September 12, 2025

Josh Hartzell: A Doctor’s Prescription for Leadership Excellence

53 minutes

Episode recap:

Marcel and Josh explored the intersection of healthcare, leadership, and well-being, drawing on Josh’s experience as a physician and retired army colonel. They discussed the transition from clinical practice to leadership development, the importance of compassionate leadership, and the need for consistent, evidence-based approaches to improve both staff retention and patient outcomes. Themes included self-awareness, aligning leadership with personal values, listening deeply, and shaping culture intentionally. Josh emphasized making a business case for investing in healthcare worker well-being and caring for teams as a core leadership responsibility. The conversation also touched on humility, resilience, unity, and lifelong learning, with Josh sharing insights from his book A Prescription for Caring in Healthcare Leadership and personal reflections on resilience, humor, and values.

Bio:

Joshua D. Hartzell, MD, MS-HPEd, FACP, FIDSA, is a retired Army Colonel who spent 25 years in military medicine. He deployed as a Battalion Surgeon with the 82nd Airborne Division to Afghanistan. Dr. Hartzell has held numerous leadership positions throughout his career, including being Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency and Assistant Chief of Graduate Medical Education at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Assistant Dean for Faculty Development at the Uniformed Services University. Dr. Hartzell is also a faculty member at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, where he teaches leadership development. A practicing Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Physician, he has devoted the last decade to developing leaders, training and teaching thousands of students, residents, and faculty within healthcare.

Quotes

“If we can improve leadership, that’s not only going to improve the lives of the people providing the care, it’s going to improve patient care.”

“Listening is your bridge to growth as an individual and as an organization.”

Takeaways

Make leadership development a priority in healthcare education and organizations.

Practice evidence-based self-care to lead with clarity and resilience.

Anchor decisions in values and balance care with accountability.

Timestamp

[00:00] Marcel’s personal story of toxic leadership in healthcare

[04:30] Dr. Hartzell’s military and medical background

[16:20] Burnout, turnover, and the cost of poor leadership

[20:15] Leadership training in medicine today

[42:10] The role of feedback in shaping culture

[47:25] Building a caring culture for the future of healthcare

Conclusion

Dr. Joshua Hartzell makes it clear that healthcare doesn’t have a medical problem, it has a leadership problem. Developing leaders who care deeply for their people is not optional, it is essential for patient safety, staff well-being, and long-term organizational health. His call is simple but urgent: invest in leadership early, practice self-care as a foundation, and create cultures where listening and accountability thrive. The future of healthcare depends on leaders who choose to care.

Links Mentioned