In this engaging episode of the Healthcare Plus podcast, host Dan Collard welcomes Marty Bonick, president and CEO of Ardent Health Services, as they delve into Marty’s extensive background in healthcare leadership and his unique perspective as a patient. Marty’s journey comes full circle as he shares his experiences as an administrative fellow, junior administrator, and now CEO of Ardent.

The conversation highlights the importance of trust in leadership and coordination of care in the post-pandemic world. Marty believes that when we recognize and appreciate what each team member brings to the table, we can bring our best to the patients and the community. He also emphasizes the need for a balanced scorecard approach and the measurement of outcomes to drive continuous improvement.

Marty’s personal experience as a patient, resulting from a freak accident where he was hit by a car while training for an ironman race, provides a profound shift in his leadership approach. He emphasizes the significance of understanding the patient experience and the need to make meaningful changes in healthcare delivery. Marty and his team at Ardent have launched initiatives such as the “Ban the Clipboard” committee, focusing on enhancing patient interactions and streamlining administrative processes.

The conversation further explores Marty’s vision for innovation and patient engagement, including attracting and engaging patients through technology advancements such as virtual nursing. Marty’s passion for creating an environment where healthcare professionals feel valued and appreciated shines through, as he emphasizes the importance of the “people pillar” and showcasing the unique contributions of Ardent team members.

The podcast episode concludes with Marty’s advice to aspiring healthcare leaders, emphasizing the importance of integrity, commitment to the triple aim, and resisting the temptation to cut corners. Marty’s journey serves as an inspiration for leaders in the healthcare industry to prioritize patient-centered care and continuously strive for improvement.

About Marty Bonick

Marty Bonick is President and Chief Executive Officer of Ardent Health Services. Ardent is one of the largest private health systems in the U.S. with over $5 Billion in Net Revenue, encompassing 30 hospitals and more than 200 sites of care across six states. Ardent employs more than 23,000 people including over 1,200 employed providers who collectively care for over 3 million patient encounters each year.

A veteran health care leader, Mr. Bonick brings 25 years of experience driving business growth through innovation and quality improvement across a variety of health care settings. With experience in for-profit, non-profit, public, and privately held companies, he has held senior management roles in large tertiary and academic medical centers, multi-site systems of inpatient hospital and outpatient facilities, and physician services organizations.

Prior to his appointment as President and CEO of Ardent Health Services in 2020, Mr. Bonick served as CEO of PhyMed Healthcare Group, a national provider of anesthesia and pain management services; Division President at Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH), where he led operations for a $4.5 billion healthcare portfolio; and CEO of Jewish Hospital and Senior Vice President of Operations for Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Bonick began his health care career at Hillcrest HealthCare System in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was acquired by Ardent Health Services during his tenure.

Hosted by Quint Studer with special guest Mark Clement

Quint Studer talks with Mark Clement, CEO and President of TriHealth, about how the $2.1 billion Cincinnati Health System is navigating the COVID-19 crisis.

Healthcare has been one of the hardest hit industries. Mark talks about how TriHealth took a $100 million loss in the first few months of the pandemic and came back stronger, more aligned, and more cohesive. Their success lay in how they approached one of the most crucial leadership competencies: communication. Not only did COVID force TriHealth to get better at using video technology to reach distributed stakeholders in a timely and effective way, it reinforced the benefits of on-the-ground tactics like leader rounding (executed safely, of course). With more than 12,000 team members, real time communication was key.

Great communication alleviates anxiety and keeps people engaged and connected to their sense of purpose in a time of uncertainty and rapid change. It keeps organizations nimble, adaptive, highly aligned, and able to innovate in the face of a crisis like a pandemic. Mark talks about communication on two levels: one, how to say what needs to be said in a direct and transparent way, and two, how to hardwire the right tools (monthly senior leader meetings, town halls, rounding, daily huddles, etc.) to cascade communication and keep messages consistent.

When you get communication right,  it will accelerate your performance in the good times. It’s what will move you from good to great. In the bad times, it’s what will save you.

Hosted by Quint Studer with special guest Mark Clement

On this episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Quint Studer is joined by TriHealth CEO, Mark Clement. In 2015, TriHealth’s board, management team, and physician team embraced a bold vision to “get healthcare right” through an increased focus on population health and value-based care. Mark and his teams are committed to improving the health of the entire community, even for those individuals that may never receive care in a TriHealth hospital. Through their efforts and community partnerships, TriHealth’s patient population today is objectively healthier – chronic conditions are better managed, screening and early detection occurs more consistently, and the total cost of care is more affordable.

In their conversation, Quint and Mark discuss:

• TriHealth’s definition of value-based care
• How TriHealth included physicians in the shift towards value-based care and how they’re shaping a shared vision of the organization’s future
• How TriHealth has worked to form equitable, collaborative partnerships with payers to further their mission of delivering value-based care

About Mark Clement

Mark C. Clement is the President and Chief Executive Officer of TriHealth. He joined TriHealth as President in May of 2015 and took on the larger role of President and CEO in Jan 2016. TriHealth is a $2.1B integrated healthcare delivery system, made up of 6 hospitals and over 140 ambulatory/outpatient sites of care. Named as the highest performing Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in the state of Ohio and one of the highest performing ACOs in the country by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, TriHealth cares for more than 500,000 attributed lives. As Cincinnati’s 4th-largest employer, TriHealth has 12,000 team members, more than 700 employed physicians and an independent medical staff of more than 1,800 physicians.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and jointly sponsored by CommonSpirit Health and Bethesda, Inc., TriHealth’s vision is to work together with physicians, hospitals and communities to “get health care right” by delivering better care, better health and better value while fostering physician and team member engagement. Mark also holds the position of CEO at all of TriHealth’s hospitals: Good Samaritan Hospital, Bethesda North Hospital, Bethesda Butler Hospital and McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital, which all serve the Tri-State region of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. With a focus on population health and improving the health status of those it serves, TriHealth is an award winning health system frequently recognized by industry organizations such as U.S. News and World Reports, Newsweek, IBM Watson, Diversity Inc, The Joint Commission, the American Heart Association, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, and many more.

Hosted by Quint Studer with special guest Thomas Dahlborg

On this episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer is joined by special guest Thomas Dahlborg, award-winning author of “From Heart to Head & Back Again: A Journey Through the Healthcare System” and President and CEO of Dahlborg HealthCARING Leadership Group, LLC (DHLG). Quint and Tom discuss why patient experience scores have been stagnant despite continued investment and offer practical tools and tips to help healthcare leaders achieve measurable results.

Tom Dahlborg has worked in the healthcare industry for more than 40 years in roles ranging from housekeeper to Chief Financial Officer. This background, in addition to his own experience as a patient, has allowed him to see healthcare through numerous lenses and to recognize both the goodness in the system as well as the opportunities to make things better for others.

Tom believes that engaging heart, compassion, empathy, and love is the key to shifting the trend and improving patient experiences. From cutting back on measurement to rethinking financial incentives, listeners will walk away from the episode with actionable insights on how to refocus patient experience efforts in your organization.

About Thomas Dahlborg

Named a Healthcare Disruptor and a Mental Health Champion by Authority Magazine and a Ruckus Maker by The PX Community, with forty years of extensive healthcare leadership experience, Tom is a voice for love centered care models, servant leadership, and quality and systems improvement.

A former healthcare CFO, VP of Strategy, Analytics Leader, Value-Based (before it was called that) Contracting Leader, and more, Tom is also an internationally recognized speaker and writer.

Tom’s multiple award-winning book, From Heart to Head & Back Again … a journey through the healthcare system, is a call to action serving to bring people together to make a positive impact for others in healthcare and beyond and served as a 2021 AUPHA book award for healthcare leaders of tomorrow.

Tom brings practical, tangible, impactful tools married with love, compassion and caring to transform healthcare to healthCARING and to improve the health and well-being of all.

Tom believes at the end of the day it is all about Love and Impact – Love is the Force Multiplier – and sometimes you must disrupt the system for the betterment of all. 

Resources

Harley Davidson Completes Rewiring of Strategic Plan

Dahlborg HealthCARING Leadership Group

• Article: It is disheartening to read that health systems require financial incentives to do what is right
• Article: Love > Tactics to improve Patient Experience

Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired by Quint Studer

From Heart to Head and Back Again… A Journey Through the Healthcare System by Thomas Dahlborg

The Big Kid…And Basketball…And the Lessons He Taught His Father And Coach by Thomas Dahlborg

Hosted by Dan Collard with guests Quint Studer and Katie Boston-Leary

On this special episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Dan Collard sits down with Quint Studer, co-founder of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group, and Katie Boston-Leary, Director of Nursing Programs, American Nurses Association to analyze key findings of the latest Models of Care Insight Study and what they mean for the healthcare industry.

The Models of Care Insight Study Part II, conducted by Joslin Insight, collected 1,450+ responses from direct care nurses, nursing leadership, and healthcare executives in the acute care and ambulatory settings. The goal of the second study was to gain a better grasp of how nurses can operate at the top of their licensure while cultivating leadership qualities to enhance their contributions to their organizations.

Key findings include:

• Retired nurses are willing to help fill the knowledge and complexity gap but most don’t want full time work and aren’t interested in direct patient care.
• Nurses rate their weakest leadership traits as change management, positivity, and delegation.
• 63% of respondents say their organization’s CNA workforce is understaffed or very understaffed.
• 47% of respondents say CNAs are not treated with the same respect as their RN peers.

Quint and Katie stress that there is not one solution to all of these challenges but that there are steps leaders can take to narrow the scope, reduce caregiver workloads, and improve care delivery.

About Katie Boston-Leary

Katie Boston-Leary is the Director of Nursing Programs at the American Nurses Association overseeing the Nursing Practice and Work Environment Division and Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation. She is also the Co-Lead for Project Firstline, a multi-million-dollar grant collaborative with the CDC for training on Infection Prevention and Control. Katie is also the co-chair for the DEI committee for the Healthcare Leaders Network Delaware Valley, an ACHE affiliate. She helped redesign the Nurse Leadership Institute at the University of Maryland with an embedded coaching program. Katie is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and the School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. She is a board member on St. Johns University Health Programs and an editorial advisory board member with Web/MD Medscape and ACHE. Katie serves as staff on the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing and is also part of the National Academy of Science and Medicine’s National Plan to Address Clinician Well-Being supported by the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. Katie also leads as an ANA representative with 4 partner organizations to organize a National Nurse Staffing Think Tank and Task Force, which published short term actionable recommendations to address the nurse staffing crisis.

Resources:

–       Podcast: How to Kill Your Own Company

–       Models of Care Insight Study Report and Data

–       Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired by Quint Studer and Dan Collard

–       ANCC Magnet Presentation by Quint Studer and Katie Boston-Leary

–       American Nurses Association

Hosted by Quint Studer with special guest Scott Becker

On this week’s episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer is joined by special guest Scott Becker. Scott is a partner in the healthcare department at McGuireWoods and founder and publisher of Becker’s Hospital Review and Becker’s Healthcare. In their conversation, Scott shares what drove him to found Becker’s more than 30 years ago and discusses areas of both concern and optimism for the healthcare industry in 2023 and beyond.

Quint and Scott discuss:

• How Becker’s Healthcare evolved from a thought leadership platform to a trusted media source for hospitals, health systems, and leaders across healthcare
• Why access is the greatest challenge facing healthcare today
• How healthcare organizations can improve caregiver retention through training, development, and a strong focus on culture
• And what the future of Becker’s looks like

Listen to the full episode for actionable insights on how organizations and leaders can meet the challenges of the healthcare industry today.

About Scott Becker

Scott Becker is a partner in the healthcare department at McGuireWoods.  He previously served on the Board of Partners of the firm and chaired the healthcare department for nearly 13 years.

Scott is the founder and publisher of Becker’s Hospital Review and Becker’s Healthcare. He represents hospitals and health systems, healthcare companies, surgery center chains, large practices and private equity funds.

Scott is a Harvard law graduate and certified public accountant. A full professional profile can be found here.

Hosted by Quint Studer with special guest Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN

On this week’s episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer is joined by special guest Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN. Kathleen has been an international keynote speaker and culture expert for over 20 years educating hospital boards, physicians and nurses on leadership, culture, teamwork, and patient safety. In their conversation, Kathleen and Quint discuss issues facing healthcare leaders and caregivers today and offer culture-focused solutions that can drive industry-wide change.

Kathleen shares actionable insights on:

• How to move past hostility and bring nurses together to work towards a common goal
• Why structure dictates outcomes and where healthcare needs restructuring
• And how to impact issues of access, cost, and fragmentation in healthcare

“It is my dream that nurses can walk into a culture where they are supported and nurtured and cared for.” – Kathleen Bartholomew

About Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN

Kathleen has been an international keynote speaker and culture expert for over 20 years educating hospital boards, physicians and nurses on leadership, culture, teamwork, and patient safety. She uses the power of story and her strong background in sociology to illuminate and transform the health care culture.  Kathleen has published numerous articles and authored “Speak Your Truth: Proven Strategies for Effective Nurse-Physician Communication”, “Ending Nurse-to-Nurse Hostility”, and coauthored “Charting the Course”; and “The Dauntless Nurse: Communication Confidence Builder”.  Her TEDx talk challenges our covert belief that some people are more important than others. With a call to integrity, and a passion for healing, Kathleen is a visionary thought leader, Op Ed writer and blogger for My American Nurse.

Hosted by Dan Collard with special guest Amelie Karam

On this week’s episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Dan Collard is joined by special guest Amelie Karam, a nationally renowned speaker and consultant focused on bridging generational gaps in the workforce. For the last nine years, Amelie has worked with organizations across a number of industries to teach them about the millennial perspective, debunk stereotypes of millennials, and help bridge generational gaps to support long-term growth and success.

Amelia shares her learnings and key takeaways on:

• What leaders and organizations can do to help younger generations feel a greater sense of belonging
• How organizations can stand out to millennial applicants during the recruiting process
• Why passion is a driving force for employee engagement and retention
• How employees of all ages can be better teammates in a multi-generational workforce

“I’ve spoken to many different industries and it always comes down to the same thing – it’s so important for us to get to know people for more than just their age and more than just their position at your organization.”

About Amelie Karam

After studying at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Richmond University in London, and finishing her degree in Performance and Film Studies from Loyola University in New Orleans, Amelie Karam recognized that people in her Gen Y age group, known as “Millennials,” view the world differently than do previous generations. The great divide between Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y piqued Amelie’s interest.

Amelie is passionate about bridging generational gaps. She speaks and consults both nationally and internationally about how organizations can better work together to attract and retain the Millennial generation to ultimately bridge generational gaps.

Through her Millennial perspective and rich research, along with her background in theatre, film, health, and wellness, Amelie brings an entertaining and informative voice to this important and highly sought-after topic of bridging generational gaps.

Hosted by Quint Studer and Dan Collard

On this special episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, your hosts Quint Studer and Dan Collard come together to discuss The Human Capital Ecosystem™, a platform and diagnostic tool created and deployed by Healthcare Plus Solutions Group to help healthcare organizations identify areas for improvement and implement personalized solutions.  

Quint and Dan discuss how the workplace has shifted as a result of the pandemic and how the “People Pillar” looks different today. Based on their learnings from the past two years, Quint and Dan designed The Human Capital Ecosystem™ to evaluate six key, interrelated components of organizations and assess the efficacy of current programs and processes.   

The six components addressed in the ecosystem are: 

1. Selection and Onboarding 
2. Supervisor Relationships 
3. Coworker Relationships 
4. Skill Building & Career Development 
5. Resources & Support 
6. Operational Efficiency 

The Human Capital Ecosystem™ assessment enables organizations to identify top priority areas for further coaching and investment. This gives leaders the focus and clarity needed to narrow their scope of work, focus on the most impactful elements, and yield improved results.  

Listen to the full episode to learn more about The Human Capital Ecosystem™ and discover how Healthcare Plus Solutions Group is helping organizations to address gaps and achieve and sustain high performance.  

Hosted by Dan Collard with special guest Fawn Lopez

On this episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Dan Collard is joined by special guest Fawn Lopez, Publisher Emeritus of Modern Healthcare Magazine. Fawn shares her background – from Vietnamese refugee to healthcare executive – and discusses the challenges she faced as a young woman entering a male-dominated industry.

As the publisher at Modern Healthcare, Fawn has worked to help advance women and people of color into the C-Suite and into board rooms. An extension of that work is Modern Healthcare’s Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference, which Fawn will host for the final time this August following her recent retirement. Since 2006, Modern Healthcare has also published the Top 25 Minority Executives list (now called Diversity Leaders in Healthcare). These two initiatives predated the widespread emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion that we see in healthcare today. Fawn shares she truly believes these programs have made a tangible impact, not only on the organization but also on the careers of remarkable women.

In this special interview, Fawn shares:

• How being a Vietnamese refugee impacted her life
• Why gratitude is one of her guiding principles
• The impact that entering a male-dominated industry had on her early career in healthcare
• How she has used her position at Modern Healthcare to become a guiding voice for women and people of color in leadership

“As I conclude this chapter of my career at Modern healthcare, my wish is for the future leaders to continue to encourage healthcare leaders and organizations to push for faster, more sustained efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We need to amplify the call for increased representation of women and minorities and address both conscious and unconscious biases diligently.” – Fawn Lopez

About:
Fawn Lopez is Publisher Emeritus of Modern Healthcare. Prior to her retirement on January 1, 2023, Fawn was publisher of the industry’s leading source of healthcare business and policy news, research, and information for healthcare executives since 2005.

Fawn dedicated her entire professional career to the publishing industry. Prior to joining Modern Healthcare, she held the position of National Sales Director for Crain’s Chicago Business. Before joining Crain’s Chicago Business, Fawn served as Advertising Director at the Kansas City Business Journal in Kansas City, Missouri.

Currently, Fawn actively serves as a board member of two privately held company, SourceOne Global Partners and GeoCann, where her expertise and insights contribute to their strategic direction and decision-making processes. In addition, she holds a position on the Dean’s advisory board for DePaul University-College of Communication. Fawn’s dedication to professional networks is evident through her memberships in Women of Impact: Leaders in Health and Healthcare, and The Health Alliance. She is also a fellow of The Institute of Medicine of Chicago.

Fawn has a passion for fostering and driving diversity, equity, and inclusion, not only in her organization, but also throughout the healthcare industry. Moreover, she embraces her role as a champion and an advocate for advancing health equity for all.