The CereCore Podcast

Phil Sobol

The CereCore Podcast brings you conversations focused on the intersection of healthcare and IT. From practical advice to strategic thought leadership, hear how healthcare IT leaders are navigating the decisions, challenges and journey of delivering technology to improve healthcare in their community today and in the future.

  1. 1D AGO

    Closing the Cyber Gap Without Hiring a Full Time CISO

    Rural hospitals are not too small to be targeted. In fact, they are often more vulnerable. In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, Phil Sobol sits down with Chris Riha, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor at CereCore, to talk about one of the biggest risks facing community hospitals today: cybersecurity. Chris brings a rare operator perspective. He spent more than 14 years inside Carilion Clinic leading clinical systems and medical device security and previously worked with the US Army Medical Department and MITRE. He understands both the operational realities of hospitals and the growing sophistication of cyber threats. They discuss: • Why rural hospitals are often targeted • The real impact of cyber incidents on communities • What a fractional CISO model actually looks like • How tabletop exercises build confidence and muscle memory • Federal and state funding opportunities many hospitals overlook Chris shares a powerful story of a critical access hospital that survived a cyber incident thanks to preparation, but not without significant strain on a very small IT team. If you are a rural CEO, CIO, board member, or healthcare leader trying to balance limited resources with growing cyber threats, this conversation offers practical, grounded guidance. Connect with show host Phil Sobol, Chief Commercial Officer at CereCore Connect with Chris Riha, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor at CereCore Want to evaluate your cybersecurity posture or explore fractional support options? Start a conversation with our team. Like what you hear? Follow or subscribe to The CereCore Podcast.

    24 min
  2. FEB 4

    The Dual Perspective of a Rural CMO and CMIO

    What happens when a practicing hospitalist becomes both CMO and CMIO? Dr. Devjit Roy shares his journey from COVID frontlines to dual leadership at Nathan Littauer Hospital. As author of Between Heartbeats and Algorithms: Reclaiming What Matters in Healthcare, Dr. Roy makes a powerful case for compassion and presence in an era of metrics and automation. Hear how he keeps clinicians connected to mission, optimizes MEDITECH in a rural setting, and approaches AI as a flashlight rather than a steering wheel. From digital health equity to physician voices in technology decisions, this conversation offers practical wisdom for healthcare leaders navigating the intersection of humanity and technology.  Key topics:  - Dual CMO/CMIO perspective on rural healthcare challenges  - Keeping clinicians engaged during EHR transitions and burnout  - Why physicians must be at the table for AI decisions  - MEDITECH optimization with CereCore partnership  - Workforce shortages and digital health equity in rural settings  - What makes a meaningful IT partnership in resource-constrained environments  Connect with show host Phil Sobol, Chief Commercial Officer of CereCore  Connect with Dr. Devjit Roy, CMO, CMIO, and VP of Medical Affairs at Nathan Littauer Hospital  Did this topic resonate with you? Reach out and start a conversation to learn more.  Need help optimizing your MEDITECH implementation? MEDITECH professional services can help identify gaps and create a roadmap for improvement.  Serving a rural community? Learn how IT advisory services can extend your team's capacity.

    40 min
  3. 12/29/2025

    A Rural CNO on Healthcare Innovation That Actually Helps Nurses

    From the bedside to the boardroom, Holly Davis has spent nearly three decades advocating for nurses and patients in rural healthcare. In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, Holly, Chief Nursing Officer at Bingham Memorial Hospital, joins host Phil Sobol to share a practical, people-first view on nursing leadership, technology adoption, and sustaining nursing careers. Holly discusses the realities of leading nursing teams across hospital and clinic settings, the cognitive and emotional burden nurses carry, and why innovation only works when it reduces effort instead of adding complexity. She also shares how Bingham Memorial Hospital is using tools like mobile point-of-care documentation, virtual nursing, and AI-assisted clinical notes to support nurses without losing the human connection at the heart of care delivery. In this episode What a day in the life of a rural CNO really looks like The physical, emotional, and cognitive realities of nursing today Practical approaches to nurse resilience and retention Using technology to reduce burden, not increase it Mobile documentation and virtual nursing in a rural setting Early lessons from AI-assisted clinical documentation Why leaders must stay close to frontline workflows Connect with show host Phil Sobol, Chief Commercial Officer of CereCore Connect with Holly Davis, Chief Nursing Officer at Bingham Memorial Hospital Did this episode spark your interest? We’d love to hear from you. Let’s start a conversation about how technology can better support nurses and care teams. Need help evaluating your EHR or identifying opportunities to reduce clinical burden? We can help you assess your current environment and build a practical roadmap. CereCore extends the capacity of healthcare IT teams through MEDITECH professional services, application management, IT support, infrastructure services, regulatory reporting, and advisory services.

    31 min
  4. 08/27/2025

    The Value of Advocacy in Rural Health: A CFO’s Perspective

    What happens when a hospital leader takes lessons from both the CEO and CFO seat into statewide advocacy? You get a strong advocacy voice for rural health. In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, host Phil Sobol talks with Tim Powers, Chief Financial Officer of the Idaho Hospital Association, about his 35-year journey in healthcare leadership. From turning around struggling hospitals in Idaho and Nevada to guiding 51 member hospitals today, Tim shares how advocacy, partnerships, and culture are essential to financial resiliency. He unpacks the challenges rural hospitals face from workforce shortages and labor costs to revenue cycle management and cybersecurity and explains why collaboration is the key to thriving, not just surviving. Listeners will hear stories of turnaround, mentorship, and the calling of rural healthcare leadership. In this episode: - Tim’s journey from “fix-it guy” to rural hospital CFO and CEO - How turnaround stories shaped his passion for advocacy - The value of Healthcare Business Ventures in supporting IHA members - Why Medicaid expansion, workforce culture, and cybersecurity top the financial agenda - Lessons from ransomware and EMR conversions in critical access hospitals - Advice for rural leaders: do not operate in a silo, lean on each other Whether you are a hospital executive, board member, or policy advocate, this episode offers practical perspective and inspiration on the role of advocacy and financial stewardship in sustaining rural health. Connect with - Show host Phil Sobol, Chief Commercial Officer of CereCore - Tim Powers, CFO of the Idaho Hospital Association Explore Resources CereCore® brings hospital operations experience and healthcare IT expertise together to support organizations like IHA members. From revenue cycle technology assessments and EHR optimization to managed IT services and cybersecurity, we can help you extend your team’s capacity. - Revenue Cycle Technology Adoption Model: Where does your organization stand? - Cybersecurity Assessments: Protect your data and minimize risk - IT Advisory Services: Gain an outside perspective rooted in healthcare operations

    43 min
  5. 07/28/2025

    The Value of Leadership and Optimization: A CNO to CEO Story

    From the ED to the C-suite, Dr. Kathy Tussey, CEO of Harrison Memorial Hospital, has never stopped solving problems. Dr. Tussey shares how EHR optimization became a strategic imperative and why it’s about more than technology. In this conversation with host Phil Sobol, she discusses the ripple effect of technology on staff, patient safety, regulatory and revenue cycle. Hear how her nursing roots shaped her approach to executive leadership, why rural hospitals can’t afford to lag behind, and how partnerships like the one with CereCore are helping her team work smarter, not harder. In this episode: - How a curious nurse became a forward-thinking hospital CEO - The critical role of EHR optimization in rural healthcare - How AI and analytics can reclaim time with patients - Why partnerships are essential for transformation - Leadership lessons from a collaborative, growth-oriented leader Dr. Tussey is an encouraging leader who is dedicated to operational excellence in healthcare. Whether you’re a CNO, CIO, or aspiring healthcare leader, stream this episode and get inspired to lead with purpose, optimize your technology, and never stop learning. Connect with show host Phil Sobol, chief commercial officer of CereCore Connect with Dr. Kathy Tussey, CEO of Harrison Memorial Hospital Did this episode spark your interest? We'd love to hear from you. Let’s start a conversation about how we can help you improve healthcare technology for providers and staff. Need to evaluate your EHR? We can help you assess your EHR and develop a roadmap like we provided Dr. Tussey and Harrison Memorial Hospital. We can extend the capacity of your team from MEDITECH professional services to ongoing application management, IT support, infrastructure, regulatory reporting, and virtual chief information security officers.

    31 min

About

The CereCore Podcast brings you conversations focused on the intersection of healthcare and IT. From practical advice to strategic thought leadership, hear how healthcare IT leaders are navigating the decisions, challenges and journey of delivering technology to improve healthcare in their community today and in the future.