Healthcare Success

In this episode of the Healthcare Success Podcast, Stewart Gandolf is joined by Brooke Hynes, Anissa Davenport, and Dave Eilers of Possibility Partners to unpack one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare organizations: team dysfunction. From unclear roles and internal silos to cross-functional friction with IT, operations, and administration, healthcare marketing teams are under increasing pressure to perform—often without the alignment needed to succeed. The conversation explores why marketing teams frequently feel misunderstood, how that impacts performance, and what leaders can do to fix it.

In this episode, Stewart Gandolf talks with Kirsten Lecky about how healthcare content strategy is evolving in the AI era—and why balancing discoverability and trust is more critical than ever.

AI is accelerating content creation in pharma—but compliance processes haven’t kept up. In this episode of the Healthcare Success Podcast, Stewart Gandolf speaks with Pushpa Ithal and Nikki Wolfert of MarketBeam about how AI is reshaping social media strategy in regulated industries. They explore the growing gap between content scale and MLR review capacity, the rise of domain-trained AI models, and how pharma teams can use AI to improve efficiency without compromising trust, accuracy, or governance.

Episode of the Organic Growth Podcast series recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference, this conversation explores how healthcare organizations can unlock growth by focusing on financial fundamentals.

Episode of the Organic Growth Podcast series recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference, this conversation explores how lenders evaluate organic growth—and what healthcare organizations must demonstrate to secure capital.

Episode of the Organic Growth Podcast series recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference, this conversation explores how buyers evaluate organic growth—and why it’s becoming a key driver of valuation.

Episode of the Organic Growth Podcast series recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference, this conversation explores why healthcare organizations are shifting from acquisition-driven growth to operational performance and efficiency.

Episode of the Organic Growth Podcast series recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference, this conversation explores how healthcare leaders can evaluate AI vendors in a rapidly evolving—and often overhyped—market.

Episode of the Organic Growth Podcast series recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference, this conversation explores one of the most overlooked drivers of growth: hiring the right people.

This special Organic Growth Podcast was recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference. Revenue doesn’t disappear—it gets stuck. In this episode, Brian Plamondon of SuperDial explains how AI is transforming revenue cycle management by automating payer communication and clearing long-standing bottlenecks.

Organic Growth Podcast: The Patient Is the New Payer: Rethinking Healthcare Payments by Healthcare Success

This special Organic Growth Podcast series is being recorded live at the McGuire Woods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference in Chicago. In this episode, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Roy Bejarano of SCALE Healthcare to explore why scaling healthcare organizations is far more complex than simply adding locations or acquiring practices.

Stewart Gandolf speaks with Andrew Smith, CEO of Association of Dental Support Organizations, about how the industry is shifting beyond rapid deal-making and into a more disciplined focus on operational performance, technology, and patient experience.

In this special Organic Growth Podcast series filmed at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Investing Conference, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Louis Oster of ECG Consultants to unpack why so many healthcare organizations struggle to grow—even after investing in marketing, acquisitions, and infrastructure.

This special Organic Growth Podcast series is being recorded live at the McGuire Woods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference in Chicago. In this first episode, Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success, sits down with Quin Wright, Senior Vice President of Real Rev, to discuss lifetime value.

In this episode of the Healthcare Success Podcast, Stewart Gandolf talks with Steve Page, Founder and CEO of SUN Behavioral Health, about whether private equity and patient care can successfully coexist. Steve shares a behavioral health CEO’s perspective on capital, care quality, governance, misaligned incentives and how thoughtful investment can expand access to essential services.

In this Healthcare Success Podcast episode, Stewart Gandolf interviews Holly Buckley, Chair of Health Care at McGuireWoods, about healthcare private equity trends in 2026. They discuss deal activity, regulatory changes, high-growth sectors, and how AI and operational discipline are driving value creation.

In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf talks with Kelsey Kloss about why PR has become even more valuable in the AI era—and how healthcare brands can use earned media, press releases, and digital PR to influence what AI says about them.

In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf talks with Krista Robertson and Ben Cash about why healthcare RFPs so often frustrate both clients and agencies—and what health systems can do to make the process more strategic, more human, and more effective.

In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf talks with Sean Young, former CMO of Penn State Health, about why healthcare marketing remains misunderstood in many organizations—and what marketing leaders can do to build C-suite trust, use data more effectively, and shape strategy at the highest level.

AI is rapidly reshaping healthcare marketing—but success depends on using it to solve real consumer problems. In this episode of the Healthcare Success Podcast, Stewart Gandolf speaks with Sandra Mackey, Chief Marketing Officer of Bon Secours Mercy Health, about how her team is integrating AI into its broader marketing strategy to reduce friction in the patient journey and improve access to care. Sandra shares how their conversational AI platform helps guide consumers to the right provider at the right time, why AI must be embedded within the overall marketing ecosystem rather than treated as a standalone tool, and how healthcare organizations can balance innovation with trust, governance, and patient privacy.

Air quality is an often-overlooked factor that can significantly impact patient outcomes. In this episode of the Healthcare Success Podcast, Stewart Gandolf speaks with Katy Worrilow, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of LifeAire Systems, about how unexplained fluctuations in IVF pregnancy rates led to the discovery that airborne contaminants were affecting embryo viability. Katy explains how this insight led to the development of a technology designed to destroy airborne pathogens rather than simply capture them—an innovation now being used in IVF labs, operating rooms, NICUs, senior living communities, and other healthcare environments.

How can healthcare practices use video not just for marketing—but to drive consistency, efficiency, and higher patient conversion? In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Dr. Steve Moravec, Orthodontist at Moravec Ortho (Plainfield, IL), and Carol Gifford, Co-Founder of Docs on Video, to explore how thoughtfully planned video content can transform patient education, streamline staff workflows, and significantly improve case acceptance.

When does a healthcare app actually improve patient experience—and when is it a costly distraction? In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Erin Rollenhagen, Founder of People-Friendly Tech, to explore how healthcare organizations can decide whether to build an app, what it should do, and how to design it so patients actually want to use it—especially in high-stress healthcare moments.

In this week’s podcast, I sit down with Matthew Pinzur, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Jackson Health System, to explore how a large public health system aligns mission, operations, and marketing through disciplined planning, measurable accountability, and data-driven patient engagement. Jackson is a rare organization with a dual identity: it’s both Miami-Dade County’s safety net hospital system, providing the same level of care regardless of insurance status, and South Florida’s primary academic medical center, powered by its partnership with the University of Miami. That combination shapes everything—from brand strategy to growth priorities—because the high-margin, highly differentiated services help fund the mission-driven work that serves everyone.

In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Duane Forrester—renowned search and AI discovery strategist, author of The Machine Layer, and former Microsoft leader behind Bing Webmaster Tools and Schema.org—alongside Brandon Schakola, Senior Director of Digital Services at Healthcare Success. Together, they unpack what “AI visibility” really means, why traditional SEO metrics are no longer enough, and how healthcare organizations must rethink discovery as AI systems increasingly summarize, cite and answer on behalf of brands.

What does real innovation in healthcare actually look like—beyond buzzwords and recycled ideas? In this episode, Stewart Gandolf speaks with Bobak Salehi of Biotronik about how meaningful innovation starts by asking better questions, deliberately doing what others aren’t, and iterating quickly. Through memorable case studies—from a human-powered aircraft to a violin built from a medical device—Bobak shares practical lessons healthcare leaders can apply to marketing, product strategy, and engagement, including how AI can act as a powerful creative partner without replacing human judgment.

When does a healthcare app actually improve patient experience—and when is it a costly distraction? In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Erin Rollenhagen, Founder of People-Friendly Tech, to explore how healthcare organizations can decide whether to build an app, what it should do, and how to design it so patients actually want to use it—especially in high-stress healthcare moments.

Why should healthcare organizations prioritize specialist agencies—and what can they borrow from specialization to grow faster themselves? In this week’s podcast, I sit down with Corey Quinn, President & CEO at Corey Quinn, Inc. to explore why specialization is more than a preference—it’s a practical strategy for reducing risk, accelerating results, and building durable marketing partnerships in healthcare.

For years, I’ve had the privilege of calling Dr. Michael Leon both a close friend and a professional collaborator on some of the most fascinating brain-and-behavior science I’ve ever encountered. In this episode of the Healthcare Success podcast, we dig into what might be one of his most exciting contributions yet: how a simple, consumer-friendly device on your nightstand could dramatically improve memory and support better brain health while you sleep.

What happens when your healthcare marketing succeeds, but your teams aren’t trained or scaled to keep up with patient demand? In this episode, I sit down with Aqeel Shahid from IntelePeer to explore how healthcare leaders are using AI phone agents to improve access, reduce staff strain and modernize the patient experience.

New Insights from gSight’s 10-year, 400,000-survey dataset on real visitor journeys reveal how AI is changing everything for hospital and health system websites. In this week’s podcast, I sit down with my friends Mike Schneider, VP and Co-Founder at Greystone.Net, and Rob Klein, Founder & CEO of Klein & Partners—the co-founders of gSight™, a healthcare website visitor feedback and insights platform.

How can hospitals and health systems use podcasts to humanize their brand, showcase provider expertise, build trust, engage communities and maximize content ROI? In this episode, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Bill Klaproth to explore the strategic value of podcasts for healthcare organizations.

Healthcare CEO Vasanta Pundarika shares how behavioral health and women's health organizations can scale effectively while maintaining clinical mission and patient trust.

In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf picks the brain of Michael Baer, a fractional CMO who’s added value to healthcare organizations. Learn what he means by “stratecution” and why it’s a crucial concept for successful marketers.

Explore how doctors can take advantage of free and low-cost marketing strategies with tips from Stewart Gandolf, CEO, and Kathy Gaughran, Senior Marketing Strategist, at Healthcare Success.

In this episode of the Healthcare Success Podcast, Stewart Gandolf talks with Leah Binder, President & CEO of The Leapfrog Group, about the real drivers of hospital safety today—and why some organizations consistently outperform when patients’ lives are on the line. Drawing on Leapfrog’s long history of measuring safety and Leah’s candid insights from decades of conversations with hospital leaders, they unpack what’s finally improving, what still isn’t, and the leadership and cultural behaviors that reliably signal a safer hospital.

In this episode, I sit down with Justin Gardner, Founder and CMO of Active Skin Repair, to discuss what it takes to launch a successful healthcare consumer product in a saturated market. Justin and I explore market differentiation, influencer marketing, omnichannel growth, and how to future-proof your brand in a fast-changing digital landscape. Code HEALTHCARE is now live for 25% off: https://shop.bldgactive.com/discount/HEALTHCARE.

Lost in Translation? How to Ensure Your Healthcare Marketing Team Speaks the Same Language as Your Leadership with Alan Shoebridge, Associate Vice President of National Communication at Providence How can healthcare leaders and marketers communicate more clearly, align teams, and build trust across such a complex industry? In this episode, Stewart Gandolf talks with Alan Shoebridge (Providence) about why getting the language right. Terms like length of stay, payer mix, and no margin, no mission, isn’t academic. It’s operational. Clear, shared terminology helps leaders make better decisions, bridge marketing–clinical gaps, and protect budgets, results, and careers.

How can health systems expand access, improve quality, and reduce costs at the same time? In this episode, Stewart Gandolf talks with Dr. Lyle Berkowitz, Founder and Executive Chairman of KeyCare, about building a national “virtualist” medical group on Epic, aligning incentives for physicians, and using AI to amplify, not replace, clinical care.

What does it take to truly win the hearts and minds of healthcare professionals in an increasingly complex industry? In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Ajoy Mahtab, Founder and Partner at Strategility Consulting, to explore how genuine curiosity, empathy and purpose can transform healthcare sales and marketing.

Hosted by Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD)

From AI Overviews to zero-click search and plummeting site analytics, hospital marketers are struggling with a new digital reality. Google’s latest AI-powered features and rival platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude have upended SEO strategy, with some hospitals losing up to 50 percent of their web traffic overnight. How do you ensure your organization shows up, stands out, and stays trusted in this rapidly evolving search landscape?

How can marketing, innovation, and AI transform patient care while supporting the unique mission of an academic medical center? Ahead of his keynote presentation at the Healthcare Interactive Conference (HCIC) in Las Vegas, David Feinberg, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and Dean for Marketing and Communications at the prestigious Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, joins Stewart to explore how healthcare marketing strategies, AI tools, and innovation intersect to improve patient experiences and operational efficiency.

How can healthcare leaders address burnout while driving operational efficiency and scalable growth? In this week’s podcast, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Edisa Shirley, Chief Mental Health Officer at ClinicMind, to explore the intersection of mental health, leadership, and operational efficiency in modern healthcare practices. Together, they discuss the systemic challenges of provider burnout, strategies to improve EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), and the future of scalable, technology-enabled healthcare.

How can healthcare leaders and marketers build trust and meaningful connections with rare disease patients and caregivers? In this week's episode, I sit down with Sugata Biswas, Co-Founder & Managing Principal, and Emily Anderson, Associate Director of Patient-Centered Research at Cadence Communications & Research, to explore their human-centered approach to rare disease research and patient engagement. This episode is packed with insights on patient-first research, authentic social media strategies, and lessons that can be applied across rare and mainstream healthcare markets.

What does it take for healthcare leaders to market stigmatized services with trust, transparency, and measurable results? In this week’s episode, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Neil Walker, VP of Growth at Oar Health, to explore strategies to effectively market telehealth services for stigmatized healthcare conditions (e.g., alcohol use disorder and erectile dysfunction). They discuss building credibility, reducing stigma, leveraging behavioral insights, and optimizing campaigns for engagement and retention.

How can healthcare systems use storytelling to cut through the noise and build real patient connections amid a push for AI-driven, digital-first marketing? In this week's episode, Stewart Gandolf sits down with Skip Hidlay, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, to discuss how storytelling, search and smart use of AI are transforming healthcare marketing.

How can healthcare organizations authentically showcase their employee experience online to attract top talent in a competitive market? In my latest podcast, I sit down with Cynthia Newton, President and Founder of Cynthia Newton Consulting and a healthcare brand strategist with 25+ years of experience. Cynthia has earned an excellent reputation helping health systems manage and scale both patient and employee reviews. In this episode, we explore what today’s job candidates really see when they search for employment opportunities. She reveals telling gaps between accolades and actual employee experience.

How is AI transforming healthcare marketing, and what can leaders expect at HCIC 2025? Healthcare marketing is evolving at a breakneck speed. From AI reshaping SEO to new expectations for patient engagement, leaders face both challenges and opportunities. To get a preview of what’s ahead, and what the big conversations will be at this year’s Healthcare Interactive Conference (HCIC.Net), I spoke with my friends Kathy Divis and Mike Schneider, Presidents of Greystone.Net and producers of HCIC 2025.