Healthcare Upside/Down: Pearls and Pitfalls for Integrated Urgent Care Strategies

In this episode, Caswell Samms III, Executive Vice President and CFO of Nemours Children's Health, discusses how the system is navigating funding challenges while staying focused on long-term investments in whole-child health, innovative payment models, and expanded access. He also shares how the CFO role is evolving into a strategic, patient-focused leadership position.

In this episode, Scott Becker explores the growing strain on the primary care system, arguing that the traditional model led by physicians is being replaced by a triaged approach centered on nurse practitioners and PAs due to workforce shortages and overwhelming patient demand.

In this episode of Healthcare Upside/Down, host Molly Gamble is joined by Nick Zima, Vice President of Corporate Development at WellStreet Urgent Care, and Katie Fellin, Partner at ECG Management Consultants. Together, they unpack what’s driving the explosive growth in urgent care, the reimbursement headwinds providers face, and why patient expectations are reshaping the landscape. With insights from recent consumer research and frontline experience, this conversation offers key takeaways for health systems looking to optimize urgent care delivery and integration.This episode is sponsored by ECG Management Consultants.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's Hospital Review 15th Annual Meeting features Brenda McCormick, Chief Financial Officer, Children's Minnesota. Brenda shares how her team developed a long-term strategic vision focused on independence, financial sustainability, and differentiated experience, while navigating workforce shortages, tight margins, and payer pressures to ensure high-quality pediatric care across the region.

This episode features Alice Pope, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Novant Health, and David Krauss, Executive Vice President of Development and Co-Head of Healthcare at ENFRA. They discuss how Novant’s innovative energy-as-a-service partnership unlocked $855 million in capital, allowing the system to invest in sustainability, infrastructure, and long-term strategic growth.This episode is sponsored by ENFRA.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 3rd Annual Spring Payer Issues Roundtable features Saria Saccocio, Chief Medical Officer, Essence Health. Saria shares how Essence Health is enhancing outcomes through physician-led value-based care, leveraging technology like AI and wearable health devices, and advancing health equity through deep community partnerships.

In this episode, Dr. Katherine A. Hinderer, Senior Nurse Scientist at Connecticut Children’s, shares insights into the development of the Emergency Behavioral Health Assessment Tool and its impact on pediatric mental health care. She discusses how evidence-based nursing practices are improving outcomes, reducing restraint use, and supporting frontline teams in addressing the growing mental health needs of children.

This episode features Lou Fragoso, President and CEO of Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans, as he shares how his journey to complete the Leadville Trail 100 ultramarathon has become a powerful tribute to the resilience of his patients. Lou dedicates each mile of the 100-mile race to a child treated at the hospital, using their stories of perseverance as inspiration to never give up.

In this episode, Dorinda Mueller, CEO of Aliso Ridge Behavioral Health, shares how her clinical background and leadership are shaping innovative strategies in mental health care. She discusses the promise and challenges of AI integration, the growing need for youth-focused services, and the importance of workforce investment to drive quality outcomes.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 3rd Annual Spring Payer Issues Roundtable features Harlon Pickett, President, Eagle Care Health Solutions. He shares how his organization is improving healthcare access, affordability, and quality through customized, membership-based models, while expanding care equity in rural and underserved communities.