

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

Apr 29, 2025 • 29min
TownHall: Healthcare Without Borders and Empowering the Patient with Tracy Elmer
April 29, 2025: Tracy Elmer, Chief Innovation Officer of TrueCare, discusses her approach to empowering the patient to reach a higher level of care. How is TrueCare’s digital literacy program empowering underserved communities to navigate technology? Tracy reveals the impact of mobile wellness units bringing medical services directly to underserved communities, witnessing how TrueCare's philosophy that "distance should not be a barrier to care" manifests in their expanding network of specialized health centers. Lastly, she dives into how community partnerships with organizations like Feeding San Diego address broader social determinants of health in their community.
Key Points:
01:22 Digital Literacy Initiatives
10:32 Mobile Wellness Units
16:48 Community Partnerships
21:16 TrueCare Future Initiatives
23:47 Lightning Round
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 28, 2025 • 21min
UnHack (the Podcast): Cybersecurity - From Restrictors to Facilitators with James Bowie
April 28, 2025: James Bowie, VP and CISO of Tampa General, explores the human side of cybersecurity leadership. Facing a fragmented IT team James reveals how a $20,000 investment in ethical hacking training eliminated millions in security risks in a single weekend. Then, how do healthcare security leaders balance life-and-death decisions when ransomware hits critical services? The conversation delves into managing AI implementation safely in healthcare settings, with James detailing their two-week governance turnaround that laid the foundation for all AI projects to come.
Key Points:
02:56 Building a Cybersecurity Culture
07:00 AI and Cyber Foundations
11:29 High-Pressure Situations
15:39 Bonus Round: Personal Insights and Advice
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 24, 2025 • 34min
Keynote: The "Moments that Matter" Approach to Patient-Centered Care With Ryan Smith
April 24, 2025: Ryan Smith, SVP, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Intermountain Health, explores how healthcare organizations can balance innovation with mounting cost pressures. What does it take to maintain patient-centricity amid such massive digital transformation? Ryan reveals Intermountain's framework of organizing patient touchpoints as "moments that matter" across seven stages of the patient journey, while also discussing their deployment of over 4,000 automation bots and vision for "agentic AI." As clinician burnout and staffing shortages loom large across healthcare, how might Smith's approach to balancing governance with innovation culture help address these industry-wide challenges?
Key Points:
06:44 Patient-Centric Care
10:05 AI: More Than a BuzzWord
14:18 Cybersecurity in Healthcare
18:07 Operational Change Management
25:08 Future Challenges and Opportunities
29:17 Speed Round
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 23, 2025 • 24min
Interview In Action: The Digital Backbone for Your Future Innovation with Justin Marron
April 23, 2025: Justin Marron, CEO of Strategic Venue Partners, discusses how his team brings hospital system infrastructure into the present and opens the door to innovation's future. What happens when hospital connectivity systems fail to meet the demands of modern healthcare technology? Justin illustrates how Strategic Venue Partners transforms healthcare for the ever-increasing data demands of AI and real-time patient care. This episode addresses everything from 5G implementation to CBRS private networks, positioning healthcare facilities for seamless clinical and operational workflows.
Key Points:
05:05 Enabling Future Innovation
08:36 Healthcare Wireless Upgrades
14:25 Client Success Stories
20:43 Future Aspirations and Industry Impact
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 21, 2025 • 25min
Flourish: "Never Truly Stuck" - Resilience and Authenticity with Author Michelle Moffitt
April 21, 2025: Michelle Moffitt, leadership coach, counselor, and author of "Cracked Open," shares her path from being trapped in a high-control religious system and a controlling marriage to finding her authentic voice and purpose. Michelle delves into the essence of resilience as more than just perseverance—it's about creating meaningful support systems and making incremental progress while honoring our whole selves. The conversation examines how leaders can foster psychological safety in workplaces, the power of emotional awareness, and the liberating realization that we're never truly stuck in our circumstances.
Read the Preview or Order “Cracked Open”
Key Points:
01:23 Michelle's Journey and Challenges
07:50 Challenges and Support Systems
15:02 Mindset and Resilience
19:59 Michelle's Future and Reflections
22:16 Lightning Round
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 18, 2025 • 17min
Interview In Action: Democratizing the Innovations Hospitals Need with Jason Taylor
April 18, 2025: Jason Taylor, CGO from Panda Health, explores the pressing challenges facing healthcare systems in the uncertain economic landscape of today. How are health systems navigating potential Medicaid cuts and declining elective procedures while balancing innovation needs? Jason reveals how organizations are shifting from purchasing "cool new toys" to rationalizing existing budgets and application stacks without compromising patient care. The conversation delves into Panda Health's approach of democratizing knowledge across healthcare systems, connecting those with similar challenges to share lessons learned. Key Points:01:47 The Uncertainties of Healthcare04:16 Technology Implementation06:52 Pandas Social Intelligence12:20 Organizational Change Management X: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 17, 2025 • 43min
Keynote: Zero Trust Hospital Webinar with Ryan Winn and Tamer Baker
April 17, 2025: Ryan Winn, CISO at AdventHealth, and Tamer Baker, Healthcare CTO at Zscaler, discuss zero-trust solutions and questions in this webinar recording. The conversation explores AdventHealth's remarkable four-month implementation journey and the surprising benefits beyond security they've discovered. They discuss practical approaches to medical device security, strategies for gaining organization-wide buy-in, and why framing security initiatives as business enablers rather than technical mandates leads to success. As healthcare organizations face mounting technical debt and evolving threats, this discussion offers a refreshing roadmap to simplification and a more secure environment.
Key Points:
08:48 Zero Trust Hospital: Concepts and Implementation
13:42 Challenges and Opportunities in Zero Trust
21:19 The Impact of Zero Trust on Patient Care
27:49 Implementing Zero Trust
33:58 Final Thoughts and Q&A
Want to get your copy of the new book "Zero Trust Hospital: The CXO Vision" by Zscaler?
Order now
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 16, 2025 • 18min
Solution Showcase: Reclaiming Lost Testing Time with Laura O’Toole and Robin Parkin
April 16, 2025: Laura O'Toole, CEO of SureTest, and Robin Parkin, CIO of UVA Health, explore how SureTest automation revolutionizes healthcare IT testing. How are leading healthcare organizations reclaiming thousands of staff hours previously lost to manual testing? What unexpected benefits emerge when IT teams are freed from the burden of repetitive system validation? As UVA Health implements continuous automated testing, the conversation reveals how this approach prevents system errors before they reach end users and serves as a powerful recruitment tool in a competitive talent market. As the conversation closes the discussion extends beyond technology to address the critical issue of women in healthcare IT leadership.
Key Points:
01:27 Challenges and Solutions at UVA Health
04:41 Implementation and Impact of SureTest
10:49 Women in Leadership in Healthcare IT
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 15, 2025 • 20min
Road to Flourish: Breaking the Boundaries of Your Title with Kena Taylor
April 15, 2025: Erica Williams, Regional Technology Officer (CIO) Texas of Ascension, sits down with Kena Taylor, VP and CIO of Innovation Care Partners, who shares her remarkable journey from Air Force technologist to healthcare IT executive. How does someone transition from military service to leading technological transformation in healthcare? What qualities make for successful healthcare technology leadership in today's complex environment? Kena discusses the importance of being open to change, putting people first, and fostering team autonomy while maintaining a shared vision.
Key Points:
05:05 Dr. Taylor's Career Journey
07:26 Defining Career Moments
11:45 Qualities for Success
14:38 Humility and Ambition
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Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Apr 10, 2025 • 37min
Keynote: Upcoming Healthcare Challenges and the Innovations to Solve Them with Justin Brueck
April 10, 2025: Justin Brueck, System VP of Innovation and Research at Endeavor Health, explores the balance of today's operational challenges with tomorrow's transformational needs. Justin discusses how healthcare systems are caught in a dichotomy—constantly putting out fires while trying to build a "fireproof house" through strategic innovation. How will healthcare address the looming workforce crisis as the "silver tsunami" approaches, with 42% of physicians between 55-65 years old? The conversation weaves through personalized medicine via genomics, the role of AI beyond the hype, and the critical importance of building trust when implementing new technologies. Key Points:03:55 Current Landscape of Healthcare Innovation07:22 The Role of Genomics in Healthcare17:34 AI and Its Impact on Healthcare27:40 Leading Organizational Change and InnovationX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer


