Airica Powell-Steed, Ed.D, MBA, RN, CSSMBB, FACHE, FAAN, IASSC - Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Loretto Hospital Network

In this episode, Rachel Bratescu, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon and member of the GW Spine and Pain Center at George Washington University Hospital, discusses her goals for expanding endoscopic spine surgery and building a comprehensive, multidisciplinary spine center. She also shares perspectives on emerging spine technologies, mentorship, and navigating payer challenges while improving patient outcomes.

In this episode, Dr. Peggy Duggan, Executive Vice President Chief Physician Executive Chief Medical Officer, Tampa General Hospital, discusses how Tampa General is improving quality and patient safety through standardized care, data driven decision making, and team alignment. She also shares priorities for scaling hospital at home, expanding ambulatory care, and navigating uncertainty while keeping patients at the center.

This episode, recorded live at the Becker’s 13th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, features Julia Dellitt, Vice President, Marketing Communications, UnityPoint Health, as she discusses her expanded role overseeing all marketing functions. She shares insights on driving mission-focused communications, engaging communities, and leading with purpose in a complex health system.

In this episode, Joshua Weber, PharmD, MBA-HCM, CSP, BCMTMS, 340B ACE, Senior Director, St. Luke's Health System, highlights the organization’s future-ready pharmacy transformation, including paperless workflows, AI-enabled prior authorizations, EHR-integrated benefits investigations, and expanded specialty drug access for 5,000 more patients.

In this episode, Airica Powell-Steed, Ed.D, MBA, RN, CSSMBB, FACHE, FAAN, IASSC - Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Loretto Hospital Network, shares hard-earned lessons leading safety net hospitals through financial distress and workforce exhaustion, emphasizing people-centered change management and community-driven transformation.

This episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast features Scott Sagehorn, Vice President and General Manager of the Smart Care Business Unit at Stryker Medical, discussing how interoperability at scale is enabling smarter, more connected care. He shares his perspective on the evolution of digital health problem-solving, the real-world impact of ambient intelligence and automation, and what it takes to build interoperable ecosystems that reduce complexity, help enhance safety and support data-driven decision-making across health systems.This epsiode is sponsored by Stryker.

In this episode, Dr. Prathibha Varkey, President of Mayo Clinic Health System, shares why culture and people are central to successful transformation and turnaround efforts. She discusses practical leadership behaviors, signs of cultural strain, and how intentional, patient centered alignment drives sustainable performance and resilience.

In this episode, John Meier, CEO of Aurora Charter Oak Behavioral Health Hospital, discusses his career path, key trends shaping behavioral health, and the impact of new California nursing staffing ratios. He also shares leadership lessons, optimism for expanded access to care, and what it takes to lead through rapid change.

In this episode, Thomas Carey, PharmD, Senior Director, Pharmacy Services, UW Northern Illinois, shares how the organization elevated its Med to Bed discharge program using multidisciplinary coordination, driving a nearly 30% reduction in 30-day readmissions. He also discusses agility in 340B compliance, leveraging learners, and the future of pharmacy growth through technology, automation, and workforce investment.

In this episode,Caswell Samms III, Executive Vice President and CFO of Nemours Children’s Health, discusses financial priorities for 2026, including purposeful growth, Medicaid reimbursement pressures, and strategic investments in maternal care and virtual health. He also shares how CFOs must lead with agility, clinical insight, and mission focus in an uncertain healthcare landscape.