Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Ben Goodstein, VP and Chief Ambulatory Officer at Dayton Children’s, leads major pediatric and behavioral health growth. He discusses launching a $180M, 48-bed behavioral health hospital. Short talks cover rapid occupancy, operational lessons, workforce recruitment and retention, and expanding integrated pediatric and primary care.

Tom Vasko, CEO of Newman Memorial Hospital, leads a rural health system focused on community-first care. He talks workforce sustainability, creative retention (daycare, benefits) and building pipelines. He outlines telehealth expansion, regional clinical partnerships and plans to scale quality while keeping care local.

Anna Tempesta Noonan, a nurse and longtime rural hospital leader, discusses realities of Vermont’s rural health landscape. She talks about workforce pipelines and staffing strains. She covers caring for an aging population and how regionalizing services like labor and delivery works. She highlights federal investment and collaboration to reimagine rural care delivery.

Dr. Eric Cioe-Peña, an emergency physician and VP who founded Northwell Health’s Center for Global Health. He describes shifting mission trips toward system strengthening. He recalls speaking at Davos and winning a Schwab award. He explains why he keeps clinical shifts while leading, the power of daily learning, and confronting imposter syndrome.

Emily Moorhead, President of the Macomb Market at Henry Ford Health, leads acute and ambulatory services in a fast-growing Michigan county. She discusses stabilizing operations and the workforce during rapid growth. She covers tactics to support frontline teams, reducing waste by shifting care to outpatient settings, and confronting workplace safety and financial sustainability challenges.

Melanie Fernando, President and CEO of Aetna Better Health of Illinois, brings long experience in Medicaid and government-sponsored programs. She discusses launching a virtual menopause partnership to close care gaps. Conversation covers vendor selection and rollout, early digital engagement and outreach challenges, using coaching insights to close gaps, and extending women’s health services across life stages.

Sadie Durham, DNP, RN, Chief Nursing Officer known for nursing leadership and patient experience work. She explains refocusing on bedside shift reporting and hourly rounding. She describes assessing frontline barriers, training charge nurses, and leaders validating practice. She highlights visible behavior change on the floor and a dramatic rise in patient satisfaction metrics.

Praneetha Elugunti, Mayo Clinic administrator and assistant professor focused on digital health and AI, discusses balancing innovation with human-centered care. She covers clinician-led AI strategies, workforce investment for responsible adoption, and building connected, personalized care across physical, digital, and virtual settings.

Dr. Michael Weiss, a general pediatrician and VP of Population Health at Rady Children’s Health, and the system’s first endowed chair for wellness, discusses shifting pediatric care toward prevention. He talks about value-based care, advanced primary care models with embedded mental health and social supports, and plans for long-term pediatric cohort research to track early interventions.

Meghan Doyle, CEO of Partum Health, leads a hybrid maternal and family care organization blending virtual and in-person support. She discusses expanding Medicaid and doula coverage, partnering with health systems to embed care, tackling reimbursement and scaling challenges, and testing proactive digital navigation and patient engagement strategies.