episode, we speak to Dr. Joanne Wu MD MBA, a multi-entrepreneur, President and Principal of Fit2bwell, who provides board advisory and fractional Chief Medical and Health Officer services to digital startups and other companies. 
She joins us to discuss what goes into funding research for medicine and why we need more cli...

Making their own medications. Prescribing meds to customers right on the spot. Pharmacists were a different kind of healthcare hero back in the mid 20th century.
In this episode of Heroes of Healthcare, we're rebroadcasting a conversation between our host Ted Weyn Jr. and his father, Ted Weyn Sr., a 91-year-old retired pharmacist. The pair discusses…
The responsibilities of a pharmacist in the mid 20th century
Why the drugstore was so integral to the community
How pharmacies did more than just fill prescriptions 


Heroes of Healthcare is hosted by Ted Weyn.
To hea...

Without bacteria, there would be no life on earth. Even as human beings, micro-bacterial cells outnumber the conglomerate of human cells 10 to 1, yet we haven’t scratched the surface of understanding the interactions between bacteria and human cells.
In today’s episode, Dr. Raphael Kellman, Internal Medicine Specialist/Integrative and Functional Medicine Leader at the Kellman Wellness Center, tells us how understanding bacteria can lead to better diagnosis for both our physical and mental well being.
Join us as we discuss:
Improving your microbiome
Non-pharmaceutical treatments to depression
Treating covid with stem cells and exosomes 
...

Good health is becoming more complex in today’s world and patients are looking for doctors who can treat more than just the immediate ailments they’re experiencing.
In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Tollie B. Elliott Sr., Chief Executive Officer of Mary’s Center, to discuss his pivot from school teacher to physician and the dynamics that come into play when delivering passionate care to marginalized communities. We discuss how to treat individual “participants” (as Mary’s Center refers to their patients) through whole-life health.
Join us as we discuss:
Pivoting into healthcare from education

How do you provide healthcare to someone who can’t afford it, is unable to travel, or lacks any trust in health practitioners? From mental health to discrimination, COVID-19 exposed the flaws and disparities that exist in healthcare, leaving many to look for solutions to these problems.
In today’s episode, Dr. Alexander Salerno, Physician at Salerno Medical Associates LLP, gives a glimpse into his early career in medicine and the selfless ways he and his team are improving the health of urban communities through population health outreach programs and affordable healthcare.
Join us as we discuss:
Comm...

Physician retention is quickly becoming the newest facet to join the crisis of healthcare in America.
From doctors choosing a career path at a young age only to find out it wasn’t the right path for them to physician burnout all across the nation in the aftermath of covid, turnover among physicians and medical staff is a growing problem.
Enter Tammy Hager, Executive Director of Physician Recruitment and Privileging at Surgical Affiliates Management Group, Inc., whose organization boasts a 96% retention rate - well above the national average. How do they do it? Is it inflated salaries, cushy re...

Right before the height of the pandemic, Jeremy Paredes’s eczema, an auto-immune disease, became so severe that he was rushed to the ER in Septic Shock. A chronic skin condition that Jeremy grew up with became so unbearable that he felt as though there was no hope for him to get better.
Although Jeremy’s journey with eczema still continues, he is able to manage it better thanks to the help of some Heroes of Healthcare who saved his life.
In today’s episode, we speak to Jeremy Paredes, Student at Georgia Tech and Filmmaker, who agreed to com...

You’ve probably been treated by a Locum Tenens physician and didn’t even realize it! Locum tenens is a Latin phrase that means temporarily taking the place of another. 
While labor shortages can happen throughout professions, this can be catastrophic within hospitals and clinics. This is where an organization like NALTO can step in and assist with staffing.  
Jarin Dana, CFO Fusion Healthcare Staffing and Matt Young, President of NALTO & COO of All Star Healthcare join us today to discuss Locum Tenens and the reality of labor shortages within the healthcare system. 
Other topics we discuss:
NAL...

To solve some of the thornier problems in healthcare—challenges like providing access, combating misinformation, and ensuring equitable outcomes—we need data.
That’s where population health comes into play. It’s a science that combines clinical care with data to improve the care of large swaths of people all at once.
Dr. Chirag Patel, Vice President Population Health at Centene, joins the show to explain the impact population health is having on a variety of areas. Plus, we chat about other hot topics in healthcare.
We discuss:
The practice and impact of population health
Making a...

At 21, Doug Lindsay, Founder of The Lindsay Center, got sick.
He got so sick, in fact, that he remained bedbound and homebound for the next 11 years.
And seemingly no one in the medical community had answers for him.
So, he took matters into his own hands, and because of his unbelievable grit and determination, he diagnosed his own rare condition and came up with a cure.
In this episode, he shares his incredible, inspirational story.
We discuss:
The frustrations of having an undiagnosed rare disease
How Doug uncovered a treatment for his condition<...

Staffing shortages are plaguing industries across the country—especially healthcare.
Rising rates of burnout and early retirements are only complicating the issue.
As Assistant Vice President of Provider Recruitment at LifePoint Health, Christy Bray Ricks confronts this challenge everyday. 
In this episode, she shares some strategies to combat it. Plus, we talk about the underlying causes of this problem and the systemic changes that need to happen to address it. 
We discuss:
The scope of provider recruitment
Strategies to meet the growing demand for healthcare
What needs to change to fix the system

Staffing shortages are plaguing industries across the country—especially healthcare.

Rising rates of burnout and early retirements are only complicating the issue.

As Assistant Vice President of Provider Recruitment at LifePoint Health, Christy Bray Ricks confronts this challenge everyday.

In this episode, she shares some strategies to combat it. Plus, we talk about the underlying causes of this problem and the systemic changes that need to happen to address it.

We discuss:

Humans are capable of incredible things—we’re smart, we’re adaptive, we’re resourceful—but one area where we are limited is our capacity to incorporate new information and modify a decision once one has already been made.
Dr. Matthew Cooper, Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Solutions Division & Director, Global Safety for the Health Care Business Group at 3M Health Care, believes that’s where medical technology can be most beneficial. In this episode, he shares a vision of a world where medical technology augments healthcare decision making.
We discuss:
The scope of the work at 3M Health...

Websites like Everyday Health serve a valuable purpose: They empower patients with the information necessary to have richer and more efficient conversations with their doctors.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Arefa Cassoobhoy, Chief Medical Editor and VP of Medical Affairs at Everyday Health, about the world of medical journalism—how topics are chosen, how content is vetted, and how to determine whether online content is trustworthy.
We discuss:
How the medical review process occurs on Everyday Health
The seasonal topics that consumers want to learn about 
What’s in store for Everyday Health in 20...

After a slew of break-even years, Temple University Health was in dire straits.
With no money to reinvest, the hospital’s age of infrastructure—which, for most hospitals, hovers around 8 to 9 years—was closing in on 15 to 18 years.
How did they right the ship?
Dr. Tony Reed, the EVP and CMO at Temple University Health, joins the show to share the story of their financial turnaround.
We discuss:
How Omicron is impacting the health system in Philadelphia
The guidelines around COVID testing and quarantine periods
The turnaround story of the Temple University Health system...

The big challenge in public health is finding a way to connect all the disparate services and resources scattered throughout the country to the people who need them most.
The best tool in that fight is data.
That’s why unifying data sources is the main focus of Dr. Sandra Ford, the Special Assistant to the President for Public Health and Science at The White House.
In this episode, she talks about the inherent challenges in public health and some of the strategies her team is using to tie everything together.
We discuss:
Dr. Ford’s pa...

It’s been an eventful year in healthcare and at the Heroes of Healthcare podcast.
In this episode, the hosts of the show, Ted Weyn, Executive Vice President of Systems Innovation, Marketing & Strategy, and Olivia D’Angelo , Division Vice President of Neurology, both with Jackson & Coker, take a look back at the year that was.
They discuss:
Their favorite episodes from 2021
The themes that continued to pop up throughout the year
New episodes coming out next year



Mentioned during the podcast:
Check out all past episodes of Heroes of Healthcare 
...

The number of older adults is expected to double over the next 30 years.
That’s why it’s critical that the healthcare system undertakes measures to ensure that care becomes more age-friendly.
In this episode, Dr. Ugochi Ohuabunwa, Professor of Medicine at Emory University, shares insights into how geriatric care works and how it continues to evolve as the elderly population grows. 

We discuss:
Why geriatrics is becoming increasingly important
The overarching goal of geriatric care
How geriatric care differs from primary care
When it’s time to switch to geriatric care
Th...

Dr. Hany Y. Atallah, Chief Medical Officer at Jackson Memorial Hospital , never wanted to go into administration. The last thing he wanted to do was wear a suit every day.
But over time, he recognized the transformational power of being in a position to identify a problem and to bring together the people who can fix it.
In his administrative career, he has confronted many problems from massive water leaks inside Grady Hospital that shut down a third of inpatient beds to COVID and the mental fatigue that accompanied civil unrest.
Through it all, he has kept...

Parents have a lot on their plate when it comes to the health of their children.  
With misinformation at an all-time high, it’s left up to them to do the research and sort through all the information to find trusted resources and advice. It can be scary and oftentimes overwhelming. 
What if there was a better way? 
Dr. Josh Honaker, CEO & Founder of ParentMD and Honaker Health, sought to find it and through a partnership with parents and pediatricians, he created ParentMD. In this episode, he shares what the company is all about.
We discuss:
H...

Being a leader in healthcare is not for the faint of heart. It requires grit and determination, and unlike many jobs, it doesn’t stop at 5 o’clock.

That’s why today’s guest, John Couris , President and CEO of Tampa General Hospital , believes that healthcare leadership is not just a job or a career—it’s a vocation.

In this episode, John talks about his journey in becoming a healthcare leader, and why the authentic leadership model is the most sustainable way to improve your organization.
We discuss:
The dedication it takes to be a success...

Because they are worried about the stigma associated with seeking help, health care professionals with mental health issues often refuse to seek treatment.

The concern isn’t without merit. Certain states have wording in their license applications that allow them to discriminate against individuals who access mental health resources.

Needless to say, leaving mental health issues untreated can be very dangerous, which is why there needs to be a cultural shift around how we view mental health in healthcare.

Our first returning guest, Dr. Kellie Stecher , OB/GYN and Chief Medical Officer at Linked In...

One of the best ways for healthcare leaders to gain knowledge and learn best practices is through conversations with their peers. However, it’s often difficult to arrange these types of conversations.

Hays Waldrop , Founder and President of the Institute of Healthcare Executives and Suppliers , has made it his life’s mission to act as a facilitator for these conversations. 

His company connects healthcare executives to each other and to suppliers for an ongoing conversation around what’s happening in the industry and what solutions are available to push it forward.
In this episode, we discuss...

COVID causes tremendous downstream impact within a healthcare system. 
It means that healthcare professionals are working 24/7 to care for all the patients who come in. It means that treatment of other patients — for example, those who are chronically ill or who need to get a CT scan — gets pushed back so that COVID patients can be treated.
In short, the effects of the COVID pandemic go way beyond COVID-infected patients.
In part 2 of this 2-part series, we continue our panel discussion with six distinguished physicians from Memorial Healthcare System. 
Our panel includes:

Dr. Marc Napp...

On an average day, there are usually 1,400 beds in operation across the Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida. During the first wave of COVID last summer, the hospital exceeded that capacity with 1,600 patients.
Florida is now in the midst of another COVID wave. This time patients are younger, and they are almost entirely unvaccinated — and at the peak of the wave, there were 1,700 patients in the hospital system. 
In part 1 of this 2-part series, we’re joined by six distinguished physicians from Memorial Healthcare System to discuss what the treatment cycle of a COVID patient looks like today. 
O...

Medical staff have been put through the ringer over the last year. Hospital systems have experienced economic challenges, a reduction in workforce, and of course, the continuing challenges related to COVID.
With all that is going on, keeping morale high might seem like a gargantuan task.
In this episode, Jordan Voigt , President, Genesis Medical Center - Davenport, talks about how his team instituted an initiative around positivity and optimism, and how it resulted in improved levels of happiness, despite these challenging times.
We discuss:

Investing in the personal happiness of medical center staff.
How...

Medication regimens can at times be extremely complex and scary for patients. It can be helpful to have a guide — someone who can explain what they are taking, why they are taking it, and what side effects might occur. That’s where the pharmacologist comes in to save the day.
In this episode, Dr. Becky Bean, Senior Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Novant Health, explains the important role pharmacologists play in a patient’s treatment.
Topics covered:

The deeper dives of a doctorate pharmacology program
The pharmacist’s role in COVID treatment
Precisio...

Infectious disease is a broad category. There are a lot of tropical diseases out there, and any part of the body can become infected. But according to today’s healthcare hero, that’s also what makes it the most interesting field of medicine.
Guest host Olivia D’Angelo has a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. David Priest, SVP Safety, Quality, and Epidemiology at Novant Health, about the COVID pandemic and the world of infectious diseases.
They discuss:

Strategies to alleviate burnout
The prevalence and treatment for different infectious diseases
Bringing a personal touch to vaccine manage...