Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Michael Wiggins, Assistant Professor of Healthcare Management and Leadership at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Cente
Feb 13, 2026
Michael Wiggins, Assistant Professor of Healthcare Management and Leadership and former academic medical center CEO, shares his shift from executive life to teaching. He spotlights fragmented care and costly patient flow issues. He reframes costs as investments and explores partnerships, vertical integration, and tough choices leaders must make to protect safety-net and academic missions.
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Executive-to-Academic Transition
- Michael Wiggins transitioned from 30+ years as a healthcare executive to teach at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
- He planned the move via guest lectures, adjunct roles, and completing a doctorate before joining full-time.
Nodes Not Systems
- U.S. healthcare lacks true integrated systems and operates as fragmented 'nodes of care' that create inefficiencies.
- Viewing operational costs like ED backups as investment opportunities reframes solutions across the system.
Treat Costs As Investments
- Quantify cost drivers like lack of skilled nursing capacity and compare them to investment costs.
- Invest a portion of recurring costs to create solutions rather than repeatedly absorbing inefficiencies.