In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Dan Collard sits down with Dr. Katherine Meese to unpack their new book, Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce, new from ACHE Learn, a practical, research-grounded guide to leading across generations in healthcare. Rather than leaning on clichés, they explore how technology has reshaped expectations at work, why younger clinicians experience the environment differently, and what leaders can do right now to retain and develop talent at every level. 

They move quickly from origin story to business case, connecting multigenerational leadership to retention, safety, and engagement. You’ll hear how disrespect drives toxic culture (and turnover), why communication gaps sit behind many sentinel events, and how reframing PTO and well-being improves team performance. They also preview the book’s myth-busting chapter (data that challenges doom-driven narratives) and explain why the patient belongs at the center of any workforce conversation.

The episode introduces Control+Alt+Lead, a leadership “reboot” framework that starts with self-reflection, builds psychological safety for new clinicians to speak up, and shifts from succession planning to success planning so people can thrive. 

What you’ll learn:

• A clear business case for multigenerational leadership (retention, safety, engagement)
• Why technology (not stereotypes) drives many generational differences
• Practical ways to reduce disrespect and strengthen communication
• How to apply the Control+Alt+Lead framework 
• Where Genfluence fits into ACHE Congress and your leadership development roadmap

Smart, usable, and grounded in real fieldwork, this conversation offers leaders a path to keep great people longer and take better care of patients in the process.

About Dr. Katherine A. Meese and Dan Collard

Dr. Katherine A. Meese and Dan Collard are co-authors of Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce (ACHE Learn 2026).

Dr. Meese has fifteen years of experience in healthcare management, leadership and research, and is an award-winning scholar and author in organizational behavior, well-being and leadership. Most importantly, she is on a mission to use science to help healthcare leaders keep their people and keep them well. She is the author of five books including The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust with Quint Studer.

Dan Collard’s thirty-one years in the industry include hospital and health system operations, technology start-up transactions and consulting. He has been described as a “change agent, builder, mentor and developer of others.” His lens-of-the-operator view continues to guide his leadership practice. Dan is the cofounder of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group and the coauthor of Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired and Rewiring Leadership in Post-Acute Healthcare.

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer talks with Christine Schuster, Craig Nesta, and Michael Tracy from Emerson Health about a simple idea with big impact: build your own leadership pipeline and protect it, even in lean years.

They walk through Emerson’s end-to-end approach: paid summer internships embedded in real operating units, a structured mentoring lattice (direct manager, peer “buddy,” senior leader), and a one-year administrative fellowship that moves emerging leaders from classroom theory to hands-on management and, often, into first-role leadership. You’ll also hear how partnerships and a clear values stance keep the organization nimble while developing people who share its mission.

What you’ll learn:

• How Emerson structures paid internships (mid-May to mid-August), embeds students in practices, and supports them with a manager + buddy + senior mentor model.
• What its one-year administrative fellowship includes (early operational ownership, standards and accountability, and coached “reps” before promotion). 
• Why Emerson protects development dollars during budget pressure and how that stance ties directly to performance and culture.
• Practical tactics for recruiting nationally and creating visible on-ramps from intern, to fellow, to first leadership role.
• How partnerships (e.g., regional systems and specialty providers) complement the internal pipeline to keep the organization agile.

Smart, repeatable, and ROI-minded, this conversation is a playbook for any system serious about growing leaders who fit the culture and stay.

Christine Schuster, RN, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Emerson Health
Christine (Chris) Schuster has served as Emerson Health’s president and CEO for two decades, following CEO roles at Quincy Medical Center and Athol Memorial Hospital and earlier service as COO for Tenet’s Saint Vincent Healthcare (Extended Care Division). She serves on multiple regional health and business boards and advisory groups and has been recognized by Boston Magazine among the “Most Influential Bostonians,” along with honors from the Boston Chamber, Massachusetts Health Council, and ACHE. Chris holds an MBA (with honors) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Nursing from Boston University.

Craig Nesta, JD, MBA, MS, Vice President, Emerson Practice Associates; Administrative Fellowship Director

Craig Nesta oversees Emerson Health’s physician practice enterprise and directs the system’s Administrative Fellowship Program, leading national recruitment, placement, and mentoring. He brings 25+ years in healthcare administration, with prior faculty roles at Boston University School of Public Health and Stonehill College. A longtime accreditation leader, he served the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education—including as chair of the Accreditation Council—and is a past board member of AUPHA. Craig is a fellow of ACHE, HFMA, and MGMA.

Michael (Mike) Tracy, Administrative Director, Emerson Health
Mike Tracy leads multi-service-line operations at Emerson Health. A Boston College graduate with an MHA from Virginia Commonwealth University, he began at Emerson as a summer intern, returned for a yearlong Administrative Fellowship, and advanced through roles including Practice Manager and Senior Practice Manager to his current post. An active member of HFMA’s MA/RI Chapter, Mike serves on the chapter’s board and has chaired the New to Healthcare Leadership Conference planning committee. 

In this special episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, hosts Dan Collard and Quint Studer welcome the founders of uLeadership—Kay Kennedy, Lucy Leclerc, and Susan Campis—to announce uLeadership’s addition to the HPSG family of companies and to unpack the research and practice behind human-centered leadership.

Kay, Lucy, and Susan share uLeadership’s origin story: three experienced nurse leaders who met in 2019, burned out by overachieving, work-all-day-and-night leadership, decided to study the kind of leader nurses would follow to the ends of the earth. Their IRB-approved research validated a framework that puts connection, well-being, trust, and excellence at the core—and gave rise to Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare.

They discuss real-world results from early client partners—higher engagement participation and scores, improved leader and staff retention, gains in patient experience (especially communication and teamwork), and even quality improvements—along with powerful moments from the road (a keynote that convinced a leader on the verge of quitting to stay, and a team that turned the framework into an award-winning poster). The team also talks about sustaining the gains (not “one and done”), building belonging as a strategic outcome, and how their book, Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare: Evolution of a Revolution, helps leaders operationalize the behaviors, not just admire the ideas.

Finally, the group looks ahead at what the HPSG + uLeadership partnership makes possible. Scaling a movement that helps leaders feel replenished, not overwhelmed, and equips them to create teams people want to join and stay on.

About Kay Kennedy, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, FAAN

Dr. Kay Kennedy is a nurse executive, educator, and entrepreneur. By combining a love for nurses, patients, and quality improvement, she has led large nursing teams to create healthy work environments; satisfied patients; and consistent, high-quality care. Kay has held multiple leadership roles, from the bedside to chief nursing officer. She holds an adjunct associate professor role at Emory University School of Nursing along with other adjunct appointments at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions and Case Western Reserve University. Her goal as a leader is to ignite innovative problem-solving, develop others to be their best, and lead by serving others.

About Lucy Leclerc, PhD, RN, NPD-BC

Dr. Lucy Leclerc is a dedicated nurse leader, nurse scientist, entrepreneur, and professor with over 30 years of diverse nursing experience. Early in her career, she spent time as a bedside nurse in high-risk labor and delivery before falling in love with nursing leadership as an officer and flight nurse in the United States Air Force Reserve. She is a lifelong learner and received her PhD from Medical University of South Carolina in 2010. She teaches all levels of nursing students, from undergraduates to DNP students. Her research focuses on generation of contemporary nursing-specific leadership models. 

About Susan Campis, MSN, RN, NE-BC, NBC-HWC

Susan Campis is a nurse executive, health and wellness coach, and entrepreneur. Susan is a nurse leader whose passion for coaching and mentoring others helped produce successful and engaged nursing teams throughout her career. As a nurse leader, Susan understands the importance of a safe and healthy work environment and worked to create a culture of excellence, trust and caring where her team could perform at their best, ensuring quality care and patient safety. Susan cares deeply for the health and well-being of healthcare professionals, and, as a health and wellness coach, her goal is to work with others to help them reach their full potential.  

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer is joined by two visionary nurse leaders from Georgetown University: Dr. Roberta Waite, inaugural dean of the relaunched independent Berkley School of Nursing (BSON), and Dr. Stephan Davis, the inaugural executive director of leadership, policy, and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) education and an associate professor at the Berkley School of Nursing.  

Together, they explore what the future of nursing looks like and why leadership built on humanity is the most powerful tool we have. Dean Waite and Dr. Davis discuss the qualities that define great nurse leaders today, from courage and compassion to vulnerability and clarity of purpose. They explain why passion for the profession matters, because when leaders love nursing out loud, they inspire others to do the same. They share how empathy remains essential even in the most complex clinical situations and why centering the full humanity of every patient is nonnegotiable.

Listeners will hear:

• Why the three Cs—courage, compassion, and clarity—are foundational to nurse leadership
• How empathy helps nurses provide care without judgment, even when behavior is challenging
• Why AI should be viewed as augmented intelligence: a tool that frees nurses to focus more on patients
• How technology and robotics can reduce administrative and physical burdens, making leadership roles more sustainable
• Why advocacy skills are becoming just as critical as clinical skills, and how nurses can use their voice to influence policy and protect vulnerable populations
• How nursing must shift from using technology to building it, ensuring nurses are shaping the tools that will shape care

This episode is a powerful reminder that while technology may transform how nursing is delivered, it will never replace the human connection that defines the profession. It’s a must-listen for any current or future nurse leader who wants to influence how care evolves and ensure compassion stays at the center of it all.

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer talks to Dr. Heather Resseger and Jonna Taylor, two powerhouse leaders at NorthBay Health, a  health system in Solano County, California.

Dr. Heather Resseger, senior VP, chief hospital operations officer, and chief nursing officer, and Jonna Taylor, recently promoted to director of acute care services, walk listeners through the systemwide cultural transformation that’s rewiring leadership, restoring joy to the front lines, and reconnecting teams to their purpose. Together, they’ve built a workplace characterized by trust, ownership, and relationship-building. Best of all, it’s producing measurable gains in employee engagement, patient experience, and safety.

Jonna shares how one powerful reframe (asking patients, “What is your biggest worry or concern right now?”) led to a 70-point leap in patient experience scores within one month. She also explains how her team drove down patient-handling injuries to zero. 

From skill-building rounds to a peer-led safety culture to values-based mentoring to a bold approach to performance accountability, this conversation offers practical takeaways for any leader working to create a culture of excellence. It’s a glimpse at what’s possible when you truly invest in your people and trust them to do their work well.

Bios

Heather Resseger, DNP, RN, CNL, CPHQ, NEA-BC, is a strategic and results-driven healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience in hospital operations, nursing, and quality improvement.

As senior vice president, chief hospital operations officer, and chief nursing officer at NorthBay Health, Dr. Resseger leads transformative initiatives focused on acute care strategy, patient experience, and operational excellence. She is widely recognized for her role in achieving Magnet designation with distinction and for consistently delivering high-quality clinical outcomes. 

Dr. Resseger brings deep expertise in high-reliability practices, employee engagement, and cost reduction. Her leadership has also been instrumental in advancing infection prevention protocols, behavioral health planning, and crisis response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She holds a doctor of nursing practice in executive leadership and is deeply committed to fostering strong, values-based healthcare cultures. Her approach is grounded in real-world experience navigating complex health systems and a steadfast dedication to improving patient care.

Jonna Taylor, RN, BSN, MS-HCA, NE-BC, is the director of acute care services at NorthBay Health. 

Jonna-Lynn Taylor began a dedicated career in oncology nursing, serving patients and supporting care teams from 2004 to 2013. In 2013, she transitioned into a nurse leadership role, bringing a passion for clinical excellence and team development to the forefront. In 2017, Jonna advanced to a Nurse management position, where she led initiatives to improve patient outcomes and staff engagement. She assumed the role as Nurse manager at NorthBay in 2023.  Most recently, in June 2025, Jonna was appointed Director of Acute Care Services, where she continues to drive high-quality, patient-centered care across acute care settings.

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Dan Collard speaks with Don Taylor and Kurt Scott, co-creators of From Healer to Leader: The Path to Physician Leadership, a unique new leadership development program designed specifically for physicians.

Together, they explore why physician leadership is more essential than ever—and why so many physicians find themselves in leadership roles without the preparation or support they need. Drawing from years of experience in academic programs, military leadership, and physician career development, Don and Kurt talk about the serious gap in physician leadership training and what they’re doing to close it.

Listeners will hear:

• Why a certificate isn’t enough—and why the real outcome should be a personalized leadership plan for each physician
• What makes physicians different from other emerging leaders—and how to support them with the right level of challenge and psychological safety
• How their rolling cohort model and flexible structure honors physicians’ time while still building powerful peer connections
• Why organizations that invest in physician growth see stronger retention and better outcomes
• How leadership development is also a strategy for physician well-being and renewal

Whether you’re a physician, a hospital executive, or someone passionate about building strong clinical leaders, this episode offers smart, strategic insights into what physician leadership training should look like today—and how we can do it better.

For more information about the physician leader development course, please visit: https://www.plc-network.com/the-path-to-physician-leadership/

Don Taylor, Director of the Alliance for Physician Leadership and Professor of Practice at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas

At the Alliance for Physician Leadership, Don’s focus is on cultivating physician leaders who can navigate the complex dynamics of organizational change and healthcare management. Through their programs, they empower physicians with the knowledge to lead cultural shifts and respond to financial challenges in the medical field. As a professor of practice at UT Dallas, Don is dedicated to fostering innovation in healthcare. The team’s work centers on providing executive physicians with a deep understanding of themselves and the healthcare landscape, ensuring that learning is at the heart of health.

Kurt Scott, Founder & CEO, The Physician Leadership Career Network

With over 35 years of experience building and leading successful physician and physician executive recruitment programs, Kurt has dedicated his career to fostering meaningful connections between healthcare organizations and the leaders who drive them forward. In 2019, he recognized a gap in the field—a lack of a dedicated space for physician leaders to connect, grow, and advance their careers. To address this, Kurt founded the Physician Leadership Career Network, creating a platform that bridges this gap and empowers physician leaders to thrive.

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer is joined by Dr. Roger Kapoor, physician leader and author of Working Happy!: How to Survive Burnout and Find Your Work/Life Synergy in the Healthcare Industry.

 Quint and Dr. Kapoor dive deep into one of healthcare’s most urgent challenges: burnout. Drawing from personal experience, clinical insight, and extensive research, Dr. Kapoor explores why so many healthcare professionals are feeling overwhelmed—and what we can do about it. He explains that burnout isn’t just a workplace issue; it often starts within ourselves, and recognizing this can be the first step toward healing.

Listeners will hear why “work/life balance” may be a flawed concept and how “work/life synergy” can offer a more sustainable, fulfilling way forward. They’ll learn about the powerful concept of ikigai (a Japanese term for “reason for being”) and how finding purpose in even the smallest moments can bring resilience and joy back to a healthcare career. Dr. Kapoor also explores fundamentals like diet, exercise, and sleep in a way that’s fresh and compelling. (You’ll love his insights on the “night shift janitors” that clear out the waste in our brains.)

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in healthcare who’s grappling with stress, seeking practical ways to recharge, or simply wanting to reconnect with the meaning behind their work.

About Dr. Roger Kapoor

Roger Kapoor, MD, MBA, is the senior vice president of Beloit Health System in Beloit, Wisconsin, a community-based nonprofit hospital with approximately 23 service locations. He is a Harvard-trained dermatologist who also holds an MBA from the University of Oxford in England and has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles published in professional journals including the New England Journal of Medicine. He was the recipient of the Wisconsin Medical Society’s Kenneth M. Viste, Jr., MD, Young Physician Leadership Award and named one of the Top 25 Emerging Leaders in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare.  

Kapoor has been credited with re-engineering the delivery of healthcare to his community, resulting in a dramatic rise in patient satisfaction at his institution from a stagnant 16th percentile to an astonishing 88th percentile in less than a year. He concurrently ushered in transformative results in quality, leading teams to achieve three consecutive “A” ratings from the national watchdog group Leapfrog, a four-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Quality Rating System, and numerous quality-of-care pathway accolades. 

As a practicing board-certified dermatologist, he has built a successful medical and cosmetic dermatology practice using advanced techniques to help patients live happier, healthier lives. 

His book Working Happy! How to Survive Burnout and Find Your Work/Life Synergy in the Healthcare Industry was published in 2024.

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Dan Collard welcomes Céu Cirne-Neves, MPA, FACHE.  With over 25 years’ experience as a healthcare executive, she now serves as a faculty member in the undergraduate and graduate health administration programs at Rutgers University.

They discuss insights Céu has gained from her unusual path, which led her from her first job in healthcare marketing to chief administrative officer and finally to academia. At Rutgers she’s observed major differences in today’s students vs. those of years past (for instance: they’re far more focused and specific on what they want, and very intentional about gaining the competencies and resources needed to achieve it).

Céu shares her recent idea for drawing undecided students into the Healthcare Administration major by building an exploratory course based on Quint Studer’s book The Calling: Why Healthcare is So Special. (“I feel healthcare is more than a job,” she says. “I’m trying to make it enticing for them to see the difference they can make through healthcare administration.”) 

Filled with practical takeaways, this episode will appeal to anyone seeking more understanding on what drives the next generation of Health Administration students, how to help them connect to their calling early, and how to develop and mentor them.

About Céu Cirne-Neves, MPA, FACHE

Céu Cirne-Neves, MPA, FACHE, is a healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience in senior level positions and has made a successful leadership transition as full-time faculty at the Rutgers University EJ Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. At Bloustein, she teaches in the Master of Health Administration Program and serves as the coordinator for the undergraduate Health Administration Program. Furthermore, she is the faculty advisor for the undergraduate student organization, Future Healthcare Administrators, which signature event is the annual healthcare administration case competition. 

Cirne-Neves brings to the classroom a wealth of practical health administration experience resulting from years leading culture change, operational effectiveness, and patient safety and experience. She served as the CEO of Saint James Hospital, Cathedral Healthcare System, Newark, for 10 years, and most recently, in a variety of senior level roles including as Vice President of Ambulatory Services at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC), RWJBarnabas Health, Livingston.  

Throughout her career, Cirne-Neves has demonstrated how to convert an organization’s Mission, Vision, and Values into a leadership model that improves workforce engagement, organizational performance and results. She excels at strategic planning and implementation, operations management, and community benefit; and most of all, she shares the resolve that health administrators must nurture and contribute to the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Cirne-Neves is board certified in hospital administration and as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE); she is a past president of ACHE’s New Jersey chapter and serves as the ACHE Regent for New Jersey – Northern; as part of her annual Regent Awards Program, she has now introduced the Student Associate and Mid Careerist Regent Awards, elevating the significance of both levels of health administration. She has served on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners and under her leadership CBMC received the regional Baldrige Gold Award for Performance Excellence. 

She has enjoyed serving in the most senior roles at healthcare organizations and now promotes bridging healthcare organizations with healthcare education.

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Dan Collard talks to Annamarí Dietrichson, BSc, MHA, an executive health coach and keynote speaker renowned for her expertise in avoiding burnout, creating a thriving culture, and cultivating leadership essentials. She also oversees patient experience for the Continental Division of HCA Healthcare. 

While leadership can be an exhilarating path, it can also wear people down when they don’t know how to manage it. Still, Annamarí says it’s possible for leaders (and everyone) to thrive in healthcare, regardless of its pressures. It’s about being the boss of our brain: Thoughts that might not even be true create an emotion in our body that ends up driving stress or success. That emotion drives us to act in ways that can either get us the results we want…or not. 

After deeply researching burnout, she formulated a methodology to tackle it. Called THRIVE—an acronym for Targeted Thoughts, Healthy Habits, Rest and Resilience, Intentionality, Vigilance, and Empowered Energy—it’s a framework for creating the mindset and skillset to be solution-oriented, keep your thoughts from hijacking you, and build a thriving career. 

Annamarí says fighting burnout is both personal and a corporate responsibility. She wants every leader and every individual in healthcare to work on their personal well-being as if nobody else is going to help. At the same time, she wants corporations to fight burnout as if no individual is going to do it themselves. If both groups put in 100 percent, that 200 percent effort might help us finally win this thing—for ourselves and, ultimately, for our patients. 

About Annamarí Dietrichson

Annamarí Dietrichson, BSc, MHA, is a seasoned healthcare executive, executive health coach, and keynote speaker renowned for her expertise in avoiding burnout, creating a thriving culture, and cultivating leadership essentials. As the founder of Annamari Health & Leadership Coach, LLC, she empowers healthcare leaders and organizations to unlock their full potential and THRIVE. 

Annamarí serves as the division vice president of care experience for the Continental Division of HCA Healthcare. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, where she graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 2001. In 2018 she received her master’s in health administration from Louisiana State University. Annamarí is a South Africa native who is proud to be a naturalized U.S. citizen since November 2022. When she is not at work or coaching her clients, you can find her somewhere in the mountains adventuring with her husband and their two cattle dogs. 

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer welcomes Regina Shupe, DNP, RN, and Jennifer Carron Passon, MSOM, CPXP, for a conversation focused on patient experience. 

Quint, Regina, and Jennifer explore the “patient experience” concept, which has evolved tremendously over the past few decades. Now it encompasses the sum of all interactions from the initial touchpoint when a patient even considers selecting a healthcare organization until the time that they are back home caring for themselves and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. (It’s interesting to hear Quint, who has been described as putting patient experience “on the map,” open the discussion with his own history lesson on the field.) 

They also discuss a 2021 JAMA article—“Criterion-Based Measurements of Patient Experience in Health Care: Eliminating Winners and Losers to Create a New Moral Ethos” by Thom Mayer, Arjun Venkatesh, and Donald M. Berwick—debating the pros and cons of moving away from traditional percentile-based evaluations.

Finally, they offer a wealth of takeaways. Listeners will learn from the thoughtful discussion of common barriers people face when working to improve the patient experience and some practical (and doable) tips for overcoming them. 

About Jennifer Carron Passon, MSOM, CPXP

With 30 years of leadership experience and a Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) credential, Jennifer is a patient experience officer at BJC Health System, a $6B integrated academic health system that serves millions of patients and families across the Midwest. 
 
 Her mission is to ignite a passion for human centricity and to transform the healthcare experience for all. She uses her Disney Institute training and contemporary thinking to design and deploy innovative interventions and digitally enhanced programs that elevate service excellence, hospitality, ownership, and regulatory results. She also contributes to various state-level and global initiatives that aim to advance patient and family engagement, equity and inclusion, and quality and safety in healthcare delivery. 

About Regina Shupe, DNP, RN

Regina works for the Healthcare Plus Solutions Group® team as an advisor, bringing her expertise in emergency services to help our partners assess and improve upon their patient experience and throughput to better serve patients and communities. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and also holds a certification in LEAN for Healthcare. 

For the past 35 years, she has dedicated her life to caring for patients, families, team members, and physicians. As a nurse, she enjoyed the intersection between the heart and science, healing patients from the inside out. As a leader, she is able to see the positive correlation between the experience of team members and the experience of patients. She believes when we intentionally design meaningful and memorable experiences for team members, physicians, and patients, we are able to heal as well as truly transform healthcare.