What happens when nurses are empowered to practice at the top of their license?

In this episode, Amanda sits down with Maria Durazo, RN and Isabelle Lunsford, RN, PHN, MSN, of Open Door Community Health Centers in CA, to discuss how they transformed the nursing role to improve access, support providers, and strengthen patient care in a highly rural environment.

Learn how Open Door built a Tactical Nursing model, developed nurse-led flip visits, created career pathways for nurses, and more than doubled the number of patients served through nurse visits through innovative nursing workflows.

Whether you're a clinical leader, nurse manager, or healthcare executive, this episode offers practical lessons on change management, workforce development, and maximizing the impact of your nursing team.

Guests: Maria Durazo, RN, and Isabelle Lunsford, RN, PHN, MSN

Host: Amanda Laramie

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In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Amanda Laramie sits down with leadership researcher and author Zach Mercurio, PhD, to explore how leaders can create workplaces where people truly feel seen, valued, and connected.

Zach shares practical, everyday ways leaders can apply the principles of mattering — not through grand gestures, but through intentional interactions that build trust, belonging, and purpose within teams.

Together, they discuss how meaningful leadership impacts engagement, retention, resilience, and organizational culture.

Whether you lead a team, support patients, manage operations, or influence workplace culture, this episode offers actionable insights you can immediately apply to strengthen relationships and help people thrive personally and professionally.

Zach Mercurio is an author, researcher, and speaker specializing in purposeful leadership, meaningful work, and mattering. His work focuses on helping organizations create cultures where people feel valued and connected so they can thrive personally and professionally.

In This Episode:

• What “mattering” really means in leadership
• Why small moments of acknowledgment have a lasting impact
• Practical ways leaders can help employees feel valued
• How connection influences performance and well-being
• Building cultures where people thrive

Guest: Zach Mercurio
Host: Amanda Laramie

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What makes people feel valued at work? Why do some teams thrive even under pressure, while others struggle with burnout, disengagement, and turnover?

In Part 1 of this episode of the Coleman Associates Innovation Podcast, Amanda sits down with author, researcher, and speaker Zach Mercurio to explore one of the most important — and often overlooked — drivers of workplace performance and wellbeing: mattering.

Zach Mercurio, author of The Power of Mattering, shares the research behind why people need to feel seen, valued, and essential to do their best work. Together, Amanda and Zach unpack how leaders shape culture through everyday interactions — especially in fast-paced healthcare environments where stress, overwhelm, and constant demands can easily crowd out meaningful connection.

This conversation dives into:

• What “mattering” actually means in the workplace
• Why feeling valued impacts engagement, retention, and performance
• How leaders unintentionally create disconnection
• The difference between recognition and truly helping people feel seen
• How healthcare leaders can lead with greater intention during difficult seasons

Whether you’re leading a clinic, managing a frontline team, or simply trying to create a healthier work culture, this episode offers practical insights and powerful reminders about the human side of leadership.

Zach Mercurio, PhD, is an author, researcher, and speaker specializing in purposeful leadership, meaningful work, and mattering. His work focuses on helping organizations create cultures where people feel valued and connected so they can thrive personally and professionally.

And don’t miss Part 2 of this conversation up next, where Zach shares practical ways leaders can apply the principles of mattering in everyday interactions with their teams.

Guest: Amanda Laramie

Host: Zach Mecurio

Thanks for listening!

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