What does it take to lead patient access at scale—and with heart? In this inspiring episode, we celebrate the Patient Access Collaborative’s inaugural Access Leaders of the Year: Jamie Kern, MBA, Senior Director of Access & Capacity Management at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Ann Blanchard, BSN, MBA, Director of Access Innovations, Capacity Management & Referral CORE at Nebraska Medicine.

From turning “scapegoats” into strategic powerhouses to building trust through data transparency and team empowerment, Jamie and Ann share their personal leadership philosophies, operational strategies, and digital transformation journeys. You’ll hear how OSU is tackling scalability through behavior change and rigor, while Nebraska Medicine’s “Access Delta” initiative and digital redesign efforts have transformed lag time and self-scheduling at an enterprise level.

Together, they reflect on the evolving role of access, the myth of linear digital adoption, and why listening—not just fixing—is the key to lasting change. Whether you're redesigning visit types or shifting culture, this episode delivers lessons in resilience, innovation, and keeping the patient at the center of it all.