Modern Healthcare's Healthcare Insider Podcast

Building an Ambulatory Network That Performs

As health systems expand their ambulatory networks, deciding where to grow is only part of the challenge. Leaders also must determine where to invest limited capital, how to structure deals and what it takes to manage a growing network efficiently. How can health systems turn ambulatory expansion into sustainable growth? In this episode of Healthcare Insider , sponsored by JLL, Matt Coursen, U.S. Healthcare Lead, Leasing Advisory, and Marsha McVicker, principal, Solutions Development, Work Dynamics, at JLL, discuss the decisions that shape successful ambulatory strategies. Listen for insights on: Prioritizing growth: How to align ambulatory investments with patient access, organizational mission and financial goals. Making smarter site-selection decisions: What data can reveal beyond population growth and demographics. Preserving capital flexibility: How alternative financing approaches and creative real estate structures can support expansion. Managing operational performance: How to bring new facilities online efficiently while maintaining consistent standards across the network. Applying AI: Where emerging capabilities can support real estate planning and facility operations. Hear how health systems can take a more coordinated approach to planning, financing and operating ambulatory networks built for long-term performance.

What Happens When Healthcare Starts Treating Time as Part of the Payment?

For healthcare providers, getting paid isn't just about how reimbursement moves from payer to provider. When payment arrives — and how predictable that timing is — can have important implications for cash flow, operations and the payer-provider relationship. In this episode of Healthcare Insider, Shannon Mortland of the Modern Healthcare Content Studio speaks with Dylan Papa, senior vice president and general manager of commercial growth and partnerships at Zelis, about why settlement timing deserves greater attention as the healthcare industry continues to modernize payments. The conversation explores how uncertainty around payment timing can influence provider operations, whether faster and more predictable settlement could help reduce payer-provider friction, and what needs to change before the industry can rethink when providers get paid.

Unlocking the Next Era of Healthcare Procurement

Healthcare organizations continue to face pressure to control costs, improve operational performance and make smarter use of limited resources. Yet significant opportunities may remain untapped in areas such as indirect spend, purchased services and capital expenditures. In this episode of Healthcare Insider, Shannon Mortland of the Modern Healthcare Content Studio speaks with Tom Swapp, senior vice president of indirect spend and purchased services at Vizient, about how health systems can rethink procurement to uncover savings and drive greater operational efficiency.

How Digital Pathology is Reshaping Diagnostics and Patient Care

Digital pathology is changing how laboratories approach diagnostics, workflows and patient care. But realizing its potential requires healthcare leaders to look beyond the technology itself and consider its impact across the pathology service line. In this episode of Healthcare Insider , Matthew Hanna, MD, vice president of pathology informatics at UPMC, discusses the evolution of digital and computational pathology and what these advances could mean for health systems in terms of care and financial performance. Key takeaways: Explore the business case for digital pathology beyond direct reimbursement, including potential effects on workflow efficiency, slide management, recruitment and the broader patient care pathway. Learn how computational pathology and AI can help pathologists identify areas of interest, quantify biomarkers, prioritize cases and integrate increasingly complex diagnostic information. Discover how the pathologist's role is evolving as digital imaging, molecular data and computational outputs become more integrated into clinical decision-making. Hear practical steps for implementation, including workflow readiness, governance, infrastructure, baseline metrics and post-implementation performance measurement.

Behind the Medicine: Why Pharmaceutical Distribution Matters

Gene Cavacini, president of U.S. Pharmaceutical Distribution at McKesson, is a diversified healthcare services leader dedicated to advancing health outcomes for patients everywhere. In his role, Gene oversees distribution and customer service operations in the United States, supporting McKesson's customer and channel partnerships across manufacturers and providers, leading more than 7,500 employees tasked with delivering one-third of America's medicines. In this episode of Healthcare Insider , we explore how distributors drive greater agility across the healthcare ecosystem, supporting access to emerging therapies and essential medicines for patients and communities across the country. You'll learn why the distributor's role is becoming increasingly critical to the future of healthcare.

Cancer care is advancing. Can access keep pace?

In this episode of Healthcare Insider , Sarah Loeffler of the Modern Healthcare Content Studio speaks with Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope , about the forces reshaping cancer care—and why expanding access to specialized expertise may be just as important as developing the next breakthrough. Stone shares his perspective on how health systems can turn data and AI into better care, respond as treatments become more personalized and complex, and rethink collaboration to bring advanced cancer expertise to patients beyond the walls of major cancer centers. Listen now for insights on the future of cancer care and the strategic decisions healthcare leaders face as science, technology and patient needs continue to evolve. Featured guest: Robert Stone, Chief Executive Officer, City of Hope

How to Get More From Existing Healthcare Infrastructure

Aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance and poorly coordinated capital projects can create bottlenecks that affect everything from patient flow to an organization's ability to grow. Yet building something new isn't always the answer. In this Healthcare Insider podcast, Gordian's Mark Kenneday shares his best advice for being more strategic with facility planning. Drawing on 40 years in healthcare facilities leadership, Kenneday explains: Ways addressing a bottleneck in one department can simply move the problem downstream How leaders can better connect capital planning to service-line strategy Why deferred maintenance should be viewed through the lens of operational risk—not just facility condition Kenneday also shares a striking example from his own career: a $2 million flood-mitigation investment that helped keep one Texas hospital operational when Tropical Storm Allison struck just 13 days after the project went into use. Listen to learn how healthcare leaders can better prioritize facility investments, protect continuity of care and get more value from the buildings they already have.

Beyond the Win Rate: Rethinking How IDR Actually Works

The No Surprises Act's independent dispute resolution process has become a costly and complex operational challenge, and the arbitration win rate tells only part of the story. For health plans, the bigger question may be what happens before a dispute ever reaches a final determination. As IDR requirements evolve, documentation, eligibility decisions and day-to-day workflows can have significant implications for how efficiently disputes move through the process. In this episode of Healthcare Insider , host Sarah Loeffler talks with Maisie Weir, VP of Strategic Solutions at Zelis, about what payers should be watching as the IDR landscape changes and ways reducing administrative friction could benefit both sides of the payer-provider relationship. They'll also discuss implications of new Zelis-commissioned research. Listen to hear what a more effective approach to IDR could look like and where technology, process improvements and human expertise fit into the equation.

Accessibility in Ambulatory Care: Preparing for New Compliance Enforcement

In this episode of Healthcare Insider with Modern Healthcare 's Content Studio, host Sarah Loeffler speaks with August Boehnlein of Midmark Corporation about the latest accessibility requirements hitting ambulatory care organizations, what healthcare leaders should know about compliance with the 2017 U.S. Access Board standards and 2024 updates, and how providers can prepare for enforcement. You'll learn: Why accessibility is becoming a strategic priority in ambulatory care The key requirements of the U.S. Access Board's medical diagnostic equipment standards What 2024's updates mean for equipment purchasing and future compliance How organizations can assess current equipment and build a practical compliance roadmap Why improving accessibility can enhance both regulatory readiness and the patient experience As accessibility standards continue to evolve, healthcare organizations have an opportunity to plan ahead, improve care delivery and make informed investments that support both compliance and patient-centered care.

Beyond the Budget: A Smarter Approach to Funding Healthcare Infrastructure