Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Rob Andrews, CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance and former U.S. Representative, discusses employer-provider collaboration to cut middleman costs. He spotlights weak carrier competition, the push for pricing transparency, GLP-1 cost pressures, and how AI and pharmacogenomics could enable personalized formularies and smarter health plans.

Nariman Heshmati, MD, MBA, FACOG, Chief Physician and Operations Executive at Lee Physician Group, is an OBGYN-turned-clinical leader driving care innovation. He discusses designing a multidisciplinary diabetes program, simplifying patient access and workflows, priorities for 2026 including chronic care expansion and AI evaluation, and strategies to support clinician wellbeing and recruitment.

Ty Wang, co-founder and CEO of Angle Health, builds AI-native, vertically integrated health plans for small and medium employers. He talks about shifting payer–provider ties toward operational collaboration. He highlights modernizing legacy systems with AI, investing in outcome-linked payment infrastructure, and demanding transparency in broker compensation and employer cost data.

Nicholas Bell, safety and emergency manager who rebuilt MCI governance after real events, and Ben Toombs, emergency programs director and nurse focused on logistics and training, discuss moving beyond checklists. They cover operational realities, communication and governance breakdowns, staff mental health support, regional coordination, and making readiness a continuous, tested practice.

Tony Keck, Chief Transformation Officer at Ballad Health and longtime Appalachia health system leader, discusses AI, population health, and operational efficiency. He talks about using AI and screening to reduce early death. He covers investing merger savings into access, behavioral health, nurses, and staying close to frontline care through leadership development.

Lisa Hudnall, CHRO of University of Virginia Physicians Group, drives leadership development, standardized onboarding, workforce sustainability, and AI pilots. She discusses clarifying leadership expectations and small, practical management changes. Topics include reduced turnover, improved engagement, balancing retention with financial pressures, and scaling leadership effectiveness for predictable growth.

Jonathan Ma, CFO of Sutter Health and former healthcare investment banker, discusses policy pressures, Medicare and Medi-Cal scenario planning, and strategies for workforce retention. He outlines growth plans to expand access across California and explains Sutter’s digital and AI roadmap for revenue cycle automation.

Ije (E.J.) Akunyili, MD, MBA, MPA, FACEP, emergency physician and Chief Medical Officer at Jersey City Medical Center, leads clinical transformation and community health. He discusses building a mortality and safety council. He outlines women’s health initiatives, residency expansion, innovation partnerships like remote cardiac monitoring, and strategies for throughput, surgical growth, and addressing social determinants.

Gina R. Hawley, DrPH, MHA — System Associate Chief Operating Officer at University of Utah Health with 20+ years in hospital operations and a nursing and public health background. She discusses building a West Valley campus to address health deserts. She covers capacity planning, reallocating resources for community impact, staffing strategies, and using AI and telehealth to reshape care access.

Parinda Khatri, PhD, CEO of River Valley Health, leads an East Tennessee community health network serving patients regardless of ability to pay. She talks about expanding access to care, replacing a 20-year EHR to create a unified tech ecosystem, redesigning patient navigation for first-contact resolution, and prioritizing growth while strengthening organizational foundations.