Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

In this episode, Alan Condon, Editor-in-Chief at Becker's Healthcare, joins Scott Becker to discuss major healthcare mergers and acquisitions, including Bon Secours Mercy Health’s planned acquisition of Surgery Partners, Kaiser Permanente’s expansion through Risant Health, and the proposed Rush University System for Health and Endeavor Health merger.

In this episode, Melanie Heuston, DNP, RN, Chief Nursing Executive, WVU Medicine, discusses innovative nurse education and recruitment programs, strategies to improve retention, virtual nursing and workplace safety initiatives.

In this episode, Ed Ricks, M.H.A., CHCIO, Managing Director for healthcare IT practice at Baker Tilly, and Dr. Jitendra Barmecha, MD, MPH, MACP, SFHM, SVP, Chief Information and Digital Strategy Officer, SBH Health System, discuss EHR optimization, workflow redesign, and measuring technology's impact on patient outcomes. They also explore AI integration, agentic AI governance, and the importance of building trust and improving care rather than simply adding more technology.

This episode is sponsored by Baker Tilly.

In this episode, Matt Davis, Zone Leader of Hospital Patient Monitoring, Philips North America, and Adam Alkhato, Senior Director, Biomedical Engineering & Life Science Technology, Stanford Health Care, discuss how health systems can build a strong foundation for clinical AI through bedside data integration, high-value use cases, measurable ROI and effective governance. 

This episode is sponsored by Philips.

In this episode, Dr. Michael Bass, Global Medical Director, Viome, discusses how microbiome testing and personalized nutrition can help clinicians address persistent GI symptoms, improve clinical decision making, and support earlier pancreatic cancer detection. He also explores emerging trends in AI, preventative care, and the future of clinical practice.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Chris Carmody, Chief Technology Officer, UPMC, who discusses using AI to turn growing volumes of healthcare data into actionable clinical insights, reduce fragmentation and create a more seamless experience across care settings.

In collaboration with Philips.

In this episode, Dr. Patricia Henwood, EVP, Chief Clinical Officer at Jefferson Health, discusses the health system’s approach to AI integration, including its intent, integration, and impact framework, ambient AI results, and patient facing AI voice agents designed to improve care access, clinician efficiency, and patient experience.

This episode is sponsored by Hippocratic AI.

Andy Colbert, Senior Managing Director at Ziegler, discusses the forces shaping ASC ownership and transactions in 2027, including joint ventures, private equity investment, and physician alignment. He also covers deal structure, succession planning, rising operating costs, and developing the next generation of physician leaders.

This episode is sponsored by Ziegler.

In this episode, Jody Reyes, Chief Operating Officer of the Clinical Enterprise at UI Health Care, University of Iowa Health Care, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of accountability and ownership in healthcare leadership. She also shares insights on navigating the changing economics of healthcare and adapting operational strategies to meet evolving organizational challenges.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Deb Anderson, MBA, Chief Information Officer, Endeavor Health, discussing the integration of three electronic health records into one system, technology simplification, and strategies for managing costs while advancing digital transformation.

In this episode, Jennifer Jasmine Arfaa, PhD, CPXP, Senior Vice President, Chief Patient Experience Officer, Westchester Medical Center Health Network, discusses improving patient experience by connecting quality, safety, employee engagement, and patient feedback.

In this episode, Matt Hare, Vice President of Network Growth and Client Success, CoverMyMeds, and Bill Sicheneder, Vice President of Network Sales, CoverMyMeds, discuss discuss how healthcare organizations can reduce medication access barriers through stronger connectivity, streamlined workflows, and strategic partnerships. They also explore preparing for benefits reverification season and building scalable systems that improve efficiency and patient access.

This episode is sponsored by CoverMyMeds.

In this episode, Bahar Bazmi, Chief Revenue Cycle Officer at WVU Health System, joins the podcast to discuss the revenue cycle through the lens of the “sandwich analogy” and how its different components work together to support financial performance. She also shares insights on defining success over the next year and empowering staff to strengthen revenue cycle operations.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Tinu Tadese, MD, System Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Boston Medical Center, who discusses reducing data fragmentation, preserving clinical context across care transitions and turning patient data into actionable insights

In collaboration with Philips.

In this episode, John D’Angelo, MD, President and CEO of Northwell Health, discusses a fundamentally different approach to treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA): bioelectronic medicine, which uses the body’s own nervous system to help regulate the inflammation that drives the disease. Delivered by a small implanted medical device that stimulates the vagus nerve, the FDA-approved therapy offers an alternative to costly medications that can also cause significant side effects or fail to provide adequate relief.

Northwell Health was the first health system to build a clinical program around the therapy, which builds on decades of pio...

In this episode, Ryan Mezinger, Senior Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at MetroHealth, and Dr. Amit Gir, CEO and Co-Founder of Phox Health, discuss how MetroHealth's pharmacy delivery model is improving medication access, adherence, patient satisfaction, and care continuity while strengthening chain of custody and pharmacy operations. 

This episode is sponsored by Phox Health.

In this episode, Dr. Kyle W. Trecartin, Chief Medical Officer, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Plymouth, discusses improving patient throughput, strengthening quality and safety through a just culture, and expanding access to care in the community.

In this episode, Erica Rowe Urquhart, MD, PhD, Orthopedic Surgeon, Author, Healthcare Thought Leader, discusses how reimbursement pressures shape independent medical practices, why physicians must understand healthcare finance, and the leadership skills needed to sustain quality patient care.

In this episode, Dr. Sanjiv Shah, Chief Medical Officer, MetroPlusHealth, discusses how care management, provider partnerships, and timely information exchange have helped MetroPlusHealth earn consecutive four star Medicare Advantage ratings. He also shares strategies for closing care gaps, improving transitions after hospital stays, and preparing providers for digital quality reporting requirements.

In this episode, Dr. Alice Chen, Chief Health Officer at Centene, discusses how health plans can use evidence based prevention frameworks to improve outcomes, guide investments, and reduce waste. She shares lessons from food as medicine initiatives and explains why interventions must be supported by rigorous data, tailored to underserved populations, and proven effective before scaling.

In this episode, Moshim Kukar, MD FACS FSSO, Professor and Chair, Surgical Oncology, Program Director, Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses how specialized teams, robotic surgery, and structured training improve surgical outcomes.

In this episode, Penny Jefferson, RN, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity Services in the HIM Division of Patient Financial Services at UC Davis Medical Center, joins the podcast to discuss whether AI is truly improving workflows and the importance of supporting the entire patient journey. She also shares insights on the growing need for clinical documentation integrity within workflows and how she defines success as a leader.

In this episode, Kevin Neese, MD, Co-owner, Helix Advanced Medicine, discusses building a prevention focused primary care model, improving healthspan, and using early risk detection to keep patients healthier and out of the hospital.

In this episode, Dr. Daniel Sun, Orthopedic Surgeon at Tufts Medical Center, discusses advances in hip replacement, implant longevity, robotics and AI, and the growing shift toward outpatient procedures. He also explores balancing faster recovery and cost savings with patient safety and complication prevention.

In this episode, Tieraona Low Dog, MD, ABOIM, Founding Director of the Integrative and Functional Medicine Fellowship and pioneer in integrative medicine, and Shaista Malik, MD, PhD, MPH, Executive Director of the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and Vice President of Integrative Health at UCI Health, join the podcast to discuss acupuncture and the integration of integrative and functional medicine into patient care. They also share insights on addressing skepticism, fostering an open-minded approach to healthcare, and the leadership principles that guide the fellowship.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Marola Kraczek, MA, Senior Change Enablement Specialist, HCA Healthcare, who discusses the role of change management in turning healthcare data into actionable insights, reducing workflow fragmentation and supporting clinician adoption.

In collaboration with Philips.

In this episode, Phoebe L. Yang. a former C-suite executive across four public companies, an appointee in two Presidential Administrations, and a Fortune 250/S&P 500 board director (GE HealthCare, Doximity, CommonSpirit Health, JudiHealth), most recently General Manager of Amazon Web Services Healthcare, and faculty of Stanford Law School, where she designed and teaches a popular course, "Business Leadership in the Age of AI”, discusses AI governance, cybersecurity, and responsible AI adoption. The views and opinions expressed by Phoebe Yang in this program are her own at the time of the recording of this podcast and do not necessarily reflect th...

In this episode, Jason Hinkle, CFO, Deaconess Illinois, discusses the system’s rapid growth, expansion of oncology and outpatient surgery services, and financial pressures facing rural hospitals. He also shares how rolling forecasts, enterprise wide data governance, and reliable data can strengthen financial decision making and prepare health systems for broader AI adoption.

In this episode, Fritz François, MD, Executive Vice President, Vice Dean, and Chief of Hospital Operations at NYU Langone Health, joins the podcast to discuss managing healthcare demand and improving patient access while navigating the evolving needs of health systems. He also shares insights on strengthening cybersecurity and the importance of authenticity and transparency in healthcare leadership.

In this episode, Caswell Samms, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Nemours Children’s Health, joins the podcast to discuss minimizing administrative work so healthcare teams can spend more time with patients. He also shares insights on transforming the patient experience and identifying opportunities to make care more patient-centered and efficient.

In this episode, Justin Oppenheimer, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Surgery Partners Inc., discusses the growth of ambulatory surgery, health system partnerships, physician alignment, operational excellence, and the organization's priorities around people, growth, and performance. He also shares his approach to leading a large, distributed organization and building a culture of accountability and engagement. 

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Drew Smith, Chief Data and AI Officer, ChristianaCare, discussing AI prioritization, value measurement, and preparing for an Epic implementation. He shares how health systems can focus on high-impact opportunities, establish disciplined processes, and ensure AI investments deliver meaningful results.

In this episode, Laura Dyrda, Vice President, Editor-in-Chief, Becker's Healthcare, discusses major health system mergers and acquisitions, including the Rush and Endeavor Health deal, and the factors driving consolidation. She also examines rising costs, worsening payer mix, and growing financial challenges facing hospitals and health systems.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Russell Horton, DO, Division Medical Director, BMG Primary Care, Banner Health, who discusses using AI to bring context to fragmented patient data, support proactive and preventative care, and responsibly scale technology while keeping safety and clinicians at the forefront.

In collaboration with Philips.

In this episode, Rachel M. Rose, MD, Inpatient Physician, Assistant Professor, Albuquerque, NM, discusses gaps in schizophrenia care, including access, inpatient capacity, care transitions, follow-up and community support.

This episode is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb.

In this episode, Otto Sipe, Co-founder and CEO of Photon Health, discusses giving patients greater visibility and control over pharmacy choice while using technology to streamline prescription fulfillment, coverage and access. 

This episode is sponsored by Photon Health.

In this episode, Katrina Melton, System Vice President of Post-Acute and Palliative Care, Sentara Health, discusses how AI, automation and care coordination tools can reduce administrative burdens, improve patient transitions and support better outcomes across the care continuum.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Pete D'Addio, CHCIO, CDH-E, Chief Technology Officer And Vice President, Technology, LCMC Health, discussing how health systems can integrate fragmented data, use AI to support clinical decision-making, and extend the continuum of care beyond the hospital.

In collaboration with Philips.

In this episode, Stephanie Andersen, VP Cloud and Platform Strategy, Securitas Healthcare, discusses how cloud based real time location systems, analytics and AI can improve patient throughput, streamline hospital workflows, optimize resources and enhance the patient experience.

This episode is sponsored by Securitas Healthcare.

In this episode, Ben Mirtes, CEO of Ingenovis Health, discusses how health systems can build more flexible workforce strategies, improve retention, manage labor costs and use data to drive growth, capacity and patient care.

This episode is sponsored by Ingenovis Health.