The Future of Healthcare Interoperability and Navigating the "Summer of Steel"

Segment 1: Building a Healthcare System That Works for Working Families Three decades of experience have given Kari Hedges, Senior Vice President of Market Solutions at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, a clear view of what remains broken in American medicine. Joining National Labor Office Executive Director Merrilee Logue, Hedges discusses the urgent need for data interoperability—the ability for different medical systems to share patient records seamlessly. Hedges shares a moving personal story about navigating a fragmented system to save her own mother’s life, illustrating why BCBS is building a new interoperability hub to give physicians a real-time view of a patient's history. We also dive into the impact of electronic prior authorization, which has already shown the potential to resolve 84 percent of cases instantaneously and improve provider efficiency by up to 230 percent. Finally, the pair discusses the responsible deployment of Artificial Intelligence and the continued expansion of telehealth and behavioral health services for workers facing shift-work barriers.   Segment 2: Steel Benchmarks, Trade Enforcement, and the Ohio Primary In our second segment, Pat Gallagher, President of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, breaks down the economic signals heading into a pivotal bargaining season for the United Steelworkers. With hot-rolled coil trading above $1,000 per ton, the industry is entering a strong financial position just as contracts with Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel are set to expire on September 1. Gallagher also addresses the complexities of trade enforcement and the upcoming USMCA renegotiations, highlighting how "trade cheating"—such as routing Chinese steel through third countries—undercuts American workers. Looking toward the May 5 Ohio primary, Gallagher emphasizes the importance of electing labor voices to the statehouse, backing a slate of union candidates including Davida Russell (AFSCME), Scott Demaro (OHEA), and Brian Poindexter (Ironworkers). Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast for more interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.