The CereCore Podcast

What does it take for women to reach the C-suite in healthcare IT? Renee Fosberg, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Emerson Health, joins us on The CereCore Podcast to share the career moments, mentors, and mindset shifts that shaped her path to executive leadership. Renee discusses how stepping up during times of uncertainty led to every major promotion in her career, why the strategic evolution of IT is creating new opportunities for women in healthcare, and the three things aspiring leaders should be doing right now to advance. She also shares her approach to mentorship, the power of professional networks, and what senior executives should look for in the next generation of healthcare IT leaders.

Key topics: Women in healthcare IT leadership, career advice for aspiring CIOs and CDOs, mentorship and sponsorship in healthcare, executive leadership skills, digital transformation and AI in healthcare, community hospital leadership

Connect with Renee Fosberg, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Emerson Health.

For more than 25 years, Dr. Darin Brannan has used healthcare technology to help children with complex medical needs reach their potential. In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, the Chief of Clinical Innovation at Bethany Children’s Health Center explains how the pediatric health system evaluates emerging technology, establishes AI governance and staff education before adoption, and uses ambient AI to reduce provider documentation time by two hours per day. He also discusses exoskeletons and virtual reality in pediatric rehabilitation, MEDITECH EHR optimization, and the value of a healthcare IT partner that understands an organization’s clinical workflows.

In this episode:

- How a mission trip calling led to 25+ years of pediatric innovation

- Why technology decisions must start with a problem, not a product

- The real impact of ambient AI on providers and patient relationships

- How exoskeletons and VR are transforming pediatric rehabilitation

- Why EHR optimization requires advocates who understand your workflows

Connect with Darin Brannan, MD, MPH, FAAP, Chief of Clinical Innovation at Bethany Children's Health Center.

Hector Rodriguez brings a different kind of resume to healthcare IT leadership. Before joining Humboldt Park Health as Vice President of IT in 2022, he worked across managed services, city government, and nonprofit organizations, exposure that shaped how he approaches technology decisions today. In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, we talk with Hector about that path, why he treats every technology decision as if a family member were the patient on the other end of it, and what drew him specifically to a safety net hospital on Chicago's west side.

Hector talks about the role IT played in helping Humboldt Park Health earn a Joint Commission health equity certification, why he's steering his team toward practical, problem-first AI, and why he believes EHR optimization is never truly finished. He also shares what he looks for in a technology partner and how he leads with relentless prioritization when there's never enough time, budget, or people to do everything.

Key topics include:

- A career across managed services, city government, and nonprofit work, and how that background shapes his approach to healthcare IT today

- Treating IT as an enabler of the hospital's mission, not just a system that has to stay online

- What it took from his team to help Humboldt Park Health earn a Joint Commission Health Equity Certification

- A practical, problem-first approach to AI, from an ED pilot to revenue cycle automation

- Why he believes EHR optimization never truly finishes

- Leading with relentless prioritization when there's never enough time, budget, or people to do everything

What does healthcare leadership look like when you never forget there's a human on the other side of every interaction? In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, Dr. Ryan Stone, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana, joins us for a conversation about what more than a decade of dedicated service to a single community has taught him about leadership, quality, and technology.

Dr. Stone traces a remarkable path, from a med-peds hospitalist who fell in love with rural medicine to a physician executive trusted to lead Schneck's clinical strategy. He shares how Schneck has built and protected a Malcolm Baldrige and Magnet level culture of quality, what it took to bring physicians and nurses fully on board with the MEDITECH Expanse transformation, and what has made CereCore's partnership with his team genuinely valuable from the inside.

This episode is for anyone who believes the best healthcare leadership starts with presence, not a title.

Key topics:

- Building and protecting a Malcolm Baldrige and Magnet level culture of quality

- What the MEDITECH Expanse transformation meant for physicians, nurses and patients

- What a true technology partnership looks like, and the CereCore team members who make it work

- Leadership advice for building stronger relationships with physicians, today and for the next generation

- Where AI can genuinely help clinicians, always with a physician leading the decision

In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, we are joined by James Wellman, VP and CIO at Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home in Gloversville, New York. A certified healthcare CIO with more than three decades of experience, James has led technology transformations at organizations ranging from large academic medical centers to rural critical access hospitals. He’s also a senior partner at Fortium Partners and an active mentor in the TechLX leadership development program.

James shares a candid, grounded perspective on what it actually takes to modernize IT in a resource-constrained rural setting, from cloud migration strategy and a pragmatic four-pillar approach to AI, to why the best thing that ever happened to his career was not getting a job he wanted. This episode is for any healthcare IT leader who wants to think more clearly, lead more effectively, and build teams that outlast them.

Key topics include:

- A four-pillar approach to AI adoption: ambient documentation, agentic AI, search and summarization, and RCM automation

- Why James deliberately waited until 2026 to launch AI initiatives, and what he learned from an earlier failed attempt

- Cloud migration strategy and the case for predictable, OpEx-based IT spending

- What it means to be an “operational CIO” and why understanding the business of healthcare is non-negotiable

- Leadership lessons from the military, the 360 review that changed his career, and the GROSS philosophy (Get Rid of Stupid Stuff)

- How to walk into a new CIO role without alienating the people you need most

- Building teams that grow beyond you and celebrating when they do

- The role CereCore played in Nathan Littauer’s assessment work and how that partnership continues

What does it take to manage IT across 13-plus hospitals; rapidly, responsibly, and always with the patient in mind? n this episode of The CereCore Podcast, Tiffany Laurenz, Vice President of IT Delivery Operations at McLaren Health Care, joins us for a candid conversation about the realities of leading a large, complex health system's technology operations.

From her early days as a billing clerk at a small Michigan software firm to overseeing enterprise IT across one of Michigan's largest integrated health systems, Tiffany brings nearly 24 years of experience, and a deeply practical, people-first perspective, to every challenge McLaren faces. She talks openly about the decision to move toward a hybrid outsourcing model and how a service desk transition she expected to be turbulent became the smoothest change she'd ever seen.

This conversation is for healthcare leaders who want insight on IT governance, the business case for strategic partnerships, and what it means to connect every line of infrastructure work back to the patient.

Key topics include:

- Leading IT delivery across a large, distributed health system

- McLaren's evolution from full outsourcing to a hybrid IT model

- How the CereCore service desk partnership came together, and why it stuck

- Aligning IT strategy with patient care and organizational goals

- What transparency and accountability look like in a vendor partnership

- Leadership lessons from a Stevie Award finalist

What does it take for a community hospital to modernize its EHR, stay independent, and embrace AI responsibly? Craig Rice, Vice President and CIO at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana, has a lot to say about it.

Schneck Medical Center is the only organization in Indiana to receive the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. They made a deliberate choice to stay independent and stay on MEDITECH, even while surrounded by Epic-based health systems between Indianapolis and Louisville. Craig walks through the full arc of their Expanse journey, from a rigorous open selection process to early adoption of MEDITECH Traverse for interoperability, managing 80+ integrations, and the lessons that only come from going live.

He also talks about how Schneck recently launched Suki for ambient AI documentation and what responsible AI governance looks like for a community hospital that knows it can not afford to get it wrong.

Key topics include:

- Why Schneck chose MEDITECH Expanse over Epic's Community Connect program

- Early adoption of MEDITECH Traverse and the interoperability challenge of staying independent

- Managing 80+ integrations and what Craig would do differently

- How fast decision-making and a culture of fun kept the team going through go-live

- Ambient AI with Suki, responsible adoption, governance, and early results

- The difference between a vendor and a true partner

- Practical advice for community CIOs trying to stay innovative without burning out

Connect with Craig Rice, Vice President and CIO at Schneck Medical Center: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-rice-schneck/

Did this topic resonate with you? Reach out and start a conversation to learn more: https://cerecore.net/contact

Exploring a MEDITECH Expanse implementation or optimization project? Let's talk about how CereCore can help. MEDITECH professional services are just the beginning. We also support application management, infrastructure, interoperability, revenue cycle, and more.

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Paula Blomquist has spent her career figuring out what people need before they know they need it. She calls it retail magic. Now, as Chief Experience Officer at GoHealth Urgent Care, she is working to bring that same instinct into healthcare.

Paula leads patient and consumer experience strategy across GoHealth's national network of urgent care centers, which operates through joint ventures with health systems including UPMC, Northwell Health, and Hartford Healthcare. Her background is unique for healthcare: a degree in mathematics and computer science, an MBA in marketing, and years leading retail operations. That combination shapes everything about how she thinks about technology, people, and care.

In this conversation, she talks about:

- What retail magic looks like in a clinical setting, and why it does not undermine care

- How GoHealth designed AI scribing, online scheduling, and self-registration tools around staff needs first

- Why rationalizing your tech stack matters more than adding new tools

- What it really takes to make joint venture technology partnerships work

- How GoHealth is building an AI roadmap and governance framework across diverse markets

- Practical advice for leaders who want to improve the digital front door without overcomplicating everything

Paula is the kind of leader who gets curious about what is not in the database. This is a conversation worth slowing down for.

Connect with Paula Blomquist, Chief Experience Officer, GoHealth Urgent Care: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-puleo-blomquist-b873155/

Did this topic resonate with you? Reach out and start a conversation: https://cerecore.net/contact

Rural hospitals are not too small to be targeted. In fact, they are often more vulnerable.

In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, we are joined by Chris Riha, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor at CereCore, to talk about one of the biggest risks facing community hospitals today: cybersecurity.

Chris brings a rare operator perspective. He spent more than 14 years inside Carilion Clinic leading clinical systems and medical device security and previously worked with the US Army Medical Department and MITRE. He understands both the operational realities of hospitals and the growing sophistication of cyber threats.

They discuss:

• Why rural hospitals are often targeted

• The real impact of cyber incidents on communities

• What a fractional CISO model actually looks like

• How tabletop exercises build confidence and muscle memory

• Federal and state funding opportunities many hospitals overlook

Chris shares a powerful story of a critical access hospital that survived a cyber incident thanks to preparation, but not without significant strain on a very small IT team.

If you are a rural CEO, CIO, board member, or healthcare leader trying to balance limited resources with growing cyber threats, this conversation offers practical, grounded guidance.

Connect with Chris Riha, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor at CereCore

Want to evaluate your cybersecurity posture or explore fractional support options? Start a conversation with our team.

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What happens when a practicing hospitalist becomes both CMO and CMIO? Dr. Devjit Roy shares his journey from COVID frontlines to dual leadership at Nathan Littauer Hospital. As author of Between Heartbeats and Algorithms: Reclaiming What Matters in Healthcare, Dr. Roy makes a powerful case for compassion and presence in an era of metrics and automation. Hear how he keeps clinicians connected to mission, optimizes MEDITECH in a rural setting, and approaches AI as a flashlight rather than a steering wheel. From digital health equity to physician voices in technology decisions, this conversation offers practical wisdom for healthcare leaders navigating the intersection of humanity and technology. 

Key topics: 

- Dual CMO/CMIO perspective on rural healthcare challenges 

- Keeping clinicians engaged during EHR transitions and burnout 

- Why physicians must be at the table for AI decisions 

- MEDITECH optimization with CereCore partnership 

- Workforce shortages and digital health equity in rural settings 

- What makes a meaningful IT partnership in resource-constrained environments 

Connect with show host Phil Sobol, Chief Commercial Officer of CereCore 

Connect with Dr. Devjit Roy, CMO, CMIO, and VP of Medical Affairs at Nathan Littauer Hospital 

Did this topic resonate with you? Reach out and start a conversation to learn more. 

Need help optimizing your MEDITECH implementation? MEDITECH professional services can help identify gaps and create a roadmap for improvement. 

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