Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Thomas Graf, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Florida Blue with decades in quality improvement and value-based care, discusses a high-touch, tech-enabled cancer navigation program for Medicare Advantage members. He talks about reducing care variation and closing gaps between diagnosis and treatment. He highlights how navigation improves engagement, lowers ED use, and produces measurable cost savings.

James Wellman, CIO at Nathan Littauer Hospital with decades in healthcare IT and EMR optimization. He discusses using AI and data to serve rural communities. He outlines practical AI pillars across clinical and revenue functions. He explains prioritizing revenue cycle mid‑cycle automation and pragmatic vendor choices to protect cash flow and keep care local.

Kari-Beth Law, MD, WVU telepsychiatry director and rural mental health leader. She discusses workforce shortages and stigma in Appalachia. She explains how COVID made telebehavioral care essential. She outlines WVU’s hub-and-spoke model, tech solutions, and partnerships. She highlights patient stories, outcomes data, and the policy changes needed to sustain access.

Brian Uridge, Senior Director of Public Safety and Security at University of Michigan Health System, draws on decades in public safety. He discusses rising workplace violence in healthcare. He covers relationship-based safety, behavioral threat assessment teams, practical staff engagement and training, and how technology complements human-centered security.

Heather Isola, VP of PA Services at Mount Sinai and leader of the Center for Advanced Practice Providers, brings PA workforce strategy and clinical experience in community medicine and OBGYN. She talks about team-based primary care models. She discusses maximizing practice at top-of-license. She outlines standardizing PA roles and scaling consistent training across a health system.

Alex Yampolsky, pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur and Chief Clinical Officer at MedServe who modernizes outpatient medication and narcotic management. He talks about how outdated medication processes create diversion risks. He describes digital tracking, auditing and process design to secure drugs. He also covers operational burdens in ambulatory settings and offers career advice about following what energizes you.

Dr. Marshall Runge, physician-scientist and former dean/CEO of Michigan Medicine, explores U.S. healthcare’s strengths and stress points. He discusses access and coverage gaps, the vital role of primary care, workforce shortages and concierge care pressures. He also covers training reform, AI and EHR vulnerabilities, and ideas to modernize medical education and practice environments.

Dr. Tom O'Bryan, functional medicine practitioner and founder of theDR.com, focuses on gut health, the microbiome, and preventing chronic inflammatory disease. He discusses immune activation and how gluten and environmental toxins drive inflammation. He covers testing for toxic burdens, zonulin and leaky gut, microplastics, and practical clinical approaches to trace and remove triggers.

David Rahija, PT, MBA, FACHE, a healthcare executive and former physical therapist leading Northwest Community Hospital, discusses building seamless, patient-centered care across a health system. He covers systemwide integration, Epic consolidation for unified data, shifting procedures to ambulatory sites to cut costs, and plans to expand access and subspecialty services in 2026.

Dr. Joy White, VP and Chief Nursing and Operations Officer at Legacy Health and longtime nurse practitioner, talks about expanding access through ED throughput and staffing. She covers using people, process, and technology to ease crowding. She highlights priorities: access, clinical quality, employee experience, and navigating financial and policy headwinds.