The BetterCare Podcast

Hosted by EvidenceCare

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Oct 2026

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The BetterCare Podcast tells the stories of clinicians, healthcare leaders, and innovators who are improving the way clinicians work and deliver care. Created by EvidenceCare.

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36 recent

October 6, 2026Episode 3618 min

Ep 36 - Leading Through Change: Cultural Awareness and Clinical Innovation – Jennifer Nickoles (LifeBridge Health)

EvidenceCare’s CEO, Bo Bartholomew, sits down with Jennifer Nickoles, President and CEO of LifeBridge Health, to discuss how health system leaders can guide a successful transition by listening to their people, protecting a strong culture, and evolving the infrastructure needed to deliver high-quality care over time. Jennifer shares how her years in academic medicine shaped her focus on curiosity, evidence, and asking better questions. She explains why technology must solve real operational problems, support clinicians at the point of care, and improve the experience of patients and care teams. She also outlines what distinguishes a true technology partner: a shared commitment to co-developing solutions, working through setbacks, and achieving better outcomes together. Key Takeaways: Leading With Cultural Awareness: Why new health system leaders should understand what people value, protect the organization’s durable strengths, and carefully identify what needs to evolve. Bringing Academic Rigor to Community Care: How intellectual curiosity, evidence, and better questions can help leaders translate innovation and precision medicine into better outcomes for more patients. Technology That Augments Care: Why organizations should fix underlying workflow problems before introducing new technology and assess whether it creates a more seamless experience for patients and care teams. Restoring Joy in Medicine: How ambient documentation and clinical decision-support tools can reduce administrative burden and help clinicians focus on the patient relationships that brought them into healthcare. Building True Partnerships: Why the strongest technology partners co-develop solutions, understand the organization’s needs, and stay engaged when timelines, budgets, or implementations do not go as planned. Jennifer Nickoles Bio: Jennifer Nickoles is President and CEO of LifeBridge Health. Before joining LifeBridge Health in 2026, she served as President of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and held leadership roles across Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her experience includes system integration, operations, faculty research resources, and academic clinical departments. She holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Management, and Operations from Johns Hopkins University. --- The Better Care Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare. Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Follow Jennifer Nickoles LinkedIn Follow LifeBridge Health Website Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn X

September 1, 2026Episode 3535 min

Ep 35 - Beyond the Metrics: Putting Patients at the Center of Quality Improvement - Dr. Shephali Wulff (SSM Health)

EvidenceCare’s Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brian Fengler, interviews Dr. Shephali Wulff, System Vice President and Chief Quality Officer at SSM Health. Dr. Wulff shares how SSM Health uses timely performance data, evidence-based care pathways, and clinician engagement to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes. She also discusses successful initiatives addressing sepsis, delirium, and unnecessary daily lab testing; why cost savings alone may not motivate clinicians; and how healthcare organizations can use quality measures as tools for learning rather than as scores to chase. Key Takeaways: Building Systems for Safer Care: Quality leaders should create processes that make it easier for frontline clinicians to consistently deliver safe, effective, patient-centered care. Turning Data Into Action: Providing physicians with timely, individualized process data helps them understand what they can influence, engage with their peers, and improve their daily practice. Connecting Initiatives to Patient Impact: Clinicians are more likely to change their behavior when an initiative is framed around patient safety and experience instead of cost reduction alone. Improving Sepsis and Delirium Care: Standardized order sets, evidence-based pathways, and collaboration across clinical teams can improve sepsis response times and strengthen delirium prevention. Treating Metrics as Tools for Learning: Quality measures should serve as guideposts that reveal process gaps, not as scores to chase at the expense of what is right for patients. Engaging Frontline Teams: Sustainable improvement requires listening to physicians and nurses, involving them in solution design, and focusing on processes they can directly influence. Demonstrating the Value of Quality Programs: Strong quality and safety teams help health systems manage regulatory complexity, support increasingly busy clinicians, avoid penalties, and succeed in value-based care. Dr. Shephali Wulff Bio: Dr. Shephali Wulff is the System Vice President and Chief Quality Officer at SSM Health, where she leads enterprise-wide strategies to strengthen reliability, reduce preventable harm, and improve clinical outcomes across 24 hospitals. An infectious disease physician by training, Dr. Wulff joined SSM Health’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. She built and led a multidisciplinary team of infectious disease physicians, pharmacists, microbiologists, and infection preventionists responsible for developing system-wide approaches to testing, treatment, vaccination, isolation, and employee safety. Following the pandemic, she expanded this work to address hospital-acquired infections, patient safety, quality improvement, regulatory and accreditation requirements, and employee health. Her leadership has contributed to a 45% reduction in patient safety indicators, a 50% reduction in hospital mortality, and a 60% reduction in CLABSI, CAUTI, and hospital-onset C. difficile infections. Dr. Wulff was recognized as a Modern Healthcare Innovator in 2024 for her work in infection prevention. She also continues to provide consultative infectious disease care as a managing partner in private practice. Her leadership approach is rooted in collaboration, integrity, authenticity, and clinical excellence. The Better Care Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. Follow Dr. Shephali Wulff LinkedIn Follow SSM Health LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn X

August 11, 2026Episode 3440 min

Ep 34 - Building Safer Hospital Systems Through Better Data - Dr. Tracey Hoke (UVA Health)

What if the biggest opportunity to improve patient safety isn't fixing people, but fixing the systems they work in? In this episode of The Better Care Podcast, Dr. Brian Fengler speaks with Dr. Tracey Hoke, Chief of Quality and Performance Improvement and Chief of Population Health at UVA Health, about building safer, higher-performing health systems. Dr. Hoke explains why improving systems is the foundation of patient safety, how trusted data can reduce unnecessary variation in care, and why frontline teams are key to lasting innovation. She also explores how leaders should approach healthcare quality ratings and performance measurement. The conversation emphasizes that the future of quality improvement lies in combining innovation and AI with consistent execution of the fundamentals. Tune in to learn how data, frontline leadership, and operational excellence can drive safer, higher-quality care. --- The Better Care Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released . --- Download our A3 framework guide --- Follow Dr. Tracey Hoke LinkedIn Follow UVA Health LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn YouTube TikTok X

June 18, 2026Episode 3336 min

Ep 33 – Reducing Clinical Variation with Data, Cost Transparency, and Al. - Dr. Aaron Daley (Riverside Health)

Ep 33 – Reducing Clinical Variation with Data, Cost Transparency, and Al. - Dr. Aaron Daley (Riverside Health) EvidenceCare’s Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Dr. Brian Fengler, interviews Dr. Aaron Daley, Chief Medical Officer and Associate Vice President at Riverside Health. Dr. Daley shares how health systems can use data, evidence-based guidelines, and better operational systems to reduce clinical variation, improve length of stay, and support safer care. He also discusses the role of cost transparency, peer data, and AI in helping clinicians make better decisions. Key Takeaways: Reducing Clinical Variation: Health systems can use data and evidence-based guidelines to reduce unnecessary variation in care. Length of Stay Improvement: Hospitals can improve throughput by focusing on repeatable care patterns, constrained resources, and what truly needs to happen in the acute care setting. Cost Transparency: Giving physicians access to cost data can support more informed decisions about tests, medications, and resource use. Data-Driven Physician Engagement: Peer data can guide better clinical decision-making when it is presented as a tool for improvement, not punishment. High-Reliability Healthcare: Safer care requires more than education; it depends on strong systems, surveillance, checks, and reliable processes. AI in Clinical Practice: Ambient AI can reduce physician burden and improve retention, but it still requires careful governance and review. Dr. Aaron Daley Bio: Dr. Aaron Daley is Chief Medical Officer and Associate Vice President at Riverside Health System, where he provides enterprise-level clinical operations leadership, quality improvement, and patient safety oversight across a multi-hospital health system. He concurrently serves as Chief Medical Officer, Associate Chief Medical Officer, and Associate Vice President, with accountability spanning a 110-bed psychiatric hospital, a 450-bed tertiary hospital, and system-level quality and clinical AI initiatives. His work focuses on translating clinical excellence into operational performance, safer care, and sustainable value. At Riverside Health System, Dr. Daley partners with executive leadership on clinical strategy, operational efficiency, physician enterprise development, clinical governance, and high-reliability system design. His leadership has contributed to significant improvements in patient safety, mortality, readmissions, length of stay, and system-level quality performance. Before Riverside, Dr. Daley served as CCOO of the largest Naval Hospital System in the United States, supporting 350,000 beneficiaries and leading major pandemic response operations, including testing, vaccination, and care delivery infrastructure. __ The Better Care Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Download our A3 framework guide --- Follow Aaron Daley LinkedIn Follow Riverside Health LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn YouTube TikTok X

December 16, 2025Episode 3231 min

Ep 32 – Delivering Care Where It's Needed Most – Dr. DeAnn Bullock (Nashville General)

EvidenceCare's CEO, Bo Bartholomew, sits down with Dr. DeAnn Bullock, Chief Medical Officer at Nashville General Hospital , to discuss clinical leadership at a safety-net hospital. From her background in emergency medicine to her current role overseeing hospital-wide clinical operations, Dr. Bullock shares how Nashville General delivers care to underserved populations while maintaining quality and operational efficiency. The conversation covers Dr. Bullock's journey from emergency department physician to CMO, practical strategies for improving clinician workflows, building equitable care programs that address patient needs beyond medical treatment, managing partnerships with other health systems, and what it takes to balance mission-driven care with operational realities. Key Takeaways: Emergency medicine as leadership training. Dr. Bullock's experience as ED medical director taught her to say yes, take on challenges, and support teams—skills that translated directly to hospital-wide leadership. Clinician-first improvements start with listening. Rather than assuming what providers need, Dr. Bullock spends time with clinicians to understand their challenges and prioritize solutions that improve workflow without adding burden. Equitable care means meeting patients where they are. Nashville General provides transportation vans, food pharmacies, meds-to-beds programs, clothing closets, and community care teams to address the full spectrum of patient needs. EMR consolidation improves care coordination. Moving clinics, ED, and hospital to a single EMR improved provider workflow, enabled better communication with other systems, and streamlined patient scheduling. Simplicity is the magic wand. Healthcare is too complicated for patients and providers—from insurance navigation to prior authorizations. Dr. Bullock advocates for making the system simpler at every touchpoint. Dr. DeAnn Bullock Bio: Dr. Bullock joined Nashville General Hospital in 2007 and was named the emergency department medical director in 2014. In addition to her role as Chief Medical Officer, she continues to serve as the emergency department medical director as well as the medical director for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program. Board Certified in emergency medicine, Dr. Bullock earned her medical degree from Meharry Medical College before completing her residency in Emergency Medicine as Chief Resident at the Medical College of Georgia. She practiced at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune in North Carolina before joining Nashville General. Dr. Bullock works tirelessly in her pursuit to build and lead teams, develop collaborative relationships, mentor, and facilitate change within a landscape inclusive of public, private and academic stakeholders, while at the same time providing excellent patient care to a diverse and largely underserved population. --- The BetterCare Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Follow Dr. DeAnn Bullock LinkedIn Follow Nashville General LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn YouTube TikTok X

October 29, 2025Episode 3125 min

Ep 31 – Leading a Diversified Health System – Jason Zachariah (Lifepoint Health)

In this episode of The BetterCare Podcast, Bo Bartholomew (EvidenceCare) talks with Jason Zachariah (EVP, Chief Operating Officer, Lifepoint Health ) about the real-world mechanics of running a distributed system: connecting data across settings, improving flow from ED to inpatient to post-acute, clarifying ownership around bed management and transfers, and building an inclusive culture that enables teams to execute. They also touch on the leadership journey—what scales, what doesn’t, and how to balance mission and margin without losing sight of the frontline. Recorded live during Nashville Healthcare Sessions 2025. Topics include: Why a diversified footprint (acute, rehab, behavioral) strengthens access, continuity, and system performance How clinician-centered innovation helps with earning adoption by solving workflow friction first Building a “control-tower” view of patient flow, bed management, and inter-facility transfers Maintaining operating discipline while expanding access in a rural strategy How leadership behaviors translate to quality, experience, and retention Key Takeaways Diversification as strategy. Integrated acute, rehab, and behavioral services make the system more resilient and patient pathways clearer. Adoption beats aspiration. Solutions stick when they reduce friction for nurses and physicians. See the whole system. Real-time visibility and clear ownership improve throughput, LOS, and handoffs. Rural doesn’t mean rudimentary . Disciplined operations and connected data can raise the floor for access and experience. Lead with heart and clarity. Culture is an operating asset when it’s built intentionally. Jason Zachariah Bio: As executive vice president, chief operating officer, Jason leads operations for Lifepoint’s key lines of business, including acute care hospital operations, rehabilitation, behavioral health operations, quality and clinical support, and Medical Group Services. Zachariah most recently served as president, integrated solutions, a role in which he led rehabilitation and behavioral health operations, joint venture services, physician services, information technology, marketing, business transformation and development initiatives. Before joining Lifepoint, he served as president and chief operating officer (COO) of Kindred Healthcare, where he led the company’s hospital division, rehabilitation services and behavioral health operations. Prior to that, he served as president of Kindred’s rehabilitation services and in various roles in the company’s hospital division, including COO and executive director for the division’s California/Arizona district. During his tenure with Kindred, he drove a culture of patient advocacy, quality outcomes, employee engagement and operational efficiency and demonstrated a passion for innovation, care enhancement and diversity, equity and inclusion. He earned his MBA with Distinction from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and holds a master’s degree in biotechnology from Northwestern and a bachelor’s degree with distinction in biology and a chemistry minor from Duke University. --- The BetterCare Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Follow Jason Zachariah LinkedIn Follow Lifepoint Health LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn YouTube TikTok X

October 8, 2025Episode 3031 min

Ep 30 – Scaling Operational AI across Healthcare – Dr. Edmund Jackson (UnityAI)

In this episode of The BetterCare Podcast, Amy Deaton ( EvidenceCare ) sits down with Dr. Edmund Jackson ( UnityAI ) during Nashville Healthcare Sessions 2025 to talk about where AI is delivering dependable value in healthcare operations today, and how to deploy it safely and responsibly. Drawing on Edmund’s experience leading data science at HCA Healthcare and now building AI for clinical operations, they dig into why AI succeeds (or stalls), how to move beyond pilots, and what it looks like to deliver measurable value—not only in hospitals but across the broader healthcare ecosystem. Key Takeaways Operational AI first. Scheduling and access are ripe for agents; keep clinical decision-making out of scope. Voice + reasoning changed the game. Natural conversations + better research/reasoning models enable reliable, patient-friendly interactions. Trust is built with process. Humans-in-the-loop, transparent transcripts, and outcome monitoring make governance real—not just a checklist. Start small, de-risk. Target low-risk workflows (e.g., referral follow-ups, reminders) to prove value and earn expansion. Serve more than hospitals. Balance health system partnerships with ambulatory and other settings to learn faster and scale sustainably. Dr. Edmund Jackson Bio: Dr. Edmund Jackson is the CEO and Co-founder of UnityAI. With expertise in data science and machine learning across healthcare, biotech, and finance, he has led innovations that improve healthcare quality and efficiency. Previously, as Chief Data Officer at HCA Healthcare, Edmund spearheaded AI initiatives that enhanced clinical practices and saved thousands of lives. A visionary leader and mentor, he is dedicated to leveraging AI to transform healthcare and drive meaningful impact. --- The BetterCare Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Follow Dr. Edmund Jackson LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn X

August 11, 2025Episode 2943 min

Ep 29 – Medicaid Reform and the One Big Beautiful Bill – Darin Gordon

EvidenceCare’s VP of Clinical Strategy, Carol Howard, sits down with Darin Gordon—Founding Partner of Speire Healthcare Strategies , President & CEO of Gordon & Associates, and former Director and CEO of TennCare—to break down what the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) means for hospitals and Medicaid programs across the country. Drawing on his decades of public service and national consulting work, Darin explains how OBBB impacts Medicaid eligibility, funding, and operations—and what hospital leaders must do to stay ahead of these sweeping changes. The conversation covers critical topics like new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, the strain of provider tax reductions, looming DSH cuts, and the urgent opportunity for states and hospitals to collaborate on the $50B Rural Provider Relief Fund. Darin offers practical advice for hospital executives and Medicaid leaders navigating limited resources, policy uncertainty, and the push for sustainable innovation. Key Takeaways: Medicaid enrollment surged during COVID due to paused eligibility checks; OBBB initiates a major reset. Hospitals must act quickly to engage with their state agencies to access Rural Provider Relief Funds. Provider tax caps and DSH cuts will significantly pressure state budgets and hospital revenue streams. Hospitals should prioritize early engagement with Medicaid agencies and hospital associations to influence decisions. While OBBB doesn’t mandate value-based care, budget pressure may accelerate adoption of innovative models. Darin Gordon Bio: Darin Gordon is the Founding Partner of Speire Healthcare Strategies and President & CEO of Gordon & Associates. He previously served as the Director and CEO of TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, where he led one of the most operationally successful and fiscally sound Medicaid programs in the country. Today, he advises state agencies, hospitals, and health plans nationwide on Medicaid strategy, financing, and reform. View full bio --- The BetterCare Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Follow Darin Gordon LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn YouTube TikTok X

July 14, 2025Episode 2844 min

Ep 28 – Confronting Clinical Variation – Dr. Michael van Duren

EvidenceCare’s Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brian Fengler, interviews Dr. Michael van Duren, current Medical Director at Providence Health Plan and an expert clinical advisor to multiple companies and health systems over the years. They discuss how health systems can approach the difficult but necessary work of reducing unwarranted clinical variation with practical strategies that engage physicians at an individual level and also make a system-wide impact. Drawing from his experience at multiple hospitals, Dr. van Duren shares lessons learned from building variation reduction teams, introducing unblinded peer metrics, and helping physicians reflect on practice patterns—without damaging trust or autonomy. Key Takeaways: Clinical variation often stems from well-intentioned physicians lacking the right feedback, not bad actors. Peer comparisons can be powerful—but only when backed by clear methodology, timely data, and psychological safety. The key to behavior change is curiosity, not control. True progress happens when clinicians lead the variation reduction conversation themselves. Dr. Michael van Duren Bio: Dr. Michael van Duren is the Medical Director for Medicare/Medicaid & Health Equity at Providence Health Plan. He previously served as a Chief Medical Officer and VP of Variation Reduction at Sutter Health and has advised multiple organizations—including EvidenceCare—on leveraging unblinded metrics and physician engagement to drive sustainable quality and cost improvements. --- The BetterCare Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Follow Dr. Michael van Duren LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare LinkedIn YouTube X

April 21, 2025Episode 2652 min

Ep 26 – Mastering Hospital Change Management – Live Panel

EvidenceCare’s VP of Clinical Strategy, Carol Howard, leads a discussion on mastering change management and process improvement in hospitals. Panelists Candice Powers from USA Health , Jason Metcalf from CommonSpirit , and Ryan Schultz from UAB Medicine share their insights into effectively managing change in complex healthcare environments and the nuances of choosing the appropriate project management methodologies. The conversation highlights the importance of communication, measurement, and cultural understanding in facilitating successful project implementation and ensuring changes stick. Key Takeaways: Effective change management in healthcare relies on strategic communication, process monitoring, and understanding the "why" behind changes. Different project management methodologies such as Scrum, Waterfall, and A3 adhere to specific needs and challenges in healthcare projects. Involving frontline workers and other key stakeholders is essential for successful project execution and fostering a culture that embraces change. Benchmarking against existing data and industry standards helps identify performance gaps and informs improvement opportunities. --- The Better Care Podcast is produced by EvidenceCare . Sign up for email updates when new episodes are released. --- Download our A3 framework guide --- Follow Jason Metcalf: LinkedIn Follow Candice Powers: LinkedIn Follow Ryan Schultz: LinkedIn Follow EvidenceCare: LinkedIn YouTube TikTok X

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