Leading a Thriving Critical Access Hospital in a Challenging Market with Joe Caristi

In this episode, John Pastor, PharmD, President of Fairview Pharmacy Services, discusses the system’s major shared services expansion, investments in advanced pharmacy technology, and efforts to improve patient access amid widespread pharmacy closures. He also shares how Fairview is planning for growth while navigating workforce, supply chain, and policy headwinds.

In this episode, Joe Caristi, CFO of Speare Memorial Hospital, discusses strategies for sustaining and growing an independent critical access hospital amid reimbursement pressure, workforce constraints, and rising costs. He also shares insights on process improvement, AI adoption, and the importance of systems thinking and relationships in healthcare leadership.

In this episode, Vimal Ramjee, MD, FACHE, Physician Executive, CommonSpirit Health, Division Board President-Elect, American Heart Association, discusses delivering high quality cardiovascular care at scale, advancing clinically led efficiency, and using responsible innovation including AI enabled imaging to improve outcomes while sustaining access in high need communities.

In this episode, Jordan Frey, MD, Founder of the Prudent Plastic Surgeon, shares his journey from burnout and six figure debt to financial stability through intentional spending, disciplined saving, and simple investing. He discusses how financial well being can improve physician resilience, career satisfaction, and long term freedom.

In this episode, Nick Olson, Executive Vice President and CFO of Sanford Health, shares how the integrated nonprofit system is advancing value based care, investing in rural health transformation, and pursuing smart growth through integration and partnerships. He discusses balancing financial stewardship with long term sustainability while expanding access and affordability across rural communities.

In this episode, recorded live at the Becker’s 13th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, Michael Mutterer discusses leading growth in an increasingly competitive healthcare landscape and the strategies Silver Cross Hospital is using to elevate patient satisfaction. He also highlights how technology is helping strengthen payment and revenue cycle performance, creating a more sustainable and efficient operational model.In collaboration with R1.

Health systems continue to wrestle with fragmented procurement and distribution models across non-acute sites. In this episode, we explore how leaders can shift from siloed operations to integrated logistics by using forecasting and analytics to reduce variation, strengthen supply reliability and cut waste across the enterprise.This episode is sponsored by McKesson Medical-Surgical.

In this episode, Michael Stern, President and CEO of Tower Health, reflects on lessons from the system’s operational and cultural turnaround and why tighter leadership alignment has been critical to restoring stability. He also shares his perspective on partnerships, consolidation, and preparing Tower Health for long term sustainability in a challenging healthcare environment.

In this episode, Dr. Sachin Jain, President and CEO of SCAN Group, discusses his Forbes op-ed outlining 10 leadership resolutions and argues that healthcare’s biggest challenge is a lack of resolve, not innovation. He shares why speaking plainly, rejecting performative change, and focusing on real patient impact are essential to rebuilding trust in the industry.

In this episode, Monica N. Wharton, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, joins the podcast to discuss the organization’s Path Forward initiative and Vision 2030 strategy. She shares how Methodist Le Bonheur is prioritizing growth and access, aligning operations around long-term goals, and launching new initiatives to meet the needs of patients and communities in the year ahead.