How Karen McNerney Is Scaling Post-Acute Care Through Operational Excellence and Integrated Communication

Episode Summary:In this episode of Healthcare Algorhythm, hosted by Dr. William Strimel, Dr. Strimel sits down with Karen McNerney, Chief Operating Officer at Paragon Post Acute, to explore how operational systems, clinical innovation, and communication infrastructure are transforming post-acute care delivery.Karen shares how Paragon Post Acute evolved from an outpatient practice into a rapidly growing organization serving over 50 facilities, delivering in-house pain management and physiatry services. She explains how this model reduces care gaps during the critical transition from hospital to skilled nursing, improving patient outcomes while minimizing costly hospital readmissions.The conversation dives deep into Karen’s role as an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Integrator, where she aligns strategy, teams, and execution across a highly distributed healthcare environment. She outlines how structured frameworks like Level 10 meetings, KPI scorecards, and accountability charts enable faster decision-making, transparency, and continuous improvement.They also unpack one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges: fragmented communication. Karen details how Paragon uses HIPAA-compliant tools, virtual clinical support teams, and EHR integrations to ensure real-time coordination between providers, facilities, patients, and families—creating a more responsive and reliable care model.Karen also reflects on the regulatory complexities of pain management, the realities of staffing shortages in post-acute care, and what it takes to build a culture of accountability and compassion at scale.Key Takeaways:Why post-acute care is a critical yet often overlooked stage in the patient journeyHow in-house pain management and physiatry reduce readmissions and improve recovery outcomesWhat EOS is and how it drives accountability, alignment, and execution across teamsWhy communication breakdowns are one of healthcare’s biggest challenges—and how to solve themHow technology enables faster, HIPAA-compliant coordination across facilitiesThe operational realities of scaling care across 50+ locationsGolden Nugget:“Structured communication and accountability systems are what turn complex healthcare operations into consistent, high-quality patient care.”Connect with Karen McNerney:LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/karenmcnerneyWebsite: https://paragon-pac.comListen Now & Subscribe:Available on Captivate, Spotify, iHeart Podcast, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.Healthcare Algorhythm breaks down the systems, strategies, and technologies shaping modern medicine, turning complexity into clarity, one conversation at a time.