Ep. 49 - Mark Craig Unpacks the Real Cost of Rural Hospital Closures
Release Date: 04/29/2025
Ep. 65 - Steve Lewis Brings Rock 'n' Roll Discipline to Patient Records
Working Healthcare
Hit play to hear how a rock-and-roll project manager became the founder trying to fix everyday healthcare chaos. Join Working Healthcare’s Meredith Hirsh as Steve Lewis recounts Bowe’s premature arrival at 34 weeks and the binder that sparked Nabu, a patient-controlled record built to unite scattered data. We dig into why 80% of information is forgotten between the exam room and the parking lot and how that fog fuels 1.5 million ER visits a year for medication-related injuries. Steve explains how Nabu’s early pilots in Australia help families coordinate care across clinicians, crises and...
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Ep. 64 - Carly Salamone Dissects the One Big Beautiful Bill for Rural America
Working Healthcare
Tune into this episode of Working Healthcare to learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could reshape rural health care as Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez interview policy leader Carly Salamone. With a dozen years in rural hospital care, Carly is now President of Vantage Healthcare of Ohio where is leads policy for several member hospitals. She breaks down the bill’s proposals, its impact on hospital payments and Medicaid, and what it means when the nearest ER is 60 miles away. We examine maternity care after Dobbs, why labor units are often first to close and how Medicaid’s role in births...
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Ep. 63 - From RN to VP: Heather Woolf on Leading and Lifting Women in Healthcare
Working Healthcare
Hit play to hear how one nurse shattered ceilings on her way to the c-suite. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down with Heather Woolf, Vice President of Operations at the Hospital for Special Surgery, for a powerful conversation on gender equity in healthcare leadership. Heather shares her bold journey from the bedside to the boardroom, revealing the systemic barriers that still hold women back—despite making up nearly 80% of the healthcare workforce. Together, they unpack why only 30% of hospital CEOs are women, how outdated systems fuel burnout and...
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Ep. 62 - Sean Travers on Growing Independent Practices with Ancillary Services and Vertical Integration
Working Healthcare
Discover how smart strategies and bold decisions are transforming independent healthcare. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down in the studio with Sean Travers, a seasoned healthcare expert dedicated to helping practices achieve sustainable, service-driven growth. Together, with over 60 years of combined healthcare business experience, they explore the power of ancillary services—like in-house labs, imaging and infusions—and reveal how vertical integration enhances patient care while giving physicians greater control, financial stability and...
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Ep. 61 - Dr. Matthew Mundwiler on Saving Private Practice and Fighting Healthcare Consolidation
Working Healthcare
Press play on a real conversation about staying independent in a system built for giants. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez sit down with Dr. Matthew Mundwiler, a private practice rheumatologist from Columbus, Ohio, to talk about what it really takes to survive—and thrive—outside of corporate healthcare. With operational costs up, physician autonomy shrinking and insurance denials on the rise, Matt shares why he’s doubling down on independence and patient-centered care. From the financial realities of private practice to the emotional toll and...
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Ep. 60 - Dr. Daniel Solomon and Mark Elfers Tackle the Physician Shortage with Digital Innovation
Working Healthcare
Join hosts Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez for a high-impact episode of Working Healthcare as they tackle one of the most urgent challenges in U.S. healthcare: the physician shortage. In this future-focused conversation, Dr. Daniel Solomon—a Harvard rheumatologist and health systems researcher—and Mark Elfers, a former Marine and now CEO of GreenCape Health, share how digital innovation is reshaping chronic care. Together, they unpack how MPro Health, a mobile platform now integrated with Epic and Athena EHRs, is cutting wait times, boosting medication adherence and improving...
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Ep. 59 - Ali Kaufman Is Tackling Youth Mental Health and Redefining Healthcare Boundaries
Working Healthcare
Tune in to a powerful, solutions-driven conversation about youth mental health, education, and the growing physician shortage. Join host Meredith Hirsh for an in-studio Working Healthcare interview with Ali Kaufman—founder of Space of Mind and the Community Classroom Project—as they explore how America’s mental health crisis is impacting kids where it hurts most: inside the classroom. With fewer than one child psychiatrist for every 10,000 children in the U.S., teachers are being thrust into the role of mental health first responders—often without training or resources. Ali shares how...
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Ep. 58 - Beyond Burnout: Dr. Wendy Dean on Confronting Moral Injury in Medicine
Working Healthcare
Join host Meredith Hirsh, co-host Mike Chavez and psychiatrist Dr. Wendy Dean for a powerful episode of Working Healthcare that exposes the deeper crisis behind physician burnout: moral injury. Dr. Dean—author, podcaster and co-founder of the nonprofit Moral Injury of Healthcare—explains why so many clinicians are not just exhausted but ethically broken. Moral injury happens when healthcare professionals know the right course of action for their patients but are blocked by profit-driven systems, limited resources and institutional constraints.Together, they unpack how today’s healthcare...
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Ep. 57 - Dr. Robert Colton on Private Equity’s Healthcare Disruption
Working Healthcare
Private equity in healthcare is booming—and few people understand its impact like Dr. Robert Colton. In this remote episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh and co-host Mike Chavez connect with Colton—physician, entrepreneur and founder of MDVIP—from his base between Boca Raton and the mountains of North Carolina to unpack how private capital is transforming the way care is delivered. With experience scaling dermatology groups, digital health startups and deals worth hundreds of millions, Colton brings a bold and unfiltered perspective on physician autonomy, practice...
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Ep. 56 - Breaking Barriers: Christa Eitel on Leadership, Courage and Career Shifts
Working Healthcare
Join Meredith Hirsh and co-host Mike Chavez for an inspiring conversation with Christa Eitel, Executive Director of Finance and Operations at The Hirsh Center, as she opens up about navigating bold career shifts and finding courage in the chaos of working motherhood. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Christa shares how she transitioned from a career in higher education to the fast-paced world of private medical practice—learning to lead, adapt and grow in an unfamiliar industry. The discussion dives into overcoming imposter syndrome, saying yes to new challenges and balancing ambition...
info_outlineTune in for a powerful conversation as Meredith Hirsh sits down with Mark Craig, Chief Executive of Write-Off Warrior and longtime revenue cycle expert turned national advocate. What began as a consulting career took a sharp turn when Mark watched his rural hospital clients shut their doors—not because of poor performance, but due to crippling underpayments and predatory insurance practices. Together, Meredith and Mark expose the hidden forces gutting rural healthcare, from exploitative Medicare Advantage plans to delayed reimbursements and contract games that stack the odds against community hospitals. Mark also shares insights from his collaboration with Senator Chuck Grassley and his groundbreaking report, Preyed On, which reveals how insurers are bleeding resources from the American heartland. With nearly 100 million Americans burdened by medical debt, this episode isn’t just a healthcare conversation—it’s a wake-up call.