I Don't Care

As healthcare access strains under specialist shortages, long wait times, and rising administrative burden, some physicians are looking backward to move medicine forward. Patients can wait months for specialty care, doctors are often asked to see dozens of people in a single clinic session, and new care models are emerging around a simple but disruptive idea: bringing the physician back into the patient’s space. The stakes are practical and deeply human: whether healthcare can become faster, more personal, and more present without losing the efficiencies modern medicine depends on.

Can technology restore what modern healthcare has lost: the physician’s presence with the patient, in the home, and at the center of care?

Welcome to I Don’t Care. In the latest episode, Dr. Kevin Stevenson speaks with Dr. Yevhen Pavelko, CEO and co-founder of Inviah, about rebuilding medicine around physician house calls. Their conversation explores how Inviah aims to create a mobile, physician-led care platform with built-in records, referrals and house-call access, while giving doctors more independence and patients faster, more personal care.

Top insights from the talk…

• Dr. Pavelko argues that house calls are not nostalgia; they are a practical response to long waits, rushed visits, and limited access to specialists.
• The discussion examines how in-person care at home can reveal social, environmental, and family factors that clinics or telehealth may miss.
• Dr. Pavelko frames Inviah as a physician-led alternative to the traditional employment model, designed to reduce overhead, restore autonomy, and make medicine more human.

Dr. Yevhen Pavelko is the CEO and co-founder of Inviah and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois Chicago, specializing in general, foregut, bariatric, minimally invasive, and robotic surgery. He has held surgical and research roles across UI Health, OSF HealthCare, the University of Chicago Medicine, and Lviv National Medical University, with experience spanning clinical care, surgical education, research, and healthcare operations. Through Inviah, he is building a physician-focused model for same-day home medical visits designed to improve access, reduce unnecessary ER use, and restore a more patient-centered approach to care.

Artificial intelligence has moved from experimental promise to boardroom priority, but healthcare leaders are still trying to understand what is real, what is risky and what is just clever marketing. In emergency medicine, where patient status changes minute by minute and operational bottlenecks can ripple across an entire hospital, the stakes are especially high. The core challenge is not simply whether hospitals should adopt AI, but whether they can evaluate it critically enough to avoid wasting time, capital and clinician trust.

So how should hospital executives, emergency physicians and operators decide which AI tools are worth trusting — and which ones are just hype?

On this episode of I Don’t Care, host Dr. Kevin Stevenson speaks with Dr. Maureen Canellas, Associate Chief Medical Officer at UMass Memorial Medical Center, about the practical reality of AI in healthcare. Their conversation moves from emergency department operations and hospital governance to vendor skepticism, boarding, data standards, baseball and even NASA-inspired lessons in resource-constrained decision-making.

Top insights from the talk…

• Most “AI” claims deserve scrutiny. Dr. Canellas argues that hospitals should look past slide decks and ask vendors detailed questions about data inputs, algorithm design, model behavior, privacy and whether the tool actually works in real time.
• Emergency departments need AI that respects clinical reality. In the ED, conditions change minute by minute. Dr. Canellas emphasizes that “real time” should mean real time, especially when vitals, labs and disposition decisions are constantly shifting.
• AI should help solve operational pain, not chase buzzwords. From boarding to throughput, Dr. Canellas says the best use cases are grounded in specific hospital problems, financial modeling and measurable return on investment — not vague promises to transform care.

Dr. Maureen Canellas, MD, MBA, FACEP, is the Associate Chief Medical Officer at UMass Memorial Medical Center, an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School and an emergency physician at a high-volume Level I trauma center. She is an MIT research affiliate in healthcare AI and uses operations research, machine learning and emergency department benchmarking to improve patient flow, care delivery and patient experience. Dr. Canellas also serves on the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance Board of Directors, chairs its education committee and previously trained in emergency medicine at the University of Chicago, where she was chief resident and led multiple operations and administration research projects.

Access to clean water is still out of reach for a staggering number of people—and it’s not just a distant problem. According to estimates from WHO and UNICEF, over 2 billion people still don’t have safely managed drinking water at home, a reality that impacts everything from health to education and economic opportunity. As pressure from climate change and population growth builds, there’s increasing recognition that lasting solutions need to be built from the ground up, with communities at the center.

Within that shift, purpose-driven initiatives are emerging that connect individual action with systemic change—focused on creating impact that lasts well beyond the moment.

So what happens when a single individual attempts to run more than 15,000 kilometers across a continent—not for sport, but to catalyze transformation? Can a physical journey spark a scalable model for lifting communities out of poverty?

Welcome to I Don’t Care. In a conversation centered on purpose and impact, Dr. Kevin Stevenson is joined by Veronique Bourbeau, founder and CEO of Run4Humanity, to unpack a continent-spanning effort to transform communities through water, education, and endurance. The conversation spans far beyond endurance athletics, diving into the mechanics of sustainable development, behavioral change, and what it truly means to empower communities from within.

Key takeaways from the episode…

• It’s not about the run—it’s about systems change: The journey is a vehicle to deliver water access, agricultural support, sanitation, and education through locally driven programs.
• Community-first implementation is critical: Every initiative is co-created with local leaders and tailored to the unique needs of each region, ensuring long-term sustainability.
• Behavioral transformation is the missing link: Beyond infrastructure, Run4Humanity emphasizes financial literacy, health, and mindset shifts to break the cycle of poverty.

Veronique Bourbeau is an ultra-endurance athlete, author, and global humanitarian. A former journalist turned humanitarian leader, she combines expertise in international development, partnership-building, and community-led program design with elite ultra-endurance achievements, including a 3,010 km run across Japan and a record-setting 444 km race victory in Malaysia. Through Run4Humanity, she leverages large-scale endurance initiatives and global partnerships to advance water security, economic resilience, and long-term behavioral change.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have moved from a back-office upgrade to a frontline determinant of care quality, clinician burnout, and hospital economics. With U.S. hospitals often spending tens to hundreds of millions—sometimes exceeding $100 million—on EMR implementations, the stakes have never been higher for getting both the technology and the human adoption right. As healthcare continues shifting toward interoperability, outpatient care, and data-driven decision-making, the conversation around EMRs is no longer technical—it’s strategic.

So what does it really take to build a business in the EMR space—and more importantly, how do you know when it’s time to walk away from it?

Welcome to I Don’t Care, hosted by Dr. Kevin Stevenson. In the latest episode, Dr. Stevenson sits down with Mark Embry, partner and co-founder of MedSys Group, to unpack decades of experience in healthcare technology consulting, the evolution of EMR implementation, and the personal side of exiting a company after 30 years.

Top insights from the talk…

• How EMR consulting evolved from niche staffing to mission-critical healthcare transformation work: What started as staffing has become strategic work shaping how health systems operate.

• Why user adoption—not just technology—is the biggest determinant of EMR success: Without workflow change and clinician buy-in, even the best systems fall short.
• What founders should consider when transitioning out of a business they’ve built from scratch: A strong exit balances financial outcomes with team, culture, and timing.

Mark Embry is the co-founder and EVP of Client Relationships at MedSys Group, where he has spent nearly three decades leading EMR advisory, implementation, and healthcare IT consulting services for providers across the U.S. He played a key role in building the company from its origins as Genesys Group into a nationally recognized firm supporting major initiatives, including federal EHR modernization projects with the DOD and VA. With over 20 years in IT consulting, Embry specializes in strategic partnerships, healthcare technology transformation, and scaling consulting organizations to deliver high-impact client outcomes.

Healthcare systems are under pressure almost everywhere, but the strain is especially visible in lower-resource settings where demand is rising faster than infrastructure. In Pakistan, that pressure is playing out across a system that has to serve more than 250 million people with limited public investment. Public health spending remains below 1% of GDP, making the need for smarter, more scalable healthcare delivery increasingly urgent. That is why major projects like the Jinnah Medical Complex are drawing attention as potential models for what the next phase of healthcare reform could look like.

That raises the real question at the center of this episode: can a major new medical complex help transform healthcare delivery in Pakistan, or will lasting progress depend on broader system design far beyond a single hospital?

Welcome to I Don’t Care. In the latest episode, Dr. Kevin Stevenson speaks with Dr. Muhammad Faheem Anwar, Chief Operating Officer of the Jinnah Medical Complex & Research Center, about the future of Pakistani healthcare. Their conversation explores the structural realities of Pakistan’s healthcare system, the ambitions behind the Jinnah Medical Complex in Islamabad, and the larger issues of digital health, oncology, workforce retention, prevention, and primary care reform.

Key takeaways from the conversation…

• Pakistan’s healthcare system is not simply underdeveloped. It is highly uneven, with world-class care in some institutions but fragmented access and high out-of-pocket costs for much of the population.
• The Jinnah Medical Complex is being positioned not just as a large hospital, but as a replicable model for operational discipline, clinician training, digital health, and internationally benchmarked public sector care.
• The biggest long-term opportunity in Pakistan may not be tertiary expansion alone, but building a stronger primary care foundation, better data systems, and a more sustainable care delivery model.

Dr. Muhammad Faheem Anwar is a healthcare operations and public health leader with more than 20 years of experience overseeing large multispecialty hospitals across Pakistan and the Gulf region, with deep expertise in hospital commissioning, operational readiness, governance, digital health integration, and health system strengthening. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Jinnah Medical Complex & Research Center, where he is leading the operationalization of a 1,460-bed quaternary care hospital, following senior leadership roles at The Indus Hospital, Central Park Teaching Hospital, Punjab Health Facilities Management Company, and the Punjab Information Technology Board. His career highlights include improving operational efficiency at scale, advancing quality and patient safety systems, leading HMIS implementation, and advising on health system reform, climate resilience, and performance improvement in low- and middle-income country settings.

Medicine isn’t what it used to be—not for the people practicing it. Independent physicians are becoming the exception, not the norm, as more doctors move into hospital systems, corporate groups, and academic networks. At the same time, the pipeline of specialists isn’t keeping pace with growing patient needs, particularly in complex fields like vascular surgery, where workforce models show demand is set to outstrip supply in the years ahead. The result is a profession being pulled in two directions at once: toward consolidation on one hand, and rising clinical demand on the other.

In that kind of environment, what does it really mean to make a major career move—and how do you weigh opportunity, stability, and personal priorities when the ground beneath the profession is shifting?

That question sits at the heart of the latest episode of I Don’t Care. Host Dr. Kevin Stevenson sits down with vascular surgeon Dr. Bradley Trinidad to unpack the realities behind a major geographic and professional transition. Their conversation explores how evolving medical technology, shifting employment models, and personal values intersect to shape modern physician careers.

Key takeaways from the episode…

• Family can outweigh career momentum: Dr. Trinidad left a high-volume, successful practice to prioritize proximity to family and improve quality of life.
• Alignment is everything in hospital employment: Success depends on shared goals between physician and institution, especially in a system where most doctors are now employed.
• The future of vascular surgery is less invasive—and more complex: Advances in endovascular techniques are reducing the need for open surgery while increasing the need for specialized expertise.

Dr. Bradley Trinidad is a board-certified vascular surgeon with expertise in both complex open and advanced endovascular procedures. He serves as Director of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Ascension Providence in Waco, Texas, where he leads program development and the delivery of high-acuity vascular care. He previously founded and led the vascular division at Northwest Texas Hospital and now contributes to surgical education as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Healthcare isn’t short on strategy right now—it’s short on people, access, and experienced leadership where it matters most. In Texas alone, more rural hospitals have closed than in any other state over the past decade, leaving entire communities with limited access to care. At the same time, many health systems are realizing they haven’t built strong pipelines for the next generation of leaders—making the transfer of real-world experience more critical than ever.

So what happens when seasoned executives step away from operational leadership and into academia—and can that shift help solve healthcare’s talent and access challenges?

The latest episode of I Don’t Care focuses on what happens when decades of healthcare leadership experience meets the classroom. Dr. Kevin Stevenson sits down with Dr. Michael Wiggins, Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, to explore his transition from hospital CEO to educator. The conversation spans leadership development, rural health innovation, academic medicine, and the evolving role of technology in care delivery.

What you’ll learn…

• Why healthcare leaders need both practical experience and academic grounding to handle modern system complexity.
• How rural health challenges are reshaping leadership priorities, from access and infrastructure to community-centered care models.
• What emerging forces—AI, industry consolidation, and financial pressure—mean for the future of healthcare delivery and how leaders must adapt.

Dr. Michael Wiggins, DBA, FACHE, is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience across academic medical centers, pediatric health systems, and community-based care. He has served as President and CEO of nationally recognized children’s hospitals, where he led strategic planning, operational excellence, physician partnerships, and philanthropy initiatives to improve care delivery and community health outcomes. Now an Assistant Professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, he focuses on developing future healthcare leaders, advancing research, and guiding organizations on strategy, leadership alignment, and performance improvement.

As healthcare costs continue to rise, more patients are finding themselves navigating not just illness, but the growing complexity of paying for treatment. Specialty pharmacy sits right at the center of that challenge—often out of sight, but increasingly essential to how modern care actually works. These high-cost, high-touch therapies now make up more than half of total U.S. drug spending, despite representing only a small share of prescriptions, a shift that’s reshaping how patients access and stay on treatment.

Why has specialty pharmacy become the linchpin between access, affordability, and outcomes in modern healthcare?

On this episode of I Don’t Care, host Dr. Kevin Stevenson sits down with Grant Knowles, SVP of Clinical Services and Payer Strategy at Senderra Specialty Pharmacy, to unpack the evolving role of specialty pharmacy in improving patient outcomes. Together, they explore how clinical oversight, financial navigation, and emerging technologies are reshaping how patients access and adhere to life-changing therapies.

Top insights from the talk…

• Specialty pharmacy goes beyond dispensing medication, serving as a central coordinator across fragmented healthcare stakeholders to manage complex therapies and patient needs.
• Financial toxicity remains one of the biggest barriers to adherence, with 23–25% of patients delaying or abandoning treatment due to cost pressures.
• Technology and AI are transforming patient engagement, shifting communication from phone calls to digital-first experiences while maintaining critical human touchpoints.

Grant Knowles is a healthcare executive with over 15 years of experience across specialty pharmacy, managed care, and pharmaceutical operations, with expertise in business development, contracting, and supply chain strategy. He has held senior leadership roles, including SVP of Clinical Services and Payer Strategy at Senderra Specialty Pharmacy and executive positions at Ardon Health, where he led growth, operations, and industry partnerships. A managed care residency-trained pharmacist, Knowles is recognized for driving innovation, improving patient experience, and delivering sustainable growth in highly competitive healthcare markets.

There’s a growing tension inside healthcare right now—between the people leaving the workforce and the patients still arriving every day. It’s a dynamic that leaders can no longer afford to ignore. The numbers make that clear: the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. could be short of as many as 86,000 physicians by 2036, fueled by an aging population and a wave of retirements.

So, how do healthcare organizations compete for talent at a time when the workforce is shrinking, expectations are shifting, and technology is rapidly changing how care is delivered?

On this episode of I Don’t Care, host Dr. Kevin Stevenson sits down with River Meisinger, Regional Vice President of MSP & Strategic Accounts at AMN Healthcare, to unpack the evolving landscape of healthcare recruitment. Together, they explore how systems can build sustainable pipelines for executives, physicians, and the next generation of leaders.

Top insights from the talk…

• Workforce shortages are structural, not temporary, driven by burnout, aging clinicians, and insufficient talent pipelines.
• AI and data are reshaping workforce planning, but success depends on pairing technology with a human-centered strategy.
• Gen Z is redefining career expectations, forcing healthcare leaders to rethink mentorship, growth pathways, and workplace culture.

River Meisinger is a senior healthcare executive at AMN Healthcare, specializing in enterprise workforce solutions, strategic partnerships, and talent optimization across physician, leadership, and clinical staffing. With more than eight years of experience, he has led large-scale efforts in executive search, interim leadership, and workforce planning to strengthen operations and support patient-centered care. He holds a Healthcare MBA from Simmons University and is recognized for his work in healthcare workforce innovation.

Healthcare today can feel overwhelming—not just for patients, but for the teams caring for them. After a major illness or injury, recovery isn’t handled by one doctor alone; it often involves a whole network of specialists, from physical therapists to nurses to social workers, all trying to help someone regain their independence and quality of life. Even with all the advances in modern medicine, one question still lingers: how do you get everyone working together in a way that truly feels seamless?

So what happens when a physician approaches medicine not just as a science, but as a performance? What can healthcare learn from the way musicians interpret, adapt, and lead in real time?

Welcome to I Don’t Care. In the latest episode, host Dr. Kevin Stevenson sits down with Dr. Kevin Estes, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physician whose career spans both the concert hall and the clinic. Together, they explore how Estes’ background in orchestral conducting and classical music informs his unique approach to patient care, team leadership, and medical decision-making.

Key takeaways from the conversation…

• PM&R physicians as “conductors”: How these specialists lead and coordinate complex, multidisciplinary care teams—bringing together physical therapy, nursing, and medical specialists to deliver unified, patient-centered treatment across every stage of recovery.
• Creativity and flexibility in care: Why the ability to adapt, interpret, and think beyond rigid protocols is essential not only in music performance, but also in navigating unpredictable patient outcomes and personalized rehabilitation plans.
• An unconventional career path: The journey from Juilliard-trained musician to physician—and how that unique background shapes a more holistic, creative, and empathetic clinical perspective in modern medicine.

Dr. Kevin Estes is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician specializing in post-acute care and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Before entering medicine in his early 40s, he built a successful career as a professional musician and conductor, earning a master’s degree from the prestigious Juilliard School. His work included serving as music director at a prominent New York City church and collaborating with elite musicians in one of the world’s most competitive artistic environments. Today, he brings that same discipline, creativity, and leadership into his medical practice, helping patients rebuild function and meaning after life-altering conditions.