This Week Health: Conference

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UnHack (the Podcast): Security Consolidation and the Viral Google Bug with Chris Plummer Jun 23, 2025

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June 23, 2025: Chris Plummer, Senior Cybersecurity Architect from Dartmouth Health, discusses the realities of defending healthcare systems against sophisticated threats. Chris shares his path from childhood computer enthusiast to cybersecurity leader, including the surprising story of how he discovered a major Google security flaw that made national headlines. Why do over 6,000 hospitals still fight cyber battles independently when other sectors have found strength through consolidation? Chris and Drex examine whether AI can truly become the force multiplier cybersecurity teams desperately need, or if current limitations keep it relegated to assistant roles. From burnout stories to breakthrough moments, this discussion reveals both the struggles and innovations shaping healthcare cybersecurity today. Key Points:

03:19 Career Beginnings and Challenges
10:39 The Role of AI in Cybersecurity
21:46 Building Networks and Information Sharing
23:59 The Google Bug Story
28:20 The Blue Sky Viral Post

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Keynote: A Conversation Built For Care Webinar with Jill McCormick and Daniel Small Jun 19, 2025

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June 19, 2025: In this webinar re-run Jill McCormick, Co-Founder and EVP of Design and Product Development at Pixel Health, and Daniel Small, Vice President of Digital Services at Hartford HealthCare, discuss the process of creating a world-class patient experience. The conversation explores Hartford HealthCare's bold approach to reimagining digital and physical spaces, where defining the experience vision precedes technology decisions. Through human-centered design methodologies, they navigate the complex challenges of aligning stakeholders, excavating outdated technologies, and creating a "digital campus" that extends care beyond facility walls. Key Points:

02:55 Improving Patient and Provider Experiences
08:06 The Importance of Intentional Design
13:12 Aligning Vision and Technology
25:07 Human-Centered Design in Healthcare
43:36 Q&A and Final Thoughts

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Interview In Action: How Data Can Unlock Innovation Doors with Glenn Wirick Jun 18, 2025

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June 18, 2025: Glenn Wirick, Chief Commercial Officer at Clearsense, explores how freeing up your data allows for a new world of innovation. How can health systems transform their bloated application portfolios while cutting millions in unnecessary costs? Glenn unpacks the journey from basic data archiving to creating unified patient records that power advanced analytics and AI innovations. The conversation examines practical approaches to application rationalization, sustainable governance frameworks, and how smaller health systems can leverage these strategies despite economic constraints. Key Points:

05:40 Legacy Data Management and Archiving
08:32 Clinical Impact and Data Governance
14:27 Data Sets Up Innovation
21:43 Future Trends
25:23 Lightning Round

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Flourish: Equitable Care Innovation and Leading Through a Crisis with Corina Clark Jun 16, 2025

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June 16, 2025: Corina Clark, COO at Gardner Health Services and one of Becker's "COOs to Know," discusses her transformative journey as a leader in communal, equitable healthcare. Drawing from influential mentors who shaped her leadership philosophy, Corina discusses how equity must serve as "the lens through which we look at clinical decision-making" rather than just a checkbox exercise. She offers practical strategies for balancing operational excellence with personal sustainability, including implementing scheduled "no meeting zones" and leading impromptu zumba classes that reconnect her team to their core purpose. Corina’s forward-thinking vision for community health aims to transcend traditional care models, reimagining spaces where prevention, wellness, and trust-building form the foundation of truly patient-centered care. Key Points:

03:47 Leadership and Equity in Healthcare
09:44 Operational Challenges and Innovations
15:42 Mentorship and Personal Influences
23:02 Innovating in Community Health
38:00 Lightning Round

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Keynote: The Cavalry Isn’t Coming: EHR Migration Strategies with Jennifer Stemmler Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

June 12, 2025: Jennifer Stemmler, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Adventist Health, opens up about orchestrating one of healthcare's largest EHR migrations—transitioning 28 hospitals and 400 clinics from a decades-old Cerner system to Epic. Guided by the mantra "on time, on budget, on Epic, on us," how does she maintain control without micromanaging every decision? When groups push back on standardization or value-based care teams clash with implementation timelines, what framework actually works to resolve conflicts? Jennifer reveals her benefits realization scorecard approach and discusses the real challenge behind any major transformation: how do you ensure the organization owns the change rather than waiting for someone else to save them? Key Points:

03:09 Strategic Planning and Key Objectives
06:25 Guiding Principles and Pre-Planning Phase
17:44 Managing Internal Tensions and Lessons Learned
25:56 Post-Go-Live Success and Future Planning
34:36 Final Thoughts and Advice for Other Health Systems

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TownHall: “Data Rich but Insight Poor” with Reid Stephan and Spencer Dorn Jun 10, 2025

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June 10, 2025: Reid Stephan, VP and CIO of St. Luke’s, and Dr. Spencer Dorn, Vice Chair & Professor of Medicine at UNC, tackle the reality behind AI's promise in healthcare, exploring why only one in three clinicians actually stick with AI scribes despite the initial enthusiasm. As they navigate between "AI doomers" and "techno-utopians," the conversation reveals what's working and what isn't in current implementations. How do we avoid repeating the overpromising mistakes made with electronic health records? Cut through the hype and get into real solutions. Key Points:

00:53 AI Headlines - Fact or Fiction
06:01 The Human Element
12:27 AI's Near-Future Impact
19:49 Concluding Thoughts and Recommendations

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Interview in Action: Reining in Unstructured Data to Drive Change Timothy Boettcher Jun 06, 2025

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June 6, 2025: Timothy Boettcher, SVP, Head of GTM Strategy North America for AvePoint, discusses the often-overlooked sensitive information spread across Microsoft 365 environments, particularly as departments independently adopt AI tools. Drawing from his experience across Australia, Japan, and the US, Timothy examines why information governance challenges continue to be the primary barrier to AI implementation and explores the balance between clinical innovation and maintaining necessary security standards. What does effective data governance look like when anyone can now create automated workflows through simple AI interactions, and how do organizations turn governance from an overwhelming challenge into a strategic foundation for their AI initiatives? The conversation is just beginning! Join the “Building Responsible AI in Healthcare” Webinar on June 12th for a deep dive into better implementation: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/618554-thisweekhealth Key Points:

02:49 Introducing AvePoint
05:07 Chronic Data Problems
16:23 Change Management and Adoption

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Keynote: The Patient Advocacy Revolution with Erica Olenski Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

June 5, 2025: Bill Russell sits down with Erica Olenski, VP at Finn Partners and Founder of August’s Artists, Ironman athlete, and board-certified patient advocate, who brings a unique perspective from navigating the healthcare system through hundreds of overnight hospital stays with her son August, a four-time brain cancer survivor. Why does a family with an extensive hospital history still get treated like first-time visitors at check-in, and how might HIPAA compliance be unintentionally creating barriers to human connection in care? The conversation explores whether patients should control their complete medical records to share with AI assistants, the reality of managing a 60,000-page medical record delivered on CD-ROM, and practical solutions like reimagining emergency department processes for complex care families. Key Points:

02:02 Erica's Son's Health Journey
09:08 The Role of Patient Advocates
13:41 Using AI as a Patient
21:54 August Artists: A Nonprofit Initiative
27:43 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Remarks

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Keynote: Innovation vs. Security and the CIO’s IT Turning Point with Bridgett Ojeda May 30, 2025

Show notes

May 29, 2025: Bridgett Ojeda, CIO at Bryan Health, pulls back the curtain on the challenges facing the healthcare CXO, where every dollar must stretch between innovation, cybersecurity, and keeping the lights on. From physicians declaring that ambient listening technology has become a "career extender" to the shocking reality that fax machines still dominate patient care coordination in 2025, this conversation exposes the fascinating contradictions of healthcare technology. How does a health system successfully serve both urban populations and remote rural communities while battling interoperability and retention challenges? Bridgett reveals the strategies, setbacks, and surprising victories that define healthcare IT leadership in an era where technology must finally deliver on its promise to restore joy to medicine.

Key Points:

03:40 Balancing Innovation and Security
09:45 Digital Transformation Initiatives
14:41 Addressing Geographic and Access Disparities
17:49 Pressing Issues for Healthcare CIOs
21:40 Building and Developing IT Teams
27:55 Lightning Round

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Solution Showcase: Beating the Go-Live Date Weeks Early with Deshan Kennedy and Casey Post May 28, 2025

Show notes

May 28, 2025: Deshan Kennedy, Director of Application Development and Analytics at Broward Health, and Casey Post, SVP of Sales & Client Services at 314e discuss their rapid archiving go-live, finishing weeks early. What prompted Broward Health to make the bold decision to extract data directly from their data centers rather than waiting for database copies? The conversation reveals valuable insights into building trust between organizations, managing risk during system transitions, and establishing partnerships that extend beyond single projects. Key Points:

03:24 Challenges and Strategic Decisions
05:05 Communication and Collaboration
09:38 Achieving Early Go-Live
12:33 Managing Live Data and Risk
15:25 Leadership and Team Dynamics
18:43 Future Partnerships and Final Thoughts

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