Healthcare Leadership Excellence

In this episode, I sit down with Stan Lewis, former federal investigator and mediator and author of Evict the Doubts That Have Been Squatting Rent Free in Your Mind, for a conversation about servant leadership, conflict, and the doubts that can keep leaders from moving forward.

Stan draws from nearly 700 mediated cases to explain why people become stuck in conflict. We discuss the importance of listening beyond the words, as...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Brandon Fielding to explore the connection between how leaders think, react, and interact with the people around them.

Dr. Fielding brings experience in psychotherapy, executive coaching, and organizational leadership. We discuss how that clinical background helps him recognize the patterns that can influence a leader’s behavior, while keeping coaching focused on performance, relati...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Larry Kuhn to explore what happens when strong business thinking meets a deeper understanding of people.

Larry shares his journey from growing up on an Indiana dairy farm to becoming a CFO, and eventually making a major career change to become a clinical psychologist. That combination of business, data, and psychology has shaped how he approaches leadership today.

We talk about the...

In this episode, I welcome Dr. Rob Orman back to the podcast to talk about his new book, Supranormal, and the realities of building a sustainable career in medicine.

Rob shares his own experience as an emergency physician and the struggles he faced early in his career. We discuss why the same grit that helps physicians survive high-pressure situations can become a problem when it becomes the answer to everything. As Rob puts...

In this episode, I sit down with Kim Best, founder and president of Best Conflict Solutions, to talk about something many leaders would rather avoid: conflict.

Kim shares her path from working as a critical care and emergency room nurse to becoming a mediator and conflict management expert. We discuss why conflict can feel so threatening, why our past experiences shape the stories we tell ourselves about other people, and ho...

In this episode, I sit down with returning guest Lorraine Armijos, founder of LAR Insights, for a conversation about strengthening organizational systems and developing the leaders responsible for making them work.

Lorraine shares four gaps she commonly sees inside organizations: clarity, visibility, capability, and rhythm. We discuss how these gaps can create silos, unclear expectations, stalled progress, and teams that are...

In this episode, I welcome Shandy Welch back to the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast for a conversation about work ethic and what leaders can do to help people develop it.

Shandy shares the story of spending her summers at Elk Creek Ranch in Wyoming and the influence of Hap Ridgeway, who challenged her as a teenager to help build a mile-long fence. What stayed with her was not the fence itself, but having someone bel...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alan Cohen, pediatric neurosurgeon and author of Comfort Always, for a conversation about the balance between extraordinary medical skill and the human side of healing.

Dr. Cohen shares lessons from four decades of caring for children and families facing some of the most difficult diagnoses imaginable. We discuss why technology can treat disease, but kindness, compassion, humor, honesty, ...

In this episode, I welcome Dr. Jamie Hardy back to the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast for a second conversation, this time focused on organizational well-being, leadership retention, and creating cultures where talented people want to stay.

Dr. Jamie and I discuss why well-being has to go far beyond wellness perks, gym memberships, or programs. When physicians, nurses, and leaders feel depleted, unheard, or disconn...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jamie Hardy, a pharmacist, speaker, and wellbeing strategist known as the “Lifestyle Pharmacist,” to explore what happens when high-performing healthcare leaders spend too long operating under constant stress.

Dr. Jamie shares her own wake-up call: experiencing what she thought was a heart attack while sitting at her desk in the hospital. Although her heart was fine, the experience fo...

In this episode, I sit down with Mitchell Jeffery, founder of The Ember Collective, to discuss one of the most difficult transitions in healthcare leadership: moving from being a respected peer to becoming the leader of the team. Drawing from his background in behavioral health, HR, and organizational development, Mitchell shares practical advice for new and experienced leaders who want to build trust while leading effectively.
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In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Gilkes-Smith, healthcare operations consultant, doctoral candidate, and founder of The Focused Leader, to explore what truly shapes the patient experience and why it starts long before a patient enters the exam room. With more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience, Melissa shares practical insights on improving operations while creating cultures where both patients and employees ...

In this episode, I sit down with MaryCay Durrant to explore an unconventional but deeply practical approach to leadership. Drawing from decades of experience in Fortune 100 companies, MaryCay shares how nature provides a powerful framework for leading people through change, building trust, and creating healthier organizations.

We discuss why many workplaces continue to operate like machines, even though people are living, dy...

In this episode, I sit down with Adeste Sipin, Director of Academic Support at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, to explore an important leadership challenge: how to use data and artificial intelligence without losing sight of the people behind the numbers.

Adeste shares how he built an academic support program from the ground up by listening first to students, understanding their experiences, and using data to ...

In this episode, I sit down with Lon Hecht, CEO of Care2You, to discuss what it takes to lead innovation in healthcare while staying grounded in humility, ethics, and service. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience across pharmaceuticals, medical devices, healthcare services, and executive leadership, Lon shares lessons from leading one of healthcare's most innovative care delivery models.

We explore how Care2You is bringi...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Deborah Kozik, pediatric cardiac surgeon and bioethics expert, alongside returning guest Dr. Jason Kuhl, Chief Medical Officer and family physician, to explore the ethical challenges healthcare leaders face when there are no clear or easy answers.

We discuss how clinicians balance patient care, family wishes, professional judgment, and organizational realities in high-pressure situations....

For this special 200th episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast, I welcome back Dr. Britt Berrett, Managing Director of the Healthcare Leadership Program at Brigham Young University and one of the earliest guests on the podcast. Over the past several years, Dr. Berrett’s insights on leadership, culture, and organizational transformation have continued to shape how I think about healthcare and the leaders who se...

In this episode, I welcome back Dr. Jason Kuhl, Chief Medical Officer at Providence Medford Medical Center, for a conversation about conflict, communication, and leadership. Using a set of conflict-resolution cards created by mediator Kimberly Best, we explore practical ways leaders can navigate difficult conversations more effectively.

We begin with the idea of choosing generous assumptions and why assuming good intent crea...

In this episode, I sit down with Tara Austraat-Churik, a healthcare and life sciences leader whose career has spanned consulting, pharmaceuticals, clinical research, AI, and organizational transformation.

We discuss the importance of critical thinking in leadership and why many organizations spend too much time solving symptoms instead of root causes. Tara shares practical approaches for defining problems more effectively, c...