Accelerating Quality and Access at Hackensack Meridian Health with Dr. Jose Azar

Medication access has long been a pain point for care teams and patients alike. We’re sitting down with experts from CoverMyMeds and Ontada to discuss the launch of the Specialty Access and Affordability Solutions, an industry-first solution designed to accelerate therapy starts by embedding multiple workflows directly into EHR systems. We’ll explore how automation and AI-driven insights are helping to reduce administrative work, improve predictability and shape the future of integrated care. Plus, hear a clinical perspective on what these innovations could mean for oncology practices and patient outcomes.This episode is sponsored by CoverMyMeds.

In this episode, Kate FitzPatrick, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Nurse Executive at Jefferson Health, discusses integrating nursing teams across a newly expanded 33-hospital system, strengthening community partnerships, and scaling flexible workforce models. She also shares how nurse leaders can improve care transitions, support a growing number of early-career nurses, and redesign care delivery for the future workforce.

In this episode, Jay L. Robinson III, PsyD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Area Manager at Kaiser Permanente, discusses leading a 10,000 person operation serving more than half a million members in Northern California. He shares his focus on workforce culture, AI driven innovation, patient experience as an operating model, and building new care pathways that reduce hospitalizations while strengthening community health.

In this episode, Krista Nelson, CEO of Optum Health, shares her vision for strengthening value based care through a more focused care delivery model, stronger clinician support, and expanded technology capabilities. She also discusses Medicare Advantage policy stability, the role of AI in reducing administrative burden, and how partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem can improve outcomes and patient experience.

In this episode, Megan Eubanks, MBA, Senior Director of Business Operations for Perioperative and Procedural Services at The University of Kansas Health System, discusses how her team is using AI and advanced analytics to improve operating room utilization, increase surgical volume, and expand patient access to care. She also shares lessons on building resilient perioperative operations through transparency, governance, and data driven decision making.

In this episode, Laura Dyrda, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Becker’s Healthcare, discusses the latest hospital divestitures, strategic transactions, and emerging acquisitions shaping the healthcare landscape. She also explores what these moves signal about health system financial pressures and the growing push to expand behavioral health access.

In this episode, Sharmila Makhija, MD, MBA, founding dean and CEO of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, shares how the school integrates clinical training, the arts, and whole health principles. She discusses strategies to address rural physician shortages, foster student well-being, and prepare the next generation of doctors for the evolving healthcare landscape.

In this episode, Jose Azar, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Quality and Clinical Service Line Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health and Professor of Medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, discusses launching the Agile Institute to rapidly implement evidence based care and drive systemwide culture change. He shares how physician led collaboratives, CMS five star performance, and AI enabled access strategies are advancing quality, safety, and equitable access across the network.

In this episode, Dustin M. Riccio, MD, MBA, President and CEO of St. Joseph's Health System, shares how he is leading strategic growth, strengthening culture, and amplifying the organization's voice across Northern New Jersey. He discusses balancing rapid change with operational excellence and investing in both community care and team engagement.

In this episode, Ada Demir, Vice President of Supply Chain at Dartmouth Health, joins the podcast to discuss the growing challenge of remaining within budget in today’s healthcare environment. She shares how C-suite alignment is critical to managing supply chain costs, the importance of vendor diversification, and offers practical advice for supply chain leaders navigating ongoing financial and operational pressures.