Digital Health Leaders Podcast

CHIME
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Russ Branzell, President & CEO of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), interviews leaders in Digital Health from around the world. These thought leaders share their knowledge, challenges, best practices, and ideas for helping to transform health and care on a global level.

  1. 4D AGO

    Scaling with Intent: Leadership, Growth, and Innovation in Digital Health

    Derrek Hallock, Senior Vice President of Growth at SHI Healthcare, joins Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, to explore what it takes to scale digital health with intention in today’s healthcare ecosystem. Calling on his deep experience in operational leadership, process optimization, and building high-performing teams, Derrek shares his approach to accelerating growth across teams and healthcare systems. Throughout their discussion, they examine how healthcare organizations can responsibly scale technology infrastructure, navigate innovation such as generative AI and next-generation security, and leverage digital health solutions to expand access, advance equity, and improve outcomes across diverse care settings. Key Takeaways: How healthcare leaders can define and pursue growth beyond revenue, focusing on operational efficiency, provider impact, and patient outcomes. Key challenges and opportunities health systems face when scaling digital infrastructure, including AI adoption, hybrid cloud environments, and next-generation security frameworks. Practical guidance for prioritizing innovation so technology investments deliver sustainable value, measurable outcomes, and long-term transformation. Leadership principles that support sustainable growth, including transparent communication, a “no surprises” management style, and a culture of continuous learning and accountability. How digital health strategies can expand access to care, particularly for rural and underserved communities, while aligning with provider priorities around cost, scalability, and resilience.

    22 min

  2. FEB 2

    From Legacy to Leadership: Guiding Healthcare IT Through Its Next Era

    Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Melissa Ursi, Chief Executive Officer of Quoris, for a timely conversation on leading with intention during periods of organizational and industry transformation. With more than 20 years of experience across healthcare IT and executive leadership, Melissa shares how Quoris is navigating its next chapter, balancing evolution with the trust, culture, and expertise that leaders and teams rely on. Together, they explore what it takes to sustain alignment through change, translate technology strategy into operational results, and develop future-ready leaders in a healthcare environment defined by complexity, scale, and constant evolution. Key Takeaways: How healthcare organizations can evolve their brand, structure, and strategy without disrupting the culture and trust that underpin long-term client and team relationships. Practical strategies for maintaining clarity, consistency, and shared purpose across distributed teams without sacrificing flexibility. Where healthcare organizations most often struggle to turn technology investments into measurable outcomes and how to close the gap between strategy and execution. What digital health leaders should prioritize beyond implementation to drive long-term adoption, optimization, and sustained value from technology initiatives. The skills, mindsets, and leadership behaviors that will define the next generation of healthcare IT leaders and how today’s executives can intentionally develop emerging talent.

    41 min

  3. 12/16/2025

    Beyond the Buzz: Reimagining Cloud and Data Strategies in Healthcare

    What Keeps You Up at Night? – Tales from the Digital Frontier  Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Tim Lankes, Vice President of Healthcare at Rackspace, for a candid conversation on the realities behind cloud modernization in healthcare. Drawing on decades of experience leading large-scale healthcare technology and services initiatives, Tim shares how organizations are balancing innovation with security, cost, and continuity of care amid increasing regulatory and operational pressures. Throughout their discussion, they explore what’s driving successful cloud and multicloud strategies today, including separating hype from practical value in AI adoption to scaling pilots into enterprise-wide impact. Key Takeaways: How digital health leaders can modernize infrastructure, strengthen data accessibility, and align technology with human adoption to deliver outcomes that matter. Where multicloud strategies are creating the greatest operational value and what often gets overlooked. What it takes to move cloud and AI initiatives from pilot projects to sustained, enterprise-wide platforms. How AI is delivering practical benefits today by optimizing cloud environments and supporting data-driven decision-making.

    26 min

  4. 12/15/2025

    Empowering Transformation: Leading with Strategy, Purpose, and Partnership in Digital Health

    Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Rick Shepardson, Chief Strategy Officer at Optimum Healthcare IT, for a focused discussion on how healthcare organizations can move beyond implementation to realize meaningful value from digital health initiatives. Together, they explore practical insights on aligning people, data, and strategy to drive measurable progress — examine how digital health leaders are navigating modernization amid operational pressures—leveraging data to empower clinicians and patients, rethinking the role of legacy systems, and evaluating emerging technologies such as cloud, AI, and automation. Key Takeaways Where health systems are finding the greatest opportunities to improve clinician performance, patient experience, and operational results through smarter use of data. How healthcare organizations can unlock hidden clinical, operational, and financial value from legacy systems as part of broader modernization efforts. Practical approaches to unlocking value from legacy systems and integrating historical data into modern analytics and AI strategies. Leadership insights on guiding teams through uncertainty while fostering alignment, trust, and continuous learning.

    27 min

  5. 12/09/2025

    Culture by Design: How Intentional Leadership Is Shaping the Future of Health and Care

    Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with healthcare leader Clint Drawdy, Chief Executive Officer, for a thoughtful conversation on the evolving state of digital health. With decades of experience guiding teams through transition and transformation, Clint offers perspective on what health systems are facing today — from shifting organizational expectations to the growing influence of AI on workforce development and culture. Together, they explore how leadership, trust, and people-centered decision-making shape the success of digital initiatives, and what it takes to build resilient teams prepared for the future of care delivery. Key Takeaways: The emerging challenges, priorities, and expectations health systems are navigating as digital transformation accelerates. How AI and automation are reshaping talent needs and strategies for fostering a culture where people and technology evolve together. What leaders should prioritize when hiring for innovation, including balancing technical skills with collaboration and human judgment. Strategies for building and supporting the digital health workforce of the future, including critical competencies required for sustained innovation.

    30 min

  6. 12/04/2025

    The Case for Audacity in AI and Capacity Management Strategy

    What Keeps You Up at Night? – Tales from the Digital Frontier The Case for Audacity in AI and Capacity Management Strategy Russ Branzell welcomes Erik Barnett, Health Partner at Guidehouse and leader of the Health Technology Consulting Practice, for a candid discussion on the realities of AI adoption in healthcare. Drawing on his experience as both a clinician and business leader, Erik shares insights on building trust, establishing governance, and scaling AI initiatives — from optimizing patient flow and care team coordination to ensuring responsible, strategic implementation. Key Takeaways: How gaps in digital maturity and disconnected strategies can create organizational risk. AI use cases that are overhyped versus those with tangible impact on patient care and operations. The role of governance and leadership in operationalizing AI responsibly and building trust. Strategies for selecting partners and scaling innovations effectively across health systems. Why audacious goals and bold bets are essential for meaningful transformation in healthcare.

    34 min

  7. 11/20/2025

    Empowering Providers and Platforms: How Digital Health Must Evolve

    What Keeps You Up at Night? – Tales from the Digital Frontier   Empowering Providers and Platforms: How Digital Health Must Evolve   Host and Guest:  Russ Branzell, CHIME President & CEO  Bob Segert, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Athenahealth Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Bob Segert, Chairman and CEO of athenahealth, for a candid conversation about the complexities, misconceptions, and opportunities shaping today’s ambulatory and independent practice landscape — discussing how technology must evolve to truly support front-line clinicians. From ambulatory care as one of the most overlooked opportunities in U.S. healthcare, to why scalable innovation depends as much on trust and design as it does on data and automation, they explore how policymakers, payers, and tech leaders can better align to strengthen independent practices and why trust remains the most valuable currency in healthcare technology. Key Takeaways What it takes to design technology that truly supports front-line clinicians and daily practice operations. The systemic barriers that limit scalable digital adoption and how industry stakeholders can help remove them. Why trust is central to successful innovation and how tech leaders can earn it through design and delivery. How AI can be applied realistically in independent practices to improve documentation, workflow, and revenue cycle management.

    32 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    From Matching to Meaning: The New Standard for Identity in Healthcare

    This episode introduces the identity crisis facing healthcare and explores why 80% coverage isn’t the ceiling — it’s just the floor. With a candid conversation between Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, and Clay Ritchey, CEO, Verato, they unpack the future of patient identity, the risks of fragmented data, and why clean, connected, and complete records are essential to transforming care.

    28 min
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4.9
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Russ Branzell, President & CEO of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), interviews leaders in Digital Health from around the world. These thought leaders share their knowledge, challenges, best practices, and ideas for helping to transform health and care on a global level.

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