Interview with Fred Neis, RN (Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nursing): What Surgical Patients Actually Want (And Why Systems Miss It)

In Episode 11 of The Surgical Journey, Fred Neis — best-selling author of The Disciplined Leader, registered nurse, and healthcare executive — joins the show to discuss what makes the surgical experience feel coordinated, reliable, and well designed. Patients may not use those exact words, but they know when care feels predictable and when it does not. Neis explains why stronger follow-up, better coordination, and more consistent standard work are essential to perioperative operations. He also makes the case that high reliability requires leadership that is willing to reduce unnecessary variation across teams and build a more dependable experience for both patients and staff. Episode Contents 00:00 NovaNav Introduction 00:51 Guest Introduction: Fred Meese 02:16 What patients really want: service, predictability, and tailored interactions 07:35 The biggest disconnect after surgery: what happens once patients go home 11:41 High reliability, standardization, and reducing variation in care 16:20 Value-based care, risk-based contracts, and where AI can improve outcomes 20:49 Nurse coordinators, workforce strain, and using AI to extend clinical capacity 24:41 Why healthcare technology adoption fails and how to build trust 30:18 Fred's book: The Discipline Leader 33:49 Referrals, reputation, and preventing network leakage 37:21 Where to find Fred and his book 38:25 Closing Remarks