Healthcare's Hardest Problems: 7 Leaders on CMS Fraud, EMS Data, Rural Care, and AI

Seven conversations. One summit. And a room full of leaders who agreed the system is not working the way it should. We took The Leadership Lab on the road to Clarity 2026 in Laguna Beach, and this is the recap: the moments that stopped the room, pulled from seven special edition episodes recorded live at the summit. CMS stopping more than $2.5 billion before it went out the door. A paramedic in 2026 still faxing a patient record into a hospital that owns the ambulance. A rural blood program in Mississippi that has transfused more than 60 patients and wasted exactly one unit. An economist whose own mother got a surprise bill. An attorney explaining why the AI chat you used to prep your legal argument is not privileged. If you work in EMS, healthcare finance, or health policy, start here. Then go listen to the full conversations linked below. Data. Doctors. Leadership. Through the eyes of the patient. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: the lines that stopped the room 01:21 Kim Brandt, CMS: the fraud war room, the chili cook-off, and $2.5B stopped before payment 07:20 Fred Wilkins, VLI Tech: why EMS is still faxing patient records in 2026 12:55 Dr. Lisa Grabert: a surprise bill in her own family, and AI as a research assistant 17:44 Dr. Eric Beck, ESO: modernization, unmeasured EMS value, and the courage to be transparent 21:47 Dr. Hawnwan "Phil" Moy: get EMS out of the Department of Transportation 25:54 Dr. Damon Darsey: whole blood in rural Mississippi, and a $4 antibiotic 30:26 Scott Moore: AI, privilege, and the policy you will be rewriting monthly THE FULL EPISODES The War on Waste: CMS Priorities in a New Era with Kimberly Brandt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EFsliL2fl4 Improving Outcomes & Efficiency Through Data Insight with Fred Wilkins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ims5tqkUBhQ Part II: An Economist's Take on Surprise Billing and Healthcare Payment Reform with Dr. Lisa Grabert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyN-6INjZQ8 The Strategic Value of EMS Data in Modern Healthcare with Dr. Eric Beck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQt8nO5VZt0 Physician Leadership in the Next Era of Healthcare with Dr. Hawnwan Moy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEoPZoXvlQg When Physicians Lead: Transforming Rural Care Delivery with Dr. Damon Darsey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGAKj4_g5a4 AI, Privacy & the Law: What EMS Leaders Must Know with Scott Moore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6rP5KOEU2Q ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP LAB I'm Asbel Montes, founder of Solutions Group, where we tackle the challenges of healthcare revenue cycles head on. In this podcast we break down complex reimbursement processes, explore practical strategies, and bring you actionable insights from industry leaders to help you transform healthcare finance. SUBSCRIBE AND CONNECT Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik9mWwOz4WI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadership-lab-with-asbel-montes/id1810035183 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rNhvQ6DRA2i8f0IDPwgRv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AsbelMontes Asbel Montes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asbel-montes-31027634 Asbel Montes Book (In Plain Sight): https://asbelmontes.com/store/ Asbel Montes Website: https://asbelmontes.com/ Clarity User Summit: https://www.solutionsgroup.com/clarityusersummit Solutions Group Services LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/solutionsgroupservices Solutions Group Services Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solution_sgroup/ Solutions Group Services Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solutionsgroupservices Solutions Group Services Website: https://www.solutionsgroup.com/ Stay focused, stay innovative, and keep leading the way.