Caring Greatly

In this Caring Greatly episode, Terri describes how overwhelming and difficult experiences get recorded in a person's body and psyche as trauma. She explains how trauma coping skills such as compartmentalization and detachment can serve care team members in the short-term, but can lead to trauma triggers later that result in emotional overwhelm or physiologic distress unless the traumatic experience is immediately addressed and effectively processed. Terri shares how trauma processing can happen individually, with peers or with professional support. Given the likelihood of exposure to traumatic events, it's important for care team members to learn techniques and skills they can use to heal. It's also important to know that support is available and acceptable to seek. Terri shares a personal story about losing a loved one to suicide. She explains that feeling vulnerable and safe to talk about traumatic events and accepting that humans experience trauma can normalize seeking help and learning recovery techniques. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Cipriano explains the 2025 International Nurses Day theme, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Economies.” She describes ICN's call to value, protect and respect nurses as a foundational requirement for patient safety and outcomes, as well as a critical part of supporting the overall welfare of nurses and the organizations for which they work. Dr. Cipriano also outlines ICN's seven-part agenda for sustainable nursing workforce wellbeing and drills into how nursing and institutional leaders can identify opportunities in their scopes of ownership and influence to improve nurse safety and wellbeing.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Mark describes his career journey and what it means to be a liaison between the system's security team and clinical professionals they help protect. He talks about day-to-day experiences of healthcare professionals as they learn new situational awareness, de-escalation and other skills in response to the national rise in workplace violence. Mark explains the importance of communication between clinical care team members and security professionals to create effective responses to risky or escalating situations in healthcare environments. He emphasizes how a team-based approach to workplace violence prevention helps create higher levels of safety for care team members and the patients and families they serve. And finally, Mark shares how his role fits into the larger workplace violence prevention strategies at Geisinger. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Sadie shares the core concepts of trauma-informed leadership and care, including realizing the prevalence of trauma, recognizing its signs and symptoms, responding in a trauma-informed way, and resisting re-traumatization. She talks about how embracing these principles creates safer healthcare experiences for patients and clinicians. She also talks about how to lead people and teams using the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAHMA) six principles of trauma-informed care:Safety: physical, psychological and emotionalTrustworthiness and transparencyPeer supportCollaboration and mutualityEmpowerment, voice and choiceCultural, historical and gender issuesSadie also delves into how a trauma-informed approach reframes thinking about “disruptive behavior” in a way that allows for more meaningful solutions and less stress and distress for leaders and team members alike. Finally, Sadie shares a vision for a trauma-informed future where healthcare shifts from a focus on transactions to relationships.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Molly talks about the importance of bridging perspective gaps between clinicians, technologists and business leaders. She describes how engineers need to see clinical workflows first-hand in different care settings to understand real-world applications for technology. In turn, clinicians benefit from directly experiencing software and hardware solution development. This two-way collaboration enables understanding of subtle nuances that make technology successful in the clinical space. Molly goes on to describe how exposing clinicians and engineers to each other's work early in their respective education creates a shared understanding and vocabulary for solving future challenges. It also paves the way for advancing cultures of respect and collaboration. Finally, Molly outlines a vision for the future in which technology ceases to be a barrier between clinicians and patients and becomes an enhancer of safety and wellbeing for all. Please visit www.heartofsafetycoalition.com for links related to this episode. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker. The provided resources may contain links to external websites or third-party content. We do not endorse, control or assume any responsibility for the accuracy, relevance, legality or quality of the information found on these external sites. 

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Diane talks about the research exploring why women physicians tend to reduce work hours or leave their profession at higher rates than their male counterparts. The reasons are far more structural and cultural than biological, including differences in expectations and accountability – both on the part of fellow team members and of patients. She shares the underlying data behind this trend that point to fixes that are less about training and conformity and more centered on a shift in healthcare culture that values relationships and connection over transactions. It's an approach that generally leads to better care outcomes. Diane concludes with her perspective on how structural and policy changes can support the long-term career viability and joy in practice for women physicians and other women clinicians.  Please visit www.heartofsafetycoalition.com for links related to this episode. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker. The provided resources may contain links to external websites or third-party content. We do not endorse, control or assume any responsibility for the accuracy, relevance, legality or quality of the information found on these external sites. 

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Jennifer talks about how the core concepts of training from med-peds (internal medicine plus pediatrics) hospice and palliative care have informed her systems thinking and transformation approaches. She shares how palliative care challenges the notion in medicine that death is a failure and what can happen for team member wellbeing when leaders upend that assumption.  Jennifer also delves into the thought framework of her new book, Suffer, which looks at the core needs of human beings and the value of suffering. Much of the framework is through the lens of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. While suffering is what happens when core needs go unmet, understanding human suffering helps illuminate the fundamental nature of needs and how they play out for patients and for care team members. Finally, Jennifer helps leaders connect the dots between understanding suffering and the opportunities for empathy, innovation and thriving when team members' needs for safety, wellbeing and belonging are met. Additional resources are available at www.heartofsafetycoalition.com The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Christina and Christine share the details of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) training they created and launched at ChristianaCare. Their training, which has reached more than 50% of leaders at ChristianaCare, uses an easy-to-remember three-step model of recognizing signs of stress or distress, supporting immediate recovery and referring team members to additional resources provided by ChristianaCare to support team member safety and wellbeing. As a result, the number of referrals to the organization's Care for the Caregiver program has doubled. Essentially, PFA serves as a culture change mechanism to help reduce the stigma around mental health care. By giving leaders and bedside team members a shared vocabulary around safety and wellbeing, help-seeking behavior is being normalized. It's also opening new horizons and expanding resources to support more elements of trauma recovery and trauma-informed care and leadership.    Find more resources at www.heartofsafetycoalition.com   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Linda and Tria talk about how culture affects team member safety and wellbeing. They share specifics about recent process and technology changes that have helped to build trust, connection and belonging between leaders and team members across clinical, operational and administrative teams. Linda and Tria talk about the data they use to direct cultural transformation, and why it's important to ensure that culture recognizes and values team members as whole human beings in addition to the job skills and abilities they offer the organization. Finally, they describe how an intentional culture helps improve patient-family experience and outcomes.     The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.   For links related to this episode, please visit www.heartofsafetycoalition.com

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Batson shares the changes he and his leadership team have made at Hattiesburg Clinic to support team member wellbeing. He talks about a physician onboarding process that supports new physicians through their first three years at the organization, the time when they are building leadership credibility, teamwork and habits that will support them throughout their tenure at the organization. Dr. Batson describes how, emerging from the pandemic, team members asked for more chances to connect socially and how the leaders at Hattiesburg Clinic ensure wellbeing efforts extend to all care team members. He also shares how this focus on human connection has resulted in exceptional outcomes for patients and team members alike.     Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Daniele talks about the small and large actions that create diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the structural, institutional and individual levels. She shares the ways that privilege, in any form, can be leveraged to undo structural inequities and to create safety for individuals. She outlines the ways that BIDMC reaches out to the surrounding community to create pathways toward health equity as well as representation in healthcare careers. Daniele shares that equity and inclusion are rooted in healthcare data, and she closes with all of the ways to find hope and rise above political divisions toward inclusive service.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Mr. Miller talks about the increase in workplace violence in healthcare settings and how he and his team of security professionals respond to the rising threat. He describes how the role and responsibilities of security professionals have evolved as our understanding of trauma-informed care has grown. Mr. Miller talks about de-escalation approaches that try to minimize physical intervention, and how the profile of strong candidates for the security role has evolved to include the ability to connect easily with patients and families. And he discusses the need for security professionals to have their own resources and post-incident debriefs to support their wellbeing.    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker. 

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Gould shares how and why she created the Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program, a program designed to support nurses from under-represented groups as they learn about and pursue advanced anesthesia education and careers. She describes how the program aims to create smoother pathways to advanced credentialing to students and mid-career nurses who may not have exposure or experience with these types of career opportunities. Dr. Gould explains the importance of mentorship and the value of having diverse representation in all aspects of nursing care.    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Chosewood talks about the critical role frontline leaders play in supporting team member safety and wellbeing. He delves into how frontline leaders play a role in the three P's of total worker health – policies, programs and practices – both influencing their creation and overseeing their implementation. He talks about how frontline leaders are essential to minimizing work stress and supporting team members because they control schedules, the pace of work and how much control and flexibility team members have in daily work. Dr. Chosewood also shares the critical role of frontline leaders in supporting inclusion, belonging and trust, essential factors in workplace safety and wellbeing. He also shares measurements that frontline and senior leaders can use to gauge workplace wellbeing.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

Nadia Charguia, MD, is an associate professor and child psychiatrist with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also the Director for the Taking Care of Our Own Program and serves as the Executive Medical Director for UNC Healthcare's Integrated Wellbeing Program, leading wellbeing efforts systemwide. In this role, Dr. Charguia works to directly to support and promote the mental health needs of physicians and other healthcare professionals as well as resident and medical student education and support. Clinically, Dr. Charguia's scope of practice has included working with children, adolescents, adults and their families in the context of associated mood, anxiety, trauma, eating and/or psychotic related disorders.     In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Charguia shares how wellbeing efforts at UNC shifted from a focus on individual practices to support clinicians to a systems-based approach that works toward practice transformation. She explains how and why UNC Healthcare employs human-factors engineers to support science-based improvements in clinical workflows and resourcing. Dr. Charguia also describes how storytelling around wellbeing challenges can support the science of change.    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

Joseph “Jody” Stern, MD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon, author and speaker. In 2015, Dr. Stern lost his sister to a nearly year-long battle with leukemia. Through this loss, his encounters with medical professionals, and his own experience as a neurosurgeon, Dr. Stern realized the need to integrate compassion and empathy into the medical field. He has since become committed to deepening and humanizing the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Stern's book, Grief Connects Us: A Neurosurgeon's Lessons on Love, Loss, and Compassion, explores the impact of grief and loss on doctors and patients, and advocates for medical professionals to tap into their emotions when interacting with patients and their families. Dr. Stern currently serves as a professor at University of Michigan Medicine. In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Stern shares the story of how his personal losses have led him to a new view of medicine and how to create safe, supportive environments for clinicians and patients alike. He delves into his work to advance compassion in action at University of Michigan Medicine, which involves communication training for neurosurgery residents, integration of palliative care into neurosurgery practice, and surgical ergonomics for surgeon wellbeing. Dr. Stern believes that by improving practice environments, we can increase the longevity, wellbeing and joy in practice for all healthcare team members.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM, MBA, serves as Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. He first served as Director of NIOSH from 2002 through 2008 and is currently serving his fourth six-year term starting in 2021. Prior to his appointment as Director of NIOSH, Dr. Howard served as Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health in the California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, from 1991 through 2002. Dr. Howard is board certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine. He is admitted to the practice of medicine and law in the State of California and in the District of Columbia. He is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court bar.    Stefanie Simmons, MD, FACEP, is the Chief Medical Officer at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation and a board-certified emergency medicine physician and healthcare executive. Dr. Simmons served as the Vice President of clinician engagement for Envision Physician Services for more than seven years, serving more than 26,000 physicians and advance practice providers with a focus on professional wellbeing, including translational research and programs designed to bring wellbeing best practices to clinical environments. She served as lead clinical faculty for the Clinician Experience Project Wellbeing program.   In this episode of Caring Greatly, Drs. Howard and Simmons share insights about the creation of the Impact Wellbeing Guide. The Guide, which is free, provides concrete, evidence-informed steps leaders can take to carry out the broader recommendations from the U.S. Surgeon General and National Academy of Medicine. They discuss insights from the process of creating and testing the Guide across multiple hospitals in the CommonSpirit Health System. And they offer guidance to leaders who are just getting started on their professional wellbeing journey.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

Educated at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and trained at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Harvard fellowship in Palliative Care Education and Practice, Jennifer K. Clark, MD, has been in the world of healthcare for more than 20 years. With Med-Peds training and board certification in the subspecialty of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Clark is a physician and healthcare delivery consultant serving in various roles as a clinician educator, administrator and innovator at the local, national and international levels. When not serving in her volunteer role at Clarehouse, Tulsa Oklahoma's home for the dying, Dr. Clark teaches at The University of Tulsa and collaborates with various organizations dedicated to fostering innovative approaches to human flourishing. Recently, she began the process of authoring a book on the power of suffering.    In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Clark shares insights from research she recently published on leadership loneliness in partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Excellence. She delves into the ways that leader loneliness creates a self-reinforcing cycle in which isolation leads to self-devaluation, attempts to compensate through more work and less sleep, which then further compromises connection. As a result, says Dr. Clark, they become less effective and resilient as leaders, decreasing the efficacy of their teams and lowering organizational resilience. Like burnout in clinicians, leader loneliness results from structural elements that can be addressed through deliberate connection and positive organizational design.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Geiger talks about the need to support nurses holistically through an approach that Ingenovis calls ACT, which stands for Advocacy, Career, and Tools. Based on interdisciplinary research, Dr. Geiger and her team built the approach as a means of combatting burnout and building resilience at both the structural and individual levels. By advocating for what nurses and other clinicians need at the policy level, supporting their career advancement, and providing tools and resources that teach individual wellbeing, Dr. Geiger hopes to bolster the nursing field and keep more nurses working in roles that offer professional fulfillment and personal wellbeing.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Vocera, part of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Mr. Forti shares the science of autonomic downregulation as a focal point for individual wellbeing. While he is an advocate for system change, he believes that those in the healing profession also have a moral obligation to care for their personal wellbeing, given the critical nature of the work they do and the proven links between wellbeing and patient care outcomes. At Hospital for Special Surgery, Mr. Forti created a program that teaches the science behind autonomic downregulation as well as simple practices such as sleep, breathwork, alcohol-abstention, gratitude and nutrition that support heart-rate variability (HRV), a key measure of wellbeing. To date, more than 700 clinicians have completed the training.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Vocera, now part of Stryker.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Sexton talks about his team's focus on providing accessible, evidence-based wellbeing practice to healthcare team members across the country. His five-part training covers gratitude, work-life balance, self-compassion, awe and wonder, and group-level wellbeing. The approach mixes didactic learning on the science behind wellbeing practices as well as time to put the concepts into practice. Dr. Sexton believes that evidence-based, individually-focused wellbeing practices are an essential complement to broader efforts to transform system factors that cause burnout and distress.

In this episode, Dr. Harry and I talk about the principles of cognitive load theory and how they apply to the practice of medicine. We discuss individual, team, and systems approaches to managing and minimizing cognitive load by removing extraneous load from system processes and technologies. We talk about the need to bring human factors engineering science and principles into healthcare so that leaders can work with the cognitive capacities of team members, and free up their finite resources for the most human-centered tasks and relationships. Finally, Dr. Harry shares insights into how leaders at every level can contribute to team member and patient safety by prioritizing an understanding of cognitive capacity and designing accordingly. Dr. Liz Harry is a leader who cares greatly.

In this episode, Dr. Ofri and I talk about an article she recently published in the New Yorker titled, “The Curious Side Effects of Medical Transparency.” We delve into how the act of exposing medical notes to patients necessarily changes their purpose and their content, and how that, in turn, changes the thinking processes of clinicians. We talk about how art and expression are both integral to and separate from the art and science of medicine. Finally, Dr. Ofri offers advice to rising clinicians about how to separate their responsibilities from their identities to support sustainable practice. Dr. Danielle Ofri is a leader who cares greatly.

In this episode, Dr. Fisher and I talk about how he came to medicine and his experience of burnout, depression, and disillusionment in his early career. That experience led him to take a deep dive into ancient wisdom traditions, but with a scientist's mind. We look at the seven traits of the heart (steadiness, wisdom, openness, wholeness, courage, lightness and warmth) and how bringing these into healthcare practice creates presence, connection, and, ultimately, healing. Dr. Jonathan Fisher is a leader who cares greatly.

In this episode, Dr. Rushton and I talk about the concept of values discordance, and what happens when a person perceives their personal or professional values to be out of alignment with their organization's values. We look at the ways values play out in an organization – through leadership, decision making, and budgeting. We dig into the link between values and moral injury, and how ethics considerations need to be a central component of leaders' wellbeing and leadership strategies. And Dr. Rushton lays out a structure for how leaders can safeguard ethics and values through leadership and safety infrastructure to support expectations and accountability, practice integration, continuous improvement, and competency building.

In this episode, Dr. DeChant and Liz Boehm talk about what's different about workplace transformation in the trailing edge of the COVID-19 pandemic. We look at the need to rethink workload as an antidote to burnout, digging deeper than the concept of exhaustion into the causes of cynicism and inefficacy. This means delving into concepts such as respect, values, and community connection. Dr. DeChant talks about management concepts such as LEAN and what it takes to apply these in ways that solve for burnout rather than contributing to it. We touch on leadership burnout and how leaders can care for their own resilience and wellbeing and then lead others on a path toward joy and wellbeing at work.

In this episode, Mr. Feist and I talk about the factors that led to Dr. Breen's death by suicide in 2020. Chief among these was a fear of losing her medical license if it became known that she had needed mental health support. This legacy is what has led the Foundation to launch a campaign to eliminate intrusive mental health questions from healthcare professional licensure and credentialing processes, a change that will help reduce the stigma that currently exists in healthcare around seeking mental health support. This change is beginning to happen at healthcare institutions and in state licensing boards across the country and represents a simple yet meaningful change to creating safer healthcare workplaces for team members and patients alike.

In this episode, Dr. Bukovac and I talk about the factors in obstetrics that lead to physician burnout – especially the way that clinical practice is structured in a way that creates conflicts of time, attention and clinical expertise. Dr. Bukovac advocates for a fundamental restructuring of obstetrics training and operations that encourages physicians to specialize in office care, hospital care, or surgery. She believes this will not only lead to better clinical outcomes, but also a more manageable and sustainable practice model for clinicians. Dr. Bukovac shares her own journey from burnout to a practice that sustains her passion for medicine and allows her to balance work with her other life pursuits. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Vocera, now part of Stryker.

In this episode, Dr. Rushton and I talk about the current divide between advocates of system change to improve clinician well-being, and those promoting personal resilience and well-being training. We look at the challenges of managing polarities as leaders embrace a both/and approach to team member well-being. Dr. Rushton shares the specifics of a personal resilience training that equips nurses at Hopkins to stand firm in their ethics and values, and to act as advocates for system improvement without sacrificing their personal well-being. Finally, Dr. Rushton paints a picture of leadership in which clinicians gain empowerment to manage their own well-being while acting as advocates for both their patients and their profession. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Vocera, now part of Stryker.

In this episode, Dr. Raso and I talk about her latest research looking at authentic leadership, healthy work environment, team-member well-being, and nurse retention. In it, she uncovered a remarkable resilience of nurse leaders to continue leading with authenticity and humanity, even as the work environment for nurses has diminished. We talk about the need to support nurse leaders with the same process and practice improvement, as well as well-being support that frontline nurses need and deserve. Dr. Raso lays out a hope-filled vision for a future in which the structures of support for nurses and nurse leaders emerge from the challenges of the pandemic stronger and more human-centered than ever. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Vocera, now part of Stryker.

In this episode, Dr. Woodruff and I talk about the central role that trust plays in supporting team member safety and well-being. While trust is not an unusual concept in leadership, Dr. Woodruff takes an expansive view, connecting it to every process that an individual interacts with within a system. He believes that any process that isn't explicitly designed to build trust – by showing respect and integrity – has the potential to erode trust, and that those small, daily interactions carry more collective weight than a single, positive, in-person encounter. He and his team use two questions to filter the trust factor on organizational processes: Does it support the mission? And, is it kind? The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Vocera, now part of Stryker.

Drs. Farley and Shah recently spearheaded a collaboration with leaders from the AMA, AHA, CEO Coalition, Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation, IHI, and National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to create the 2022 Healthcare Workforce Rescue Package. The package was devised to help leaders zero in on the most impactful team member well-being efforts to undertake at the current stage of the pandemic. In this episode, we delve into each of the five practices outlined in the Rescue Package and look ahead to how these create a foundation for a transformed culture of well-being for all healthcare team members. Links related to Dr. Farley and Dr. Shah's podcast: · Resources: The 2022 Healthcare Workforce Rescue Package · Schwartz Center Webinar: Five Evidence-Based Actions Leaders Can Take Now to Support the Healthcare Workforce · National Academy of Medicine: Clinician Well-Being Resource Library

In this episode, Dr. Sherman and I discuss the transformative changes that are happening in the healthcare workforce, led by three critical trends: COVID-related turnover and travel; mental health challenges, and PTSD, and the shifting demographics of the workplace. We discuss how these trends are causing dramatic shifts in the structure of healthcare work and challenging leaders to find the flexibility and creativity to rethink how healthcare is delivered. Finally, we look ahead to a future in which team member well-being is the center of a vibrant healthcare workforce.

In this episode of the Caring Greatly™ podcast, Dr. DeRienzo and I discuss his new orientation to the “why” behind care transformation. Like most quality improvement leaders, Dr. DeRienzo's focus has long been on the triple aim of improved care quality, reduced cost, and improved experience. But the work he's focusing on now is creating energy and opportunity for a greater focus on health equity, necessary variability, and humanity. Care transformation, then, becomes less about productivity and standardization as a primary aim, and more about allowing clinicians to practice at the top of their humanity and their license in a way that is fulfilling and meaningful – which is also very likely to boost productivity and practice resilience over the long run.

In this episode, Dr. Mate and I talk about research the IHI recently completed into a broadened definition of team member safety and well-being put forth by the CEO Coalition, a group of US-based healthcare CEOs who see team member safety and well-being as an essential component of healthcare efficacy and sustainability. The CEO Coalition's Heart of Safety Declaration of Principles expands the definition of safety to include protecting psychological and emotional well-being, promoting health justice by declaring equity and anti-racism core components of safety, and ensuring physical safety, which includes a zero-harm program to eliminate workplace violence, both physical and verbal. Dr. Mate shares what he and his team learned through the research process and how improvement science is critical to advancing safety and well-being. He also shares a long-term vision for healthcare in which the traditional locations and relationships of care expand, requiring a renewed focus on adaptive leadership competencies.

In this episode, Dr. Rizzo and I talk about the impetus behind creating the Encore Physicians Program, and the benefit it brings to retired physicians, community health centers, and the patients they serve. We look at the synergy and learning opportunities provided by linking both primary care and specialty physicians to the patients who seek care at community health centers, as well as the role of an intermediary such as Encore Physicians in creating connections between clinics and retired physicians. Finally, Dr. Rizzo shares his perspective on things to consider for leaders looking to set up similar programs in other parts of the country.

In this episode, Dr. Cziraky and I talk about her personal and practice transformation through a shift from transactional to relationship-based care, both with her team members and her patients. We talk about how a drive toward efficiency had left her feeling depleted and disconnected from her work. In early 2020, Dr. Cziraky was introduced to the work of the Institute for Healthcare Excellence through the National Taskforce for Humanity in Healthcare, which helped her embrace positive emotions and a more relational model of work and care, which complemented and completed her drive for sustainable and effective care practice. Dr. Cziraky shares the impact of this transition on her work, her life, and her team's ability to weather the challenges of COVID-19.

In this episode, Dr. Solomon and I discuss the impact of poor practice design on the mental health and well-being of nurses. We delve into the specific trauma of the pandemic, and the need for system-level support and changes to overcome the “tyranny of individual responsibility” that is too often attached to mental well-being. We look at the need to include nurses in system decision processes and for leaders to listen with an open mind to nurses' demands for system change – including the need to mark loss and make space for grieving. Finally, Dr. Solomon paints a future vision in which nurses are treated as full partners in a system that prioritizes prevention and well-being for patients and team members alike.

In this episode, Dr. Pettit and I talk about how advances in cancer treatment have increased survivorship, but also resulted in patients living long enough to experience the long-term side effects of both primary and adjuvant therapies. Often these impact survivors' physical, emotional, and even financial and social well-being. Dr. Pettit and her team conduct and support research and innovation that bridge the interests and inputs of patients, life sciences firms, academic medicine, clinicians, and public health toward a future of survivorship that supports all aspects of patients' health, well-being, and thriving.

In this episode, Dr. Ideker and I dig deep into her team's work on EHR optimization to ensure that the EHR works for clinicians and not the other way around. In 2020, after rapidly standing up telehealth infrastructure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ideker and her team identified four key areas of focus for EHR improvement: orders redesign, documentation, best practice and medication alerts, and Epic proficiency. In each of these areas, she and her team designed solutions using a data-driven approach, in partnership with clinicians, and always with the aim of making the technology effective, efficient, and even delightful.

In this episode, Dr. Heineberg and I look at how the default tendencies of the brain can undermine compassion and resilience, especially in times of extraordinary stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We delve into the ways that technology can help extend access to mental health resources, while reinforcing social connections that support well-being. Finally, Dr. Heineberg outlines the importance of integrating well-being practices into collective daily work so that they help change culture.

In this episode, Mr. Segall and I talk about the interconnectedness of wellness and process improvement, particularly at this time when team members have experienced such intense stress and trauma and when staffing shortages are rampant. We delve into the need to integrate well-being into the daily work and operations of the health system so that team members have a chance to debrief and begin healing from stressful events without needing to carve out additional time. Finally, Mr. Segall lays out a vision for the future that rethinks the role of wellness and resilience as a core leadership responsibility.

In this episode, Dr. Collins and I talk about how responses to the COVID-19 crisis put stress on nurses in a way that will have long-term implications for individuals and the profession. We delve into the challenges that arise when seasoned professionals must shift from situations in which they can draw on ingrained expertise to ones in which they are relatively inexperienced – in other words, moving from novice to expert and back. We look at the ways nurse leaders can apply technologies and process improvements to minimize the cognitive burden on nurses, allowing them to limit stress and achieve professional well-being. Finally, Dr. Collins outlines a new study she is launching that uses the NASA Task Load Index to gauge the burden of clinical communication on nurses in high-stress environments with the aim of driving improvements across the industry.

In this episode, Dr. Collins and I talk about how responses to the COVID-19 crisis put stress on nurses in a way that will have long-term implications for individuals and the profession. We delve into the challenges that arise when seasoned professionals must shift from situations in which they can draw on ingrained expertise to ones in which they are relatively inexperienced – in other words, moving from novice to expert and back. We look at the ways nurse leaders can apply technologies and process improvements to minimize the cognitive burden on nurses, allowing them to limit stress and achieve professional well-being. Finally, Dr. Collins outlines a new study she is launching that uses the NASA Task Load Index to gauge the burden of clinical communication on nurses in high-stress environments with the aim of driving improvements across the industry. Check out this episode on our website: https://www.vocera.com/podcast/Nurse-Well-Being-Hinges-on-Improving-the-Work

In this episode, Ms. Smith-Hill and I discuss the challenges of providing support to loved ones receiving care during the pandemic. We talk about the importance of strong communication, and the emotional impact of feeling disconnected. Finally, we look ahead to how family support will evolve as the pandemic subsides.

In this episode, Dr. Ranney and I talk about what it takes to tackle seemingly intractable problems in healthcare. We talk about the art of building grass-roots coalitions, and the role of leadership in creating environments in which innovation can prosper. We close with a look at the lessons from the pandemic that Dr. Ranney hopes we will carry forward into a post-pandemic world.

In this episode, Dr. Fullerton and I discuss her experience as a woman of color and foreign-born student as she has pursued her medical education. We examine issues of structural racism she has encountered and look at the importance of speaking up. Finally, we delve into the origins of #MedGradWishList and the vulnerability – and power – of asking for help.

In this episode of the Caring Greatly podcast, Ms. Grosklags and Dr. Maples share insights into how to have difficult conversations with patients, and why these skills of compassion, presence, listening, and partnering with patients are essential to driving positive outcomes for clinicians and patients alike at all points of the care journey. We look at the ways leaders are using Ms. Grosklags’s film to teach team members critical communication and connection skills, and how these skills are reinforced and made part of the cultural fabric by systemic training approaches like that led by Dr. Maples at the IHE. Finally, we examine why leaders should embrace these approaches now, as team members grapple with the challenges and fallout of the pandemic.

In this episode, Mr. Reynolds and I discuss the ways that an internal culture of belonging helps to promote equitable health outcomes. We look at ways that leaders can help create structures of accountability for health equity and belonging, and at the role of technology in helping to proactively identify opportunities to improve equity and belonging both inside and outside the organization. We close with thoughts on how both formal and informal leaders can build a culture in which team members and patients alike can thrive.

In this episode, Dr. Bright and I talk about the emotional journey that frontline care team members have experienced as they went from fear and uncertainty to reckoning with injustice, through a brief respite in the summer to a rising national caseload through the fall and the holidays. We look at the ways that team members have supported one another individually and across organizations, and we look ahead to a future built on safety and trust that cares for team members and patients alike as whole humans.

In this episode, Ms. Drane and I talk about the impact caregiving has on caregivers’ well-being. We look at the challenges and joys of caregiving and the kinds of support that is often available but unknown. We examine how COVID-19 has changed the role and visibility of caregiving, and we look ahead to future transformations that start with empathy.