Rebuilding Syria’s Healthcare System with Dr. Aref Rifai of SAMS

In this episode, Alen Brcic, Chief Human Resources Officer at Methodist Health System, shares how a focus on engagement, retention, and culture has driven top percentile performance in turnover and employee engagement. He discusses leveraging AI in talent strategy, strengthening leadership accountability, and upskilling the workforce to elevate patient experience and prepare for the next century of care.

In this episode, Dr. Janice Walker, DHA, RN, inaugural Chief Nursing Officer of UF Health, discusses building an integrated nursing strategy, driving quality outcomes, and creating a culture of shared governance. She shares insights on recruitment, retention, and developing talent pipelines to strengthen workforce stability across the system.

In this episode, Jakob Emerson, Associate News Director at Becker's Healthcare, breaks down the latest Medicare Advantage enrollment trends, including slowing overall growth, major gains for regional and system owned plans, and mounting federal scrutiny of large insurers. He explores what CMS actions, risk adjustment settlements, and market exits mean for payers, providers, and the future of the program.

In this episode, Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at CVS Health, discusses how her experience at Kaiser Permanente and Providence shaped her mission to simplify care delivery. She shares how CVS is leveraging its national footprint to improve access, navigation, and cost transparency while reducing payer provider friction and rebuilding trust across the healthcare ecosystem.

In this episode, Dutch Rojas, Founder of Bliksem Health, shares his candid perspective on structural misalignment in healthcare, arguing that payment reform and site neutral policies are key to lasting change.

In this episode, Tesa Anewishki, CEO and President of Loretto Hospital, shares how her team is preparing for Medicaid cuts and rising uncompensated care while doubling down on access, partnerships, and workforce investment. She discusses launching a hospital based free grocery store, strengthening community collaborations, and advocating for sustainable funding to close health equity gaps on Chicago’s West Side.

In this episode, Dr. Aref Rifai, ophthalmologist and President of the Syrian American Medical Society, shares how the organization has expanded care across all 13 Syrian provinces following liberation. He discusses scaling hospitals and centers of excellence, launching a new radiation oncology center, strengthening medical education, and partnering with U.S. health systems to rebuild infrastructure and elevate quality of care.

In this episode, Nirav Shah, MD, President of US Digestive Health at U.S. Digestive Health and Assistant Professor at Drexel University College of Medicine, shares insights on physician shortages, the future of colonoscopy, AI in endoscopy, and balancing autonomy with scale in a multi state GI platform. He also discusses advancing clinical research, ASC strategy, and building transparent physician led leadership for long term growth.

In this episode, Sierra Garvin, Senior Associate Director of Above Brand Marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim speaks with Mandy Leonard, Senior Director of Drug Use Policy and Formulary Management at Cleveland Clinic about the key drivers of rising healthcare costs, including chronic disease, multiple comorbidities, rare diseases, and wasteful spending. They explore practical strategies to lower total cost of care while maintaining quality and improving patient outcomes.This episode is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.

In this episode, Steve Smith, Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Contact Center and Access at Inova Health System, shares how the organization is leveraging cloud based technology, digital assistants, and AI driven tools to streamline scheduling, improve self service, and enhance both patient and team member experiences.