In this episode of Making Healthcare Work for You, Wade Mitzel, CEO of UofL Physicians, shares how compassionate leadership with love is transforming healthcare in Kentucky. Wade reveals his three core leadership goals — being intentional, caring for each other, and building healthier communities — and how these values drive efforts to reduce staff turnover, improve patient outcomes, and create workplaces where people flourish.

Wade shares everything from t staffing challenges, high cancer rates in the region, to  what it means to create workplaces where people can flourish. As the parent of a child with medical needs, his mission is personal. 

Be sure to listen to the end - there’s an incredibly powerful patient story. 

Throughout Wade’s interview, he clearly demonstrates that love isn't a soft skill. It's a strategy.

Topical time codes:

Subscribe to Making Healthcare Work for You for more expert insights and inspiring conversations on healthcare leadership, innovation, and compassionate care.

Don’t miss this engaging interview with Mary Cole, Infection Control Specialist and Project Manager at The Highlands at Brighton, a skilled nursing facility known for taking in residents others consider hard to place.

She draws upon her 23+ years at the facility to show how a strong culture of compassion, leadership support, and deep patient relationships have created a place where people aren't just cared for — they are truly seen, known, and valued.

Mary provides hope for those who are in long-term care, elevating the standard of care and building loving organizations with teams that lead with care.

Check out the full interview here:  https://youtu.be/pgcKWHn0LU8

Timecodes:

00:44 – The patient population: caring for residents who are difficult to place

3:32 – Culture of compassion: shared values, supporting leaders

10:22 – Building bonds: royal weddings, small moments, emotional connections

13:59 – How Brighton stands out: leadership, respect, and consistent care

16:44 – Why staff investment matters: retaining caregivers who care deeply

19:39 – Encouraging real relationships among residents and staff

21:43 – A loving, person-centered organization

23:59 – Real results from a culture of care26:19 – Memorable moments from nearly 24 years of dedication

Please like, comment, and share to help us spotlight compassionate care if this message resonates with you.

#longtermcare #love #compassion #patientexperience #providerexperience

In this MHWFY Voice of Love series (brought to you by VoiceLove), we’re featuring Tria Deibert, SVP of Culture and Team Member Wellbeing at Hackensack Meridian Health — recently named one of Fortune’s Top 100 Best Places to Work.

Tria shares details about how to build a thriving workplace culture in healthcare — and not surprisingly, it starts with trust, love, and leadership. 

She shares how they’re using tools like StandOut to empower managers, how listening with intention builds trust, and why employees who feel seen, heard, and appreciated deliver better patient outcomes.

Weekly check ins are a key part of the strategy - it’s an opportunity to share thoughts, to make adjustments, and it provides opportunity to talk about how to make things work.

Check out the interview to hear how Hackensack Meridian Health is making a difference everyday for those they serve. 

Key topics:

Why trust is the foundation of effective leadership

How data from engagement tools drives real cultural change

Strategies for creating space for every team member to be their best

Subscribe to hear more conversations with the changemakers transforming healthcare from the inside out!

 Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode with your network—it helps others find the show and brings more visibility to these important conversations.

Connect with Tria Deibert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/triadeibert/  

Learn more about Hackensack Meridian Health: https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/

Topical time codes:

1:00 - Best Places and the importance of leadership and team check ins

3:31 - The weekly check in

7:15 - What you love and loathe, building trust

10:33 - Acknowledging it’s a journey and closing the loop

12:50 - Transparency 

14:35 - Building loving environment 

17:52 - Investing in team and increased engagement rates, improved safety/quality & more

#HealthcareLeadership #EmployeeEngagement #CultureMatters #HackensackMeridianHealth #StandOutTool #TrustInLeadership #MakingHealthcareWork #HealthcarePodcast #HRinHealthcare #LeadershipDevelopment #WellbeingAtWork

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About VoiceLove: 

Connecting hearts, healing with love, VoiceLove minimizes the emotional toll of isolation by strengthening the bonds between loved ones. VoiceLove ensures that patients never feel alone, particularly during challenging times. By providing a HIPAA-secure platform for heartfelt voice messages, VoiceLove fosters connections that enhance long-term resident health and joy. Communication equals safety, and our innovative approach ensures that every patient feels supported and cared for. VoiceLove also supports healthcare workers by reducing stress and enhancing patient engagement. VoiceLove is committed to driving transformative outcomes in healthcare through compassion, empathy, and love.

https://www.voicelove.com 

Stephen White is the founder of The PC, which sees 15,000 patients a week, is profitable, and is helping people find the purpose in their 4th quarter of life. 

You’d never know that Steve previously had such severe cognition issues that he couldn’t remember the name of a rhinoceros when shown a picture. 

After years of concussions from football and frequent seizures, leading to cognitive decline, Steve decided he needed to find a way to heal himself. He began a remarkable journey of studying medical information, learning about treatments, eventually creating a protocol for himself that included everything from activity, nutrition, various treatments, building community, and finding hope and purpose. His hard work paid off - he achieved a 70% gain in cognitive function. 

Through The PC, he’s helping others live a life of health and purpose, so they can truly thrive in their “4th quarter” of life. Through personalized treatment plans, integrating medical care and building “Home Teams,” patients can “live on purpose,” which “leads to living with purpose.”

Don’t miss this inspirational story of healing, hope, and community. 

Learn more about The PC: https://www.pacific.clinic/medical 

Topical time codes:

00:50 - Steve’s story

2:36 - Caring is the healthiest thing you can do 

3:37 - Creating his proven protocol 

5:46 - 70% gain in cognitive function & creating The PC

6:22 - Caring for others as a driving force to heal

7:34 - Living life on purpose 

12:39 - Building a program

18:06 - How caring helped

22:40 - Team approach 

26:15 - Teams start at home

28:32 - The 4th quarter - finding purpose 

32:11 - 24/7 Medical info, scaling, and integrating medical care into the home

35:45 - Compliance

Few people can say they’ve delivered a baby giraffe (let alone 3…), spent time with Steve Irwin, or that they traded Steelers tickets in exchange for a Komodo Dragon… but Henry Kacprzyk can share all those stories and more!

He spent 43 years dedicating his career to the animals and guests at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, and he has a lot of stories to tell! 

I was lucky enough to accidentally meet Henry at my latest trip to the zoo, when I asked him question about the tail of a red panda. He had an absurd amount of knowledge and I said something like, wow, how do you know so much about these animals?!? I learned he was a long-time curator at the zoo, and retired not too long before meeting him. 

Be sure to check out watch or listen to this interview to hear Henry’s behind-the-scenes look at his career at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. It was such a pleasure to learn about his story!

Topical time codes:

00:43 - From substitute teaching to the zoo 

3:29 - Career path through the career 

5:34 - Vets at the zoo

7:35 - Education and conservation efforts 

11:34 - Raising animals for release (tigers and wolves)

14:26 - Sea turtles

17:28 - The story of the red panda and the Komodo dragon

22:17 - Species survival plan

24:35 - Favorite animals and one he’d like to work with

25:53 - White gators 

31:04 - Going to Australia for conservation work & meeting Steve Irwin 

34:00 - Getting bitten and family live

35:35 - Fulfilling career

37:27 - The zoo location and horticulture 

38:55 - Curator role, safety of animals and staff

41:48 - Global role in conservation 

43:08 - Key to success: Always be willing to learn

44:03 - More than just an animal guy

Learn more about the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium: https://www.pittsburghzoo.org 

Learn more about the zoo’s conservation efforts: https://www.pittsburghzoo.org/conservation/

For three decades, both Phil Koopman and Steve Wilson have been working in AI. They joined us on Making AI Work for You for a conversation about health tech safety and security. 

With exceptional backgrounds and unparalleled experience, they share their perspectives on:

Phil is an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, is the originator of UL 4600, and has been working on self-driving cars for 30 years. 

Steve is CPO of Exabeam, is an author, a member of the TTIC, and is an expert in machine learning, LLMs, and cybersecurity. He’s been working in AI since 1992. 

Topical time codes:

1:47 - Phil - The importance of humans in autonomous technology 

5:10 - Phil - You need a captain of the ship for safety

7:04 - Steve - Agentic systems 

11:09 - Steve - Software supply chains

15:39 - Phil - The challenge of making sure software is safe 

17:54 - Phil - Testing doesn’t prove safety

20:27 - Phil - The purpose & value of UL 4600

23:06 - Phil - You can’t wait until something is on fire to put out the fire

24:16 - Steve - Culture of the Product environment 

25:27 - Steve - Need for focus around safety and security for good decisions

26:07 - Phil - In embedded AI, there are real people on the other side 

27:36 - Steve - Cybersecurity is an arms race

29:38 - Phil - People short-cut safety when they’re in a rush 

Connect with Phil Koopman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-koopman-0631a4116/ 

Learn more about UL 4600: https://ulse.org/ul-standards-engagement/autonomous-vehicle-technology

Connect with Steve Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonsd/ 

Learn more about Exabeam: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exabeam/ 

Connect with Sherri Douville: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdouville/  

Learn more about TTIC: https://medium.com/@news_52674/about 

Check out our uplifting interview with Darlene Cunha, Nurse Executive at Trinity Health on our Voice of Love series, brought to you by VoiceLove.

Darlene not only inspires through incredible stories from her personal experience, but she teaches us the way to follow in her loving footsteps by using the Caritas processes that lead to increased scores from patient experience to colleague experience and retention. 

She clearly shares the message that everyone has the power to connect and to make change and reveals the tactical approach Trinity Health uses to achieve results. This is an absolute can't-miss interview! 

Connect with Darlene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darlenecunha/

Learn more about Trinity Health: https://www.trinity-health.org

Learn more about the Cartias Processes: https://www.watsoncaringscience.org/jean-bio/caring-science-theory/10-caritas-processes/

Topical time codes: 

00:42 - The importance of Caritas from the age of 4

2:56 - Helping people see the micro-caring moments

6:00 - The power within us to bring something special to every situation 

9:38 - Supporting one another through hard times & “being the ripple”

13:27 - Building a culture of love 

A community of love, education 

Knowing you belong to something special 

22:34 - Personal story from childhood that left a lasting impression 

25:41 - Pay it forward and recognizing the caritas in action

31:13 - Measurements of success 

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About VoiceLove: 

Connecting hearts, healing with love, VoiceLove minimizes the emotional toll of isolation by strengthening the bonds between loved ones. VoiceLove ensures that patients never feel alone, particularly during challenging times. By providing a HIPAA-secure platform for heartfelt voice messages, VoiceLove fosters connections that enhance long-term resident health and joy. Communication equals safety, and our innovative approach ensures that every patient feels supported and cared for. VoiceLove also supports healthcare workers by reducing stress and enhancing patient engagement. VoiceLove is committed to driving transformative outcomes in healthcare through compassion, empathy, and love.

https://www.voicelove.com 

Legendary founder of Becker's Healthcare and healthcare investor, Scott Becker, joins us for a conversation about considerations for investing in technology - with an emphasis on trust, safety, and security. 

Be sure to listen to listen in on this episode to hear about Scott's journey with investing, including advice he would give himself at the beginning of his investment journey. 

https://youtu.be/jOV1y04DqFk  

Topical time codes:

3:15 - Deciding what to invest in - starting with people you believe in who are working in areas you understand 

6:05 - How to choose investments, and the waterfall

12:05 - How his investing has changed over time

16:42 - Choosing solutions that can scale

Connect with Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-becker-ab7056176/  

Scott is the founder of Becker's Healthcare, a partner at McGuireWoods LLP, healthcare investor, Harvard Law School graduate, and a CPA. 

Learn more about Becker’s Private Equity and Business: https://beckerprivateequityandbusiness.com 

Read Becker’s Healthcare: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com 

https://youtu.be/jOV1y04DqFk 

#heatlhcare #healthcareinvesting #venturecapital #healthtech 

In this compelling interview, Dr. Gordon Chen tells us how he and his wife, Dr. Jessica Chen, are working to add “Thrive” years to people’s lives through their new organization, ThriveWell. 

A ThriveYear is an additional year of health span attained through optimized health, wellness, and purpose. 

Gordon and Jessica spent 20 years working to transform primary care at ChenMed. Through his father’s journey being misdiagnosed with a terminal cancer, Gordon and Jessica became inspired to help seniors live longer, better quality lives, and through ThriveWell, they’re scaling the process. 

He says that behavior change is one of the most critical components of adding Thrive years. Gordon also shared that care based on relationships and outcomes can help lower hospitalization rates by 230-50%, helping patients living 5-7 years longer than they otherwise might have. 

Check out the full interview to hear more about Gordon’s journey, and how ThriveWell is focusing on 5 areas - personal, community, physical, nutritional, spiritual -

 to help people reverse disease and add ThriveYears.

Dr. Gordon Chen is the CEO and Co-Founder of ThriveWell, and a founding family member and former Chief Medical Officer at ChenMed.

Topical time codes:

1:04 - About the journey at ChenMed and to ThriveWell

5:50 - Community focus

11:21 - Five focus areas for impact

16:18 - Goal to add 20,000 ThriveYears in each community they serve

21:27 - Optimizing care and reversing disease

Connect with Dr. Gordon Chen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgordonchen/  

Learn more about ThriveWell: https://www.thrivewell.com

Healthcare heavyweight investor, Bill Taranto, President of Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, joins us to share his investment strategies. 

Taking a patient-first approach, he looks for use cases that need solved, and finds aligned organizations to create an integrated solution that will positively impact patients. 

This interview is an absolute can’t-miss!! Bill shares how he evaluates opportunities, the relationship between CVC investors and tech investors, the regulatory environment, and shares some career successes.

Topical time codes:

1:41 - Ecosystems are better for patient care - evaluating opportunities

3:17 - Use cases- patient access example 

6:00 - Investment in pharma 

8:20 - CVC investors and Tech investors 

12;04 - Access considerations

15:56 - The regulatory environment 

19:08 - AI and drug discovery 

20:46 - A successful, long-term venture 

Connect with Bill: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-taranto-1b039b/  

Learn more about Merck Global Health Innovation Fund: https://www.merckghifund.com  

Connect with Sherri Douville: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdouville/  

Learn more about TTIC: https://medium.com/@news_52674/about