Working Healthcare

What if the real problem isn’t that women “can’t handle it,” but that the system never considered them in the first place? On this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh sits down with leadership coach and former chief people officer Sadie Wackett. She spent decades as the only woman at the table in male-dominated industries. Drawing from her experience navigating IVF, international relocation and executive life in Palm Beach, Sadie explains how “good girl” conditioning, perfectionism and people-pleasing quietly burn women out, even as the workplace rewards them for shrinking into the role. That pattern is costly. Together, Meredith and Sadie examine why so many high-achieving women feel numb, exhausted or as if they’re living someone else’s life. They also discuss what it takes to rewrite that script without blowing up a career. If nearly half of women report burnout, we need to stop treating it as a self-care problem and start recognizing it as a workforce and mental health crisis hiding in plain sight.Trying harder is not the answer. Press play to hear what can actually help high-achieving women in healthcare lead, thrive and stay in the work they care about.Contact Sadie:Website: sadiewackett.comFacebook: @Sadie WackettInstagram: @sadiewackettLinkedIn: /sadie-wackettContact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

What happens when two physical therapists sitting on their couch realize the entire delivery model for their profession is broken? On Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh talks with Ashok Gupta, Doctor of Physical Therapy and founder of TheraNow, about building a virtual physical therapy platform that now serves major hospital systems across the country. Ashok traces the journey from a website launch that drew zero visitors to a pivotal moment treating a hospital CEO recovering from hip replacement surgery — and how that single patient relationship changed everything. They dig into the economics of PT reimbursement, the PTA staffing debate, rural access failures and what a CMS innovation initiative is finally doing to kill the clipboard. The real question Ashok raises isn't whether telehealth works — it's why a system with the tools to change keeps choosing not to.Contact Ashok Gupta:Website: theranow.com Facebook: @theranow Instagram: @theranow101 X: @realtheranow YouTube: @theranow-therapistondemand4024LinkedIn: /dr-ashok-gupta-dptContact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Is private equity helping physician practices survive or quietly redefining the future of independent medicine? Host Meredith Hirsh sits down in her Delray Beach podcast studio with Anna Sobkiv, Executive Director, Healthcare Services, J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking, to examine one of the biggest forces reshaping healthcare today. Anna draws on her experience advising physicians and healthcare businesses on growth, acquisition and succession planning to explain why private equity keeps accelerating and why certain specialties attract so much investor interest. She also breaks down what these deals can mean for physician ownership, practice autonomy and the long-term sustainability of independent medicine. She reflects on building a career in healthcare finance and advising clients at the highest levels of banking in a field where women remain underrepresented. Listen now for a sharp conversation about private equity, physician practice ownership and the future of healthcare.Contact Anna Sobkiv at:Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-sobkiv-mba-3697952aContact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

What separates an entrepreneur from a CEO, and why does that distinction matter in healthcare today? Host Meredith Hirsh talks with RCG Intel co-founder and CEO Joe Luminiello about how leadership must evolve as healthcare companies grow and scale. With more than four decades of biopharma experience, Joe explores the tension between vision and execution, the difference between authority and power, and the risks of misaligned leadership in scaling organizations. The conversation reveals how strategy, culture and decision-making influence outcomes across the healthcare system at a time of relentless change. Listen now for Joe’s sharp perspective on leadership, longevity and scaling success in healthcare.Contact Joe Luminiello at:Website: https://rcgintel.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeluminiello/Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Question why prevention keeps losing to profit in American healthcare. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Dr. Maryna Yudina to explore how her journey from Ukraine to the United States shaped the way she sees cost, incentives and value in medicine. Now working in preventive brain health and neurofeedback, Maryna shares where the U.S. gets it right, where it fails patients and why the system so often waits for crisis before it acts. Hear her perspective on delayed intervention, rising costs and the business forces shaping care. Tune in to learn what American healthcare truly rewards and what must happen if prevention is ever going to win.Contact Dr. Maryna Yudina at: Website: qss.rocks Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-maryna-yudina-bb843643/Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Step into one of healthcare’s most expensive blind spots: the patients who quietly fall out of care while busy practices struggle to keep up. On this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh talks with Paul Harris about what happens when missed follow-up, broken workflows and weak reactivation systems go unchecked. What looks like a scheduling problem is often something far more serious — delayed treatment, worsening outcomes and patients slipping through the cracks in plain sight. With a journalist’s instinct and an operator’s perspective, Paul examines the hidden failures driving care gaps across the healthcare system. The conversation digs into accountability, automation, staffing strain and the growing influence of private equity, all while practices face increasing pressure to protect revenue and still deliver truly patient-centered care. If healthcare is built to keep people healthy, why are so many patients still being lost by the very systems meant to support them? Listen now, challenge the status quo and rethink what real follow-up should look like.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Lean in and make space for this week’s Working Healthcare episode, closing out Women’s History Month for a reason. Most weeks, host Meredith Hirsh interviews guests to uncover the inner workings of the American healthcare system because we can’t fix what we don’t understand. This episode shifts format and offers a behind-the-scenes listen to the work Meredith does off-mic, where the conversation is less polished, more personal and more vulnerable. Listeners will hear Meredith’s TED Talk-style keynote from Women Shaping the Future of Healthcare, an invitation-only leadership event hosted by J.P. Morgan in Fort Lauderdale. She shares a stat that stops rooms cold: Women are 78% of the healthcare workforce, yet only 32% hold C-suite roles. Without giving away the full message, this episode confronts the gap between who does the work and who holds the power, and it challenges leaders across healthcare to move beyond encouragement into action. It is direct, honest and built for anyone who wants stronger healthcare leadership and a more equitable future. Listen now, then take one action: sponsor a woman.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Why are so many Americans sick, exhausted and trapped in a healthcare system that rewards treatment over prevention? In this thought-provoking episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Dr. Patricia Boulogne, author of Why Are You Sick, Fat and Tired?, to explore the five pillars of health and the daily habits driving chronic illness across America. A chiropractor and acupuncturist with a bold functional medicine perspective, Dr. Pat connects nutrition, stress, boundaries and lifestyle choices to both personal wellness and the deeper failures of the American healthcare system. With candor, clarity and contagious energy, she challenges listeners to question the broken model of medicine Americans have accepted for far too long and consider what real healthcare reform could look like. Rethink what health really requires and tune in to discover where prevention, wellness and lasting change begin.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Be ready to rethink how you hire, lead and retain in healthcare as Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Dan Neissany. Learn how a physical therapist turned author, healthcare business strategist and podcast co-host built a leadership framework that links accountability to culture, performance and retention. Follow Dan’s journey from patient care to advising healthcare leaders on operations, workplace culture and leadership development. Explore why many staffing and culture problems start with leadership blind spots, not external pressure, drawing on Dan’s book I’m the Problem: Take Your Leadership from Toxic to Transformative and his podcast All Things LOCS. Get practical takeaways you can use immediately, including how to delegate without confusion, protect administrative time, run stronger hiring conversations, build accountability without micromanaging and use smarter interview techniques to identify top candidates. Tune in, take notes and apply these leadership moves to build a healthier culture, hire better people and keep your best staff.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

When you find a mentor who still has more to teach than time to retire, you hit record. Host Meredith Hirsh sits down for a candid, fireside-style conversation with Charles Haberkern, CEO of Rheumatology Specialty Center in the Philadelphia area, as he shares how he builds leaders who act with confidence, own deadlines and make decisions without constant permission. He walks through practical lessons on hiring, what to do when a new hire is not who you interviewed and how consistent meetings keep teams aligned. Get smart, actionable takeaways on growth, from tightening inventory and recruiting physicians to opening new offices and shifting staff to a four-day workweek that can serve patients and teams better. They also dig into budgets, KPIs, delegation and the day-to-day systems that keep 22 providers and more than 100 employees moving in the same direction. Charles closes with his no-nonsense priorities for fixing American healthcare. Start listening now if you want to lead with more autonomy, fewer bottlenecks and faster growth.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Pull back the curtain on prior authorization and find out why it keeps derailing care. Meredith Hirsh sits down with SamaCare CEO and founder Syam Palakurthy to unpack how the process shows up in real life, from administrative overload to vague denials that strain physician autonomy and patient trust. They get into the data behind claim denials, what those numbers signal and what they still fail to capture.  Syam also gets candid about the CEO lifestyle, including the way leadership “owns you,” even when you’re trying to turn it off. He shares how his background shaped his path into healthcare tech and what it takes to keep a team aligned to mission when you can’t know every detail anymore. With two physician parents, he knows the clinical side up close, and he breaks down why clinical medicine is complex and why that complexity gets weaponized by process and paperwork. They close by zeroing in on what drives denials, whether prior auth has any legitimate purpose and what he would change in healthcare if he could pick just one lever. Because if you’ve ever read a denial after a long day, hit play, take a breath and let’s talk about what to do next. You’re not alone and it should not be this hard.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Cut through the noise and step into the real fight for patient access, where persistence and smart operations decide what care actually reaches people. In the latest Working Healthcare episode, host Meredith Hirsh speaks with Georgia Bonney, a seasoned consultant, biologic access advisor and practice manager whose work spans multiple medical specialties and nonstop change. Georgia is a first-generation college graduate whose mother was born in another country and did not drive until her 40s, a formative reality that sharpened her view of access, independence and determination. She weighs whether that influence was cultural or generational, and she explains how it shaped the optimistic, solutions-first leadership she brings to high-pressure work. Starting on the clinical side, Georgia saw the human impact up close, then pivoted into management because she knew she could drive broader, longer-lasting change. The conversation tackles prior authorizations, payer pressure and the quiet operational friction that can delay treatment, drain staff and test patients’ trust. Georgia also details how private practices protect patient-centered care while managing utilization rules, staffing burnout and financial sustainability through collaboration, cross-training and shared best practices. Press play and follow Georgia’s energized, practical strategy all the way to care that moves faster, smoother and smarter.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Listen now to understand the health care staffing shortage beyond doctors and nurses. Open roles are stacking up. Teams are stretched thin. It’s about the allied health professionals who keep care moving — EMTs, medical assistants, phlebotomists, imaging techs, respiratory therapists and more — and how their shortages are quietly straining every hallway, lab and clinic. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh talks with Van Ton-Quinlivan, founder and CEO of Futuro Health, about why these roles rarely get the spotlight even though they make up most of the healthcare workforce and are essential for diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating patients. They dig into the scale of the problem and what it really takes to stop competing for the same shrinking talent pool. Van shares the story behind the nonprofit model she designed to cut tuition debt, simplify training and create local, ready-to-hire pipelines that improve retention, equity and the patient experience. Queue it up now and rethink your workforce strategy from the ground up, with a model you can actually apply. Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Step into the gym where burnout, insurance friction and true prevention collide. In this Working Healthcare episode, host Meredith Hirsh sits down in-studio with personal trainer and entrepreneur Carolina Romero, who left Goldman Sachs, rebuilt her career and grew Fit Golfer Girl to more than 250,000 Instagram followers. Romero breaks down the real mechanics of a career change, from earning fitness certifications to building credibility one client at a time. She explains how one-on-one coaching can bridge the gap after physical therapy, improving form, consistency and confidence when patients feel stuck. The episode also tackles direct-pay healthcare-adjacent models, pricing your expertise, raising rates and the emotional whiplash of seasonality in South Florida. Meredith and Carolina get candid about millennial ambition, incentives, burnout and the fine line between being scrappy and being exploited. Take a breath, set a boundary, then make your move.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Step into the exam room where staffing shortages, soaring demand and scope-of-practice battles collide. In the latest Working Healthcare episode, host Meredith Hirsh sits down in-studio with ARNP Rachael Busch-Feuer. With a physician dad and a registered nurse mom, Rachael reveals what pulled her toward the nurse practitioner path. Then comes the surprisingly charged question: Is it advanced practice provider, mid-level, or something else entirely? Rachael breaks down how NPs and PAs are trained and how their clinical perspective can differ from physicians. She also explains why team-based care is more than a tagline, it’s a safeguard. The conversation digs into rural access pressures, scope-of-practice laws and the role of experience and oversight in patient safety. It’s a clear-eyed, thoughtful look at what collaboration can make possible in a strained healthcare system.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Step inside the playbook behind the nation’s largest independent rheumatology practice and hear what it really takes to scale while staying physician owned. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh talks with Dr. Nehad Soloman, chief medical officer and one of 14 physician-owners of Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates, about how the group grew from 10 physicians to 24 rheumatologists and more than 50 providers, becoming the largest independent rheumatology practice in America by revenue and provider size. Meredith and Nehad bring a rare, in-the-field partnership to the mic, built through shared work across the rheumatology community, including their RPPA meeting presentation in November 2025, their planned November 2026 American College of Rheumatology session on medically integrated dispensing (MID) and their roles on the House Rx Advisory Board. Together, they break down the business decisions behind multistate expansion, the strategic use of advanced practice clinicians and how medically integrated dispensing and clear bagging can protect patient access while stabilizing practice economics as margins compress. They also go straight at the operational grind most leaders avoid: workforce shortages, credentialing bottlenecks, PBMs, prior authorization and the constant pressure to consolidate. Hit play and rethink what sustainable, independent specialty care can look like.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month by learning how child trafficking can hide in plain sight throughout clinical care. In this special Working Healthcare episode, host Meredith Hirsh speaks with Love146 Chief Programs and Strategy Officer Erin Williamson, a clinical social worker with 20+ years protecting exploited children. Erin explains how trafficking shows up in everyday healthcare settings and why a medical professional may be the only safe adult a child sees that day. She unpacks how grooming has shifted online, what red flags can look like in pediatrics and the ER, and how to ask direct questions without judgment. You will also hear a clear breakdown of sex trafficking and labor trafficking, what commodification means and why support remains inconsistent across communities. Erin shares practical next steps, including when to involve a trusted colleague and how to use the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Hit play for a heart-forward look at how physicians lead, not just adapt, as healthcare consolidates. Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh sits down with cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. David Kenigsberg, who built a physician-guided cardiology practice in 2007, weighed the decision to sell to private equity and remains active in national advocacy. David explains the pressures reshaping medical practice, what it takes to run a sustainable business while protecting patient care and why physician leadership matters in the exam room, the boardroom and in Washington. He also breaks down the advocacy behind a CMS coding change implemented Jan. 1, 2026, and what physicians can do next to influence healthcare policy. Have a heart: Listen, then share and lead.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Kick off 2026 with a clear-eyed, occasionally snarky recap of what shaped healthcare in 2025 and what deserves your attention in 2026. Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh sits down again with her lifetime and business partner, Dr. Marc Hirsh, senior physician at The Hirsh Center. The dynamic duo breaks down expiring ACA enhanced subsidies, rising health insurance premiums and what patients may face as coverage gets more expensive and harder to navigate. They dig into physician burnout, healthcare consolidation and vertical integration, declining reimbursements and the administrative burden pulling clinicians away from patient care. They then explain why prior authorization is expanding, how practices are staffing to manage denials and what that means for healthcare access and quality. They close with a 2026 watch list including PBM reform, 340B scrutiny, downcoding battles and copay accumulator programs, because nothing says “new year” like a fresh round of insurance fine print. Hit play to understand what’s driving healthcare today and what to watch next.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Uncover how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) shape which medications patients can access as Meredith Hirsh sits down for an in-studio interview with independent rheumatologist Dr. Robert (Bob) Levin. In this Working Healthcare episode, Bob traces how PBMs gained power. He explains how they steer drug coverage decisions and shows how those choices ripple through exam rooms and infusion suites across the country. He breaks down the rise of alternative payment models, the squeeze on specialty medications and the mounting pressure on independent practices. He also spotlights the push for PBM reform, from Capitol Hill to state legislatures, as advocates challenge opaque pricing and demand transparency. You’ll hear why delinking pharmacy benefit manager profits from drug list prices could lower costs, expand access and improve affordability for millions of patients. Listen now, share this episode and take action for real healthcare change.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Step into the ever-changing world of healthcare as host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Lynette Byrnes, a longtime force in rheumatology operations. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Lynette explains how she helps teams tackle the day-to-day pressures of practice life and traces her path from imaging and gynecology to two decades guiding rheumatology practices. From her early involvement with the National Organization of Rheumatology Management (NORM) to helping grow United Rheumatology from a small roundtable into a national voice, Lynette breaks down why independent practices are shouldering heavier administrative burdens and what it takes to stay resilient. She also opens up about balancing motherhood, adapting through constant change and why ending prior authorization is the single move she believes could reshape American healthcare. Get ready for a direct, energizing conversation packed with real-world insight and practical takeaways.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

“Patient experience” is on every strategic plan, but Herold Figareau treats it like an operating system, not a slogan. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Herold, a former hospital concierge turned health system leader and consultant, to show how a hospitality mindset can transform care in hospitals and outpatient practices alike. They dig into hiring for attitude over experience, mentoring frontline staff and redesigning check-in and financial clearance so patients and teams face less friction. Herold reveals what health systems can steal from hotels on communication, expectation setting and service recovery, especially in complex high-volume metropolitan markets. He also explains how transparent financials and smarter scheduling help clinicians protect both margins and morale. We invite you to treat this conversation as your working blueprint for welcoming patients like guests at every touchpoint.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Alcohol use is dropping, THC products are exploding and American healthcare is not ready for what comes next. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh talks with her son, fermentation science student and winemaker Dalton Hirsh, about why wine has a long, metabolically familiar place in human history while today’s high potency cannabis poses new risks for brains, bodies and hospital systems. Dalton unpacks how policy loopholes let potent THC products flood the market, what that means for emergency rooms and mental health, and how ordinary voters can use farm bills and local regulation to push for smarter safeguards. Pour a glass and tap into a candid family conversation about cannabis culture, public health and the future of our care system.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Explore how the next generation of healthcare leaders is taking shape inside and outside the classroom. Host Meredith Hirsh and Neeraj Puro, director of health administration programs at Florida Atlantic University, dive into academic trends and shifting student expectations. They break down the gap between theory and practice, why internships and mentorships matter and how personality and problem-solving skills influence career paths. Neeraj shares his journey from Mumbai to the United States, compares the Indian and American healthcare systems and explains why independent practices need more attention in health administration programs. Drawing on years of experience in higher education, he tackles artificial intelligence in the classroom, grade inflation and the pressure to keep students engaged in an online world. Listen in to how today’s students are mapping tomorrow’s healthcare landscape.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Explore how Tara Gillespie rises from medical assistant to CEO as she leads a 17-location independent dermatology practice while staying connected to patient care. She explains how she manages acquisitions, integrates cultures across rural and metropolitan clinics, and builds scalable operations that keep her organization strong in a challenging reimbursement environment. Learn how Tara normalizes the business side of medicine to strengthen independent practices and share the strategies you can use to support your own team and community.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Tap into Working Healthcare as Meredith Hirsh discovers how Karen Ferguson turns patient stories into policy change. After decades running a rheumatology practice and analytics teams, Karen founded Our Stories Rx to collect, structure and aim patient narratives at the right policy windows. She explains how the project gathers stories and why organized evidence, not anecdotes, changes rules on prior authorizations, nonmedical switching and PBM power. And yes, in “retirement” she also teaches tap dance — because rhythm matters when you’re timing reform. Put Karen’s method to work in your clinic to capture facts, shape the narrative and move the rules. Share your story!Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Former Congressman and OB-GYN Dr. Michael Burgess joins Working Healthcare for a candid conversation about what’s really happening behind the scenes in American healthcare and what it’ll take to fix it. From ACA subsidies and Medicare reform to PBMs, 340B programs and physician-owned hospitals, Dr. Burgess shares insider insight from both the delivery room and the House floor.He and host Meredith Hirsh dive into how government shutdowns impact care, why health savings accounts (HSAs) and direct primary care models could empower patients and what needs to change to bring costs down without sacrificing access or quality. Dr. Burgess doesn’t hold back as he talks about politics, policy and the future of independent medicine in a system increasingly run by big corporations and red tape.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Cut delays on Working Healthcare as host Meredith Hirsh interviews Mallika Khandelwal to expose how prior authorization, pharmacy routing and paperwork stall specialty starts and drain teams. Raised by two physicians and accepted to medical school, Mallika kept deferring before choosing the business side to make a bigger impact. She charts the path from Wall Street to clinic operations and why she founded Squad Health to help specialty practices. Mallika breaks down prescription navigation end to end and shows where faxes, portals and payer-preferred pharmacies trip up starts. With pragmatic tech plus human navigators, she shortens time to therapy, reduces abandonment and eases clinic workload while tackling the $100 billion patients pay out of pocket. Tune in to streamline access, lighten clinic workloads and accelerate therapy starts. Create change!Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

In this Working Healthcare episode, Meredith Hirsh teams up with Ginger Allen, a powerhouse leader redefining physician advocacy, healthcare leadership and medical alliances. Together they flip advocacy from afterthought to engine as Ginger declares 2026 the year clinicians stop burning out and start owning the business of medicine. Forget the 1926 “doctor’s wife” — Ginger is a career-minded builder rebooting state medical alliances with real programs for real dual-career families. She breaks down how state and national alliances divide the work, turn relationships into results and back local wins with dollars and data. Expect a blunt playbook on growing membership with purpose, courting sponsors without selling out and giving $500 to your PAC—because a seat at the table beats being on the menu. If you’re a healthcare professional, physician leader or policy advocate, this episode is your blueprint to move policy faster and reclaim power in modern medicine. Girl Power!Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Start fixing claim denials now on Working Healthcare as Meredith Hirsh presses Corey Feldman to show how they choke care and crush margins. After a medical billing nightmare left his family with nearly $1 million in charges, this solutions-driven entrepreneur and podcaster founded Protego Health and built AI workflows that help billing teams prevent denials and win appeals. Corey opens the payment integrity black box and pinpoints where insurers exploit process gaps. Use his tactics to tighten documentation, speed appeals and turn more claims into payments. Fix the process!Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, and this episode sprints past the hype to arm you with clear, actionable guidance on Medicare Advantage. Listen to the latest Working Healthcare episode when Meredith Hirsh sits down with fierce patient advocate and practice administrator Jaime Fiore to dissect glossy extras, narrow networks and the real-world grind of prior authorization denials that can delay drugs, derail surgeries and drain patience. We compare “free” vision and dental promises with the realities of formularies, risk scores and midyear plan changes, then map out what to do if you picked the wrong plan and how switching to Medigap really works. You’ll hear vivid exam-room stories, a one-minute policy fix wish list and a practical script for choosing Traditional Medicare when that’s the safer path. Whether you’re enrolling for yourself, guiding patients or helping someone you love, this fast, frank rundown helps you prepare questions for brokers, push back on denials and avoid costly surprises. Tune in for a smart checklist of must-ask questions, a lightning round that demystifies jargon and a pep talk that restores your confidence during the most marketed season in health care. Get ready to compare coverage with eyes wide open so you can pick a plan that protects healthcare care when it counts.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Grab a coffee or tequila, whichever suits your mood and the time of day, to join Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh in a sit-down interview with Memorial Regional Healthcare vascular surgeon and longtime leader in organized medicine, Dr. Arthur Palamara. The episode starts where we typically finish, posing our final question: If you could create one change in our American healthcare system, what would it be? We unpack how prior authorizations, narrow networks, step therapy and portal ping-pong drain time and delay care. Arthur traces what has shifted across five decades, from simpler benefits to today’s dense playbook, and names practical fixes he’d implement tomorrow, including smarter oversight and less punitive red tape. Arthur bestows his knowledge about Florida Blue and how it impacts patients and physicians. From Medicare Advantage’s growing footprint to the paperwork headache that keeps surgeons up late, we press for one change patients would feel right away. Be inspired!Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Join Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh for a high-velocity conversation with Elizabeth Chabe, CEO of High Touch Group and author of The Giant’s Ladder. With venture capital cooling and NIH funding uncertain, the episode maps how life sciences and diagnostics startups prove value fast without burning cash. Elizabeth breaks down the rare disease diagnostic odyssey and argues for incentives that reward earlier, accurate detection. You’ll get pragmatic go-to-market tactics for regulated launches—what evidence to build first, where to find real partners and how to earn a hospital pilot. Because investors need guardrails, the discussion lays out due diligence questions to fund genuine breakthroughs instead of the next Theranos. Along the way, the conversation navigates science storytelling mistakes, physician-founder paths and budget-smart ways to keep timelines realistic. Cue this episode to learn how to craft credible stories, win smart capital and bring trustworthy diagnostics to patients faster. Be innovative!Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Step into a candid conversation with Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh and Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine Professor and Chair Dr. Allison Ferris.  From swelling Match classes to record debt, this episode asks whether a bigger training pipeline means truly practice-ready physicians. Should elite undergrads chase finance while medicine loses talent, or are admissions still rewarding the right qualities to shape tomorrow’s internists? Allison digs into moonlighting realities, six-figure loans and how those pressures steer specialties, training and well-being. Get practical advice from a residency program director on what predicts readiness, how to teach differently and whether July is really as risky as the jokes suggest. Press play to learn what it will take to graduate doctors who are ready on day one. Scrub in and listen! Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Press play as Jon Hickman tells Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh how juggling school and college athletics forged his leadership style. Follow Jon's path from all-conference track and field star and college football player to a 16-year career at Walgreens, where he built a foundation in patient care and executive management. Jon’s willingness to always raise his hand for new opportunities propelled him into Big Pharma, with impactful roles at AstraZeneca and now Genentech. Hear his perspective on why Genentech stands out in supporting uninsured and underinsured patients, challenging the common narrative around pharmaceutical companies. Explore timely issues like 340B pricing, the urgent need for PBM reform, and how pharmacy services can expand to better serve diverse communities. Gain insight into the crucial work of the Board of Pharmacy, where Jon helps shape regulatory policy as one of nine key decision-makers. Join us as we celebrate the lessons of team sports, the passion behind pharmacy careers and the bold actions driving healthcare forward. Kick off now!While Jon Hickman is on the Florida Board of Pharmacy and employed by a pharmaceutical company, the opinions expressed in this episode are his own.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Get the inside story as Meredith Hirsh sits down one-on-one with Fran Nachlas, a surgical nurse turned Boca Raton deputy mayor and current mayoral candidate, to explore how local leadership drives community health. Drawing on nearly 30 years in operating rooms, first on the floor then in leadership, Fran brings an outcome-first approach to city problem solving. She brings relentless energy, from seven Boston Marathons and three Ironman finishes to riding all 84 miles of Boca Raton’s bike map to engage residents block by block. Together they connect city decisions to public health, including clean water, storm preparation, EMS response times, parks and safe streets, protected bike lanes, zoning that welcomes clinics and life science jobs, and housing that lets caregivers live near the people they serve. If you care about how government meets real life, this conversation is for you. This is our moment! Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Join Working Healthcare’s Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez as they confront the drastic drop in physician-owned practices and the consolidation that drives costs higher. Meet revenue-cycle rebel Preston Alexander, founder of Forward Slash / Health and author of the “Healthcare Breakdown” newsletter, who dubs himself the “Taylor Swift of LinkedIn healthcare writing.” He argues progress comes from three bold levers: legislation; direct-pay and membership models that bypass middlemen. Preston hammers succession planning, warning that without affordable junior partner buy-ins, independence dies with founders. Meredith and Mike press on practical education, asking where the business of medicine fits in packed curricula and how to track the earliest cash-flow vital signs before a clinic suffocates. Find out which specialty is at the lowest percentage and which reigns the ruler of independent medicine and why. What are the first questions to ask when private equity flashes a fat check. Listen, question and act to reclaim the craft of medicine.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Hit play to hear how a rock-and-roll project manager became the founder trying to fix everyday healthcare chaos. Join Working Healthcare’s Meredith Hirsh as Steve Lewis recounts Bowe’s premature arrival at 34 weeks and the binder that sparked Nabu, a patient-controlled record built to unite scattered data. We dig into why 80% of information is forgotten between the exam room and the parking lot and how that fog fuels 1.5 million ER visits a year for medication-related injuries. Steve explains how Nabu’s early pilots in Australia help families coordinate care across clinicians, crises and borders while keeping privacy at the center. You’ll also hear why he believes American incentives still power health care innovation and where AI can finally connect the dots for caregivers who spend endless hours a week coordinating care and say paperwork and portal hopping is their top stressor. From working with entertainment legends Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz and Tony Hawk to building tools for patients and parents, Steve brings candid lessons, setbacks and hope. Take action for the people you care for—listen, learn and share this Working Healthcare episode.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Tune into this episode of Working Healthcare to learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could reshape rural health care as Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez interview policy leader Carly Salamone. With a dozen years in rural hospital care, Carly is now President of Vantage Healthcare of Ohio where is leads policy for several member hospitals. She breaks down the bill’s proposals, its impact on hospital payments and Medicaid, and what it means when the nearest ER is 60 miles away. We examine maternity care after Dobbs, why labor units are often first to close and how Medicaid’s role in births strains thin margins. The conversation demystifies site-neutral payments in the 2026 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and tests whether they level the field or push services to the brink. You’ll hear candid stories about coverage gaps during job changes, hospitals acting like subprime lenders for high deductibles and the power of regional collaboration. Press play to understand what’s at stake for rural and urban communities.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Hit play to hear how one nurse shattered ceilings on her way to the c-suite. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down with Heather Woolf, Vice President of Operations at the Hospital for Special Surgery, for a powerful conversation on gender equity in healthcare leadership. Heather shares her bold journey from the bedside to the boardroom, revealing the systemic barriers that still hold women back—despite making up nearly 80% of the healthcare workforce. Together, they unpack why only 30% of hospital CEOs are women, how outdated systems fuel burnout and what needs to change to build more inclusive leadership pipelines. Heather offers real-world strategies for navigating bias, advocating for yourself and staying resilient in the face of pressure. Whether you’re just starting your career or leading a healthcare system, this episode delivers inspiring insights and real-world solutions to advance gender equity in healthcare leadership. Listen, share and be part of the movement to elevate women in healthcare.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Discover how smart strategies and bold decisions are transforming independent healthcare. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down in the studio with Sean Travers, a seasoned healthcare expert dedicated to helping practices achieve sustainable, service-driven growth. Together, with over 60 years of combined healthcare business experience, they explore the power of ancillary services—like in-house labs, imaging and infusions—and reveal how vertical integration enhances patient care while giving physicians greater control, financial stability and profitability. Sean exposes the most common pitfalls practices face when expanding and shares what high-performing teams do differently to scale successfully without compromising quality. They also unpack why culture isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a vital business strategy that fuels staff retention, team alignment and long-term success. Plus, learn how adopting a startup mindset can help independent clinics outpace hospital systems in today’s competitive landscape. Don’t just survive—tune in and learn how to lead your practice with confidence and clarity.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Press play on a real conversation about staying independent in a system built for giants. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down with Dr. Matthew Mundwiler, a private practice rheumatologist from Columbus, Ohio, to talk about what it really takes to survive—and thrive—outside of corporate healthcare. With operational costs up, physician autonomy shrinking and insurance denials on the rise, Matt shares why he’s doubling down on independence and patient-centered care. From the financial realities of private practice to the emotional toll and unexpected rewards, this is an unfiltered, yet optimistic, look at the frontline of medicine today. Whether you're a physician, policymaker or just curious about how your care is delivered, this conversation pulls back the curtain. Learn what’s at stake—and what’s still possible—in the fight to preserve independent medicine. Subscribe now and join the movement to protect the future of care.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Join hosts Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez for a high-impact episode of Working Healthcare as they tackle one of the most urgent challenges in U.S. healthcare: the physician shortage. In this future-focused conversation, Dr. Daniel Solomon—a Harvard rheumatologist and health systems researcher—and Mark Elfers, a former Marine and now CEO of GreenCape Health, share how digital innovation is reshaping chronic care. Together, they unpack how MPro Health, a mobile platform now integrated with Epic and Athena EHRs, is cutting wait times, boosting medication adherence and improving patient-reported outcomes in rheumatology practices. Listeners will discover the power of Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM)—a Medicare-reimbursable care model that helps physicians generate new revenue streams while enhancing chronic disease management. Mark breaks down how GreenCape Health bridges the gap between clinical care and scalable technology, making real-world implementation both practical and profitable. With compliance rates exceeding 60% and proven clinical impact, MPro Health offers a promising strategy to fight provider burnout and expand access to care. If you're a healthcare provider, practice leader, policymaker, or digital health innovator—this is your playbook for scaling care delivery through smart tech and reimbursement. Tune in now. Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Tune in to a powerful, solutions-driven conversation about youth mental health, education, and the growing physician shortage. Join host Meredith Hirsh for an in-studio Working Healthcare interview with Ali Kaufman—founder of Space of Mind and the Community Classroom Project—as they explore how America’s mental health crisis is impacting kids where it hurts most: inside the classroom. With fewer than one child psychiatrist for every 10,000 children in the U.S., teachers are being thrust into the role of mental health first responders—often without training or resources. Ali shares how she’s transforming schools into healing-centered environments that meet students emotionally, academically, and creatively. Together, they connect the dots between moral injury, systemic healthcare failures, and what’s being asked of our education system today. This episode dives deep into the intersection of healthcare and education—and why solving the youth mental health crisis starts far beyond the exam room. Listen now to learn how you can be part of the change.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Join host Meredith Hirsh, co-host Mike Chavez and psychiatrist Dr. Wendy Dean for a powerful episode of Working Healthcare that exposes the deeper crisis behind physician burnout: moral injury. Dr. Dean—author, podcaster and co-founder of the nonprofit Moral Injury of Healthcare—explains why so many clinicians are not just exhausted but ethically broken. Moral injury happens when healthcare professionals know the right course of action for their patients but are blocked by profit-driven systems, limited resources and institutional constraints.Together, they unpack how today’s healthcare system prioritizes billing, productivity and bottom lines over patient care and physician well-being—leading to betrayal, disillusionment and a loss of purpose across the profession. Dr. Dean reframes burnout as only part of the story and positions moral injury as a widespread ethical crisis impacting providers at every level. Listeners will learn how moral injury contributes to the physician shortage, drives providers away from clinical practice and compromises patient outcomes. This episode is essential for clinicians, health system leaders and policymakers ready to confront the ethical cost of modern medicine. Tune in now to help reclaim the heart and soul of healthcare. Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Private equity in healthcare is booming—and few people understand its impact like Dr. Robert Colton. In this remote episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh and co-host Mike Chavez connect with Colton—physician, entrepreneur and founder of MDVIP—from his base between Boca Raton and the mountains of North Carolina to unpack how private capital is transforming the way care is delivered. With experience scaling dermatology groups, digital health startups and deals worth hundreds of millions, Colton brings a bold and unfiltered perspective on physician autonomy, practice consolidation and the future of medicine. The conversation covers the promises and pitfalls of private equity in healthcare, from new revenue models to ethical concerns about patient care. Fair warning: Rob has a lot to say—so we close the episode with a lightning round, where he answers big questions in five words or less. Tune in to hear how investment is reshaping the medical landscape and what it means for providers navigating today’s evolving system.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Join Meredith Hirsh and co-host Mike Chavez for an inspiring conversation with Christa Eitel, Executive Director of Finance and Operations at The Hirsh Center, as she opens up about navigating bold career shifts and finding courage in the chaos of working motherhood. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Christa shares how she transitioned from a career in higher education to the fast-paced world of private medical practice—learning to lead, adapt and grow in an unfamiliar industry. The discussion dives into overcoming imposter syndrome, saying yes to new challenges and balancing ambition with the demands of family life. Whether you're contemplating a career move, stepping into a new role or simply trying to juggle it all, Christa's story offers practical wisdom and inspiration. Tune in for a real-world conversation about career reinvention, personal growth and showing up with purpose—even when the path forward isn’t perfectly clear.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Before Jeff Scott escapes the Florida Capitol’s legislative madness for some well-earned peace and quiet on a boat, he sits down with Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez to make sense of the chaos. In this episode of Working Healthcare, we dive into what the 2025 Florida legislative session means for everyone in the healthcare space—what passed, what didn’t, and why it matters far beyond state lines. From supermajorities to Medicaid battles, we’re pulling back the curtain on how state policy really gets made (and sometimes derailed). Jeff brings decades of experience—and just enough political scars—to explain how these decisions impact your work, your livelihood, and the care your organization can deliver. Meredith brings the policy passion; Mike keeps her from quoting too many obscure statutes. Whether you're in Florida, Texas, or just trying to survive budget season, this episode is your roadmap to understanding the state-level forces shaping medicine. Grab your stethoscope—or your sunscreen—and tune in.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Meredith Hirsh kicks off a new chapter of Working Healthcare with occasional co-host (and self-proclaimed sidekick) Mike Chavez. In this stand-alone episode, they take on everything from burnout and broken business models to why healthcare leadership sometimes feels like herding cats with a stethoscope. Mike’s testing the waters as co-host material—think of it as an on-air audition with fewer jazz hands and more talk about the business side of healthcare. Together, they unpack the big issues with sharp insight, a few laughs, and zero tolerance for buzzword bingo. Will Mike make the cut? Will Meredith regret this immediately? Tune in to find out—and maybe even learn something useful along the way. Get your popcorn ready!Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Season 2 of Working Healthcare has arrived, more timely, relevant, and thought-provoking than ever.   Join host Meredith Hirsh as she welcomes a dynamic lineup of clinicians, policy experts, students, and innovators for honest conversations about the forces reshaping healthcare today. From workforce challenges and systemic reform to the bold ideas emerging from the next generation, this season dives deep into the issues driving change in medicine.   Whether you’re a healthcare professional, policymaker, or simply curious about how the system works and how it can work better, Season 2 delivers insights that both inform and inspire.   Listen to the Season 2 trailer and full episodes now on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare