Healthcare Champions

Krista Nelson, head of innovation at Children’s Mercy Hospital, shares how she’s transforming pediatric care through human-centered innovation—and how PedsMrkt, a first-of-its-kind B2B marketplace, is helping children’s hospitals across the country bring homegrown solutions to market. From scrappy startups to frontline breakthroughs, she’s proving that pediatric innovation deserves its own platform.

With 30 years of healthcare leadership experience, Monica Engel joins Sam Meers to discuss the root causes of broken trust in the system, from administrative bloat to misaligned incentives, and what it will take to fix it. Together, they unpack the emotional and financial toll on consumers, the false promise of simplicity, and the urgent need for industry leaders to step up with transparency, humility, and bold action.

Jeb Dunkelberger, CEO of ClearPoint Health, shares the personal heartbreak that fueled his mission to fix America’s healthcare chaos. From losing his stepmother to brain cancer and facing $2.4 million in medical bills, to building ClearPoint into a one-stop hub tackling high-cost claims, pharmacy costs, and the broken trust plaguing healthcare, Jeb reveals how his team is rewriting the playbook for employers, brokers, and patients alike, all while keeping the human side front and center.

In the fourth and final installment of the "Lessons in Healthcare Innovation" series on Healthcare Champions, host Sam Meers revisits the groundbreaking journey of Spira Care with Jimmy Keown, VP of Health Innovations and Growth, and Jason Spacek, EVP of Health Innovations at BarkleyOKRP. This episode uncovers the triumphs of the final push to bring Spira Care to life.  Spira Care is a revolutionary approach to advanced primary care that transformed healthcare delivery in the Kansas City metro area.

Jimmy and Jason reflect on the complexities of branding Spira Care, the pivotal "to blue or not to blue" decision. They discuss the cultural and operational shifts necessary to create a seamless patient experience, from training care teams to designing innovative care environments. Listen to their insights on the effort it took to bridge consumer trust between payers and providers. 

Hear how Spira Care overcame skepticism, rallied ambassadors, and scaled from a bold concept to a thriving model with measurable impacts on cost, patient satisfaction, and healthcare outcomes. These healthcare innovators also delve into the barriers preventing other payers from pursuing similar models. Learn their take on tackling the inertia of the status quo in healthcare.

Join us to celebrate the legacy of Spira Care, and discover how bold, intentional innovation can reshape the future, profitability, and affordability of healthcare.

In this episode, host Sam Meers continues our conversation with Dan Low, Chief Medical Officer at AdaptX, we explore how healthcare systems can transform patient outcomes by harnessing real-world data. Dan shares the challenges of clinical variation and explains how this overlooked issue can significantly impact care quality, efficiency, and equity. With AdaptX, months-long data analysis processes are now reduced to seconds, giving clinicians the tools to make informed decisions that directly improve care delivery.

Dan dives into inspiring examples of change already happening in hospitals across the country. From cutting the use of greenhouse gases in operating rooms to dramatically reducing reliance on opioids for surgical patients, these real-world results are not just theoretical—they're measurable, scalable, and reshaping long-standing practices. Dan also highlights how a consortium of hospitals is now collaborating to share insights and implement changes faster than ever, proving that innovation can spread exponentially.

Tune in as Sam Meers, from BarkleyOKRP and Dan Low discuss the future of healthcare and the critical role data plays in improving outcomes, driving sustainability, and fostering collaboration. Whether you’re a healthcare leader, practitioner, or innovator, this episode offers actionable insights into solving some of the industry’s biggest challenges.

In this episode of Healthcare Champions, host Sam Meers from BarkleyOKRP welcomes Dan Low, Chief Medical Officer at AdaptX, to discuss his visionary approach to harnessing data and Lean principles for a transformative shift in patient care. As a pediatric anesthesiologist with an unconventional journey through critical care, neonatology, and emergency medicine, Dan shares how his vast experiences led him to identify critical inefficiencies in healthcare systems. Observing that healthcare often lags behind other industries in data-driven decision-making, Dan set out to challenge this by founding AdaptX, where his work aims to leverage existing healthcare data to drive consistent, high-quality patient outcomes.

Through thought-provoking anecdotes from his Lean training at Toyota, Dan illustrates how simple yet impactful changes—such as reducing waste and aligning team processes—can significantly improve healthcare. His training in Japan taught him the importance of standardization and efficiency, a philosophy he has applied at Seattle Children’s Hospital and beyond. Comparing this to industries like Starbucks, where consistency and process drive customer satisfaction, Dan demonstrates how a similar approach in healthcare could minimize clinical variability, reduce patient wait times, and ultimately provide safer, more predictable outcomes.

Tune in to discover how Dan’s passion for problem-solving and his relentless pursuit of innovation are paving the way for a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare system. This episode dives into the steps healthcare leaders can take to harness their teams’ ideas and build robust systems that are both responsive and reliable, creating a ripple effect that can enhance the patient experience across the board.

In this episode of Healthcare Champions, host Sam Meers reconnects with industry innovators Jimmy Keown and Jason Spacek from BarkleyOKRP’s Health Innovations team to delve into the critical implementation stage of Spira Care. Following the initial planning and design phases, Jimmy and Jason now share how they brought their vision to life, navigating complex pivots and orchestrating a “well-choreographed dance” of multidisciplinary collaboration to make Spira Care a reality.

Discover how they managed cross-functional teams, balanced stakeholder buy-in with iterative co-design sprints, and pioneered a model that redefined the patient experience by putting humanity at the forefront. From building trust across Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City’s leadership to creating “service blueprints” that mapped the entire patient journey, they reveal the behind-the-scenes structure that brought Spira Care to life.

Tune in to explore the unique implementation strategies, unexpected pivots, and innovative approaches that shaped Spira Care, setting a new standard for patient-centered, technologically supported healthcare delivery. This episode is packed with insights for anyone passionate about transforming healthcare through collaboration, adaptability, and a human-first approach.

In this episode of Healthcare Champions, host Sam Meers from BarkleyOKRP sits down with Stuart Rosenblum, a transformative leader at Elevance Health, where he’s known as an “intrapreneur” with a talent for driving efficiencies and pioneering cost-saving strategies. Stuart shares his unique journey from the world of infomercials to an executive role in a Fortune 20 healthcare giant, where he is empowered to explore innovative solutions that reimagine the healthcare industry’s complex payer models.

Stuart’s diverse background has equipped him with a fresh perspective on traditional healthcare operations. He shares concrete examples of his cost-saving initiatives, such as reimagining the print and mailing services that drive up healthcare costs, and nurturing relationships with suppliers who prioritize value and innovation. By connecting Elevance’s large-scale resources with the needs of smaller health plans, Stuart’s work allows healthcare providers to maximize their budgets for patient care. His methods highlight the significant impact that incremental changes and relationship-building can have on healthcare’s bottom line.

Beyond his career, Stuart shares his personal wellness framework, the Balance Equation™, born from his journey through burnout, pivotal career moments, and a search for deeper purpose and fulfillment. Designed to help individuals find harmony among work, health, and personal growth, the Balance Equation™ provides a roadmap to achieve harmony between work, health, and personal growth. Detailed in his new book, this philosophy champions the power of “micro-moves”—small, consistent actions that can compound into profound life changes, benefiting not only individual resilience but also fostering a healthier workplace culture. 

Join us for an inspiring episode that explores healthcare transformation, personal resilience, and the small steps that can spark industry-wide impact.

In this episode of Healthcare Champions, host Sam Meers from BarkleyOKRP, sits down with Munzoor Shaikh, Founder and CEO of Long Game Health, to explore patient empowerment, value-based care, and the long-term transformation of healthcare systems. With a background in healthcare consulting, Munzoor is a leader in digital transformation, health equity, and value-based care—delivering strategies that generate tangible outcomes for healthcare organizations.

Munzoor shares his experiences and vision for shifting healthcare’s focus from "patients" to "people," emphasizing the need to understand individuals beyond their health conditions. He discusses the importance and difference between “patient success” versus “patient experience.” He explores his beliefs about how empowering individuals to take ownership of their healthcare can lead to better outcomes. Munzoor unpacks the challenges of value-based care, highlighting how misaligned incentives and short-term thinking hinder progress. He also shares his insights on the future of healthcare, including how a focus on patient empowerment and “patient success” could play a critical role in driving long-term change.

We know you will be inspired by Munzoor’s practical solutions, as he breaks down complex issues like healthcare cost management, utilization, and the need for a cultural shift in how we approach care. Join us for a compelling conversation on the future of healthcare and the critical shifts needed to make it more equitable, sustainable, and centered around the individual.

Tune in to hear how Munzoor aims to make a lasting dent in healthcare by playing the "long game" and driving transformation one patient—one person—at a time.

In this episode of Healthcare Champions, we sit down with Terry Burke, a senior healthcare leader, strategic advisor, and executive performance coach at Oliver Wyman. With decades of experience in healthcare, Terry shares his straight-shooting insights on the critical shift from "sick care" to "health care."

Terry discusses the significant impact he aims to make by tackling inefficiencies and championing innovation within the healthcare system. He emphasizes the importance of moving from a volume-based sick care model to a more efficient, patient-centered approach. With a mix of value-based care, digital transformation, and strategic alignment of incentives, Terry paints a compelling (and occasionally irreverent) vision for the future of healthcare.

Listeners will be entertained—and likely inspired—by Terry's passion for transforming healthcare. He dives into the industry's challenges and opportunities, offering visionary ideas and practical solutions with a dash of personality to keep things lively.

Join Sam Meers from BarkleyOKRP as he explores Terry's journey, his innovative ideas, and his relentless drive to make a lasting dent in the universe of healthcare.