Episodes

  • From rural Rhode Island to founding and leading one of the country’s top consultancies and one of healthcare’s most respected organizations, Ken Graboys’ story is anything but ordinary.  
    In this episode of The Backstory podcast, host Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Graboys, CEO of Chartis (Jarrard Inc.’s parent company), to discuss moments that shaped his journey. From selling seeds door-to-door, to adventures in Alaska and the Peace Corps to founding Chartis, Graboys shares how early life experiences and a heart-centered approach to business laid the foundation for lasting success. 
    The conversation explores his leadership philosophy, the role of mentorship and the values that guide him—authenticity, generosity and a relentless focus on making healthcare better. Plus, Graboys gets personal, reflecting on balancing family and career, learning from mistakes and the power of gratitude. 

    01:29 Intro and Connection Between Chartis, Jarrard

    03:50 Graboys' Early Life and Formative Jobs 

    12:28 Leadership Lessons from the Peace Corps 

    21:52 Founding Chartis and the Turning Point 

    24:43 Overcoming Challenges and Defining Success 

    28:03 Balancing Family, Work, and Growth 

    39:35 Lightning Round: Quickfire Reflections 


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  • Anne Hancock Toomey dives deep into the inspiring journey of Tim Johnsen, a seasoned healthcare leader and current SVP & COO of Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Tim’s story takes us from his early days as a guitar instructor in St. Louis to a transformative career in healthcare leadership. Along the way, he shares personal anecdotes, like how his father’s sudden passing shaped his career choice and his frontline experiences as a critical care and flight nurse.
    This episode explores pivotal moments, including Tim’s transition to administrative leadership, his approach to balancing personal and professional priorities and the lessons learned from successes and setbacks – like handling a radioactive incident. Johnsen also reflects on building strong teams, navigating leadership in rural vs. urban settings and maintaining well-being in a demanding career. Stick around for the lightning round, where Tim shares quick takes on leadership, growth and life outside the office. 

    03:07 Early Life and Influences

    09:56 A Pivotal Moment: Choosing Healthcare

    17:27 Transition to Administrative Leadership

    22:50 Balancing Leadership in Rural and Urban Areas

    27:58 Building Strong Teams and Lifelong Connections

    29:12 Learning from Mistakes: A Radioactive Incident

    34:20 Effective Leadership Traits

    36:02 Areas for Improvement in Leadership

    37:42 Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions


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  • In this episode, Anne Hancock Toomey chats with her longtime colleague and co-founder David Jarrard, a former journalist, public affairs counselor and founding CEO, now serving as executive chairman of Jarrard Inc. David shares his unique journey from growing up in East Tennessee and working the police and theater beats as a reporter to becoming one of the most influential communications leaders in the healthcare industry. He delves into his early career in journalism, lessons learned from leaders and his parents and how these experiences shaped his visionary leadership style. David reflects on the importance of an integrated life, his passion for team synergy and the need to have balance between humility and confidence for effective leadership. The conversation concludes with a lightning round, offering personal insights and a glimpse into David's life outside of work.

    02:44 Early Life and Influences in East Tennessee

    05:11 Lessons from Journalism and Early Career

    07:10 Transition to Corporate Communications

    16:57 Reflections on Career Choices and Leadership

    23:26 Founding Jarrard, Phillips, Cate and Hancock

    26:03 The Importance of Relationships and Team Chemistry

    28:11 Leadership Philosophy and Values

    31:44 Balancing Work and Personal Life

    35:52 Recognizing and Addressing Weaknesses

    37:22 Healthy Habits for Effective Leadership

    38:56 Lightning Round: Personal Insights

    42:25 Final Thoughts on Leadership


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  • In this week’s episode, Anne Hancock Toomey chats with Rhonda Brandon, the dynamic Chief Human Resources Officer at Duke University Health System. Rhonda’s unconventional and remarkable journey takes us from her roots in Richmond, Virginia, through pivotal roles at IBM, Nike and Colonial Pipeline, to her transformative work at Duke Health. With humor and heart, Rhonda reveals how faith, family and fierce determination shaped her career, highlighting key moments such as a game-changing revelation at IBM, balancing burnout at Nike and navigating change management at Duke University Health System. Through personal anecdotes, Rhonda emphasizes authenticity and the necessity of nurturing one’s spirit. The episode concludes with a fun lightning round, providing a glimpse into her personal quirks and inspirations.
    Tune in for laughs, leadership lessons and a lot of heart!

    03:44 Lessons from Parents and Early Career

    06:04 First Job Experiences

    09:40 Defining Moments at IBM

    13:19 Career at Nike and Burnout

    18:26 Joining Colonial Pipeline

    21:29 Transition to Healthcare

    25:28 Building a Cohort and Embracing Change Management

    27:15 Key Principles of Change Management

    29:13 The Call from Duke and Defining the Job

    36:16 Family, Faith, and Personal Reflections

    44:17 Lightning Round: Fun and Personal Insights


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  • In this power-packed episode of The Backstory, Michael Wiechart, President of TEAMHealth, opens up about his journey from small-town Ohio to becoming a healthcare leadership powerhouse. Mike’s story is anything but ordinary – from almost becoming a priest to working at – and quickly getting fired from – a family-owned pizza joint before taking the fast track to healthcare.
    By just 26 years old, Mike was already a CFO, navigating the complexities of major healthcare systems like Lifepoint Health and overcoming the tough moments of two CEO losses. Tune in to hear about his authentic leadership approach, lessons that shaped his career and his personal favorites – from influential books to memorable experiences.

    02:25 Early Career and Influences

    03:59 First Job and Professional Growth

    09:03 Transition to Healthcare Leadership

    14:30 Challenges and Tragedies at LifePoint

    18:56 Joining Team Health

    21:00 Reflections and Accomplishments

    22:09 The Unforeseen Crisis

    24:49 Reflecting on Mistakes

    28:21 The Role of Faith in Leadership

    30:15 Balancing Career and Personal Life

    33:30 Leadership Qualities and Challenges

    37:37 Lightning Round


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  • In this episode of The Backstory, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health, for a wide-ranging conversation on workforce development and leadership. Van takes us through her incredible journey, starting with her escape from the Vietnam war and growing up in Hawaii, and into her career that has spanned education, government and healthcare. She highlights the art of building coalitions, the importance of lifelong learning and the power of unlocking doors for others. To top it off, the episode wraps with a fast-paced lightning round, where Van shares personal habits, new projects and sharp advice for future leaders.

    01:13 Van's Podcast: Workforce Rx


    05:54 Career Beginnings and Mentorship

    09:39 Workforce Development at Pacific Gas &Electric

    12:52 Public Sector Leadership and Workforce Initiatives

    15:57 Founding Futuro Health

    18:50 The Highs & Lows of Futuro Health

    20:39 Leadership Insights and Personal Reflections

    24:27 Family and Work-Life Balance

    33:05 Lightning Round 


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  • In episode 7 of the Backstory, host and Jarrard Inc. President Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Joanne Anderson, a 45-year veteran in healthcare leadership and a relentless advocate for rural healthcare. Anderson shares her journey from growing up in forest of rural Kentucky to becoming a bedside nurse. She describes her rapid ascent through the ranks of major healthcare organizations like Humana and HCA, eventually becoming President and CEO of UNC Health Southeastern. Anderson reflects on her roots and the influence of the Frontier Nursing Service, which ignited her passion for healthcare. She discusses key leadership lessons, the importance of resilience, community engagement, and the values instilled in her by her family. These lessons came into play during a devastating fire at her organization’s cancer center and, later, as she guided Southeastern through the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The conversation wraps up with a lightning round of personal insights, revealing Anderson's favorite books, athletes, and recent endeavors in the culinary world. Join in for an enriching conversation filled with wisdom on effective leadership and the relentless pursuit of healthcare excellence in rural communities. 

    02:11 Early Life in Rural Kentucky

    05:38 First Job as Switchboard Operator and Early Career Influences

    07:41 Lessons in Leadership and Communication

    13:03 Rapid Rise in Healthcare Leadership

    20:25 Executive Team Decisions

    22:04 Relocating for Career Growth

    24:44 Proud Achievements and Challenges

    29:49 Balancing Family and Career

    33:15 Effective Leadership Traits

    34:31 Maintaining Personal Well-being

    36:17 Lightning Round


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  • Join host Anne Hancock Toomey as she chats with Phil Roe, esteemed healthcare executive, former CEO and current senior advisor at Martin Ventures. From his humble beginnings on a Texas farm to leading major healthcare organizations like Vanguard Health System, Roe spills the secrets behind his success and his perspectives on effective leadership.
    Discover the power of relationship-building, ethical decision-making and impactful leadership qualities, and dive into how a busy healthcare exec balances mission work, personal life, career and family.
    Episode Highlights

    01:10 Roe’s Early Career 

    03:59 Upbringing and Family Life 

    06:01 Lessons from Roe’s Father 

    07:38 Influential Leaders 

    09:55 Transition to Healthcare 

    17:08 Building Vanguard Health System 

    20:29 Leading Martin Ventures 

    22:54 Evaluating Healthcare Leaders 

    24:06 Transitioning to Board Roles 

    25:09 Proudest Career Accomplishments 

    27:48 Mission Work and Service 

    29:59 Leadership Insights and Challenges 

    35:06 Lightning Round 

    37:51 Final Thoughts and Advice 


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  • This week, host and Jarrard Inc. President Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM, of Houston Methodist. Dr. Schaal serves as Executive VP and Chief Physician Executive, Houston Methodist; President and Chief Executive Officer, Houston Methodist Physician Organization; Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Houston Methodist Academic Institute; and Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell College of Medicine.
    Dr. Schaal is an accomplished ophthalmologist, retinal surgeon, researcher and executive, but her life and passions extend far beyond the lab and operating room. In this conversation, we hear about her inspiring journey from growing up as a child in Israel to moving to the United States. She describes how a young leader influenced her life immeasurably and how her trepidation around water turned into a first job as lifeguard and, ultimately, influenced her career.
    The conversation dives into her transformative role leading the UMass Chan Medical School Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (read the case study here), and her current focus on physician well-being at Houston Methodist.
    Dr. Schaal also emphasizes the importance of role models, mentorship, and intentional investment in professional development, offering insightful advice for aspiring women leaders in healthcare.

    02:35 – Growing up in Israel

    05:09 – First job as a lifeguard and early influential leader

    08:11 – Journey into Medicine and Ophthalmology

    10:56 – Moving to the United States

    14:19 – Turning Around UMass Ophthalmology Department

    22:56 – Transition to Houston Methodist

    25:23 – Focusing on Physician Wellbeing

    29:39 – Elevating Women in Healthcare Leadership

    34:06 – Balancing Career and Personal Life

    36:18 – Characteristics of Effective Leaders

    40:05 – Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts


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  • Today, host and Jarrard Inc President Anne Hancock Toomey chats with Bill Southwick, the "Physician Whisperer" and a titan in healthcare leadership. Southwick dives into his 25-year journey of turning struggling companies into success stories, highlighting his recent triumph in transforming Querm into QualDerm.
    He underscores the power of relationship-building, culture and leadership in driving success. Southwick also shares vibrant anecdotes from his upbringing in Shelter Island, New York, his early days in financial planning and his pivotal shift into healthcare.
    Get ready for sharp insights on effective leadership, emotional intelligence and the importance of transparency and trust. Southwick also discusses balancing a high-intensity career with family life, and his dedication to mentoring future leaders. Tune in for an episode packed with actionable takeaways on leadership, resilience and personal growth.

    02:41 Early Life

    04:12 Lessons from Competitive Golf

    05:59 Influential Figures

    07:51 Transition to Healthcare

    10:10 Building and Transforming Healthcare Companies

    13:49 Challenges and Successes at ReDoc

    16:09 Return to Physician Practice Management

    21:13 Physician Whisperer Reputation

    23:26 Proud Moments and Leadership Reflections

    24:45 Learning from Mistakes

    27:23 Traits of Effective Leaders

    32:14 Balancing Work and Life

    36:27 Lightning Round

    38:03 Final Thoughts on Authentic Leadership


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  • Join host Anne Hancock Toomey as she sits down with Sheri Shapiro, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of CommonSpirit Health. Shapiro shares her impressive journey from learning customer service and breaking bad news at a dry cleaner, to healthcare consulting to leadership roles at organizations like Trinity Health and CommonSpirit Health. Throughout the conversation, Shapiro comes back to the foundational ideas of authentic leadership, effective communication and empathetic management. She also delves into her experiences outside healthcare, including pharma (Pfizer) and automotive (Ford Motor Company), and the lessons in branding, marketing and consumer-centric thinking learned along the way. Shapiro opens up about balancing a demanding career with family life, offering insight into her personal challenges and triumphs. Oh, and her middle name is Grit. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with valuable takeaways on leadership and personal growth.
     
    01:26 Meeting Sherry Shapiro
    02:14 Shapiro’s Emphasis on Authentic Leadership
    03:22 Early Life and Career
    04:15 First Job Lessons
    05:30 The Power of Grit
    06:37 Influential Leaders
    08:39 Career Journey: Consulting to Healthcare
    17:52 Transition to Trinity Health
    21:18 Teamwork and Strategic Planning
    22:58 Key Ingredients for Successful Change Management
    25:54 Transition to CommonSpirit Health
    28:36 Balancing Leadership and Family Life
    34:13 Effective Leadership Traits
    37:43 Lightning Round and Final Thoughts
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  • Join host Anne Hancock Toomey, president of Jarrard Inc., as she welcomes Chris Roth, President and CEO of St. Luke's Health System in Idaho, to the podcast. In this engaging conversation, Roth reflects on his 17-year journey at St. Luke's. During his tenure, which encompassed multiple roles, St. Luke’s evolved from a two-hospital operation to an integrated health system with ten hospitals. Roth shares formative experiences, from watching his mother and her nursing school classmates practice injections on oranges, to his early days as a pharmacy technician. He describes key leadership lessons he’s learned along the way, and discusses the importance of culture, psychological safety, and authentic leadership. Roth also opens up about balancing family and professional life, the traits of effective leaders, and the significance of vulnerability in leadership.
    Subscribe, share, rate and review The Backstory, and don’t forget to follow us on social @jarrardinc!
     
    01:13 Overview of Chris Roth's Journey in Healthcare
    02:04 Leadership and Authenticity
    04:39 Chris Roth's Background and Early Influences
    10:21 Joining St. Luke's and Career Progression through the Organization
    13:47 Becoming CEO During a Pandemic
    16:52 Leadership Philosophy and Challenges
    23:38 A Critical Mistake in the Pharmacy
    27:40 Creating a Culture of Accountability
    29:27 Balancing Family and Career
    32:45 Leadership Qualities and Challenges
    36:29 Personal Habits and Lightning Round
    40:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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  • Join host Anne Hancock Toomey as she sits down with Pete November, CEO of Ochsner Health, on the inaugural episode of The Backstory podcast. Starting from his early days flipping burgers at Wendy’s, November went through undergrad and law school at the University of Kentucky – where one of his most formative leadership lessons occurred – and began his career as a healthcare attorney specializing in M&A. Moving from private practice to in-house roles, November rose through the ranks to eventually become CEO of Ochsner Health. In this candid conversation, he shares the pivotal moments, influential mentors and personal challenges that shaped his path.
    November highlights the importance of authenticity, listening, team building and pursuing the ever-elusive work-life balance. He also dives into the leadership qualities that have guided him, the impact of his career on his family – and his family on his career – and…Saturday lunch.
    Tune in for an inspiring episode and don’t forget to follow us on social @jarrardinc!
    Episode highlights:
    02:02 Intro and Overview
    04:20 Origin Story
    06:51 First Job
    07:41 Education and Early Career
    10:01 Transition to Legal Career
    14:16 Going from Private Practice to In-House
    24:01 Career at Ochsner Health
    28:36 Work and Career in the Larger Context of Life
    30:51 Effective Leadership and Flaws
    33:44 Role of Faith
    34:36 Lightning Round
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  • Welcome to The Backstory, with Anne Hancock Toomey, president and founding partner of Jarrard Inc. For nearly two decades, Jarrard – one of the nation’s top communications consulting firms for healthcare – has partnered with thousands of leaders across the country who are striving to make healthcare better every day.
    But this isn't a podcast about healthcare, or politics or even communications. It's about authentic leadership.
    The Backstory is about demystifying respected leaders who've had a lot of success along the way because of the kind of leaders they've chosen to be.
    Each person Anne interviews is visionary, of course. They’re smart as hell, and they’re fierce about their business and their mission. They're also humble, kind and create the kind of environments in which people can thrive. They're not perfect. But they are real. And it’s the combination of those two things that makes each one of them great.
    In every episode, Anne’s guest digs into who they are, where they come from and what's influenced them to be the person and the leader that they are today.
    Which raises the question: Just who are these guests? We won't spill everything, but her first conversations include Pete November, CEO of Ochsner Health; Chris Roth, CEO of St. Luke’s Health System in Idaho and Sheri Shapiro, chief strategy officer of CommonSpirit Health.
    Pull up a virtual chair and join us in these intimate, compelling conversations starting later this month. We’ll be dropping episodes on a biweekly basis, so be sure to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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  • Karin Jeffers, CEO of Clinical & Support Options (CSO), discusses the founding of CSO in 1955 and the organization's mission to provide mental health services to families across Western Massachusetts. She highlights the evolution of behavioral health care and the progress made in reducing stigma, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeffers also discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in Western Massachusetts, including the need for collaboration and recruitment of staff. She emphasizes the importance of integrating behavioral health care and the transition to value-based care. Jeffers shares insights on implementing change, the role of Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers, and the need for closing the gap in salaries and funding between mental health and medical care.
    Key Takeaways

    Clinical & Support Options (CSO) was founded in 1955 to address the mental health needs of families in Franklin County.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has helped reduce stigma around mental health and increased willingness to seek help.

    Collaboration and recruitment of staff are ongoing challenges in providing behavioral health care in Western Massachusetts.

    Integration of behavioral health care and the transition to value-based care are important for improving outcomes.

    Closing the gap in salaries and funding is crucial to recognizing the value of behavioral health care.


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  • Dan Beuerlein is a managing director at Brentwood Capital, where he advises health services companies on M&A and capital raises. While his expertise extends across sectors, he has a particular focus on autism services, women's health and fertility, and outpatient surgery. Here, Beuerlein and Jarrard Vice President Ellis Metz talk about the state of the capital markets today, the work PE and other investors need to do to better tell the story of their work and value in healthcare, and their perspective on Jarrard's recent national consumer survey on private equity and post-acute care.
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  • This Sunday, we’re unveiling our new survey (the first of its kind at Jarrard), which sought the opinion of more than 1,000 adults across the country about their perception of post-acute models of care and private equity’s role in healthcare. Over the past decade, industry segments such as urgent care clinics and post-acute rehabilitation have evolved from emergent trends to mainstream components of care delivery. And in parallel, the involvement of private investors in healthcare has grown. With this survey, we aimed to understand consumers’ baseline views of these care delivery and business models, particularly in an era of eroding trust in healthcare institutions.
    In this week’s High Stakes podcast, we speak with Jarrard Vice President, Health Services Dan Schlacter about some of the survey’s headline takeaways. As one of the co-developers of the questionnaire, Schlacter sheds light on the implications of these insights.
    Key points:

    Broadly speaking, consumers’ perspectives on PE and “alternative” sites of care are not limited to leaders within those sectors. This survey is also relevant to hospital/acute care decision makers, particularly to understand which models or care people trust (and don’t trust) in the context of potential partnerships.

    That said, one significant takeaway is everybody has room to improve. In Schlacter’s words, “there’s not a whole lot of trust out there to begin with.” Remaining up to speed with the various levels of trust across the industry provides a valuable innovation and partnership playbook for leaders of every stripe. It can also help them retain, or gain, the coveted trust of key stakeholders when it counts the most.

    Speaking of “levels of trust”… government lawmakers and regulators are at the bottom of the barrel. At the same time, they have the power and jurisdiction to manifest change. Rather than doing so with an iron-fisted regulatory mindset, the public’s low view of these groups is an opportunity to adopt a partnership mindset between the government and private sector. Regulators can recognize that healthcare innovators, including investors, are driving positive change in the industry, and they can foster a supportive relationship to help accelerate new care models, ideas and partnerships that improve healthcare for everyone. 


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  • McDermott Will & Emery's annual two-day event convenes leaders and investors from across the industry to discuss emergent trends and topics impacting the healthcare investment world. This year, its timing couldn’t have been more appropriate. On Tuesday, just one day before the conference kicked off, the FTC, HHS and DOJ announced their shared investigation into private equity’s role in healthcare. This development, among others shaping the market – including the continued repercussions of large-scale cyber security incidents – made for lively conversation this year. Miami was buzzing.
    In the mix from our firm were Sheila Biggs, VP Health Services and Ellis Metz, VP Strategic Partnerships. We caught up with them as they were leaving town - Sheila recording from the hotel lobby, to get a few of their observations.
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  • Is retail healthcare the disruptor, the partner, the gap-filler or something else? What’s the best way for traditional health systems to interact with retail healthcare providers? There have been stories in the healthcare trades about these questions, so Abby McNeil and Sheila Biggs joined the High Stakes Podcast to sort them out. McNeil is a vice president and deputy lead of Jarrard’s Regional Health Systems Practice. Biggs is a vice president and deputy lead of our Health Services practice.
    Key Takeaways:

    Don’t conflate “learning from retail” or “competing with retail” with “partnering with retail.” Sounds obvious, but some of the coverage we’ve seen has done just that.

    Speaking of partnerships between acute providers and retail healthcare, it’s not clear whether those relationships will lead to their stated goal of increased access. They may lead to more referrals to the health system, but that’s different.

    That said, it does appear that the growing number of partnerships is built on an acknowledgement that each segment of the industry has a unique skillset, so rather than try to replicate someone else’s strengths, why not just work with them? But again, the jury is still out on whether that will lead to improved access or care for patients.

    When thinking about lessons learned from retail healthcare in the push for a more consumer-friendly system, it’s critical to look at root causes. For example, setting up an online scheduling platform does no good if there isn’t enough clinical staff to cover those appointments. Or if the physicians don’t want to use the systems and turn it off.

    Similarly, the expectations of clinicians have to be a big part of the conversation when thinking about how to develop a more consumer-friendly experience.

    Medical data – and the security of it – is an ongoing concern. Do patients want Amazon having all of their personal health information along with their consumer behaviors? Tread carefully.


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  • In this week’s High Stakes podcast, we explore the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in healthcare through a conversation with Jarrard Senior Vice President James Cervantes – who also serves as the leader of our Regional Health System Practice – and Senior Managing Advisor Allyson Carr. While DEI and health equity work has gained momentum throughout the industry as a workforce priority over the past four years, it is still often poorly understood, leading to underwhelming results when leaders try to codify their DEI priorities and bring initiatives to life. Thus, the cultural, operational and economic benefits of embedding DEI throughout an organization often go unrealized. Leaders need a framework for understanding DEI from 360 degrees and strategies for teaching and gaining buy-in from their stakeholders.

    Key Takeaways:

    The conversation around DEI was accelerated by the pandemic and George Floyd, which inspired a strong push for this work. But with both events shrinking in the rearview, what seemed like an inflection point in how we understand equity and belonging now is sometimes seen as a logistical box organizations need to check.

    In some states, policies legislate what terms can and cannot be used, which of course poses challenges to DEI initiatives. Even so, organizations can find ways to work around language restrictions and make real progress through how they engineer their organizational practices and customs.

    Success in DEI requires clear communication, storytelling and data-driven approaches to address gaps in care and achieve health equity.

    Partnerships with community organizations can help improve access to care and address social determinants of health. 


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