The Backstory

Hosted by Jarrard Inc.

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170

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

The Backstory, formerly the High Stakes Podcast, is a new, limited series from Jarrard Inc. President and Co-Founder Anne Hancock Toomey. For nearly two decades, Jarrard – one of the nation’s top communications consulting firms for healthcare – has partnered with thousands of leaders across the country who are striving to make healthcare better every day. But this isn’t a podcast about healthcare, or politics or even communications. It’s about authentic leadership. The Backstory is about demystifying respected leaders who’ve had a lot of success along the way because of the kind of leaders they’ve chosen to be. Each person Anne interviews is visionary, of course. They’re smart as hell, and they’re fierce about their business and their mission. They’re also humble, kind and create the kind of environments in which people can thrive. They’re not perfect. But they are real. And it’s the combination of those two things that makes each one of them great. In every episode, Anne’s guest digs into who they are, where they come from and what’s influenced them to be the person and the leader that they are today.

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60 recent

October 14, 202612 min

Backstory Sessions 2026: Jenn Adams

Live from Healthcare Sessions 2026 in Nashville, Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Jenn Adams, CEO of August Bioservices, about her 30+ year career in sterile injectable manufacturing and the path that led her from Baxter into entrepreneurship. Adams explains how a long-standing investor partnership helped launch August Bioservices in 2020 with a mission to bridge the gap between demand for critical sterile injectable medicines and manufacturing capacity. She describes rebuilding and expanding the Nashville site, recruiting top-tier technical talent during the pandemic, and qualifying high-speed equipment for prefilled syringes and vials. All of this operation work, she is quick to point out, is driven by people far more than assets - and she closes with the reminder to “not be afraid” and to pursue meaningful work. Also, the first Backstory F1 pit crew reference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 7, 202612 min

Backstory Sessions 2026: David Dill

This is Backstory Sessions — a new short-form series recorded live at Healthcare Sessions 2026 in Nashville, and also on YouTube. Host Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with David Dill, chairman and CEO of Lifepoint Health, to discuss his path from growing up with a basketball-coach father and teacher mother to earning an accounting degree at Murray State and moving to Nashville in 1991. Dill explains how work at Deloitte and a dialysis startup pulled him into healthcare in 1996, leading to nearly two decades at Lifepoint and eight years as CEO. He reflects on how the CEO role demands stewardship of culture and values across 55,000 team members in 34 states, including intentional communication - for example, revamping internal comms through daily videos during COVID. Dill shares why “always do the right thing, even when no one is watching” guides difficult decisions, outlines strategic bets on diversification and asset-based operating structure, and offers advice on passion, mentorship, coachability, and learning through failure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 23, 202639 min

BONUS 211. From Plowing Snow to Leading Healthcare Transformation, with Warner Thomas

It's a bonus! In this special edition episode , Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. They start with a note about the first podcast Anne ever hosted - a 2020 conversation with Thomas that reminds us all of how much has changed even as the principles of authentic leadership haven't. From there, Thomas traces his path from a disciplined, outdoorsy childhood in Vermont to pumping gas, plowing snow, and later studying accounting and computer information systems. Like many guests, Thomas hadn't planned on a healthcare career. He instead started with an eye towards investment banking, training at Ernst & Young before making the leap and heading to. Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. There, an early mentor shaped his leadership perspective and professional experience. Later on, Thomas spent 24 years at Ochsner Health, rising to CEO leading major growth and innovation and learning to center strategy on patients and purpose through initiatives like “Power of One,” while prioritizing people during Katrina and COVID. Joining Sutter four years ago, he became the system's first outsider CEO in 40 years. He began his tenure with a deep and thoughtful talent assessment, then built a rapid growth strategy including ambulatory expansion. Throughout it all, Thomas has emphasized communication, trust and the key leadership traits of being humble, hungry, smart and curious. 2:18 Life in California 3:53 Vermont Roots 6:13 First Jobs 10:24 Mentors and Leadership Style 14:29 Learning Mindset and Strategy 17:19 Ochsner Growth Lessons 21:20 Purpose and Culture  25:22 Joining Sutter 31:56 Leadership Traits 34:15 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 24, 202639 min

210. From Local Newspaper Delivery to National Philanthropy Leader, with Cynthia Brandt, PhD

In the final episode of Season 2, Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Cynthia Brandt, PhD. Brandt is CEO of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and a deeply respected leader in the world of philanthropy. Brandt reflects on growing up in the Midwest in a minister’s family, early lessons in authenticity from a difficult camping experience and the teacher who led the excursion, and how receiving scholarships didn’t just make higher education for her but also sparked her belief that philanthropy can change lives. Before joining the foundation that helps power Stanford Children’s Health, Brandt built her career through a series of impressive roles. After work in banking and nonprofit roles, she pursued sociology in graduate school, worked at Stanford, moved to a profoundly meaningful role at Mills College, and later led a record-breaking Smithsonian campaign that exceeded its $1.5B goal by educating the public through grassroots storytelling. She discusses her CEO learning curve through the pandemic, a stewardship mistake that reshaped her approach, leadership traits like culture, humility, and clarity, and her focus on joy and purpose at work. 1:40 Midwest Roots 4:22 A Lesson from Camping 06:44 Scholarships Changed Everything 10:52 Finding Sociology 12:18 Stanford And Mills 16:57 The Smithsonian and Storytelling At Scale 22:38 From the Smithsonian To Children’s Health 26:10 First Time CEO Lessons…and Mistakes 31:46 Traits Of Great Leaders 34:52 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 6, 202635 min

209. From Pumping Gas to CEO of Leading Children’s Hospitals, with Dr. Patrick Frias

Dr. Patrick Frias is a truly unique leader with a truly unique story. Today, he is wrapping up his tenure as Co-President and Chief Executive Officer of Rady Children’s Health before heading back to his old stomping grounds in Georgia to lead Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In episode 209 of the Backstory, Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Dr. Frias about how he became who he is today and the way he thinks about leadership. co-CEO of Rady Children’s Health, noting that after their recording he was announced as the next leader of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He was born in Chile, raised in Gainesville, Fla., and finished college in Nebraska as a theology major before heading off to medical school to become a pediatric cardiologist. Along the way, he learned from – and was deeply supported by – his family during some tough childhood years. He also learned how to treat people thanks to an early job pumping gas at a local Mobile station. Today, he leads by focusing on mission and people first, and in this conversation he and Anne talk about: How to stay grounded and steady through both success and adversity The importance of surrounding yourself with talented people and empowering them to lead Leading with humility, empathy and a clear sense of purpose, especially in a complex world like healthcare Chapters: 1:57 Roots in Chile and Florida 3:42 Bullying and Empathy 4:29 First Jobs 6:27 Creighton, Theology and Pediatric Cardiology 11:41 Atlanta Career and Leadership Rise 15:07 Healthcare Leadership Realities 17:26 Becoming Rady CEO 24:55 Merger Mission and Stakeholders 30:13 Leadership Traits and Growth Edge 32:07 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 25, 202639 min

208. From Serving Frozen Yogurt to National Health System CEO, with Marty Bonick

Marty Bonick is about as well-known a name as you’ll find when it comes to the National – and Nashville – healthcare scene. Bonick is President and CEO of Ardent Health, which operates 30 hospitals and more than 280 care sites across mid-sized urban markets nationwide, while employing over 24,000 team members. In this conversation, Bonick and Anne Hancock Toomey talk about his time growing up on Chicago’s South Side with a construction-worker father and nurse mother, his shift from pre-med to healthcare administration, and learning the industry through an administrative fellowship at Hillcrest in Tulsa. He describes mentors who shaped his patient-first approach, early leadership lessons from serving frozen yogurt and prepping pizzas, and being thrust into a first CEO role at 32. He also recounts the moment when, watching the movie Twister on VHS, he got a call asking if he’d be interested in moving to Oklahoma. Yes, really. 2:13 From Chicago to Healthcare 4:40 Handy Skills and First Jobs 7:07 Mentors and Work Ethic 9:52 Hillcrest Fellowship to COO 13:04 Becoming CEO at 32 16:41 Three Leadership Rules 18:47 Starting Over in Louisville 22:25 Measuring What Matters 26:26 Taking The Career Fork 30:45 Fired 34:20 Traits of Great Leaders 36:41 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

January 7, 202643 min

207. From Clinical Dietician to CEO of Allina Health, with Lisa Shannon

In Season 2, Episode 7, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Lisa Shannon, CEO of Allina Health, to discuss her impressive trajectory from a rural community in Ohio to leading a health system with 12 hospitals and dozens of clinics across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Shannon began her career as a hospital-based dietician, growing and evolving to become a highly respected executive and leader. That success came from the early influence of her grandmother, along with, of course, mentors and leaders along the way. Shannon talks about a devastating medical error that affected her family early in her life. Indeed, one of Shannon’s priorities throughout her leadership career has been the pursuit of zero safety events, which includes creating a culture where anyone and everyone is empowered to speak up. She also offers insights into balancing work and family and emphasizes the significance of listening to one's instincts in making career choices. 2:02 Early Life and Influences 4:42 First Jobs and Early Career 7:50 College and Career Path 15:36 Leadership Journey and Mentorship 16:58 Patient Safety and Cultural Change 21:38 Career Highlights and Challenges 30:59 Leadership Insights from the Role of CEO 35:04 Balancing Career and Family 39:43 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 17, 202540 min

206. From Dairy Farmer to Intermountain Health CEO, with Rob Allen

Rob Allen is CEO of Intermountain Health, one of the nation's largest and most innovative health systems. In this episode, host Anne Hancock Toomey talks with allen Allen about his journey from growing up on a dairy farm in Wyoming to becoming a healthcare CEO at the age of 28. And if you're thinking you've heard the farm-to-CEO story before, you'd be right. Several of Anne's Backstory guests come from a similar background and here, they discuss parts of that life that may point people to careers in executive leadership. Beyond that, Allen discusses the valuable lessons learned from his rural upbringing, the various roles he undertook in healthcare from nursing homes to hospitals, and his commitment to servant leadership. He delves into his early career challenges, including turnarounds of financially struggling hospitals, the significance of a people-first mindset, and the necessity of addressing the correct problems in leadership. As he recounts his progression through different roles at Intermountain Health, Rob emphasizes the importance of transparency, hope, and engaging employees to achieve organizational success. He also opens up about balancing his demanding career with family life and offers advice for aspiring leaders. The conversation highlights Rob's visionary approach in simplifying healthcare and expanding proactive care, and the importance of authenticity, purpose, and compassion in leadership. 2:24 Early Life on the Farm 6:35 Influential Figures 8:38 College Years and Career Beginnings 11:40 Transition to Healthcare Administration & Leadership Challenges 17:28 Turnaround Success Stories 21:01 Career Moves and New Opportunities 22:14 Returning to Intermountain Health 24:37 Building a Hospital in Park City 33:05 Balancing Family and Career 35:27 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 26, 202540 min

205. From Bike Mechanic to Oura CEO, with Tom Hale

Tom Hale is the CEO of health tech company Oura. Producing one of the most prominent wearables out there (The Oura Ring), Oura is working to improve health and wellness through sustainable behavior change. In this episode, Hale and host Anne Hancock Toomey discuss his journey from working as a bike mechanic in Reno, Nevada, to a career spanning some of the most notable tech companies of the past 20+ years: Macromedia, Adobe, Linden Lab (creator of Second Life), HomeAway, and SurveyMonkey. He discusses the transformative impact of Oura's smart ring on his personal health, as well as his professional mission to shift healthcare towards preventative care through technology and AI. Hale also reflects on the lessons learned from his diverse career, emphasizing the importance of human-centric leadership, accountability, and ambition. The conversation offers valuable insights into the future of health tech and the power of mission-driven companies. 3:18 Early Life and Influences 7:31 First Jobs and Formative Experiences 10:11 Career Beginnings and Influences 13:27 Macromedia and Adobe: Lessons in Leadership 18:27 Linden Labs and the Early Metaverse 21:33 Joining HomeAway: The Birth of Vacation Rentals 25:24 Lessons from SurveyMonkey and the Importance of Brand 27:18 Joining Oura 32:37 The Vision for Oura and Healthcare Transformation 34:33 Leadership Insights and Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 12, 202543 min

204. From NFL Center to Tech CEO, with Chris Spencer

Chris Spencer is a tech entrepreneur and founder of TeamQ, who today is using his decade playing in the NFL as a foundation for helping athletes across the country maximize their potential on the field and in life. In this episode, Spencer and Anne Hancock Toomey discuss his background growing up in Bentonia, Mississippi, transitioning from farm life to football. He wasn't just a football player, though. Spencer had an impressive career at Ole Miss and, following a conversation with Archie Manning, entered the draft...where he was picked in the first round (unheard of for a center) and ended up snapping the ball on the play that instantly became known as BeastQuake. Here, Spencer shares insights into his dyslexia diagnosis and how football became both a crutch and a tool for his personal development. He digs into the lessons he learned and the needs he observed while playing that led him to his post-NFL career founding TeamQ, a performance intelligence platform aimed at empowering athletes beyond the game. The conversation covers Spencer’s leadership philosophies, the importance of relationships, and AI. Plus, the joy of driving tractors on the farm. 2:02 Early Life and Family 7:33 College Football Journey 13:32 Realizing NFL Potential 17:30 NFL Career Highlights 19:35 Leadership On and Off the Field 20:53 Transitioning from NFL to Life After 25:07 From Physiology to Technology 35:07 Balancing Family and Entrepreneurship 38:06 Leadership Insights 39:40 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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