AHA Innovators Connection Podcasts

At the AHA Leadership Summit, industry leaders showcase their new knowledge, fresh ideas and creative solutions during live podcast recordings. Tune in to the podcast replays after the event to hear AHA partners discuss innovation and top-of-mind issues for AHA member hospitals and health systems.

Episodes Recorded at the 2025 AHA Leadership Summit

Presented by: MedHQ

How health systems are leveraging OP care to improve patient satisfaction and lower costs

Derrick Idbeis, Chief Commercial Officer, MedHQ 
Wes Battiste, Advisor, Avanza

Listen in to learn how leading health systems are continuing to focus on outpatient strategies to improve patient satisfaction and not only provide outpatient care in a more capital efficient way, but how that strategy also supports better inpatient care.

Presented by: Mednition

Close the Care Gap: How Nurse-First AI Drives Clinical and Financial Outcomes for Health Systems

Deena Brecher, Chief Nursing Officer, Mednition 
James Lakes, Chief Revenue Officer, Mednition

Explore how health systems executives are using clinical risk intelligence tools to identify high-risk patients 2x more effectively, resulting in improved revenue, cost reductions, and productivity gains.

Presented by: Microsoft 

Cyber Strong, AI Ready: One Year of Progress in Rural Hospital Resilience

Laura Kreofsky, Program Director, Rural Health Resiliency, Microsoft 
John Riggi, National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, AHA

John and Laura will discuss a year of collaboration and transformation uncovering the invaluable lessons that are revolutionizing rural health care. Laura will reveal how cutting-edge AI is not only streamlining operations and enhancing patient outcomes but also tackling the critical cybersecurity challenges that uniquely impact rural providers. Get ready for an insightful journey across the front lines of rural health IT transformation!

Presented by: Evolv Technology

Interpersonal and Domestic Violence – a discussion on the deadliest events impacting the health care environment

Jason J. Grellner, Vice President and Head of Healthcare, Evolv Technology 
Scott Gee, Deputy National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, AHA

Learn the hidden realities of one of the most dangerous and under-recognized threats to health care safety: violence rooted in personal relationships. Listen in for an eye-opening conversation exploring how this type of violence shows up in health care settings, how it endangers caregivers and patients alike, and why health care leaders must take proactive steps to recognize early warning signs and respond effectively.

Presented by: Neuroflow

Aligning your behavioral health priorities with your value-based care strategy

Michael Lipp, CMO, NeuroFlow 
Rebecca Chickey, Senior Director Behavioral Health, AHA 

Hear from a leading behavioral health business expert on a "winning formula" for balancing these clinical objectives, administrative challenges, and business goals.

Presented by: RiskRecon

Cybersecurity and F1 Racing: Driving Success Through Teamwork, Precision and Risk Management

Jonathan Ehret, Vice President, Ecosystem Risk Solutions, Mastercard Cybersecurity 
John Riggi, National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, AHA

In this thought-provoking session we’ll explore the essential roles of people, processes, and technology in detecting and responding to cyberthreats. Learn valuable insights on how to build a high-performing cybersecurity health care team finely tuned to keeping your organization safe from third-party cyber risks with the same strategy, precision and planning as a winning F1 team.

Episodes Recorded at Previous AHA Leadership Summits

Presented by: Microsoft

Building a Cyber-Ready Healthcare Workforce

Laura Kreofsky, MBA, MHA, PMP, CDH-E, Cybersecurity Program for Rural Hospitals Strategy Lead, Microsoft 
Josh Heizman, MS, PMP, National Managing Director, Security Technical Sales, Microsoft 
John Riggi, National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, American Hospital Association

Healthcare remains a top target for cybersecurity attacks and data breaches. Often these attacks and breaches result from employee actions with unintended consequences or lack of sufficient technical talent in the enterprise. In this session, John Riggi, AHA’s National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, speaks with Laura Kreofsky, Cybersecurity Program for Rural Hospitals Strategy Lead for Microsoft, and Josh Heizman, National Managing Director of Security Technical Sales for Microsoft, about how to build a cybersecurity-ready workforce.

Presented by: NeuroFlow

Integrating Behavioral Health into the Future of Value-Based Care

Chris Molaro, CEO and Co-founder, NeuroFlow

In this podcast episode, Chris Molaro, CEO and and co-founder of NeuroFlow, delves into the transformative potential of AI in mental health, and explores how new technology platforms are paving the way for a future where behavioral health is an essential pillar of value-based care. We no longer live in a world where behavioral health can be confined to the sidelines, and Molaro shares how innovative technology is at the forefront of the behavioral health integration movement, providing healthcare organizations with powerful tools to identify, monitor, and address behavioral health concerns proactively. Join us as we reimagine the future of healthcare delivery and discover the critical role that mental health technology will play in driving better outcomes and value for patients.

Presented by: Accenture

Technology Transforms Workforce Challenges with Northwestern Medicine and Accenture

Daniel Derman, Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago 
Kaveh Safavi, Senior Managing Director, Accenture 
Michelle Hood, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, American Hospital Association 

The gap between supply and demand for care is growing too fast, requiring health systems to reinvent the nature of care delivery. A combination of human plus machine can help increase efficiency for physicians, nurses and the nonclinical workforce so that they might meet the rising demand for care. This podcast discusses how leaders can use digital technology to better prepare their teams to work within the ongoing environment of staffing shortages while also bringing back purpose and joy.

Presented by: Iris Telehealth

Enhancing Virtual Care for Behavioral Health Services

Dan Ferris, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, Iris Telehealth 

Hospitals and health systems are often the first-line responders and conduits to care for behavioral health conditions — which affect one in five Americans — but facilities across the country are struggling to keep up with demand and provide timely access to quality care. Patients and providers are at risk. In this podcast episode, Dan Ferris, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer of Iris Telehealth, will discuss these challenges and how Iris Telehealth is helping advance health system behavioral health service lines across the continuum to drive scalable and sustainable financial and clinical outcomes.

Presented by: AMN Healthcare

Proactive Strategies to Build a Balanced Workforce

John Rothwell, SVP Sales, Enterprise and Strategic Solutions, AMN

Throughout the pandemic, healthcare systems were forced to rely heavily on contingent labor, especially travel nursing. As we emerge from the pandemic, healthcare systems are seeking talent acquisition strategies that reduce contingent labor spend and drive financial stability. Proactive workforce planning gives healthcare systems the ability to more effectively layer core staff with flexible labor solutions, such as float pools and internal agency models. This podcast episode will provide tools and resources for incorporating workforce analytics to identify and build a balanced workforce strategy.

Presented by: MDVIP

Investing in an Enhanced Patient Experience

John E. Schmidt, Executive Director, MDVIP

In 2023, patients are in the driver’s seat. The pandemic accelerated existing consumer trends, and patients are no longer willing to accept the status quo in their healthcare experience. As innovative care options prosper, unhappy customers become a flight risk for health systems. Listen in to this podcast episode to receive strategically actionable takeaways to capitalize on patient expectations and physician aspirations and give your system a competitive market advantage.

Presented by: Fortinet

Accelerating Digital Transformation While Maintaining Cybersecurity Defenses

Troy Ament, Healthcare CISO, Fortinet 
John Riggi, National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, AHA

Healthcare technology executives are guiding healthcare organizations to become technology organizations delivering patient care in new delivery models. This digital innovation has accelerated cloud adoption, transformed patient care experiences to virtual and consumer centric environments, and fast-tracked the utilization of hospital and home-based internet connected medical devices for patient monitoring and telemetry. This podcast will discuss how leaders are orchestrating healthcare digital innovation, explore how healthcare organizations are executing these strategies while ensuring protected health information (PHI) remains secure and discover what future innovations such as 5G, AI, and Metaverse could bring to solving complex healthcare challenges.