Fixing Healthcare Podcast

Latest Episodes:

FHC #104: Robert Burgelman on strategic leadership in healthcare Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Robert Burgelman is the Edmund W. Littlefield Professor of Management and the Director of the Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

As a worldwide expert on strategy, Burgelman has authored multiple books on leadership and consulted with more than 100 companies around the globe.

Throughout the program, Burgelman:

Helps healthcare leaders understand the tools needed to visualize change and make it happen.
Describes how leaders can effectively guide organizations through periods of crisis and difficult change.
Advises on how to avoid getting distracted by “shiny new things” and, instead, focus on the most-effective (often unsexy) solutions.
Discusses the merits and potential downsides of private equity’s involvement in U.S. medical care.

Listener note: Given Dr. Burgelman’s high-level focus on strategy, today’s episode will include occasional interjections from cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr to link the material to the day-to-day experiences of healthcare professionals and patients.

Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #104: Robert Burgelman on strategic leadership in healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #103: Too much or not enough in American healthcare? Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

This “Unfiltered” episode of Fixing Healthcare welcomes back Dr. Jonathan Fisher, a respected cardiologist and renowned advocate for physician well-being, for a fascinating debate about American healthcare.

Alongside cohost Jeremy Corr, Dr. Robert Pearl kicks off the conversation with this observational question:

“There are two views about American healthcare. There are some who point to the massive U.S. expense compared to other countries and view it through the lens of abundance. Then there are those who see tens of millions of people who can’t access care, and the day-to-day stresses on clinicians, and view it through the lens of scarcity. What do we have too much of in American medicine today? And what do we have too little of?”

Dr. Fisher concludes that, as a practicing cardiologist, he and his colleagues have too many patients on their schedule and too little time to spend with them. Too much “administrative burden” (paperwork and computer filings) and too many costs to patients, which leads to too much uncertainty about what patients are paying for and what to expect. Too much stress and not enough high-quality care or access to physicians and mental-healthcare professionals.

In this episode, the trio discusses who can correct these healthcare imbalances and how, what AI can do to help clinicians,

To discover more, press play and check out these helpful links:

Presale: ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s new book)

These 3 Healthcare Threats Will Do More Damage Than Covid-19 (Forbes)

Saving US Healthcare From Disaster (Forbes)

15 Innovative Ideas For Fixing Healthcare From 15 Brilliant Minds (Forbes)

Breaking The Rules Of Healthcare (LinkedIn)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #103: Too much or not enough in American healthcare? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #102: Diving deep into value-based care and the need for ‘system-ness’ Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

Time and again, researchers have confirmed that the American healthcare system is ineffective, too expensive and falling further behind its international peers in critical measures of performance.

In this episode of Diving Deep, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr go in search of medicine’s holy grail: the provision of higher quality care that’s more convenient and more affordable—all at once. In short, this episode focuses on the quest for value-based care.

The journey begins as our hosts explore the recent mega-merger between Kaiser Permanente and Geisinger Health. Could this union help spark a national value-based care movement? Or is that kind of transformative change likelier to come from one of healthcare’s newer entrants (among the most imposing are the retail giants: Amazon, Walmart and CVS).

Other questions answered on today’s show: What are the biggest difficulties Kaiser and Geisinger will need to overcome? What are the hurdles the retail giants will need to overcome to topple healthcare’s incumbent powers? How does system-ness fit into the equation? Why is capitation so important? And which organization(s) will emerge as healthcare’s next superpower?

Click play to learn more or check out the various links below for additional information.

HELPFUL LINKS

Kaiser Permanente Acquires Geisinger Health in $5 Billion Mega-Deal (Medscape)
Value-Based Healthcare Battle: Kaiser-Geisinger Vs. Amazon, CVS, Walmart (Forbes)
Retail Giants Vs. Health Systems: Fight Will Come Down To ‘System-ness’ (Forbes)
What Kaiser’s Acquisition of Geisinger Means for All of Us (LinkedIn)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

The post FHC #102: Diving deep into value-based care and the need for ‘system-ness’ appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #101: Sachin Jain on the leadership crisis in American healthcare Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Sachin Jain joins the podcast for the first time to talk about leadership in American healthcare. And his diagnosis is grim.

“In American healthcare, we’ve lost our ethical and moral compass,” Jain says. “We say we’re about one thing and we do other things. And I think we’re all complicit in this leadership crisis because not only do we not acknowledge our own failings, but we also fail to acknowledge the failings of each other.”

Early in his career, Jain held leadership positions in both the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. More recently, he served as president and CEO of the CareMore Health System for five years and is now President and CEO of the SCAN Group & Health Plan, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans.

In this interview, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl ask Jain to discuss the problem of physician burnout (and how to bring about change at a time of low morale), the AI revolution and the threat of automating clinicians, the failings of American medical education, and much more.

Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media.

* * *

The post FHC #101: Sachin Jain on the leadership crisis in American healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

MTT #75: Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage? Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

More Americans over the age of 65 are now selecting Medicare Advantage over traditional Medicare for their health insurance coverage, according to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

What’s more, Medicare Advantage is expected to widen its lead in the years to come—projected to cover 60% of the eligible senior population by the year 2030.

It’s a major win for the “little brother” that blossomed out of a Congressional effort in the 1990s to improve the quality of Medicare-provided medical care while also lowering costs, says podcast cohost Dr. Robert Pearl.

Unlike Original Medicare, which is government-provided health insurance, Medicare Advantage plans are administered by private insurers. Medicare Advantage plans also include extra benefits like out-of-pocket maximums, dental or hearing coverage, and even fitness stipends. While there are many differences between the two options, the most important, according to Dr. Pearl, is how these programs pay hospitals and healthcare professionals to provide care.

On this episode of “Medicine: The Truth,” Dr. Pearl explains why “capitation” sets Medicare Advantage apart from traditional Medicare, which is a “fee-for-service” program. Anyone who’s 65+ or nearing that age should tune in for the full conversation. As always, Dr. Pearl and Jeremy Corr eagerly follow the facts, uncover the truth, and help listeners understand the world’s biggest medical stories.

Also featured on today’s program:

The FDA grants full approval for a new Alzheimer’s drug
The safety and cost of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic
Over-the-counter birth-control pills are coming
The dwindling number of private-practice physicians
New data on opioid addiction and overdose
A new RSV drug for newborns
Avoiding a repeat of the “triple-demic” later this year
The medical implications of global warming
A Pew Research poll on the cost of healthcare
The difference between generics and biosimilars
A breakthrough in the global fight against malaria

Click here for more info: https://www.fixinghealthcarepodcast.com/

* * *

The post MTT #75: Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #100: Diving deep into weight-loss drugs + toxic leadership Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the 100th episode of Fixing Healthcare. To kick things off, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr are taking the opportunity to examine what has improved (and, notably, hasn’t improved) in healthcare since this podcast began five years ago.

Leading off, Dr. Pearl shares:

Three things that are better now in healthcare, during episode 100, than during episode 1 (which aired in August 2018)
Three aspects of healthcare that have become worse
Three things that remain the same

That discussion is followed by a look at two important healthcare topics. The first is the use of Ozempic, a diabetes drug, for weight loss. Dr. Pearl’s recent op-ed on the topic, called for the U.S. government to fund the development of a new *affordable* class of weight-loss medications to tackle the U.S. obesity epidemic.

To close out the show, Pearl then shares five toxic leadership traits in healthcare—each inspired by a character on the hit HBO show Succession. You won’t want to miss his insightful breakdown.

HELPFUL LINKS

How the government can solve America’s obesity epidemic (op-ed syndicated in 50+ papers)
5 Fatal Flaws Of Healthcare Leaders: Inspired By HBO’s ‘Succession’ (Forbes)
15 Innovative Ideas For Fixing Healthcare From 15 Brilliant Minds (Forbes)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s free newsletter)

* * *

The post FHC #100: Diving deep into weight-loss drugs + toxic leadership appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #99: Why is healthcare so expensive and who will fix it? Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

This “Unfiltered” episode of Fixing Healthcare welcomes back Dr. Jonathan Fisher, a respected cardiologist and renowned advocate for physician well-being.

Alongside cohost Jeremy Corr, Dr. Robert Pearl kicks off the conversation by noting that a growing number of healthcare conferences focus on clinician burnout, including several events hosted by Dr. Fisher, which strive to relievie the pain doctors and nurses experience daily. And, simultaneously, Pearl cites the pain of patients who are, increasingly, unable to afford the cost of health insurance and healthcare.

“A potential solution to both problems,” says Dr. Pearl, “is through added productivity in healthcare.”

And this leads us to the show’s central question: “Is there a role for doctors and nurses to provide excellence in medical care at lower costs, or is that someone else’s responsibility?”

Fisher responds: “The question really triggers physicians and it’s because of the way we define productivity. The traditional definition, if you ask all the productivity experts, is doing more. The question is not ‘how can you do more with less?’ but rather ‘how can you be part of the solution?’”

To learn more, press play and check out these helpful links:

Presale: ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s new book)

A Cardiologist on Leading From the Heart (‘Human Leaders’ on LinkedIn)

Brain, Heart, Spine: The Anatomy of Healthcare Leadership (Forbes)

Value-Based Healthcare Battle (Forbes)

* * *

The post FHC #99: Why is healthcare so expensive and who will fix it? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #98: Don Berwick on leadership, greed + a promising youth movement Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

Returning to the Fixing Healthcare podcast for a third time is Dr. Don Berwick, here to talk about the dire need for leadership to address our nation’s many healthcare crises.

Returning to the Fixing Healthcare podcast is Dr. Don Berwick. He offers frank words about the dire need for medical leadership to address our nation’s many healthcare crises.

Don is the former president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and led the organization’s 100,000 Lives Campaign. He’s the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

In this interview, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl ask Don to discuss what is holding back healthcare leadership from instituting meaningful change and from kicking off what Don describes as a necessary “revolution.”

The discussion leads to the incumbents of healthcare—pharma, health insurance, hospital system execs, etc.—and why they do well when healthcare fails to improve. Don opines on private vs. public care, a global movement toward integrated care systems and the ways ChatGPT can support the “frail memory” of individual physicians.

Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media.

* * *

The post FHC #98: Don Berwick on leadership, greed + a promising youth movement appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

MTT #74: A change in the Covid-19 booster? A new Alzheimer’s drug? Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

The FDA moved forward this month with a recommendation to change the composition of Covid-19 boosters in time for fall. Whereas the current vaxx, a cocktail designed to target the original coronavirus and the Omicron strain, will soon give way to a shot aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant.

The question on the minds of public-health experts (and likely, soon to be on the minds of patients): Will it make any difference?

On this episode of “Medicine: The Truth,” cohost Dr. Robert Pearl poses two more pressing questions about the new vaccine: Will insurers cover the costs of the new vaccine or will they charge a copayment? And, regardless of the price, how many folks will roll up their sleeves to receive it (compared to last fall)?

In other medication news, another Alzheimer’s drug is expected to receive full FDA approval soon. This one, lecanemab (Leqembi), received conditional approval in January based on its success removing a substance called amyloid-beta from the brains of people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

But this news raises questions, too: How does lecanemab stack up against its controversial predecessor, aducanumab? Will payers like Medicare make it easy or difficult for patients to access and afford the new medication? Does the high price of any Alzheimer’s drug match the health benefits or expected increase in life expectancy?

Hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr discuss these questions and several other pressing healthcare topics, including: the upcoming season of Fixing Healthcare’s focus on end-of-life issues, the latest on a new lung-cancer drug, the current threat of long-COVID and whether the threat is great enough to get more Americans vaccinated and boosted.

Tune in for the full conversation around Covid-19 and a host of healthcare topics. As always, Dr. Pearl and Jeremy eagerly follow the facts, uncover the truth, and help listeners understand how the world’s biggest healthcare stories affect us all. Click here for more info: https://www.fixinghealthcarepodcast.com/

* * *

The post MTT #74: A change in the Covid-19 booster? A new Alzheimer’s drug? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #96: Diving deep into the financial crisis of U.S. healthcare Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

U.S. healthcare is in financial crisis. Patients are feeling the pain, acutely. Nearly 90 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid at a time when medical bills have become the leading cause of bankruptcy. As a whole, the U.S. 18% of its GDP on healthcare, nearly twice as much per citizen as any other country. All this, while achieving the worst health outcomes among its 12 richest peers.

As patients grapple with the cost of care, major health systems are fighting their own battles for survival. Last month’s megadeal between Kaiser Permanente (where cohost Robert Pearl spent 18 years as CEO of the medical group) and Geisinger Health is yet another example of healthcare consolidation—one that has industry observers scratching their heads.

In this episode of ‘Diving Deep,’ Dr. Robert Pearl discusses these trends with cohost Jeremy Corr as the two dive into the implications of medicine’s rising prices and the acquisition of yet another major hospital system.

Click play to learn more or check out the various links below for additional information.