Leading Academic Health Centers for Excellence in 2026

In this episode of the Habitual Excellence Podcast, Ken Segel speaks with Ben Schwartz, MD, a physician leader at Banner Health, about what it takes to lead large academic health systems in a time of rapid change and rising expectations. Drawing on his journey from practicing surgeon to health system executive, Dr. Schwartz shares how leadership today is less about having all the answers and more about creating the conditions for teams to succeed.Together, they explore how culture drives patient experience, why trust and collaboration are essential to performance, and how healthcare organizations can stay focused on fundamentals while navigating complex demands around strategy, metrics, and value-based care. Dr. Schwartz also discusses the importance of strong partnerships between health systems and universities, and how shared governance and relationships built on trust can accelerate innovation and growth.At its core, the conversation reinforces a simple but powerful idea: when organizations invest in their people, align around purpose, and work together as one team, better outcomes for patients naturally follow.