Connecting the Dots

Hosted by Skip Steward

Business Management Health FitnessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

285

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

About the show

Baptist Management System (BMS) is an improvement system that focuses on creating a holistic management system built on purpose, people, and process. BMS exist within the overall operating system of Baptist Memorial Health Care. BMS promotes and is based on the following 11 Guiding Principles: Respect, Humility, Trust, Empathy, Perfection, Process Focus, Scientific Thinking, Quality at the Source, Flow and Pull, Constancy of Purpose, Systemic Thinking. As we embed the 11 Guiding Principles into our culture, demonstrated by our ideal principled-based behaviors, we will be passionate about continually improving the experience and outcomes for our customers. The information discussed in the Connecting the Dots podcast are meant as a discussion about the subject of continuous improvement. It might showcase what our best, most motivated users have achieved. Expected outcomes and results may vary. All testimonials are real, may not reflect another user's experience, and are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation is accredited by the Mississippi State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians. BMHCC designates this enduring material for a maximum of .50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. It is the policy of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (BMHCC) to promote balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all educational activities; to require disclosure of relevant financial relationships from individuals engaged in content development or planning of a CME activity; to identify and resolve conflicts of interest related to those relationships; and to make disclosure information available to the audience prior to the CME activity. Presenters are required to disclose discussions of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentations. None of the hosts or guests have financial interests to disclose.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 13, 202632 min

Parallels between the A3 and the H&P with Lavon Medlock

Lavon Medlock has spent over two decades enhancing leaders’ skills in problem-solving and coaching. Skilled in a variety of continuous improvement methods, she has trained leaders in creating effective daily management systems, deployed an integrated facility design approach to new construction projects like a 90,000-square-foot patient tower, and enhanced operations across different sectors.With a primary focus on the healthcare industry, Lavon has worked with clinical leaders to combine the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s teachings on quality with A3 thinking and key project management principles. She’s a practitioner, teacher, and coach in the field of A3 thinking and holds certifications in both Project Management (PMI-PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt.In addition to instructing and coaching for the Lean Enterprise Institute, she teaches graduate coursework at The Ohio State University. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Oregon Health & Science University.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

August 6, 202629 min

Following Your Heart with Dr. Richard D. Mainwaring

Richard Mainwaring, MD, has been a pediatric cardiac surgeon since 1990 and has been a faculty member at the Stanford University School of Medicine since 2003.During Dr. Mainwaring’s career as a surgeon, he has contributed to this specialized field of surgery in many realms, including clinical medicine, basic science research, and publications. Dr. Mainwaring is a member of all four professional thoracic surgical organizations, including the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, Society for Thoracic Surgeons, Western Thoracic Surgical Association, and the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and is also a member of the American College of Surgeons and Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society.In 2012, the congenital cardiac surgery fellowship program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This program is one of 17 accredited congenital cardiac surgery training programs in the US. Dr. Mainwaring has been program director at LPCH since its inception and is currently Chairperson of the Congenital Thoracic Surgical Directors Association. Dr. Mainwaring teaches intra-operative management and surgical technique to the congenital cardiac surgery fellows.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

July 30, 202625 min

A Lifetime of Coaching: Reflections and Lessons Learned with Margie Hagene

Margie is an organizational effectiveness and Lean Thinking / Continuous Improvement teacher and coach. For over thirty years, she has helped executives and senior leaders recognize their changing roles and responsibilities in complex systems. By providing frameworks for thinking and learning, and evidence-based structures for practice, she supports leaders in identifying and developing appropriate behaviors and skills for leading and creating an organization filled with competent, confident problem solvers.For eighteen years, Margie worked as a global internal consultant for Ford Motor Company at all levels within the organization - from team leaders to the COO - in Product Development, Design and Manufacturing.Since 2005, Margie has worked in a variety of leading service and manufacturing industries, including healthcare, PreK-12 education, distribution, food service, and transportation/mobility. Her work has included university programs in areas of leadership development, Lean Thinking, and organizational learning. Margie’s ongoing community work focuses on issues of hunger relief and land conservation.Clients invariably learn to appreciate Margie’s ability to quickly assess leadership qualities, identify issues of misalignment among management, and recognize disconnects between agreed to policies and principles and actual daily behaviors. She embodies the belief that intentional, balanced focus on both the social and technical components in complex systems is essential for long-term effectiveness of any improvement efforts.Margie holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Butler University, Indiana (USA), and a Master of Science Degree in Education from Indiana University (USA).Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

July 23, 202630 min

The Blessing of Coaching with DJ Mitsch

DJ Mitsch, CEO, MCC is a pioneering executive coach, healthcare leadership educator, entrepreneur, and thought leader who helped shape the coaching profession over three decades. A former broadcast industry executive and Founder of The Pyramid Resource Group, she was among the early innovators to scale coaching for organizations and served as the sixth president of the International Coach Federation. Founder of Healthcare Coaching Institute, DJ works together with physicians, executives, faculty, and healthcare leaders to develop coaching competencies that transform cultures and strengthen wellbeing. Her work bridges leadership, human development, coaching, and consciousness in times that demand adaptive change leadership from everyone.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

July 16, 202630 min

Design Your Good Life with Charles Lee

Charles is the Founder & CEO of Ideation, a firm that helps brands scale their visionthrough strategic clarity and smart brand execution that produces measurable results.For years, Charles has worked with clients across industries including technology, legal,financial services, venture capital, sports and entertainment, healthcare, nonprofit,academics, and public institutions.He is a trusted advisor to top executives at leading organizations, guiding themthrough the complexities of innovation, brand building, and sustainable impact.Beyond his advisory work, Charles is passionate about helping others achieve theirdreams while building a life that makes a positive impact in our world.Charles is also the author of two books with Wiley Publishing: “Design Your Good Life”and “Good Idea. Now What?”Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

July 9, 202631 min

The Collective Edge with Colin Fisher

Colin M. Fisher, Ph.D. is a professor, author, speaker, and occasional jazz trumpet player. He is the author of The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups, which has already been translated into eleven languages. His academic research on group dynamics, creativity, improvisation, and leadership has been published in the field’s top academic journals and featured in prominent media outlets, such as BBC, The Conversation UK, The Daily Mail, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, MSN, Next Big Idea Club, NPR, Psychology Today, Times Radio, and The Times. He is also a sought-after keynote speaker for businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations around the world.Colin is an associate professor and Ph.D. Programme Director at University College London's School of Management. He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. In his prior career as a jazz trumpet player, Colin was a long-time member of the Either/Orchestra, with whom he toured extensively and recorded several critically acclaimed albums. Originally from Redmond, Washington in the USA, he now lives in Northeast London with his wife and two children. He can sometimes be found performing at jazz jams throughout London.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

July 2, 202626 min

Seeking a Coaching Community with Anna Pessah

Anna Pessah leads The North Valley Way, the operating system at Kaiser Permanente in the North Valley Service Area. Anna is an industrial engineer from the University of Michigan and she is an ICF-certified coach. She brings a blend of systems thinking, operational improvement, and leadership development to her work. She is known for keeping things clear and practical, helping leaders generate insight, turn goals into action, and build habits that stick.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

June 25, 202639 min

Your Best Meeting Ever with Rebecca Hinds

Rebecca Hinds is the bestselling author of Your Best Meeting Ever and a leading expert on work transformation and the future of work. Rebecca earned a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Stanford University. In 2022, she founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana, a first-of-its-kind think tank that conducts actionable research to help leaders and organizations navigate the growing challenges and changes of work. In 2025, she founded the Work AI Institute at Glean, where she leads cutting-edge research on how AI is reshaping work. Rebecca's award-winning research and insights are consistently featured in places like Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., and Time. Rebecca is a co-instructor for the CNBC Make It course, How to Use AI to Be More Successful at Work, and a columnist at Inc. and Reworked.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

June 18, 202629 min

AM-PAC (6 Clicks) with Craig Earley

Craig Earley serves as the COO at Baptist Memorial Hospital - Memphis. In this role, Craig provided strategic leadership across numerous ancillary and clinical service lines, driving improvements in coordination, efficiency, patient experience, and employee engagement. His leadership contributed to meaningful reductions in test turnaround times and length of stay, as well as record-high outpatient satisfaction scores.In May, Craig will become the CEO and Administrator of NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro, AR.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

June 11, 202626 min

LEAN TECH MANIFESTO with Fabrice Bernhard

Fabrice Bernhard is the co‑founder and Chief Technology Officer of Theodo Group, a global technology consulting firm he co‑founded in Paris in 2009. Under his technical leadership, Theodo has grown rapidly by combining Lean principles with modern software engineering to help organizations build scalable, resilient digital capabilities. Fabrice is a recognized thought leader in Lean Tech, advocating for the application of Toyota Production System principles to software development and technology organizations. He is a frequent speaker and writer on continuous improvement, learning cultures, and human‑centered technology, and is a co‑author of The Lean Tech Manifesto. His work focuses on enabling teams to deliver value faster while empowering people through better systems and smarter use of technology.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.