More Health, Less Healthcare

Peter Boland PhD

Are you ready to rethink what health really means—and what it takes for us to achieve it? Welcome to the “More Health. Less Healthcare” Podcast, your front-row seat to a revolution in American healthcare, inspired by the game-changing book by Peter Boland.   Healthcare doesn’t have to be defined by endless bills, mounting debt, and a system that prioritizes profits over people. What if there’s a better way that means more health for everyone, fewer unnecessary costs, and a renewed sense of fairness in how care is delivered?   The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast takes you inside the heart of a growing movement: one that values equity, transparency, collaboration, and, above all, real outcomes for real people. Hosted by thought leaders committed to making a difference, each episode starts with a bold question: Are we ready to do the right thing, for the right reasons, at the right price?   Drawing from over 100 real-life case examples and interviews, this podcast isn’t just another critique of what’s broken. It’s your practical playbook for solutions that work—proof of concept that eradicating health disparities and cutting out waste can lead to healthier communities, a stronger economy, and a more ethical society.   Learn how the hidden cost of inequity in American healthcare is draining hundreds of billions of dollars from our economy every year, and how millions of Americans endure the crushing burden of medical debt. Discover why up to a third of all healthcare spending in the U.S.—a staggering $1.4 trillion each year—has no benefit for patients and only adds to the harm. The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast uncovers these hard truths and turns them into a call for accountability and courage.   We face a crucial choice: keep overspending on sickness care or rebalance our priorities to invest in real health creation. COVID-19 revealed the glaring gaps in our system and the disproportionate impact on minority communities, bringing discrimination and broken incentives to the forefront. The podcast tackles these issues head-on, with stories and strategies from those leading the way on public health, end-to-end care coordination, and the rebuilding of trust in our healthcare institutions.   Why do traditional healthcare financing models fail us? How can we redirect wasted resources to programs that create health? What can individuals, practitioners, and policymakers do right now to drive systemic change, eliminate unnecessary care, and refocus on community-based solutions?   Each episode is a masterclass in what it means to be accountable for the health of our communities. We draw on the wisdom of healthcare’s past, rooted in Hippocrates’ timeless principle—first do no harm, then try to prevent it—and update it for the 21st century. Our guests bring you groundbreaking ideas and proven methods to advance equity, commit to health creation, and embrace transparency and fairness as the guiding values of a new era.   Don’t miss the conversations that matter from how to slash 26-46% of healthcare waste, to making public health programs robust statewide and nationwide, to amplifying voices that have turned health equity from an ideal into a reality.   Whether you’re a patient, a clinician, a policymaker, or someone who simply cares about the future of health in America, “More Health. Less Healthcare” is your go-to resource for hope, honest dialogue, and practical steps toward a fairer, healthier tomorrow. Subscribe now and join the national conversation about how we value health, the urgent reforms we need, and how—with the right leadership and commitment—we can all experience more health and less healthcare.

  1. 4d ago

    Treating Neighborhoods as Patients: Hospital-Led Housing Initiatives

    Welcome back to More Health, Less Healthcare with Peter Boland. In this, we dive into why housing is far more than just a place to live—it's a clinical intervention that can shape the health of entire communities. Key Takeaways Treating Neighborhoods as the Patient: Peter Boland explores how Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus redefined its mission, tackling intergenerational poverty by viewing the community itself as the patient. Investing in housing revitalization led to a 20.8% drop in ER visits and a 12.7% reduction in hospital admissions in targeted neighborhoods. Institutional Investment Over Charity: Both Nationwide Children’s and Boston Medical Center demonstrate the power of allocating real capital—not just charitable donations—toward social infrastructure. Boston Medical Center devoted its entire $6.6 million Determination of Need fund to housing initiatives, securing long-term stability for patients with chronic health issues. Integration as Prevention: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota’s Center of Prevention illustrates how scaling institutional efforts—integrating affordable housing, food access, and tobacco cessation—can transform both health outcomes and communities. Why It Matters Short-term thinking doesn’t move the needle on health equity or chronic disease. As Peter Boland puts it, “Institutions need to change, not people.” Long-term, strategic investments in housing create real and measurable health improvements.

    Treating Neighborhoods as Patients: Hospital-Led Housing Initiatives
  2. Jul 1

    What If Healthcare Incentives Were Right? Insights from Pathways, Houston Methodist, and Blue Cross

    In our latest episode of More Health, Less Healthcare, Peter Boland tackles a fundamental question: What if the healthcare industry got the incentives right? Drawing from insights in the comprehensive Health Equity Case Studies Handbook, Peter Boland summarizes game-changing models and the powerful results that emerged when organizations shifted to pay-for-outcomes. Key Takeaways from the Episode Pay for Outcomes, Not Activities: Most healthcare payments go toward procedures and visits, not true health improvements. Peter Boland challenges us to consider: What if we tied payment to real results, just like we do in other industries?Success Stories Highlighted:Pathways Community Hub: Community health workers are paid when problems are solved, not just for showing up. This model led to a dramatic increase in healthy birth weights and better prenatal outcomes.Houston Methodist: Giving doctors access to monthly, personalized data on their practice resulted in lowered hospital admissions, fewer readmissions, and millions in shared savings.Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts: Their alternative quality contract ties provider payments to patient outcomes and equity—not just volume. This approach slowed spending and improved care for all populations.Measuring What Matters: Across the board, organizations that “measure what matters and tell the truth about it” saw behavior change and improved results. Despite abundant evidence, Peter Boland asks why the industry hasn’t widely adopted these models. The answer: it’s not a lack of information—the missing ingredient is institutional will.

    What If Healthcare Incentives Were Right? Insights from Pathways, Houston Methodist, and Blue Cross
  3. Jun 10

    The Hidden Costs of Motherhood and the Need for Systemic Change in Maternal Care

    In this thought-provoking episode of Author Podcasts, Peter Boland introduces the "More Health, Less Healthcare" series by asking a bold question: What if our healthcare system isn't truly designed to create health, but rather to respond to illness? Using maternal health as a lens, Peter Boland explores the disconnect between what we claim to value and what our system actually delivers. A Shortage of Health, Not Medical Care: Despite leading the world in healthcare spending, the U.S. continues to struggle with outcomes in life expectancy, chronic disease, and especially maternal health.Maternal Health as a Mirror: Our approach to maternal health reveals what our society truly values and exposes gaps in investment and design.We Know What Works: Stable housing, nutritious food, consistent maternity care, mental health support, and reliable primary care are proven solutions, yet often treated as optional rather than essential.A System Built for Sickness: The U.S. pays generously for complications and crisis interventions, but invests only cautiously in prevention and early, continuous support.The Hidden Tax on Motherhood: Many costs and stresses facing mothers and families are embedded in how we design coverage and assign accountability—not just "bad luck," but predictable outcomes of the system.Changing Incentives Is Key: Real change requires revisiting payment models, benefit design, and the deep incentives embedded in our health care organizations.From Pilots to Practice: It's not enough to run small experiments—maternal health needs to be central to the mission, operations, and leadership accountability. Peter Boland closes with an invitation: If we can’t organize our healthcare system around something as fundamental as maternal health, how can we claim to be serious about health in any other area?

    The Hidden Costs of Motherhood and the Need for Systemic Change in Maternal Care
  4. May 27

    Stop Doing This! Where is Your Organization “Weathering” People?

    This week on More Health, Less Healthcare, Peter Boland shines a spotlight on a concept that rarely appears in our benefit dashboards but shapes the lives of our patients, members, and colleagues daily: weathering. What is Weathering? As Peter Boland defines, weathering is what happens when people spend years inside systems—healthcare, employment, social services—that treat their bodies as expendable while blaming them for poor outcomes. It’s the cumulative, grinding effect of: Racism, sexism, and povertyChronic stress and bureaucratic hurdlesUnstable housing and low-wage workYou see it in the 35-year-old who looks 50, in the Medicaid member labeled ‘non-compliant’ after years of navigating prior authorizations. This isn’t just a sad coincidence. As Peter Boland reminds us, weathering is a product of how our systems are built and run. This weekend, wherever you work, notice one place where your organization is weathering people—a policy, a denial pattern, even a tone of voice. In your next meeting, ask: What would it take to stop? Not to pilot around it or build a workaround, but to actually stop. It’s an uncomfortable conversation, but one that matches the stories we say about equity and health. If you’re having these conversations—or struggling to start—I’d love to hear from you. Forward this episode to someone who sits in the rooms where decisions are made. Let’s move from “normal collateral damage” to “completely unacceptable.”

    Stop Doing This! Where is Your Organization “Weathering” People?

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
200 Ratings

About

Are you ready to rethink what health really means—and what it takes for us to achieve it? Welcome to the “More Health. Less Healthcare” Podcast, your front-row seat to a revolution in American healthcare, inspired by the game-changing book by Peter Boland.   Healthcare doesn’t have to be defined by endless bills, mounting debt, and a system that prioritizes profits over people. What if there’s a better way that means more health for everyone, fewer unnecessary costs, and a renewed sense of fairness in how care is delivered?   The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast takes you inside the heart of a growing movement: one that values equity, transparency, collaboration, and, above all, real outcomes for real people. Hosted by thought leaders committed to making a difference, each episode starts with a bold question: Are we ready to do the right thing, for the right reasons, at the right price?   Drawing from over 100 real-life case examples and interviews, this podcast isn’t just another critique of what’s broken. It’s your practical playbook for solutions that work—proof of concept that eradicating health disparities and cutting out waste can lead to healthier communities, a stronger economy, and a more ethical society.   Learn how the hidden cost of inequity in American healthcare is draining hundreds of billions of dollars from our economy every year, and how millions of Americans endure the crushing burden of medical debt. Discover why up to a third of all healthcare spending in the U.S.—a staggering $1.4 trillion each year—has no benefit for patients and only adds to the harm. The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast uncovers these hard truths and turns them into a call for accountability and courage.   We face a crucial choice: keep overspending on sickness care or rebalance our priorities to invest in real health creation. COVID-19 revealed the glaring gaps in our system and the disproportionate impact on minority communities, bringing discrimination and broken incentives to the forefront. The podcast tackles these issues head-on, with stories and strategies from those leading the way on public health, end-to-end care coordination, and the rebuilding of trust in our healthcare institutions.   Why do traditional healthcare financing models fail us? How can we redirect wasted resources to programs that create health? What can individuals, practitioners, and policymakers do right now to drive systemic change, eliminate unnecessary care, and refocus on community-based solutions?   Each episode is a masterclass in what it means to be accountable for the health of our communities. We draw on the wisdom of healthcare’s past, rooted in Hippocrates’ timeless principle—first do no harm, then try to prevent it—and update it for the 21st century. Our guests bring you groundbreaking ideas and proven methods to advance equity, commit to health creation, and embrace transparency and fairness as the guiding values of a new era.   Don’t miss the conversations that matter from how to slash 26-46% of healthcare waste, to making public health programs robust statewide and nationwide, to amplifying voices that have turned health equity from an ideal into a reality.   Whether you’re a patient, a clinician, a policymaker, or someone who simply cares about the future of health in America, “More Health. Less Healthcare” is your go-to resource for hope, honest dialogue, and practical steps toward a fairer, healthier tomorrow. Subscribe now and join the national conversation about how we value health, the urgent reforms we need, and how—with the right leadership and commitment—we can all experience more health and less healthcare.

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