Life doesn’t pause when new challenges come to light, yet clinicians are expected to stay current while also juggling their regular duties. Podcasts offer an easy, digestible way to hear about new information on-the-go: in other words, the perfect format for busy healthcare workers. On the MEDITECH Podcast, we host a variety of accomplished guests who share their insights on topics ranging from AI to staff retention efforts to health equity.
Catch up on some of our top episodes you may have missed, and be sure to subscribe to the MEDITECH Podcast on your favorite podcast app.
1. Reimagining the future of healthcare
Listen to an inspiring conversation with Vivian Lee, MD, PhD, MBA, President of Verily Health and author of The Long Fix: Solving America's Health Care Crisis with Strategies that Work for Everyone. A champion of education and a featured speaker at last year’s MEDITECH LIVE event, Dr. Lee outlines the challenges and opportunities when reimagining a bright future for healthcare through an innovative lens focused on precision health, digital apps, and interoperability.
“I'm very optimistic,” says Lee. “You can tell from the title of my book. It's ‘The Long Fix’. The journey there may be a little longer than we’d like, but we do have a ‘fix’ at the end of it, and I think getting to that fix is closely tied to the data that we have access to, especially the data coming from our electronic health records, and how we use it to drive performance improvements and lower the costs of care.”
2. How clinicians can use AI to improve patient care
AI tools are becoming more prevalent in healthcare, and Jayson Marwaha, MD, MSc, general surgery resident and postdoctoral fellow in surgical AI at Harvard Medical School, believes in its power to enhance clinician and patient experiences. Rather than looking at AI as a substitute for healthcare workers, he proposes its ability to complement their work and process vast data points to come to the best medical decisions, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
“The incorporation of technology into routine clinical care over the next several years is inevitable,” says Marwaha. “AI is not meant to replace surgeons or any provider. Really it’s meant to augment their decision making.”
3. Healthcare heroes do wear capes
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s an enlightening discussion with Julia Hanigsberg, the President & CEO of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. An IT trailblazer and activist for children’s healthcare, Hanigsberg spearheads their annual fundraising campaign, Capes for Kids, which raised an incredible $1 million last year. Holland Bloorview sets the standard with their culture of compassionate, holistic care and a platform centered around health equity.
“Because we serve a special population we have a mandate for innovation,” Hanigsberg says. “As emerging issues arise, we’re often the first hospital in Canada who will try to address that issue.”
4. How to build a vibrant healthcare organization for a vibrant community
A healthcare organization’s partnerships help set the tone for success, which motivated Memorial Healthcare to invest in an interdependent rather than independent strategy. Tom Kurtz, Chief Administrative Officer at Memorial Healthcare, holds their organization to the high standard they’ve established as a hospital that serves their community and beyond, empowers their employees, and maintains a collaborative, familial approach to care.
“We don't have a singular partner that we identify with,” Kurtz says. “We have many friends, and many organizations that we partner with for very specific services that we need for our patients and our community.”
5. Lessons in supporting nurse careers through innovative education programs
Behind every great healthcare organization is its dedicated workforce, and nurses are an essential part of that ecosystem. Kicking off our three-part nursing series, this episode features John Richey, PhD, RHIA, FAHIMA, Director of Academic Education Services at AHIMA. He shares how their organization supports students through their career journey and the successes they’ve celebrated in their education programs, such as implementing hands-on EHR experience.
“Foundational EHR proficiency is critical for all healthcare staff,” Richey says. “Understanding what EHRs are, why they’re important, and how they’re used is foundational and critical to anyone working in the healthcare field, regardless of their role.”
The next two parts of our nurse series feature candid conversations with three nurses from Citizens Memorial Healthcare and Dr. Jane Englebright, recently retired executive at HCA Healthcare. They share their struggles, hopeful outlooks, and the numerous career advancements and placements available in their profession.
It was a pleasure learning from these industry thought leaders last year, and I look forward to the rousing discussions ahead in 2023.
Listen and subscribe to the MEDITECH Podcast to keep your finger on the pulse of health IT.
