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Episode Overview:
American healthcare is at a crossroads, and the decisions we make now will define the health of generations to come.
Dr. Marschall Runge has spent more than four decades at the center of that challenge, serving as former CEO of Michigan Medicine, Dean of the University of Michigan Medical School, and EVP for Medical Affairs.
A practicing cardiologist trained at Johns Hopkins and Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Runge brings both the scientist's rigor and the leader's vision to one of the most urgent conversations of our time.
In his Amazon and USA Today bestselling book, "The Great Healthcare Disruption," he lays out a bold prescription for reimagining American medicine through AI, innovation, and courageous systemic change.
Join us to discover what it truly takes to transform healthcare from the inside out. Let's go!
Episode Highlights:
- Dr. Runge never planned to be a CEO, initially dismissing healthcare leaders before serendipity shaped his path.
- His personal hospital-at-home experience after hip surgery confirmed that recovery is faster, cheaper, and better at home.
- Ambient AI, which auto-generates clinical notes, is the one decision at Michigan Medicine that faced almost no dissent.
- America's top-tier quaternary care leads the world; the real crisis is access, not quality.
- AI can address the clinician shortage in a year or two, something traditional training pipelines need decades to solve.
About our Guest:
Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., was born in Austin, Texas, and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in General Biology and a PhD in Molecular Biology. He received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was a cardiology fellow and junior faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Runge’s next position was at Emory University, where he directed the Cardiology Fellowship Training Program. He then moved to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he was Chief of Cardiology and Director of the Sealy Center for Molecular Cardiology. He joined the University of North Carolina (UNC) from 2000 – 2014, where he served as Charles Addison and Elizabeth Ann Sanders Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chair of the Department of Medicine, President of UNC Physicians and Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs.
Dr. Runge is the former CEO of Michigan Medicine and Dean of the University of Michigan Medical School, and a practicing cardiologist. Dr. Runge is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases and has spoken and published widely on topics in clinical cardiology and vascular medicine.
At the University of Michigan, Dr. Runge began serving as the executive vice president for medical affairs in March 2015 and, in January 2016, he was also appointed as the dean of the Medical School. He is the first person to serve in this combined position created by the Regents for the purpose of strengthening the integration between the Medical School and health care delivery in our hospitals and health centers.
During his tenure in these leadership roles, Dr. Runge has implemented transformative change and positioned Michigan Medicine and the Medical School for continued success. Notable achievements during this period include: a significant expansion of Michigan Medicine’s clinical network in the state, through integration of two health systems, the former Metro Health in Grand Rapids and Sparrow Health System in Lansing, multiple joint ventures with Trinity Health, launch of the Precision Health Initiative, a major research collaboration with several other U-M schools and colleges; oversight of the conclusion of the Victors for Michigan campaign which raised $1.5 billion dollars for institutional strategic priorities; and the development and implementation of Michigan Medicine’s first strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion in support of the broader university-wide DEI initiative.
Under Dr. Runge’s leadership, the University of Michigan Health’s adult hospitals were ranked best in Michigan in 2023-2024 in U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings, the 31st consecutive year that U-M Health has been nationally recognized for strong across-the-board performance. In Newsweek’s 2024 ranking of America’s Best Hospitals, U-M Health ranked #1 in the state and #3 in the country.
Current and new initiatives under Dr. Runge’s leadership include construction of the The D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion, a 12-story and 264 private room inpatient hospital; working to reduce faculty and staff burnout; executive rounding to help promote employee engagement and retention; establishment of the Heart Brain Institute and Global Health; oversight and development of the Anti-Racism Oversight Committee to help achieve an anti-racist culture; improved access and patient experience through the M2C2 Capacity Center; and the establishment of the Care at Home initiative which focuses on providing safe, hospital-level care to patients in their own home.
Dr. Runge has been a physician-scientist for his entire career, combining basic and translational research with the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases and education. He is the author of over 200 publications in the field and holds five patents for novel approaches in health care.
Links Supporting This Episode:
- Dr. Marschall Runge Website: CLICK HERE
- Dr. Marschall Runge LinkedIn page: CLICK HERE
- The Great Healthcare Disruption book link: CLICK HERE
- Mike Biselli LinkedIn page: CLICK HERE
- Mike Biselli Twitter page: CLICK HERE
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