Leon McCrea, MD, MPH, Executive Vice President and Dean for Educational Affairs, Drexel University School of Medicine

The most important leadership decision of your day may happen before you ever open your inbox. Leon McCrea, MD, Executive Vice President and Dean for Educational Affairs at Drexel University School of Medicine, joins Dr. Brian McDonough for a candid conversation on what separates intentional leaders from reactive ones — and how that distinction plays out across an entire career. Drawing on his own path from an unexpected detour out of Brown's combined BS/MD program to the dean's office, Dr. McCrea challenges executives to embrace strategic pivots, name their ambitions publicly, and build cultures where talent is recognized and developed at every level. The conversation tackles AI's dual role as both a clinical accelerator and a de-skilling risk, the post-pandemic erosion of organizational connectivity that C-suite leaders are still navigating, and why the leaders who last are those who find freedom in their work — not just freedom from it.

David Nash, MD, MBA, Founding Dean Emeritus, Jefferson College of Population

HealthAmerica's public health infrastructure was underfunded long before COVID — and the pandemic made that impossible to ignore. David Nash, MD, MBA, Founding Dean Emeritus of the Jefferson College of Population Health and pioneer of the field, joins Dr. Brian McDonough to reflect on building the nation's first College of Population Health, why population health is "public health on steroids," and what COVID exposed about structural racism, poverty, and the healthcare system. From the social determinants driving 85% of health outcomes to his urgent concerns about America's preparedness for the next pandemic, Dr. Nash offers a candid assessment of where the system stands — and why the leaders being trained today may be its best hope.

Jerry Penso, MD, MBA, President and CEO, AMGA

Health systems have spent years acquiring practices and expanding physician enterprises, yet many continue to face challenges operating as fully integrated organizations. Jerry Penso, MD, MBA, President and CEO of AMGA, brings insights from health system leaders nationwide on the operational, financial, and cultural realities shaping integration today. The discussion examines why integration efforts often stall after acquisition, what distinguishes systems that are making meaningful progress, and how leading organizations are rethinking the physician enterprise as a strategic driver of long-term value.