From Bedside to Boardroom - Krista Bragg on Bridging Clinician and Executive Perspectives

In this episode of Curie, Andrew sits down with Krista Bragg, a healthcare leader whose career has spanned the ICU, the C-suite, health insurance, consulting, and now advising startups. Krista shares what she’s learned moving from bedside nursing to executive leadership, and why too few hospital leaders have clinical backgrounds. She reflects on safety culture, the importance of empowering clinicians’ voices, and the tension between fee-for-service and value-based care. The conversation also dives into her work with startups building solutions from AI-enabled nursing workflows to EHRs in Africa, and her new book The Startup Guide to US Healthcare. Packed with stories and practical takeaways, this episode is about bridging the gap between leadership and clinicians, aligning incentives with patient outcomes, and reimagining how healthcare can work better for everyone.