Hunter Ambrose Leadership Podcast

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Nicole Barbano, CEO at Hunter Ambrose International, sits down with Dr. Xavier Clark to talk about leadership, communication, workplace culture, and what it will take to build healthier organizations in a post-COVID world.Dr. Clark brings a rare perspective shaped by federal leadership, organizational strategy, accessibility, and higher education. This conversation explores why so many workplaces confuse talent problems with culture problems, why communication must become a hard skill, and how leaders can create stronger, more honest relationships with their teams.This conversation explores:• Why organizations often avoid the hard conversations that actually improve culture• How communication failures quietly damage teams, trust, and retention• What leaders miss when they see resumes instead of people• Why burnout, urgency, and weak boundaries are still shaping workplace behavior• How portfolio careers, outside interests, and human-centered leadership can make professionals stronger at work• The questions leaders should ask themselves to become better in 2026If you are hiring, leading, or rethinking how work should function, this episode offers a thoughtful and timely perspective.LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drxavierclark/Sponsor: HackedCV.aiYour resume is broken. They know how to fix it.Save 10% with promo code HUNTERAMBROSEhttps://HackedCV.aiTo learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailHunter Ambrose Podcast | A Conversation with Stephen Roose, Co-Founder of Savva.aiIn this episode, I sit down with Stephen Roose, Co-Founder of Savva.ai, to talk about a new chapter in how we understand our health.Savva takes the fragmented pieces of your medical life—records, labs, medications, specialist notes, wearables, fitness data—and brings them together in one place. Then, instead of relying on a single model, Savva uses multiple leading AI systems to give you clearer, more comprehensive insights.This conversation explores:• How your entire health story becomes visible when everything is connected• Why comparing perspectives across multiple AI models matters• The gap between what patients are given today vs. what they actually need• How AI can support better decisions, better care, and better long-term outcomes• What’s coming next as Savva opens its beta to early adoptersIf your goal is to take control of your health with clarity and confidence, this episode gives you the roadmap.Join the Savva.ai Betahttps://savva.ai/Sponsor: HackedCV.aiYour resume is broken. They know how to fix it.Save 10% with promo code HUNTERAMBROSEhttps://HackedCV.aiExecutive search, leadership hiring, and strategic advisory:  https://www.hunterambrose.com/To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Hunter Ambrose Podcast, Nicole Barbano, CEO of Hunter Ambrose, is joined by co-host Robert Cavagnol, MD, MHA, FACS, for a compelling conversation with Eric Collett, CEO, and Randy Vawdrey, FNP-C, AANP, founders of A Mind For All Seasons — a company dedicated to transforming brain health, cognitive performance, and dementia care.With decades of leadership and clinical experience, Eric and Randy share how personalized, preventative brain health strategies can dramatically improve quality of life at every stage.They discuss:◼️ Why brain health should be treated as proactively as physical health◼️ How A Mind For All Seasons personalizes care for cognitive decline and dementia◼️ The role of lifestyle, environment, and engagement in cognitive longevity◼️ Common misconceptions about dementia and brain aging◼️ What individuals, families, and organizations can do now to protect and enhance brain function🔗 Learn More & ConnectA Mind For All Seasons: https://amindforallseasons.com/Robert Cavagnol on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcavagnol/To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailAs President of St. Luke's North and Critical Access Region, in Kansas City, Missouri, Darren leads both urban hospitals and rural facilities in towns of 9,000 people. He's raised $43 million to build a hospital, navigated government shutdowns, and he's watching AI transform healthcare in real-time.In this conversation, Darren shares what separates thriving hospitals from struggling ones. Why every employee should understand the revenue cycle. How to build Community Advisory Boards that work. This is straight talk about healthcare leadership, what's working, and what needs to change.Connect with Darren Bass: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-bass-dpt-fache-13128732/To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of The Hunter Ambrose Podcast, host Nicole Barbano speaks with Colin Carmody, a business advisor with The Alternative Board – South Africa.Colin works with business owners and leadership teams to move from chaos to clarity—helping them build companies that work for them, not against them. He empowers leaders to improve their business and change their lives.Nicole and Colin explore what makes small- and mid-sized businesses succeed, how leadership mindset influences results, and why accountability is the missing link between vision and execution.Colin’s Profilelinkedin.com/in/colincarmodyWebsitethealternativeboard.za.com/ (Company)To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailArvita Tripati has guided multiple AI-powered medical devices through FDA clearance, including mobile EKG analysis and COVID testing systems. She's contributed to $2B+ in enterprise healthcare revenue with organizations like NHS, Gilead, and American Red Cross.In this episode, Arvita shares insights on navigating FDA regulatory pathways, the distinction between customer pain points and market demand, and emerging healthcare challenges, including Candida auris—a drug-resistant fungus spreading in hospitals.Key topics: FDA review strategies, positioning products for enterprise buyers, understanding willingness to pay, and underserved therapeutic areas.Connect with Arvita: Vahana Labs AI - https://vahanalabs.ai/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/atripati/ https://vahanalabs.ai/Learn more about Candida auris: https://www.cdc.gov/candida-auris/index.htmlTo learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a physician-executive and former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander sits down with the founder of a national executive search firm with two decades of experience in rural healthcare? You get a raw, data-driven conversation about what’s working, what’s failing, and what’s next for American medicine.In this episode of The Hunter Ambrose Podcast, Nicole Barbano and Robert Cavagnol, MD, MHA, FACS break down the future of healthcare—rural and urban alike—with clarity and candor. They cover:A reality-based SWOT analysis of U.S. healthcare—strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threatsThe $10 billion Rural Health Transformation program and how hospitals can make smart, sustainable investmentsHow AI can improve outcomes, documentation, and physician efficiency—without replacing cliniciansThe limitations of patient satisfaction scores and what the data actually revealsWhy end-of-life care needs a complete redesign, including earlier palliative care integrationCritical access hospital sustainability and how to decide when to sunset key servicesGuest:Robert Cavagnol, MD, MHA, FACS — physician executive and former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander.Connect with Dr. Cavagnol on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robertcavagnolHost:Nicole Barbano — Founder of Hunter Ambrose International, an executive search and leadership advisory firm specializing in healthcare, utilities, and infrastructure.Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicolebarbanoListen, reflect, and share.If this episode challenged how you think about healthcare, leadership, or AI—share it with a colleague and leave a quick rating to help other leaders find the show.To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailYour job search begins with you. Join executive coach and founder Nicole Barbano as she explores the 4Fs Framework—First, Fitness, Finances, and Family—to help you take control of your career and land your next role with clarity and confidence.To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailIn this special episode, Three Voices – One Calling, we share the powerful and personal stories of leadership from Helen Morrison, Leslie Mahoney, and Nicole Thorell.Though their paths differ, these three RN leaders share a common purpose—and their stories offer insight, clarity, and inspiration for anyone navigating leadership today.To register for the RN Leader Ascent Masterclass starting July 8th, visit nicolebarbano.com. Seats are limitedTo learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailWhat questions should healthcare leaders really be asking? Andrew Manzer, a Hospital executive and Fordham University faculty member, joins us to discuss leading through complexity, transforming systems, and the mindset today’s healthcare executives need. To connect with Andy- https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-manzer-1b21477/To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailNicole sits down with Kyle Kellum, CEO of Melham Memorial—a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital—to talk rural healthcare, leadership, and why psychological safety at work matters. From his start in radiology to the C-suite, Kyle shares real-world strategies for patient care, recruitment, and helping rural hospitals catch up to urban models. This one’s for anyone ready to rethink healthcare leadership. To learn more about Melham Memorial - https://www.melham.org/To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Hunter Ambrose Podcast, Nicole Barbano speaks with Leslie Mahoney, RN, about her 50-year nursing journey—from a Catholic hospital in the 1960s to hospice care today. They explore the evolution of nursing, ICU leadership, onboarding, and the importance of preventative care. Leslie shares powerful stories on navigating hospital policies, budgets before Excel, and patient advocacy. To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailIn this Hunter Ambrose podcast, host Nicole Barbano interviews Joel Metzger, General Manager of Utica Water and Power Authority in California. Joel traces his journey from journalism to managing a historic Sierra Nevada water system, addressing infrastructure, wildfires, regulations, and California’s water future. He shares insights on risk management, recycling, and bold sustainability policies amid climate change. Tune in for innovative solutions driving water resilience in this concise, impactful conversation.Leadership and Water Management with Joel MetzgerUtica Water and Power Authority https://www.uticawater.com/To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailNicole sits down with Holly Tavernier, CHRO at Lower Umpqua Hospital on the Oregon Coast. As a legacy client at Hunter Ambrose,  Holly shares insights with Nicole on what drives successful, often innovative recruitment and top-tier HR practices tailored to rural America.To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Hunter Ambrose Podcast, host Nicole Barbano is joined by Doug Morse, a seasoned healthcare executive and founder of Rural Zealot, to discuss the unique challenges and strategies for rural healthcare. Doug shares his perspective on creating sustainable healthcare models, the critical role of economic development, and the need for strategic clarity amid community and financial pressures. They delve into the influence of local culture, the impact of Medicare Advantage, and the essential skills rural CEOs need to build a resilient healthcare system. A must-listen for anyone committed to the future of rural healthcare!To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com