Working Healthcare

Meredith Hirsh kicks off a new chapter of Working Healthcare with occasional co-host (and self-proclaimed sidekick) Mike Chavez. In this stand-alone episode, they take on everything from burnout and broken business models to why healthcare leadership sometimes feels like herding cats with a stethoscope. Mike’s testing the waters as co-host material—think of it as an on-air audition with fewer jazz hands and more talk about the business side of healthcare. Together, they unpack the big issues with sharp insight, a few laughs, and zero tolerance for buzzword bingo. Will Mike make the cut? Will Meredith regret this immediately? Tune in to find out—and maybe even learn something useful along the way. Get your popcorn ready!

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Join Meredith Hirsh in a special one-year anniversary episode of Working Healthcare! Today, we celebrate 52 episodes of exploring the American healthcare system and dive deep into the future of healthcare with a powerful, insightful discussion featuring the voices of Gen Z. From aspiring healthcare professionals to future leaders, these students share their unique perspectives on what healthcare means to them, how it needs to evolve, and the changes they want to see in the system. With insights from Jake Stevens (Vanderbilt), Carly Blum (University of Florida), Matthew McGarry (Florida State), Julia Fuller (Emory University), Chloe Blackington (UNC Chapel Hill), and Meredith's own son, Benjamin Hirsh (Duke), Meredith gets a peek into how this new generation is tackling the challenges of our healthcare system—and they’re not afraid to ask tough questions. As Gen Z shows us, they’re ready to fix what’s broken and lead the charge forward. Get ready for a hopeful, thought-provoking conversation that proves the future of healthcare is in good hands. As our GenZ friends say, "Tap in!"

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Listen in as Dr. Damian Caraballo—an emergency physician, health policy leader, and tireless advocate for healthcare reform—sits down with Meredith Hirsh after returning from a lobbying trip to Washington, DC. Damian breaks down how decades of policy shifts have tilted power toward insurance companies, sidelined physicians, and left patients buried under rising costs and limited access. He walks through pivotal moments in healthcare history and explains how we ended up with a system that often feels more corporate than compassionate. And here’s a tip: if the government gives a new rule an acronym, doctors know it’s probably not good news—just more red tape. Damian shares what it’s really like to speak with lawmakers like Senator Rick Scott, makes a compelling case for why physicians must reclaim their influence in shaping healthcare policy and provides tips on how physicians can get involved. This passionate episode reflects years of on-the-ground advocacy and a deep commitment to building a better system. Speak up, get involved, and help create change—listen now.

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Dig into the shifting landscape of healthcare leadership as Meredith Hirsh challenges executive coach and podcast host Karl Pister to unpack the evolving—and increasingly controversial—definition of professionalism in medicine. With more than 30 years of hands-on business experience and a background in clinical social work, Karl brings a rare blend of empathy, real-world insight, and executive wisdom. He’s worked with everyone from high-performing physicians with low EQ to emerging leaders navigating generational divides, and he’s seen how HR policies, anonymous complaints, and tone policing are reshaping what leadership looks like inside hospitals and across our healthcare system. Together, Karl and Meredith dive into whether today’s healthcare culture has overcorrected in the name of psychological safety—and what’s being lost along the way. Are we protecting employees or avoiding hard conversations? Are we cultivating excellence—or just mass-producing average? This episode will challenge your assumptions, spark conversation, and explore what it really means to lead with both strength and empathy in a system under pressure.

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Explore the hidden world of rare diseases in this in-studio interview with biotech veteran Peter Carbone. With passion and clarity, Peter explains how rare conditions—often affecting fewer than 200,000 people each—shine a spotlight on the cracks in our healthcare system. He unpacks why patients face years of misdiagnosis, endless referrals, and costly treatments, and how the system continues to leave 1 in 10 Americans behind. Meredith and Peter examine the skyrocketing costs of orphan drugs, the impact of dwindling NIH funding, and the often-overlooked power of the patient voice in the diagnostic journey. Peter also introduces his RISE Leadership and Selling Frameworks—bold, strategic guides designed to help healthcare professionals become true advocates for rare disease patients. One emotional highlight: a family's heartbreaking loss that ultimately led to life-saving action for their daughter—proof that awareness can change everything. This episode is both an eye-opener and a call to action for anyone who cares about making healthcare more just, more human, and more effective.

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Tune in for a powerful conversation as Meredith Hirsh sits down with Mark Craig, Chief Executive of Write-Off Warrior and longtime revenue cycle expert turned national advocate. What began as a consulting career took a sharp turn when Mark watched his rural hospital clients shut their doors—not because of poor performance, but due to crippling underpayments and predatory insurance practices. Together, Meredith and Mark expose the hidden forces gutting rural healthcare, from exploitative Medicare Advantage plans to delayed reimbursements and contract games that stack the odds against community hospitals. Mark also shares insights from his collaboration with Senator Chuck Grassley and his groundbreaking report, Preyed On, which reveals how insurers are bleeding resources from the American heartland. With nearly 100 million Americans burdened by medical debt, this episode isn’t just a healthcare conversation—it’s a wake-up call.

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Step into the studio with Meredith Hirsh for a candid, high-energy conversation with dynamic healthcare leader and master connector, Mike Chavez. to unpack what it really takes to lead—and thrive—in today’s complex medical landscape. At just 14, Mike learned the art of sales, and since then, he’s built national healthcare networks, launched game-changing ventures, and mastered the power of authentic connection. They dive into how his people skills became his “secret sauce,” the influence of Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, and whether success is more about instinct, experience—or both. They also challenge the conventional career path: Is a college degree truly necessary for success, or is it more about hustle, heart, and who you know? The conversation explores physician burnout, the rise of MSOs and GPOs, and why these models might just be the lifeline practices need. Mike also shares how his latest innovation, RheumLogic AiT, is using AI to cut through administrative chaos and bring joy back to practicing medicine. Packed with insight, grit, and real talk, this episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to navigate—or reinvent—the future of healthcare.

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

It’s been a few months since Meredith Hirsh sat down with Justin Hand, Founder and Managing Director of Westcove Partners, and after some thoughtful reflection and feedback from you all, we are finally ready to drop this interview—just in time for April 15th, Tax Day. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this one! We’re diving deep into how healthcare transactions have evolved from the 1990s to today, and Justin offers a fresh perspective on why physicians are increasingly choosing to partner with private equity. He also shares his predictions on how private equity could reshape the future of the American healthcare system. The big question is: Can private equity truly benefit physicians, patients, and our $4.8 trillion industry, or is it a risky move? Don’t judge too soon—stick with us to the end and hear Justin’s compelling insights. Tune in for a fascinating conversation that will change the way you think about healthcare and its future!

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare

Join Meredith Hirsh as she sits down with NIH-trained Scientist-Entrepreneur Amrie Grammer to explore the alarming cuts to NIH funding and their profound implications for medical research and public health. With a staggering decline in grants impacting groundbreaking studies, Amrie sheds light on how these budget reductions threaten advancements in treatments and disease prevention. As the co-founder of AMPEL BioSolutions, Amrie merges her extensive expertise in immunology and genomics to revolutionize patient care, especially for autoimmune diseases. This conversation delves into the intersection of scientific discovery and practical healthcare solutions, emphasizing the urgent need for sustained funding in the face of political challenges. Tune in to understand how these funding cuts could reshape the future of healthcare in America, hear Amrie’s insights on innovative approaches to precision medicine and discover how “Make America Healthy Again” is a bipartisan issue. Our decisions today impacts healthcare for the next generation!

Contact Meredith:
Website: meredithhirsh.com
Instagram: @workinghealthcare
Facebook: WorkingHealthcare
LinkedIn: @meredithfhirsh
YouTube: @WorkingHealthcare