

This Week Health: Conference
This Week Health
“This Week Health: Conference” captures the essence and energy of attending a premier health technology conference designed specifically for health systems. With a rich lineup of shows like UnHack (the Podcast), TownHall, Keynote, and various sponsored content, this channel serves as a gathering place for innovative thinkers and industry leaders to share transformative ideas. Hosted by Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson—all of whom have firsthand experience in the trenches of health IT leadership—each episode fosters the spread of knowledge and the formation of new connections. By bridging geographical divides, we help ensure that breakthroughs in one part of the country can enhance healthcare delivery nationwide. Subscribe today to join a vibrant community working together to make healthcare more connected and informed, accessible wherever you listen to podcasts.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 29, 2025 • 12min
Interview In Action: Autonomous Workspaces and Omnissa One Event with Michael Robinson
August 29, 2025: Michael Robinson, VP of Healthcare Solutions (Americas) from Omnissa, discusses what it takes to maintain momentum during massive transitions and Omnissa's vision for autonomous workspaces. As healthcare organizations face shrinking margins and accelerating digital demands, Michael explores how strategic partnerships with Epic and CrowdStrike are reshaping the technology landscape. With the upcoming Omnissa One summit featuring a dedicated healthcare track, the conversation touches on emerging trends beyond AI—from IoT in medical devices to virtual hospitals—while examining how technology companies can genuinely align with healthcare's evolving priorities in an increasingly complex market.
Register now to join Omnissa at Omnissa ONE: Learn more at Omnissa.com.
Key Points:
00:54 Omnissa's Journey and Vision
05:17 Omnissa One Summit Details
08:36 Future Trends and Personal Insight
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Aug 28, 2025 • 15min
Keynote: The Future of Healthcare: Tech, Leadership, and the Next Era of Care
August 28, 2025: In this Keynote Rewind episode, we explore how organizations balance the revolutionary potential of generative AI with the critical need for rock-solid infrastructure. Leaders share stories of mobile clinics outperforming traditional facilities, drone deliveries reaching remote islands, and home-based care achieving superior outcomes to hospital stays. With TEFCA enabling secure data exchange across state lines and remote patient monitoring saving children's lives, what happens when healthcare finally has the framework to scale innovation?
Key Points:
Taylor Davis - [00:01:00]
Glen Tullman - [00:02:00]
Doug King - [00:03:00]
B.J. Moore - [00:04:00]
Shakeeb Akhter - [00:05:00]
Chad Brisendine - [00:06:00]
Bradd Busick / Brent Lamm - [00:07:00]
Tim Skeen / Andrew Rosenberg - [00:08:00]
Mickey Tripathi - [00:09:00]
Aneesh Chopra / Craig Richardville - [00:11:00]
Christopher Longhurst - [00:12:00] and [00:14:00]
Daniel Barchi - [00:12:00]
Alistair Erskine - [00:12:00] and [00:14:00]
Keith Perry - [00:13:00]
Stephen Klasko - [00:14:00]
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Aug 27, 2025 • 18min
Interview In Action: Threat Defense Centers and Cyber Communities with Dan Dodson
August 27, 2025: Dan Dodson, CEO of Fortified Health Security, discusses how healthcare organizations are rethinking cybersecurity strategy amid mounting financial pressures. Dan shares insights from their Nashville Executive Briefing Center, where healthcare leaders are uncovering critical gaps in their security programs. As AI tools spread faster than anyone anticipated—with physicians using platforms that security experts haven't even heard of—how do organizations balance innovation with control? With Medicare cuts looming and every cybersecurity dollar representing money moved away from patient care, are healthcare systems getting real value from their fragmented tool investments?
Key Points:
01:31 Executive Briefing Center Experience
06:27 Cyber Survivor Podcast
11:02 Midyear Horizon Report Insights
13:47 Lightning Round Questions
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Aug 26, 2025 • 26min
TownHall: Nursing Flow Sheets and the Art vs Science of Nursing with Anika Gardenhire
August 26, 2025: Anika Gardenhire, RN, Chief Digital and Transformation Officer at Ardent Health, joins Reid Stephan, VP and CIO at St. Luke’s Health System, to discuss the complicated world of nursing. As healthcare faces workforce shortages and an aging population, the discussion examines whether current documentation requirements are actual regulations or simply historical inertia that's never been questioned. Can we redesign nursing documentation to capture both the measurable "science" and the intuitive "art" that experienced nurses bring to patient care? Anika envisions a future where technology amplifies rather than replaces the human elements that define exceptional nursing care.
Key Points:
01:03 Challenges with Nursing Flow Sheets
09:39 Reimagining Nursing Documentation
17:46 Role of EHRs in Future Nursing
21:25 AI and Technology in Healthcare
24:57 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
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Aug 25, 2025 • 30min
UnHack (the Podcast): Creating Security Ambassadors and AI Ethics with Chase Franzen
August 25, 2025: Chase Franzen, VP and CISO at Sharp Healthcare, discusses how they transformed their cybersecurity training into something so engaging that employees actually call it fun. But as AI capabilities advance at breakneck speed, what happens when traditional phishing indicators disappear and deepfakes become indistinguishable from reality? Chase discusses Sharp's AI ethics committee and their approach to balancing innovation with responsibility, while sharing candid thoughts about AI's true costs. The conversation also explores how failure and discomfort drive growth, touching on everything from real estate disasters to the joy of flying planes
Key Points:
02:51 Diverse Career Paths: Real Estate, Teaching, and More
08:36 Innovative Cyber Ambassador Program
13:03 AI Cybersecurity Concerns
21:57 Lightning Round: Quotes, Failures, and Airplanes
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Aug 21, 2025 • 23min
Keynote: Workforce Resilience - Burnout, Balance, and Belonging
August 21, 2025: In this Keynote Rewind, healthcare leaders are hitting their breaking point, and the numbers tell only part of the story. This episode goes beyond burnout statistics to reveal how some organizations are quietly transforming healthcare work—reducing alert fatigue from a million notifications to under 100,000, implementing "wellness sprints" where IT teams shadow physicians, and achieving belonging scores that surpass industry benchmarks. Can these targeted interventions really address the deeper issues of culture and connection that drive people away from healthcare? Through conversations with leaders who've been to the edge and back, we explore what's actually working to rebuild trust, restore balance, and create systems worth staying in.
Key Speakers:
Joel Klein - [00:01:00]
Erica Olenski - [00:03:00]
Ian Koniak - [00:04:00]
Erica Olenski - [00:05:00]
Deborah Proctor - [00:06:00]
Jake Lancaster, MD - [00:07:00]
Theresa McDonnell - [00:08:00]
Bridget Barnes - [00:09:00]
Scott MacLean - [00:10:00]
Marijo Rugh - [00:11:00]
Tanya Townsend / Theo Theodosiou - [00:13:00]
Michael Restuccia - [00:14:00]
Alastair Erskine, MD - [00:16:00]
Chris Harper - [00:19:00]
Chero Goswami - [00:19:00]
Aaron Miri - [00:20:00]
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Aug 20, 2025 • 23min
Interview In Action: Hospital Downtime and Better Recovery Planning with Michael Fredrickson
August 20, 2025: Michael Fredrickson, VP of Sales for US Healthcare from Rubrik, discusses cyber resilience when patient care is on the line. Michael reveals the sobering reality that many younger nurses have never worked without electronic health records. What happens when these systems fail, and staff trained entirely on digital platforms must suddenly revert to pen and paper? As they discuss new innovations in identity resilience and AI agent controls, they raise important questions: Can healthcare organizations realistically meet the proposed 72-hour recovery requirements?
Join the Rubrik Healthcare Summit on September 10 and learn how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks. Register at events.rubrik.com/healthcare.
Key Points:
02:20 Rubrik's Mission and Cybersecurity Focus
09:36 Future of Rubrik and AI Integration
16:10 Building a Customer-Centric Culture
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Aug 19, 2025 • 16min
Townhall: Bringing Innovation to Rural Healthcare with Dr. William Morgan
August 19, 2025: Dr. William Morgan, MD, CEO at Copiah County Medical Center, discusses his unexpected four-year transformation of CCMC, a rural Mississippi hospital that's now pioneering AI-driven healthcare solutions. William discusses how partnerships with companies like Neteera have enabled everything from AI fall prevention to real-time patient monitoring, fundamentally changing how rural communities access specialist care. How do you balance cutting-edge technology with the human connection that patients need most? The conversation explores practical strategies for rural healthcare leaders facing resource constraints and potential funding cuts.
Key Points:
03:13 Technological Advancements in Rural Healthcare
05:31 Real-Life Impact Stories
07:37 Expanding Capabilities and Future Vision
11:15 Advice for Rural Health Leaders
13:56 Cultural Transformation and Conclusion
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Aug 18, 2025 • 34min
Flourish: From CIO to Solo Practice and Taking the Bold Steps with Dr. Stephanie Lahr
August 18, 2025: Stephanie Lahr, MD, Founder of Vital Thread Advisory, reveals her transition from healthcare executive to solo consultant. What drives a seasoned physician-executive to question decades of traditional employment and embrace the uncertainty of independent consulting? Stephanie discusses overcoming the fear of leaving structured organizations, the practical realities of building Vital Thread Advisory, and why she believes healthcare companies need specialized expertise without full-time commitments. How do you navigate imposter syndrome while positioning yourself as the connector—the "thread"—that brings together clinical insight, operational know-how, and emerging technology? Her journey challenges assumptions about career security and explores whether the current healthcare market is creating new opportunities for those willing to redefine professional success.
Key Points:
03:47 The Birth of Vital Thread Advisory
09:18 Navigating the Solo Journey
17:15 Advice for Aspiring Solo Practitioners
32:27 Speed Round
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Aug 14, 2025 • 22min
Keynote (Rewind): AI in Action - From Buzz to Bedside
August 14, 2025: Healthcare has moved from "what if" to "what now" with AI, as health systems quietly implement artificial intelligence across operations from revenue cycle to bedside care. Bill Russell explores how virtual care adoption jumped from 3% to 95% in three months, questioning whether healthcare's barriers are truly technological or cultural. As hospitals face mounting complexity and clinicians struggle with what leaders call a "wealth of data and poverty of insights," AI is addressing everything from scheduling optimization to diagnostic support—often without patients realizing it. The episode examines current implementations like virtual nurses handling administrative tasks and AI-assisted radiology reads, while exploring the provocative prediction that practicing without AI assistance may soon be considered below standard care.
Key Points:
[00:02:00] - Pete Clardy
[00:03:00] - Michael Pfeffer
[00:04:00] - Kristin Myers
[00:05:00] - BJ Moore
[00:06:00] - Shez Partovi
[00:07:00] - Marty Paslick
[00:08:00] - Jennifer Owens
[00:09:00] - CT Lin
[00:09:00] - Dirk Stanley
[00:10:00] - Cris Ross
[00:11:00] - Zafar Chaudry
[00:12:00] - Shakeeb Akhter
[00:12:00] - Brad Reimer
[00:13:00] - Albert Oriol
[00:14:00] - Seth Hain
[00:15:00] - Christopher Longhurst, MD, MS
[00:16:00] - Taylor Davis
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