Rural and small healthcare entities face the same cyber threats as the nation's largest health systems, but often lack the tools to combat them in the same way. From funding scarcity to workforce shortages, rural healthcare organizations must balance the need for an effective cybersecurity program with ongoing operational constraints. How can rural healthcare providers manage risk while understaffed and underfunded? Featuring: Jim Roeder, vice president of IT at Lakewood Health System In this episode, we'll cover The unique cybersecurity challenges that small and rural healthcare providers face compared to their larger counterparts How the cybersecurity workforce shortage has impacted rural entities' ability to attract and retain cyber talent What types of government and community support would help rural healthcare organizations improve their cybersecurity programs and more! References Understaffed, underfunded: Health IT security for small, rural providers Rural healthcare cybersecurity aid grows, but challenges persist To learn more about healthcare cybersecurity, check out our Healthtech Security site. To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.

Revenue cycle management is rife with data issues and automatable processes--making it ripe for AI implementation. How can providers use AI tools to reduce their revenue cycle management workload?   Featuring: Jacqueline LaPointe, executive editor, lead editor on Rev Cycle Management, Xtelligent Anuja Vaidya, senior editor on Virtual Healthcare, Xtelligent   In today’s episode, we’ll cover… The significance of AI in revenue cycle management (RCM) Key applications of AI in RCM including eligibility verification and prior authorizations Future prospects with generative and agentic AI  and more! References: RPA to Gen AI: How AI in revenue cycle management is evolving The state of revenue cycle management software R1 secures investment for agentic AI in revenue cycle management To learn more about revenue cycle management, check out Revenue Cycle Management. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.

As virtual nursing programs transform healthcare delivery, discover how this digital revolution is leveraging technology and human expertise to address widespread staffing shortages while enhancing both the patient and provider experience. Explore how hospitals and health systems are currently using virtual nurses, the successes they have already had and how the trend will evolve in the next five to ten years.    Featuring: Jacqueline LaPointe, executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare  Anuja Vaidya, senior editor, Virtual Healthcare at Xtelligent Healthcare    In today's episode, we'll cover:  Virtual nursing implementation and core components of a program  Nursing workforce benefits and care coordination strategies  Opportunities to improve patient satisfaction and clinician experience    References  What is virtual nursing, and why is it on the rise?  Exploring health systems' virtual nursing staffing strategies  74% of hospital leaders say virtual nursing will become integral to acute care  What to do and not do when deploying virtual nursing programs    To learn more about virtual nursing, check out our site, Virtual Healthcare.  To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. 

FDA’s removal of GLP-1 drugs from the shortage list ends supplemental compounding, shifting patient access back to branded semaglutide and tirzepatide. Featuring: Sara Heath, executive editor, Xtelligent Healthcare Alivia Kaylor, senior editor of Pharma Life Sciences, Xtelligent Healthcare In today’s episode, we’ll cover… The end of GLP-1 compounding creates a significant access barrier for millions of patients seeking weight management solutions Financial inequity deepens as patients transition from affordable compounded options to expensive branded medications Future innovation in oral GLP-1 formulations offers hope but remains constrained by long-term patent protections and more!To learn more about GLP-1s, check out our Pharma Life Sciences and Patient Engagement sites.To watch the video clips of our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel,@EyeOnTech. References: Anticipating the healthcare reach of GLP-1 receptor agonists Are compounded GLP-1 drugs safe? FDA winds down GLP-1 compounding policies

Street medicine is taking off in cities nationwide as part of the industry's effort to address a rampant housing insecurity crisis and boost population health. Driven by mobile medical units outfitted to look more like primary care offices, these street medicine teams are moving unhoused individuals to better health and preparing them for stable, supportive housing. But street medicine programs aren't successful just because of the clinicians and their supped-up sprinter vans. Rather, it's the peer navigators or community health workers to make these community-based interventions what they are. Learn more about how California-based Healthcare in Action providers and peer navigators work to support better street medicine. Featuring: Benjamin Kaska, PA, vice president of development and partnerships, Healthcare in Action Eric Berrera, lead peer navigator, Healthcare in Action In this episode, we'll cover Why street medicine is so important for supporting unhoused individuals The importance of supporting clinical efforts with peer navigators How street medicine providers partner best with peer navigators and community stakeholders and more! References Mobile health clinics bring care to California's unhoused Tips for Designing Community Health Worker Training Programs To learn more about community-based care and population health, visit our Patient Engagement site. To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. 

The first 100 days of the second Trump presidency were marked by new, wide-ranging tariffs and executive orders along with workforce cuts and leadership changes. What are the immediate and long-term impacts of these shifts? And how has the healthcare industry responded?   Featuring: Alivia Kaylor, senior editor for Pharma Life Sciences at Xtelligent Jacqueline LaPointe, executive editor of Editorial at Xtelligent   In today’s episode, we’ll cover… Tariffs and their impact on drug supply chain The impact of deregulation and workforce cuts on wasteful healthcare spending Understanding the role of executive orders in healthcare policy and more!   To learn more about these topics, check out techtarget.com/healthcarepayers and techtarget.com/pharmalifesciences. To watch clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. References: Trump to expand, enforce healthcare price transparency How Trump's pharma tariffs disrupt drug supply chains Trump administration policies could create headwinds across healthcare: Fitch

Fortra, the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Health-ISAC), and Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit teamed up to combat abuse of Cobalt Strike, a legitimate adversary simulation tool that cyberthreat actors have taken a liking to. The collaborative efforts resulted in an 80% reduction in unauthorized copies of Cobalt Strike observed in the wild. What does this success story say about the value of industry collaboration in healthcare cybersecurity?  Featuring: Bob Erdman, associate vice president, research and development at Fortra  In this episode, we'll cover  The threat that abuse of legitimate security tools by cyberthreat actors poses on healthcare organizations  Joint efforts by Fortra, Microsoft, and Health-ISAC to crack down on Cobalt Strike abuse in the wild  The value of industry-wide collaboration in making healthcare more secure  and more!  References  Cobalt Strike abuse drops 80% following takedown campaign   Microsoft, Fortra, Health-ISAC Crack Down On Cobalt Strike Abuse  To learn more about healthcare cybersecurity, check out our Healthtech Security site.  To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. 

The Connecticut Poison Control Center receives on average a hundred calls a day and operates 24/7. To handle such an immense workload, the Center relies on one tool to sustain and improve its emergency response: the state's health information exchange (HIE), Connie. How does this HIE help the Center save lives? Listen to find out! Featuring: Suzanne Doyon, MD, medical director of the Connecticut Poison Control Center at UConn Health In today's episode, we will cover:  What drove the Connecticut Poison Control Center to integrate the state's health information exchange How the tool has impacted efficiency and even staff morale The potential that other agencies have/could actualize by leveraging the health information exchange ...and more! References:  Definition: What is a Health Information Exchange? More on Connie: Once an underdog, Connecticut’s HIE network gains traction Health information exchange barriers hamper telehealth adoption

The healthcare industry has been shifting from fee-for-service to value-based care and payment for decades now with not much to show for it as a whole. How can employers and other healthcare purchasers achieve value amid soaring costs and worsening disease burden?   Featuring: Shawn Gremminger, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions  In today's episode, we will cover:  Why the current definition and implementation of value-based care in healthcare isn't working effectively, and a major rethinking is needed to create a truly value-driven system.  The core challenges employers face in achieving value-based care, especially around data access, price transparency and practical strategies.  Strategies for achieving higher quality, affordable care, such as narrow network design, increased pricing data access and direct contracting.  References:  Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network;s APM Measurement effort  What the Transparency in Coverage rule means for healthcare price transparency  How to accelerate value-based care despite looming healthcare crisis  To learn more about value-based care, check out our site Healthcare Payers.   To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.   

HIMSS25 ran from March 3-6 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It attracted thousands of industry leaders and featured a predominant theme: artificial intelligence. How did the industry approach this topic in 2025, and what surprising talking points arose? Featuring: Rebecca Pifer, senior reporter at Healthcare Dive In today’s episode, we’ll cover… The evolution of the AI conversation in healthcare AI governance and oversight Current trends in agentic AI and more! To learn more about AI in healthcare, check out Healthtech Analytics. To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. References: HIMSS25: Navigating the cost-benefit dilemma of health AI Exploring emerging health tech at HIMSS25 What is artificial intelligence (AI) governance? More from Rebecca Pifer on AI in healthcare

It is easy to get swept up in the AI hype. But healthcare leaders cannot afford to lose sight of their true priorities when evaluating AI solutions. How has this technology influenced healthcare leadership styles? Featuring: Brian Spisak, senior partner and chief people and communication officer at Csuite Growth Advisors; program director of AI and leadership at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University In today’s episode, we’ll cover… Avoiding the hype cycle in healthcare technology Understanding organizational ambidexterity Effective applications of AI in healthcare and more! To learn more about AI in healthcare, check out Healthtech Analytics. To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. References: How healthcare organizations can prioritize AI governance AMA Report Outlines Considerations for AI Integration in Healthcare More on organizational ambidexterity More on leading through AI adoption

AI can have a negative effect on the environment, largely due to increased electricity consumption. How should that shape when and where AI is used in healthcare, if at all? Featuring: Manijeh ('Mani') Berenji, MD, MPH, associate clinical professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine and School of Public Health In today’s episode, we’ll cover… The impact of environmental changes on patient health The intersection between AI, the environment, and healthcare How to use AI in healthcare in an environmentally-responsible way and more! To learn more about AI in healthcare, check out Healthtech Analytics. To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. References: Recognizing the growing impact of climate change on infectious diseases What is sustainable AI? Using Analytics Tools to Drive Care Coordination for Wildfire Victims  

Some might balk at the idea that a healthcare system would struggle to gather social determinants of health data in 2025. But for a rural healthcare system where every employee already fulfills multiple roles and the workforce is stretched thin, collecting this data can feel impossible to add to the workflow. Today's guest shares how to make this impossible task more possible for rural healthcare. Featuring: Susan Gutjahr, HIT Director and Compliance Officer, Sparta Community Hospital In this episode, we'll cover  Why collecting social determinants of health data is so challenging for rural healthcare systems How Sparta Community Hospital navigated these challenges Putting rural healthcare challenges in perspective and more!  References  Top Patient Engagement Challenges Affecting Rural Healthcare State of U.S. rural hospitals: No margin, no mission Building a care team to address social determinants of health To learn more about healthcare cybersecurity, check out our Patient Engagement site.  To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. 

Many have postulated that AI could solve--or, at least, bring us closer to solving--the clinician burnout crisis stemming from EHR adoption. But what use cases for AI integration into EHRs are the most ideal? Featuring: Sean McGunigal, Director of Artificial Intelligence at Epic In today's episode, we cover The ideal use cases for AI and EHR integration Metrics and KPIs for AI success How scalability challenges impact AI integration into EHRs Addressing provider concerns about AI dependency ...and more! To learn more about health IT, check out Health IT and EHR site. To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. References: Top 12 ways artificial intelligence will impact healthcare How ambient AI is cutting burnout, upping patient experience How generative AI in healthcare is helping cut admin burden

AI innovation requires patient data in order to develop accurate models that can bolster healthcare functions. But, legally, there is only so much one can do with protected health information. How should healthcare organizations walk the line between innovation and privacy? This conversation was recorded at HIMSS25. Featuring: Adam Greene, partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP In this episode, we'll cover  The legal limits on using patient data for AI development What CEOs and healthcare leaders should know about privacy and AI innovation  How the new administration's regulatory approach to AI may shape healthcare organizations' privacy responsibilities and more!  References  What is electronic protected health information (ePHI)? Fostering health AI development with confidential computing Examining Health Data Privacy, HIPAA Compliance Risks of AI Chatbots To learn more about healthcare cybersecurity, check out our Healthtech Security site.  To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies. 

Healthcare organizations dodge cyberattacks daily, even from service providers with multiple degrees of separation. What if there was a standard way to prioritize cybersecurity actions across the healthcare sector so that organizations can know their risk level and be more prepared? The Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group is working on something that might do just that. Featuring: Greg Garcia, executive director, Health Sector Coordinating Council Cybersecurity Working Group In this episode, we'll cover What risk mapping looks like for the healthcare sector The HSCC's work on developing health sector risk maps How healthcare stakeholders can build cyber resiliency by knowing their risk level  and more! References What is a risk map? Mitigating risk as healthcare supply chain attacks prevail To learn more about healthcare cybersecurity, check out our Healthtech Security site. To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.

Despite decades of advancements in reproductive health, male contraception methods remain limited to condoms or vasectomies. This leaves few options for those seeking alternatives and leaves women shouldering the physical and hormonal burdens of birth control. Today, with 85% of men aged 18–45 actively seeking new family planning solutions, the demand for a long-acting, reversible alternative is greater than ever.    As male contraception advances in the wake of the Dobbs decision reversal, this episode examines market prospects, regulatory hurdles, and the future of reproductive options for men.    Featuring: Darlene Walley, Chief Executive Officer, NEXT Life Sciences     In this episode, we will cover…  The growing demand for male contraception in the wake of shifting reproductive rights policies.  How Vasalgel technology works and why it's a reversible alternative to vasectomies.  The regulatory approval pathway for Plan A as a medical device.  The economic and public health impact of expanded contraceptive options for men.  The role of strategic partnerships with organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Male Contraceptive Initiative in advancing male birth control.    To stay up to date on the latest developments in male contraception, check out our Pharma Life Sciences sites.     To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.    References:  U.S. men's interest in new male contraceptives  A reversible alternative to vasectomies  Pipeline of male contraceptives     

The Change Healthcare cyberattack had widespread, unprecedented impacts across the healthcare sector in February 2024 and beyond. What has the sector learned since, and are providers better equipped to handle a similar incident today? Featuring: Errol Weiss, chief security officer at the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Health-ISAC) In this episode, we'll cover Systemic security challenges that the Change Healthcare cyberattack exposed Lessons learned in the year since the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and how the sector has improved its cybersecurity efforts Ongoing cybersecurity risks to the healthcare supply chain and more! References Health-ISAC's 2025 Health Sector Cyber Threat Landscape Report https://health-isac.org/health-isac-2025-health-sector-cyber-threat-landscape/ American Hospital Association and Health-ISAC Joint Threat Bulletin: Russian Ransomware Gangs Disrupt Patient Care https://health-isac.org/american-hospital-association-and-health-isac-joint-threat-bulletin/ Understanding the impact of the Change Healthcare cyberattack on providers https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/feature/Understanding-the-Impact-of-the-Change-Healthcare-Cyberattack-on-Providers 10 largest healthcare data breaches of 2024 https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/feature/Largest-healthcare-data-breaches HPH Cybersecurity Performance Goals https://hhscyber.hhs.gov/performance-goals.html To learn more about healthcare cybersecurity, check out our Healthtech Security site. To watch video clips from the conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.  

The public outcry against health insurers intensified after the shooting of a UnitedHealthcare CEO. What trends are driving Americans' dissatisfaction with payers and can payers recover the public's trust? Featuring: Jacqueline LaPointe, executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare In today’s episode, we’ll cover… Trends in claim denials The driving factors behind payers' denials The role of artificial intelligence in claims management, for better and for worse... and more!   To learn more about claims management, check out our Rev Cycle Management and Healthcare Payers sites! To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.   References Breaking down claim denial rates by healthcare payer https://www.techtarget.com/revcyclemanagement/feature/Breaking-down-claim-denial-rates-by-healthcare-payer KFF: Consumer Survey Highlights Problems with Denied Health Insurance Claims https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/consumer-survey-highlights-problems-with-denied-health-insurance-claims/ Trend Alert: Private Payers Retain Profits by Refusing or Delaying Legitimate Medical Claims https://premierinc.com/newsroom/blog/trend-alert-private-payers-retain-profits-by-refusing-or-delaying-legitimate-medical-claims

Social determinants of health (SDOH) play a critical role in health outcomes, but standardized SDOH data collection is lacking. How is NCQA driving standardization through national SDOH quality measures?   Featuring: Rachel Harrington, PhD, AVP of health equity sciences, NCQA Adrianna Nava, PhD, MPA, applied research scientist, NCQA   In today’s episode, we’ll cover… Updates to NCQA’s SDOH quality measures Current SDOH data collection challenges The role policy plays in driving SDOH data standardization... and more!   To learn more about SDOH data collection, check out our Health IT and EHR site and our Patient Engagement site. To watch video clips from our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @HealthcareStrategies.   References Charting new territory: the early lessons in integrating social determinant of health (SDOH) measures into practice  https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/2/11/qxae138/7900537  How Regenstrief and HL7 are driving SDOH data standards https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/feature/How-Regenstrief-and-HL7-are-driving-SDOH-data-standards https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/feature/How-Regenstrief-and-HL7-are-driving-SDOH-data-standards   Advocating for SDOH data standards to support health equity https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/podcast/Advocating-for-SDOH-data-standards-to-support-health-equity