Working Healthcare

Meredith Hirsh
  • 5.0 (212)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

The truth reshaping America’s $5 trillion healthcare system. This show provides a front-row seat to the policies, powerhouses and forces. Candid conversations no one else is telling with the most fascinating healthcare leaders, every week hosted by trailblazer Meredith Hirsh. You can’t fix what you don’t understand. Watch full video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingHealthcare Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workinghealthcarepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workinghealthcare TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@workinghealthcarepod Meredith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithfhirsh/ Contact Email: workinghealthcarepodcast@gmail.com

  1. 1d ago

    Ep. 117 - What American Healthcare Still Gets Wrong About Menopause (ft. Maryon Stewart)

    A woman wakes at 3 a.m., drenched in sweat and unable to sleep. Her mind feels foggy. Her patience runs thin. Her body no longer feels familiar. She asks for help and too often hears, “That is just menopause.” In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Maryon Stewart, a women’s health advocate and menopause expert, to challenge the silence, confusion and dismissal that surround perimenopause, menopause and life after menopause. Maryon brings four decades of experience and a fierce sense of justice to a conversation that reaches far beyond hot flashes. Meredith shares her own search for answers after early menopause and a family history of breast cancer. Maryon explains why so many women feel blindsided, why credible guidance can feel impossible to find and why a short doctor visit rarely leaves room for the full story. They confront a healthcare system that often sends women home with vague advice, antidepressants or no clear path forward. The conversation also exposes the high price of inaction. Women lose sleep, confidence, intimacy and momentum at work. Employers lose experienced leaders. Families carry the strain in quiet, painful ways. Yet Maryon offers hope through practical education, nutrition, movement, stress support and research-backed care that treats a woman as a whole person, not a list of symptoms. This episode asks a vital question: Why does a life stage that affects millions of women still sit at the margins of healthcare? Press play for a candid, compassionate conversation about menopause, medical blind spots and the urgent need for better support for women at every stage of life. Contact Maryon: Instagram: @femmar.hormonal.health Facebook: @maryonstewart LinkedIn: @maryon-stewart-bem YouTube: @askmaryonstewart Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 117 - What American Healthcare Still Gets Wrong About Menopause (ft. Maryon Stewart)

  2. Aug 18

    Ep. 116 - Workflow Secrets and a Patient Roadmap: How Allen Cooper Wants to Fix Healthcare

    A hospital runs on more than white coats and exam rooms. It runs on hidden workflows, clunky communication and quiet decisions that either protect patients or push them into delays and frustration. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Allen Cooper, founder and CEO of ReadyLit, Inc., to explore how smarter operations can heal the system behind the scenes. Allen enters healthcare as a builder, not a clinician. He looks at outdated processes, fax-driven communication and scattered data and sees an opportunity to modernize back offices so nurses, schedulers and administrators spend less time chasing paperwork and more time supporting care. He explains why leaner, more thoughtful workflows matter in a world where hospitals stay short staffed and demand keeps rising. Then Meredith hands him a “magic wand” and asks for one big change. Allen does not talk about a new app or a flashy device. He calls for better education for patients so they understand where to go, when to go and how to avoid costly trips to crowded emergency departments. Clear guidance, honest transparency and practical navigation tools could help families find the best value care instead of guessing in the dark. If you worry about broken processes, overwhelmed staff and patients who feel lost in the maze, press play. Allen Cooper shows how fixing hidden workflows and teaching patients to navigate care can push American healthcare toward a more efficient, humane future. Contact Allen: LinkedIn: @allen-c00per Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 116 - Workflow Secrets and a Patient Roadmap: How Allen Cooper Wants to Fix Healthcare

  3. Aug 11

    Ep. 115 - Rural Hospitals Are Vanishing — Tom Campanella Explains Why It Matters

    Tom Campanella steps into Working Healthcare with a lifetime of battle-tested stories from the front lines of policy, payers and patients. He grew up in the inner city, walked into Cleveland City Council in his 20s and decided politics was not for him, yet he still craved real impact. He carried his law degree, CPA license and master’s in economics into healthcare and never looked back, trading campaign slogans for spreadsheets, contracts and community fights over access. Inside Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio he watched managed care rise, hospital “golden years” collapse and payers gradually become the villain in every physician lounge. Tom shares with host Meredith Hirsh why rural hospital closures should keep city dwellers up at night, how lobbying dollars mute small-town voices and why our blindness to power structures guarantee higher bills and weaker care. He exposes the structural flaws from the 1970s that still affect today’s premiums and deductibles. He also shares the joy of shaping future physicians, hosting a call-in radio show about healthcare history and helping families recognize the pattern hidden behind their medical statements. Tom does not rant; he connects dots and names the players. If you want to understand what really happens when your local hospital shuts down, why your premiums spike every year or how we might finally tilt American healthcare back toward people instead of profit, you will not want to miss this conversation. Press play on this episode of Working Healthcare and hear Tom Campanella pull back the curtain on the system you live in every single day. Contact Thomas: LinkedIn: @thomascampanella Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 115 - Rural Hospitals Are Vanishing — Tom Campanella Explains Why It Matters

  4. Aug 4

    Ep. 114 - From Castro’s Cuba to Florida’s First Health Secretary: Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros Fights for the Invisible Patient

    A little girl watches her parents practice medicine in Cuba, emigrates to Miami and grows into a fifth generation physician who refuses to accept a health care system that treats some patients as second class. Today, Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros teaches future doctors, leads care for people experiencing homelessness and still walks into every clinic with one powerful question: Who feels invisible here and why. In this new episode of Working Healthcare, guest Ana of Camillus Health and Florida International University and host Meredith Hirsh move from Medicaid to board rooms to shelter clinics and back again, revealing how “coverage” often fails to equal access and how subtle bias creeps into exam rooms, hospital corridors and payer policies. Ana explains her “platinum rule” for patient care, the moral costs of first class–coach medicine, and the quiet courage it takes to demand dignity for patients who sleep in shelters, under bridges or in crowded apartments. If you teach, train or lead in health care and you want a raw, hopeful conversation about fairness, legacy and what it really means to serve every patient with respect, press play and share this episode with a colleague who still believes medicine can do better. Contact Ana: LinkedIn: @ana-viamonte-ros Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 114 - From Castro’s Cuba to Florida’s First Health Secretary: Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros Fights for the Invisible Patient

  5. Jul 28

    Ep. 113 - Ali Kaufman Is Tackling Youth Mental Health and Redefining Healthcare Boundaries - Re-release

    When the healthcare system fails kids, classrooms quietly turn into the new emergency rooms. In this re-release of a foundational episode, of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh sits down with Ali Kaufman, founder and CEO of Space of Mind, to explore how education, mental health and family systems collide and how a school can transform into a healing environment instead of another pressure cooker. Ali shares her journey from a Brandeis student who considers the rabbinate to a young woman who survives trauma, confronts undiagnosed ADHD and learns to treat her “busy brain” as a superpower rather than a flaw. She describes early work in cluttered kitchens, chaotic bedrooms and executive boardrooms, where she coaches families and CEOs through disorganization, anxiety and breakdown in communication. Meredith guides the conversation into the heart of Space of Mind, where Ali designs mental health-centered learning spaces that feel safe, flexible and creative instead of institutional. Ali explains how she trains educators to think like coaches, honors different processing styles and builds routines that support executive function without crushing individuality. Together they dissect moral injury in schools, the national shortage of child psychiatrists and the reality that many kids now operate in a constant PTSD mode. Ali argues that schools must accept every student as they are, listen more deeply and measure success with simple but radical questions like, “Does your child get out of bed happy?” Meredith and Ali connect the dots between physician burnout, student distress and the erosion of critical thinking in an era of instant answers and digital shortcuts. They offer parents and clinicians practical insight on how to nurture purpose, curiosity and psychological safety even when traditional supports disappear. If you care about the kids who slip through the cracks between healthcare and education, listen in to this episode of Working Healthcare and share it with a parent, teacher or clinician who wants school to heal rather than harm. Contact Ali: Linked In: @alikaufman Website: findspaceofmind.com Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 113 - Ali Kaufman Is Tackling Youth Mental Health and Redefining Healthcare Boundaries - Re-release

  6. Jul 21

    Ep. 112 - Justin Hand Unveils Insights on Healthcare's Private Equity Landscape - Re-release

    Physician burnout rises, administrative burdens pile up and private equity money floods into healthcare, but most doctors still ask one urgent question: “What are my real options?” In this re-release of a foundational episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh sits down with Justin Hand, founder and managing director of Westcove Partners, to map those options with clear, pragmatic detail and a sharp eye for legacy. Justin opens with the staggering scale of global healthcare private equity and explains why low- and middle-market practices draw such intense investor interest. He breaks down platform practices, bolt-ons and strategic acquirers, then shows how each path reshapes a physician’s autonomy, income and succession plan. Meredith pushes on the real-world pressure points, from ASC decisions and hospital affiliations to growing physician and administrator burnout, and Justin responds with candid stories from more than 90 healthcare transactions. Together they explore “income repair,” MSO structures and equity rollover, translating finance jargon into concrete examples that matter to clinic owners who juggle payroll and patient care every day. Justin contrasts physician-owned success stories with groups that seek private equity partners to resolve friction, expand recruiting or survive in markets dominated by MA plans and hospital systems. The conversation returns again to legacy, as Meredith and Justin weigh the value of independence against the reality of shrinking margins and the responsibility to keep practices open for patients and staff. If you lead a medical practice or advise one and you want a clear, narrative guide through private equity, MSOs and succession planning in today’s healthcare economy, listen in to this episode of Working Healthcare and share it with a colleague who wrestles with the same decisions. Contact Justin: LinkedIn: @justinhand Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 112 - Justin Hand Unveils Insights on Healthcare's Private Equity Landscape - Re-release

  7. Jul 14

    Ep. 111 - Chuck Melendi Unveils the Truth Behind Big Pharma - Re-release

    Drug prices soar, patient bills spike and everyone blames Big Pharma, but what if the real power players sit in the shadows behind your pharmacy counter? In the re-release of this foundational episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh invites Chuck Melendi, founder of the Disruptive Dialogue podcast and veteran Johnson & Johnson insider, to walk straight into the fire and unpack the truth behind the industry’s most polarizing debates. Chuck uses clear, punchy stories and hard numbers to show how “Big Pharma” no longer stands as the biggest giant in healthcare, then compares drug manufacturer revenue to the colossal income of insurers and PBMs that quietly control formularies, rebates and patient access. He explains how direct-to-consumer advertising evolves, why TV spots drive sales and why he still argues for unbranded education that keeps the conversation between physician and patient. Meredith presses him on drug pricing, and Chuck responds with an insider’s view of transparency reports, R&D budgets and the delicate balance between profit, innovation and public responsibility. The episode then dives into the rebate game, formulary battles and the brutal leverage PBMs hold over both manufacturers and clinics, all in language that clinicians, patients and advocates can follow. Chuck shares vivid moments from decades of account management, including the tug-of-war between safety data, patient services and the raw economics that dictate which medications stay on a plan. He tells the personal story behind his decision to leave J&J, describes himself as “too knowledgeable to stay silent” and why he launched a mission-driven effort to disrupt the system through consulting, speaking and podcasting. Meredith and Chuck close with a bold wish: break up publicly traded insurers and PBMs and restore a healthcare landscape that serves patients instead of quarterly earnings. If you want a candid, experienced voice to guide you through the real forces behind drug prices, PBMs and Big Pharma’s reputation, listen in to this episode of Working Healthcare and share it with someone who navigates those pressures every day. Contact Chuck: LinkedIn: @chuckmelendi Website: disruptivedialogue.org/meet-chuck Discruptive Dialogue podcast: Disruptive Dialogue with Chuck Melendi Instagram: @chuckmelendi Facebook: facebook.com/cmelendijr YouTube: @DisruptiveDialoguePodcast Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 111 - Chuck Melendi Unveils the Truth Behind Big Pharma - Re-release

  8. Jul 7

    Ep. 110 - Demystifying Pharmacy Benefit Managers (ft. Alerie Stiles) - Re-release

    Pharmacy benefit managers sit between your doctor and your drug, yet almost no one understands how they really operate. In this re-release of Episode 5, Meredith Hirsh and guest Alerie Stiles strip away the jargon and expose the vivid, real-world impact of PBMs on patients, physicians and independent practices. Alerie shares her unconventional path from cold-calling EHR demos to shadowing more than a thousand physicians, then harnesses that frontline insight to build technology that frees doctors from clunky software and restores genuine face time with patients. Meredith and Alerie walk through the “vertically integrated” world where one parent company can own the insurer, the PBM, the pharmacy and even the clearinghouse, and they unpack what that structure means for coverage decisions and drug access. The episode turns deeply personal with the story of a breast cancer prescription that takes three weeks to reach a patient, landing her in the hospital, and then contrasts that devastation with a medically integrated dispensing model that delivers specialty medications in just three days. They decode rebates and DIR fees in clear, concrete language and explain why independent clinics and hospitals fight so hard to keep dispensing power inside the care team. Alerie closes with a bold vision for immunology and rheumatology, where payers approve transformative biologics but only community practices can dispense them, not PBM-owned specialty pharmacies. If you want sharper insight into who truly controls your prescriptions and how independent practices fight back for faster, safer access to life-changing drugs, listen in to this episode of Working Healthcare and share it with someone who navigates the PBM maze every day. Contact Meredith: Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcare Facebook: WorkingHealthcare LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

    Ep. 110 - Demystifying Pharmacy Benefit Managers (ft. Alerie Stiles) - Re-release
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5
out of 5
212 Ratings

About

The truth reshaping America’s $5 trillion healthcare system. This show provides a front-row seat to the policies, powerhouses and forces. Candid conversations no one else is telling with the most fascinating healthcare leaders, every week hosted by trailblazer Meredith Hirsh. You can’t fix what you don’t understand. Watch full video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingHealthcare Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workinghealthcarepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workinghealthcare TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@workinghealthcarepod Meredith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithfhirsh/ Contact Email: workinghealthcarepodcast@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Meredith Hirsh
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Working Healthcare
  • Show Website
    Working Healthcare

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