Making Healthcare Sustainable

Healthcare feels impossible to navigate when it matters most. Even doctors struggle to find the right care. In this episode of Making Healthcare Sustainable, Nancy Ryerson speaks with Grant Zarzour, MD, orthopedic surgeon and Lantern Medical Advisory Board member, on what actually drives better surgical outcomes. He shares how volume shapes results, why appropriateness comes first, and what faster recovery really looks like. In this episode, you'll learn:Why high surgical volume leads to better outcomes and faster recoveryHow to guide members to the right procedure and avoid unnecessary surgeryWhat quality really means beyond reputation and referrals Highlights:(00:00) Meet Dr. Grant Zarzour(02:18) Navigating healthcare during a family crisis(05:01) Partial vs total knee replacement decision(08:41) Why appropriateness matters before surgery(13:13) How to define quality in surgery(14:30) What patient-reported outcomes reveal(15:22) Coaching patients through recovery(16:26) What great post-op care looks like(20:17) What is driving faster surgical recovery(23:35) GLP one drugs and the real tradeoffs(26:45) Breaking sugar habits and spikes(31:59) Why prevention still gets overlooked(36:43) Why personalized care plans matter(37:33) What the future of healthcare looks likeResources:Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/Dr. Grant Zarzour’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantzarzour/

Healthcare costs are rising, especially for cancer, but there’s a better way to provide care that’s both affordable and effective.In this episode of Making Healthcare Sustainable, host Nancy Ryerson talks with Dr. Troyen Brennan, a healthcare expert, about the high costs of cancer care and specialty treatments. Dr. Brennan explains how a shift to value-based care can help reduce costs while improving patient outcomes. He also shares simple ways that employers and healthcare leaders can make care more affordable and effective for everyone.In this episode, you'll learn:How high costs in cancer and specialty care are impacting healthcareWhy switching to value-based care can lower costs and improve careEasy steps for employers to make healthcare more affordable and efficientHighlights:(00:00) Meet Dr. Troyen Brennan(01:58) The impact of Medicare prior authorization on costs(03:40) Understanding provider-induced demand in healthcare(05:14) The evolution of healthcare costs(06:47) Why Dr. Brennan is focusing on cancer care(09:08) The players in pharmacy commerce and their impact(10:28) Biosimilars: Lowering costs and maintaining margins(12:02) Changing incentives in healthcare to drive value(13:06) How employers can influence healthcare costs(15:28) Community-based care vs. cancer centers(16:32) The challenge of keeping up with new therapies(19:14) The future of cancer trends and screening(20:40) Reality check: The effectiveness of wellness programs(22:44) One key move for benefits leaders to improve care(23:34) A look ahead: The future of healthcare costsResources:Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/Dr. Troyen Brennan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyen-brennan-494bb533/ Dr. Troyen Brennan’s Email: [email protected]

Data and AI are transforming how we deliver healthcare, making it smarter, more affordable, and personalized for every employee.In this episode of Making Healthcare Sustainable, host Nancy Ryerson chats with Tammy Fennessy, Senior Director of Benefits at DICK'S Sporting Goods. They talked about how data, behavioral economics, and a sharper focus on specialty care are changing healthcare benefits and how people access them and ultimately use them. Tammy shares how DICK'S has successfully reduced costs while improving employee health outcomes, focusing on the power of personalized, data-driven communication strategies. In this episode, you'll learn:How data and behavioral economics shape benefits strategyHow preventive care and better specialty care can both lower costs How AI and personalization drive employee engagement with benefitsHighlights:(00:00) Meet Tammy Fennessy(02:48) Applying behavioral economics to drive meaningful change in benefits(04:43) From the restaurant industry to benefits management (Tammy’s career path)(09:55) Challenges at DICK'S Sporting Goods and the importance of analyzing data(12:46) Utilizing data analytics and AI to improve health outcomes(22:13) Using personal employee stories to drive benefits awareness(26:05) Why preventive care is a top priority for DICK'S Sporting Goods(29:12) Integrating AI into benefits communication to enhance personalization(35:52) Interoperability and collaboration with vendors in the healthcare system(38:19) Tammy’s prediction for the future of universal healthcareResources:Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/Tammy Fennessy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-fennessy-healthequity4all/ DICK’S Sporting Goods LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dick's-sporting-goods/

Specialty care serves a small group but drives 50% of employer healthcare spend, yet many benefits leaders still overlook its value.In this episode of Making Healthcare Sustainable, Nancy Ryerson chats with Erin Tatar, SVP Consultant Relations at Lantern, about the complexities of specialty care. Erin breaks down the key components of specialty care (including plannable surgeries, cancer care, and specialty infusions), how it’s different from traditional healthcare models, and how it can be packaged to provide customers with a higher quality experience.In this episode, you'll learn:Why specialty care programs are cost-efficientThe importance of evaluating the appropriateness of care for any treatmentHow benefits leaders or employers can benefit from offering specialty care programsHighlights:(00:00) Meet Erin Tatar(01:55) What happens when the healthcare system isn’t working(05:05) Defining specialty care(07:35) Specialty care as a cost-efficient approach to health programs(08:46) Advantages of specialty care over the centers of excellence (COE) model(11:53) Why patients need specialty care programs(16:28) The challenges of transitioning from a pharmacy-first healthcare model(19:49) The importance of receiving appropriate care(24:38) Opportunities and risks in navigating specialty care(28:29) The future of specialty care programsResources:Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/Erin Tatar’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintatarLantern website: https://www.lanterncare.com 

Choosing a surgeon shouldn’t feel like guessing on Google. Yet most patients make high-stakes decisions about surgery with little visibility into what actually drives better outcomes. Star ratings and hospital billboards don’t tell you whether a procedure is appropriate, how often a surgeon performs it, or what their real complication rates look like.In this episode of Making Healthcare Sustainable, Nancy Ryerson sits down with Will Bruhn, MD, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Appropriateness Measures or GAM, to unpack what quality in healthcare really means. Will shares how misaligned incentives can lead to unnecessary procedures, why appropriateness should be the first question patients ask, and how transparent data can help employers steer members toward better care.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why appropriateness of care matters as much as outcomesHow to evaluate surgeons beyond online reviews and hospital rankingsWhy there is no consistent link between higher cost and higher qualityHighlights:(00:00) Meet Will Bruhn(01:52) Innovations in network design for specialty care(03:00) Why a metric for appropriateness of care matters(05:17) The biggest misconception about healthcare quality(07:28) What finding quality care looks like today(13:20) Why some procedures happen even when they’re not appropriate(17:06) Real-world factors that affect appropriateness scores20:52) The myth that higher cost equals higher quality(22:04) The complexities of billing specialty care(24:15) Centers of excellence vs. networks of excellence(27:14) The quality transparency revolutionResources:Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/Will Bruhn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-bruhn-md/GAM website: http://www.gameasures.com

Cancer care is one of the most complex and expensive parts of employee healthcare. Decisions are made quickly, often before patients understand their options.In this episode, Nancy Ryerson speaks with Yousuf Zafar, MD, MHS, Chief Medical Officer at AccessHope, about where cancer care breaks down and what actually changes outcomes. They explore why even experienced oncologists struggle to stay current, why patients rarely seek out second opinions, and how access to subspecialty expertise can improve care without forcing employees to travel.In this episode, you'll learn:Why many patients never receive subspecialty inputThe role expert review plays without disrupting local careThe connection between better care decisions and long-term cost controlHighlights:(00:00) Meet Yousuf Zafar(01:19) What happens when expert review changes the course of cancer treatment(03:42) Why even experienced oncologists can’t keep up(05:27) Community oncology vs. academic cancer centers(07:39) How patients choose care right after diagnosis(08:05) Bringing subspecialty expertise to local cancer care(10:27) Why second opinions rarely happen(12:15) What’s really driving rising cancer costs(18:05) How better care can lower long-term costs(34:40) Advice for benefits leaders navigating cancer careResources:Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/Yousuf Zafar’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousufzafar/ AccessHope’s website: https://www.myaccesshope.org/

Rising medical costs and mounting pressure on benefits leaders to do more with less have made employee healthcare more complex than ever before.Lantern presents Making Healthcare Sustainable, a show and media experience that puts the spotlight on high-cost problems and life-changing solutions in specialty care.In each episode, host Nancy Ryerson speaks to medical experts and changemakers who are witnessing the impact of better, more accessible healthcare on a small part of the population that represents a significant portion of employee healthcare spending. Through real-life stories and expert insight, this podcast explores an ideal system that delivers better care sustainably. Because when healthcare works better, everyone wins. Join the movement on Making Healthcare Sustainable.