Working Healthcare with Meredith Hirsh

Meredith Hirsh
  • 5.0 (122)
  • BUSINESS
  • 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.

  1. 3D AGO

    Ep. 69 - Dr. Allison Ferris Examines Teaching, Training and Practice-ready Internists

    Step into a candid conversation with Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh and Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine Professor and Chair Dr. Allison Ferris.  From swelling Match classes to record debt, this episode asks whether a bigger training pipeline means truly practice-ready physicians. Should elite undergrads chase finance while medicine loses talent, or are admissions still rewarding the right qualities to shape tomorrow’s internists? Allison digs into moonlighting realities, six-figure loans and how those pressures steer specialties, training and well-being. Get practical advice from a residency program director on what predicts readiness, how to teach differently and whether July is really as risky as the jokes suggest. Press play to learn what it will take to graduate doctors who are ready on day one. Scrub in and listen!

    1h 7m

  2. SEP 9

    Ep. 68 - From Football to Big Pharma, Jon Hickman is Rewriting Pharmacy's Playbook

    Press play as Jon Hickman tells Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh how juggling school and college athletics forged his leadership style. Follow Jon's path from all-conference track and field star and college football player to a 16-year career at Walgreens, where he built a foundation in patient care and executive management. Jon’s willingness to always raise his hand for new opportunities propelled him into Big Pharma, with impactful roles at AstraZeneca and now Genentech. Hear his perspective on why Genentech stands out in supporting uninsured and underinsured patients, challenging the common narrative around pharmaceutical companies. Explore timely issues like 340B pricing, the urgent need for PBM reform, and how pharmacy services can expand to better serve diverse communities. Gain insight into the crucial work of the Board of Pharmacy, where Jon helps shape regulatory policy as one of nine key decision-makers. Join us as we celebrate the lessons of team sports, the passion behind pharmacy careers and the bold actions driving healthcare forward. Kick off now! While Jon Hickman is on the Florida Board of Pharmacy and employed by a pharmaceutical company, the opinions expressed in this episode are his own.

    54 min

  3. SEP 2

    Ep. 67 - Why Fran Nachlas is Running for Mayor?

    Get the inside story as Meredith Hirsh sits down one-on-one with Fran Nachlas, a surgical nurse turned Boca Raton deputy mayor and current mayoral candidate, to explore how local leadership drives community health. Drawing on nearly 30 years in operating rooms, first on the floor then in leadership, Fran brings an outcome-first approach to city problem solving. She brings relentless energy, from seven Boston Marathons and three Ironman finishes to riding all 84 miles of Boca Raton’s bike map to engage residents block by block. Together they connect city decisions to public health, including clean water, storm preparation, EMS response times, parks and safe streets, protected bike lanes, zoning that welcomes clinics and life science jobs, and housing that lets caregivers live near the people they serve. If you care about how government meets real life, this conversation is for you. This is our moment!

    42 min

  4. AUG 26

    Ep. 66 - Preston Alexander Outlines how Physicians can Reclaim Independence

    Join Working Healthcare’s Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez as they confront the drastic drop in physician-owned practices and the consolidation that drives costs higher. Meet revenue-cycle rebel Preston Alexander, founder of Forward Slash / Health and author of the “Healthcare Breakdown” newsletter, who dubs himself the “Taylor Swift of LinkedIn healthcare writing.” He argues progress comes from three bold levers: legislation; direct-pay and membership models that bypass middlemen. Preston hammers succession planning, warning that without affordable junior partner buy-ins, independence dies with founders. Meredith and Mike press on practical education, asking where the business of medicine fits in packed curricula and how to track the earliest cash-flow vital signs before a clinic suffocates. Find out which specialty is at the lowest percentage and which reigns the ruler of independent medicine and why. What are the first questions to ask when private equity flashes a fat check. Listen, question and act to reclaim the craft of medicine.

    58 min
  5. Ep. 65 - Steve Lewis Brings Rock 'n' Roll Discipline to Patient Records

    AUG 19

    Ep. 65 - Steve Lewis Brings Rock 'n' Roll Discipline to Patient Records

    Hit play to hear how a rock-and-roll project manager became the founder trying to fix everyday healthcare chaos. Join Working Healthcare’s Meredith Hirsh as Steve Lewis recounts Bowe’s premature arrival at 34 weeks and the binder that sparked Nabu, a patient-controlled record built to unite scattered data. We dig into why 80% of information is forgotten between the exam room and the parking lot and how that fog fuels 1.5 million ER visits a year for medication-related injuries. Steve explains how Nabu’s early pilots in Australia help families coordinate care across clinicians, crises and borders while keeping privacy at the center. You’ll also hear why he believes American incentives still power health care innovation and where AI can finally connect the dots for caregivers who spend endless hours a week coordinating care and say paperwork and portal hopping is their top stressor. From working with entertainment legends Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz and Tony Hawk to building tools for patients and parents, Steve brings candid lessons, setbacks and hope. Take action for the people you care for—listen, learn and share this Working Healthcare episode.

    57 min

  6. AUG 12

    Ep. 64 - Carly Salamone Dissects the One Big Beautiful Bill for Rural America

    Tune into this episode of Working Healthcare to learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could reshape rural health care as Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez interview policy leader Carly Salamone. With a dozen years in rural hospital care, Carly is now President of Vantage Healthcare of Ohio where is leads policy for several member hospitals. She breaks down the bill’s proposals, its impact on hospital payments and Medicaid, and what it means when the nearest ER is 60 miles away. We examine maternity care after Dobbs, why labor units are often first to close and how Medicaid’s role in births strains thin margins. The conversation demystifies site-neutral payments in the 2026 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and tests whether they level the field or push services to the brink. You’ll hear candid stories about coverage gaps during job changes, hospitals acting like subprime lenders for high deductibles and the power of regional collaboration. Press play to understand what’s at stake for rural and urban communities.

    51 min

  7. AUG 5

    Ep. 63 - From RN to VP: Heather Woolf on Leading and Lifting Women in Healthcare

    Hit play to hear how one nurse shattered ceilings on her way to the c-suite. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down with Heather Woolf, Vice President of Operations at the Hospital for Special Surgery, for a powerful conversation on gender equity in healthcare leadership. Heather shares her bold journey from the bedside to the boardroom, revealing the systemic barriers that still hold women back—despite making up nearly 80% of the healthcare workforce. Together, they unpack why only 30% of hospital CEOs are women, how outdated systems fuel burnout and what needs to change to build more inclusive leadership pipelines. Heather offers real-world strategies for navigating bias, advocating for yourself and staying resilient in the face of pressure. Whether you’re just starting your career or leading a healthcare system, this episode delivers inspiring insights and real-world solutions to advance gender equity in healthcare leadership. Listen, share and be part of the movement to elevate women in healthcare.

    1h 2m

  8. JUL 29

    Ep. 62 - Sean Travers on Growing Independent Practices with Ancillary Services and Vertical Integration

    Discover how smart strategies and bold decisions are transforming independent healthcare. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down in the studio with Sean Travers, a seasoned healthcare expert dedicated to helping practices achieve sustainable, service-driven growth. Together, with over 60 years of combined healthcare business experience, they explore the power of ancillary services—like in-house labs, imaging and infusions—and reveal how vertical integration enhances patient care while giving physicians greater control, financial stability and profitability. Sean exposes the most common pitfalls practices face when expanding and shares what high-performing teams do differently to scale successfully without compromising quality. They also unpack why culture isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a vital business strategy that fuels staff retention, team alignment and long-term success. Plus, learn how adopting a startup mindset can help independent clinics outpace hospital systems in today’s competitive landscape. Don’t just survive—tune in and learn how to lead your practice with confidence and clarity.

    52 min
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5
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122 Ratings

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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.

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