Most healthcare strategies don’t fail because they’re wrong.
They fail because they never fully come to life.

In this episode of Beyond the Benchmarks, Stephanie Dorwart is joined by Krista Bragg — healthcare executive, operator, and author — to explore why execution remains one of the biggest challenges in healthcare today.

Together, they move beyond high-level strategy and into the operational realities that leaders face every day: competing priorities, staffing pressures, workflow inefficiencies, and the growing gap between what metrics say and what’s actually happening on the front lines.

This conversation highlights a critical shift:
Success in healthcare isn’t about having the best plan — it’s about having the discipline, visibility, and leadership to execute it.

You’ll hear practical insights on:

• How to identify what’s truly driving performance (beyond dashboards)
• Why organizations struggle to prioritize effectively
• Where operational breakdowns are quietly costing time, money, and outcomes
• How leaders can create alignment between strategy and execution

If you’re responsible for performance, operations, or strategy in healthcare, this episode offers a grounded, real-world perspective on what it actually takes to make change stick.

Is healthcare heading toward a financial breaking point?

In this episode of Beyond the Benchmarks, I sit down with Kevin Dady, Managing Director and Healthcare Practice Leader at Centri Business Consulting, to unpack what many leaders are thinking — but not always saying out loud.

Margins are tight. Staffing shortages persist. AI is advancing faster than governance. Private equity continues to reshape parts of the industry. And traditional budgeting models? They’re becoming obsolete almost as soon as they’re finalized.

So the real question becomes:
Are healthcare organizations prepared for what 2026 will demand?

In this candid conversation, we tackle:

• Why static annual budgets no longer work
• The growing risk of slow decision-making in a fast-moving environment
• AI governance — and what happens without guardrails
• The real concerns around short-term private equity investment in patient care
• What rural healthcare sustainability could look like over the next few years

This isn’t a theoretical discussion. It’s a practical one.

If you’re a healthcare executive, board member, or operational leader, this episode will challenge you to think differently about speed, discipline, and financial sustainability.

Because good intentions won’t carry organizations forward.
Clarity and decisive leadership will.

If this episode sparks something for you, share it with another healthcare leader navigating the same pressures.

Bullying and incivility remain some of the most damaging — and often unspoken — challenges in healthcare. They drive nurse turnover, weaken teamwork, and can even impact patient safety.

In this episode of Beyond the Benchmarks, Renee Thompson, founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute and author of Enough: Eradicate Bullying and Incivility in Healthcare, joins the conversation to unpack what toxic workplace culture really looks like inside hospitals and why it continues to persist.

Renee shares powerful real-world stories from her nursing career, explores why accountability is so difficult when disruptive individuals are high performers, and offers practical strategies leaders can use to transform toxic units into healthy, high-functioning teams.

This episode covers:

• Why nurses leave when bullying goes unaddressed

• The difference between incivility and repeated bullying

• How culture impacts communication and patient outcomes

• What leaders can do to support staff and create accountability

A must-listen for nurse leaders, healthcare executives, educators, and anyone working to build a healthier workforce.

In this episode of Beyond the Benchmarks, host Stephanie Dorwart, CEO of Altius Healthcare Consulting Group, sits down with Dr. Kay Kennedy — nurse, educator, researcher, and nationally recognized leadership expert — for a powerful conversation on what it truly means to lead in healthcare today.

Drawing on more than 40 years of experience from the bedside to the C-suite, Dr. Kennedy shares the story behind Human-Centered Leadership, a research-backed framework designed specifically for healthcare environments. Built from the voices of nurses and leaders across roles, this approach reframes leadership as something that starts with self-awareness, is sustained through relationships, and ultimately drives better outcomes for teams and patients.

Together, Stephanie and Dr. Kennedy explore:

• Why leaders people would “follow to the ends of the earth” all share the same traits

• How burnout, turnover, and disengagement are often leadership problems — not staffing problems

• The role of mindfulness, emotional regulation, and self-care in effective leadership

• Why frontline nurse leaders must be empowered — not sidelined — in staffing and productivity decisions

• How human-centered leadership improves engagement, retention, patient experience, and quality outcomes

Dr. Kennedy also shares exciting news about the expansion of her work through a new partnership with Healthcare Plus Solutions Group, allowing this leadership model to reach organizations nationwide — and internationally.

If you believe productivity is about more than numbers, culture is built through relationships, and leadership must be both human and accountable — this episode is for you.

www.uleadership.com

www.altiushcg.com

In this episode, we explore how thoughtful innovation can create real, measurable impact in healthcare—without losing sight of the people doing the work. We begin with the story of Klickitat Valley Health and how strategic automation helped the organization save more than $1 million annually, freeing staff to focus less on manual processes and more on patient care.

From there, the conversation looks ahead to what’s next. We discuss the growing role of 3D visualization and extended reality in surgical planning, and how these technologies are reshaping the way clinicians prepare, collaborate, and deliver care. But technology alone isn’t enough. A major theme of the episode centers on change management, trust, and why successful AI adoption depends just as much on people and culture as it does on tools and systems.

As Stephanie Dorwart puts it, “Automation done right gives people time back—and gives them their purpose back.” That idea serves as a throughline for the entire discussion.

Our guest, Ted Dinsmore, brings a global perspective to the conversation. As President of SphereGen, Ted has spent his career designing automation, AI, and extended reality solutions for healthcare systems around the world—from building multilingual electronic medical records in Switzerland to creating virtual assistants for hospitals across the United States. His passion lies in making advanced technology accessible and practical for healthcare organizations of all sizes, including rural and community-based facilities.

To learn more about SphereGen and the innovations discussed in this episode, visit the SphereGen Learning Center at www.spheregen.com. You can also explore Altius Healthcare Consulting Group at www.altiushcg.com.

Be sure to listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or Amazon Music—and join the conversation about what’s possible when healthcare innovation is grounded in purpose, trust, and leadership.

#BeyondTheBenchmarks #HealthcareInnovation #AIinHealthcare #Automation #Leadership #RuralHealthcare #DigitalTransformation #AltiusHealthcare #SphereGen #StephanieDorwart #TedDinsmore

In this episode, host Stephanie Dorwart, CEO of Altius Healthcare Consulting Group, sits down with Todd Birch and Robin Bradbury—the leadership team behind PrognostiCare—to explore how predictive intelligence is changing the way healthcare organizations make decisions. Drawing on decades of experience as hospital executives, Todd and Robin share why so many leaders remain stuck in reactive mode—and how real-time data can help them finally get ahead of the curve.

The conversation centers on two of healthcare’s most persistent and costly challenges: staff retention and patient leakage. Todd and Robin explain how “Moneyball-style” analytics can reveal patterns that traditional reports miss, allowing leaders to identify which employees are at risk of leaving before they resign, and to understand where patients are going, why they’re going there, and what can be done to keep them within the system.

Along the way, the discussion unpacks the hidden costs of turnover—expenses that rarely show up clearly on a balance sheet—and how organizations can begin to calculate the true financial and cultural impact of losing the wrong people. Stephanie, Todd, and Robin also explore how AI and predictive modeling shift leadership from looking backward at lagging indicators to making informed decisions based on what’s likely to happen next.

A recurring theme is the “Moneyball” mindset itself: focusing less on vanity metrics and more on the data points that truly drive outcomes in workforce stability and market share. The episode highlights how retaining the right people creates ripple effects that extend far beyond staffing—impacting morale, patient experience, and long-term financial health.

Interwoven throughout the conversation are real-world success stories, moments of CFO humor, and candid reflections that show how technology, transparency, and a human-centered approach can work together to reshape healthcare strategy.

Subscribe to Beyond the Benchmarks for more conversations that challenge traditional thinking and redefine leadership, data, and innovation in healthcare. To learn more about PrognostiCare and its predictive approach, visit www.prognosticare.org.

Healthcare productivity isn’t just about staffing and scheduling—it’s about innovation, resilience, and the systems that keep hospitals moving forward. Hosted by Stephanie Dorwart, CEO of Altius Healthcare Consulting Group, this podcast dives deep into the overlooked issues that directly impact providers, patients, and communities.From the hidden costs of equipment downtime to the future of the gig economy in healthcare, each episode brings candid conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers who are reimagining the way healthcare works.Expect:✅ Honest stories from industry disruptors✅ Practical insights on efficiency and performance✅ Conversations that connect strategy with real-world outcomesWhether you’re a healthcare executive, clinician, or simply passionate about improving patient care, this channel will inspire you to think differently and take action.🔗 Follow along for episodes that spark change—one micro step at a time.

In this episode, host Stephanie Dorwart, CEO of Altius Healthcare Consulting Group, sits down with Craig Saylor—a healthcare leader whose career journey spans from respiratory therapist to CEO, consultant, and even minority owner of a hockey team.Craig shares his story of rising through the ranks in rural healthcare, the challenges and opportunities he faced, and the strategies that helped transform struggling hospitals into thriving organizations. From tackling staffing shortages and financial pressures to embracing innovation and telemedicine, Craig offers valuable lessons for healthcare leaders everywhere.The conversation also explores:How rural hospitals can adapt and grow despite limited resources.Why productivity should be a strategic lens, not a weapon.The importance of mentorship, vision, and change management.Surprising lessons learned from owning a junior hockey team—and how teamwork on the ice mirrors leadership in healthcare.Craig’s message is clear: don’t diminish your calling in healthcare. Leaders, staff, and communities all have a role in shaping compassionate, sustainable care.👉 Subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes of Beyond the Benchmarks. Next up: an interview with Danny Mobley, creator of “the Uber for equipment maintenance.”