MedAxiom HeartTalk

MedAxiom HeartTalk

Cardiovascular leaders discuss today’s most innovative ideas and pressing challenges, with the goal to transform cardiovascular care for all. Top cardiologists, hospital administrators, industry experts and consultants talk patient care, physician culture, financial management, new technology, legislation and more. Executive Producer: Candice Reineke. Host: Melanie Lawson. Producers and Editors: Laura Bragg and Megan Fox.

Episodes

March 4, 2026 5 mins
Explore the strategic partnership between MedAxiom and Heartflow, as Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Care Transformation Services and Revenue Cycle Solutions at MedAxiom, sits down with Cara Santillo, senior vice president of Market Access and Reimbursement at Heartflow. Together, they detail how MedAxiom amplifies HeartFlow's message across the cardiology community. Discover how MedAxiom leverages it...
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A major change in outpatient cardiac care is underway. On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS sits down with David Kenigsberg, MD, FACC, FHRS, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist based in Northern Broward County, Florida. Together, they unpack the shift toward performing ablation procedures in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) — why it’s happening, how it improves patient access and cost-effectiveness.
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February 4, 2026 8 mins
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Katie Willerick, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, to explore what it really takes to move from dashboards to better patient care. Katie shares why “trust in the data” is essential to driving change and how building that trust across teams makes analytics fully actionable. She pulls back the curtain on how Lean Six Sigma thinking...
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Cardiology and emergency medicine teams are coming together to transform cardiovascular care. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, is joined by David Wohns, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI, division chief of cardiology at Corewell Health, and Meredith Busman, MD, emergency physician at Corewell Health, to discuss how shared pathways, trust, and streamlined communication are improving patient outcomes and hospital efficiency. ...
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January 21, 2026 18 mins
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of consulting at MedAxiom, about building trust, aligning physicians and hospitals, and moving beyond purely transactional relationships. Joel reflects on what keeps him motivated—“I wanna be part of something bigger. And what’s bigger than patient care?” He also teases a project he’s deeply invested in—one that could...
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What does it really take to build a successful ECMO program? On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with John Mehall, MD, president of Integration Health and senior vice president of Heart & Vascular Partners, about the expanding role of ECMO in cardiac care. Dr. Mehall discusses rising utilization, improved survival outcomes, economic benefits for hospitals, and the critical importance of physician leadership, ...
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Population health strategies and technology are reshaping cardiovascular care. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS sits down with Chanel Swartz, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, vice president of value-based care operations at US Heart and Vascular. They explore how remote patient monitoring is enabling care teams to scale, improve outcomes, and manage large patient populations, all while reducing clinician burden.
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December 10, 2025 11 mins
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk episode, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Jenny Kennedy, DNP, RN, CHFN, NEA-BC, FACC, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. She explains the importance of being intentional when setting up remote heart failure programs and lessons from her nursing experience. She shares how her desire to “be a giant”—lift others up rather than seek the spotlight—guides her leadership. Ad...
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In this episode of MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Clay Marsh, MD, chancellor and executive dean for Health Sciences at West Virginia University, to explore his unique perspective on redefining health. Dr. Marsh discusses the powerful role of biological age, mindset, purpose, and community in shaping long-term cardiovascular wellness. He shares compelling data linking stress, connection, and perception t...
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November 12, 2025 15 mins
On this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with MedAxiom President and CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, for a candid conversation about leadership, teamwork, and service – drawing lessons from both medicine and his early days in sports. He shares how trust and humility guide his approach and why he sees change as something to run toward, not from. Plus, he shares a few personal insights (and laughs)...
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In this episode of HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson is joined by MedAxiom's Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of Consulting, and Karen Wilson, MHA, vice president of Member Services, to explore the complexity of subspecialty performance metrics in cardiovascular care. The conversation focuses on how MedAxiom’s MedAxcess data tool helps identify meaningful differences in cardiology subspecialties—revealing that “one size fits ...
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Often referred to as the “sandwich generation,” today’s clinical leaders face a diverse set of challenges in navigating generational dynamics. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS addresses common leadership hurdles with Ana Mercurio-Pinto, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, and Nicole Lohr, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, division director at University of Alabama at Birmingham. They highlight practica...
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In this episode of HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, is joined by Paula Furcron, director of specialty services at NextGen Healthcare, for a discussion on the growing role of AI in cardiovascular care. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence is enhancing patient engagement, streamlining workflows and improving both provider satisfaction and clinical outcomes. From self-scheduling to personalized charting, Paula shares ...
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August 21, 2025 11 mins
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with Ana Mercurio-Pinto, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. With a rich background in academic medicine, cardiovascular service line operations, and research management, Ana shares how her work is reshaping the future of care delivery. From optimizing physician performance and budgets to integrating complex hospital-physician systems, Ana...
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Remote patient monitoring is reshaping chronic care management. On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with Patricia Dickson, director of operations at Capital Cardiology Associates; Jude Hebert, vice president of Clinical Programs at Cardiovascular Logistics; and Samson Magid, CEO and co-founder of HealthSnap. They dive into virtual care tools that help practices stay connected with patients between visits, re...
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What makes the dyad leadership model so effective in cardiovascular care? On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, is joined by Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of Consulting at MedAxiom and Jeff Carstens, MD, MBA, FACC, medical director of the Cardiovascular Service Line at UnityPoint Health. They explore how the dyad leadership model influences the design of physician compensation plans and strengthens cardio...
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July 23, 2025 8 mins
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS is joined by Jaime Warren Ed.D., MBA, BHS, CNMT, NCT, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. With over two decades of clinical and executive experience, particularly in imaging services and hospital operations, Jaime shares insights into optimizing cardiovascular imaging spaces to improve workflows and team performance. Learn what motivates Jaime as ...
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As cardiac rehab evolves, innovative care models are key to better outcomes and financial sustainability. In this special episode of HeartTalk, vice presidents of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC, and Jenny Kennedy, DNP, RN, CHFN, NEA-BC, FACC sit down with Sarah Shelton, cardiac rehabilitation manager and Rod Roeser, CEO at Heart and Vascular Care (HVC). They discuss how they successfull...
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June 18, 2025 8 mins
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS speaks with Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. With over 30 years of nursing and quality leadership experience, Denise shares her journey into healthcare and what it takes to make clinical transformation truly stick. Get to know Denise’s leadership style—and what fuels her passion both in and outside of healthc...
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In this episode of HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Alex Struck, chief growth officer, and Dan Jensen, chief financial officer at CardioOne, to explore the growing challenges facing independent cardiology practices. They discuss the shifting landscape of hospital employment and share how CardioOne is helping cardiologists reclaim autonomy while maintaining financial and operational sustainability.


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