Margins are tight, workforce stress is real, and AI has moved from buzzword to daily ops. ACHE Congress 2026 (March 2–4 in Houston, TX) is designed for this exact moment—with all-new content, a “Purpose in Motion” theme, and a program that promises up-to-the-minute insights and actionable takeaways you can put into practice right away. On this week’s podcast, David Bartholomew, FACHE, previews ACHE Congress 2026, discusses why this year’s Congress is one you can’t miss, and what attendees can look forward to. For example:

• Get a grasp on the big picture. Speakers like Cristian deRitis help CEOs cut through the noise, explore the economic context, and make smart strategic choices.
• See the future first. Listen to keynotes and futurist insights (Amy Webb) on the next 10–20 years—and what to do Monday.
• Make AI practical. Attend sessions by experts like Cheryl Pegus and Shiv Rao that delve into workflow, safety, and patient-experience impact (including ambient documentation at scale).
• Level up your leadership. Explore a deep bench of sessions on change, culture, and multigenerational teams (Adam Grant, Patrick Lencioni, Anne Morriss, Scott Hamilton, and more).
• Advance your career—at any stage. Check out an expanded Career Hub, plus larger applied workshops and a student administrative fellowship fair.
• Network with intent. Make designed connections by role and career stage; ~40% first-time attendees each year means fresh perspectives and new collaborators.
• Explore the Innovation Hub. It’s new this year and built with industry partners to tackle real operational problems together.

This podcast makes it clear: if you need a reset, a roadmap, and a sense of connection to a that’s community moving the work forward, this is the room to be in.

The HPSG team looks forward to seeing you at ACHE Congress 2026.

• Quint Studer: Leadership Insights: Rewiring Leader Development—The Right Plan for the Right Person at the Right Time
  Tuesday, March 3, 2026 • 9:30am - 10:30am CT
• Dan Collard: Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce
  Tuesday, March 3, 2026 • 3:15pm - 4:15pm CT

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Dan Collard sits down with Dr. Katherine Meese to unpack their new book, Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce, new from ACHE Learn, a practical, research-grounded guide to leading across generations in healthcare. Rather than leaning on clichés, they explore how technology has reshaped expectations at work, why younger clinicians experience the environment differently, and what leaders can do right now to retain and develop talent at every level.

They move quickly from origin story to business case, connecting multigenerational leadership to retention, safety, and engagement. You’ll hear how disrespect drives toxic culture (and turnover), why communication gaps sit behind many sentinel events, and how reframing PTO and well-being improves team performance. They also preview the book’s myth-busting chapter (data that challenges doom-driven narratives) and explain why the patient belongs at the center of any workforce conversation.

The episode introduces Control+Alt+Lead, a leadership “reboot” framework that starts with self-reflection, builds psychological safety for new clinicians to speak up, and shifts from succession planning to success planning so people can thrive.

What you’ll learn:

• A clear business case for multigenerational leadership (retention, safety, engagement)
• Why technology (not stereotypes) drives many generational differences
• Practical ways to reduce disrespect and strengthen communication
• How to apply the Control+Alt+Lead framework
• Where Genfluence fits into ACHE Congress and your leadership development roadmap

Smart, usable, and grounded in real fieldwork, this conversation offers leaders a path to keep great people longer and take better care of patients in the process.

About Dr. Katherine A. Meese and Dan Collard

Dr. Katherine A. Meese and Dan Collard are co-authors of Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce (ACHE Learn 2026).

Dr. Meese has fifteen years of experience in healthcare management, leadership and research, and is an award-winning scholar and author in organizational behavior, well-being and leadership. Most importantly, she is on a mission to use science to help healthcare leaders keep their people and keep them well. She is the author of five books including The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust with Quint Studer.

Dan Collard’s thirty-one years in the industry include hospital and health system operations, technology start-up transactions and consulting. He has been described as a “change agent, builder, mentor and developer of others.” His lens-of-the-operator view continues to guide his leadership practice. Dan is the cofounder of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group and the coauthor of Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired and Rewiring Leadership in Post-Acute Healthcare.

In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer talks with Christine Schuster, Craig Nesta, and Michael Tracy from Emerson Health about a simple idea with big impact: build your own leadership pipeline and protect it, even in lean years.

They walk through Emerson’s end-to-end approach: paid summer internships embedded in real operating units, a structured mentoring lattice (direct manager, peer “buddy,” senior leader), and a one-year administrative fellowship that moves emerging leaders from classroom theory to hands-on management and, often, into first-role leadership. You’ll also hear how partnerships and a clear values stance keep the organization nimble while developing people who share its mission.

What you’ll learn:

• How Emerson structures paid internships (mid-May to mid-August), embeds students in practices, and supports them with a manager + buddy + senior mentor model.
• What its one-year administrative fellowship includes (early operational ownership, standards and accountability, and coached “reps” before promotion).
• Why Emerson protects development dollars during budget pressure and how that stance ties directly to performance and culture.
• Practical tactics for recruiting nationally and creating visible on-ramps from intern, to fellow, to first leadership role.
• How partnerships (e.g., regional systems and specialty providers) complement the internal pipeline to keep the organization agile.

Smart, repeatable, and ROI-minded, this conversation is a playbook for any system serious about growing leaders who fit the culture and stay.

Christine Schuster, RN, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Emerson Health
Christine (Chris) Schuster has served as Emerson Health’s president and CEO for two decades, following CEO roles at Quincy Medical Center and Athol Memorial Hospital and earlier service as COO for Tenet’s Saint Vincent Healthcare (Extended Care Division). She serves on multiple regional health and business boards and advisory groups and has been recognized by Boston Magazine among the “Most Influential Bostonians,” along with honors from the Boston Chamber, Massachusetts Health Council, and ACHE. Chris holds an MBA (with honors) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Nursing from Boston University.

Craig Nesta, JD, MBA, MS, Vice President, Emerson Practice Associates; Administrative Fellowship Director

Craig Nesta oversees Emerson Health’s physician practice enterprise and directs the system’s Administrative Fellowship Program, leading national recruitment, placement, and mentoring. He brings 25+ years in healthcare administration, with prior faculty roles at Boston University School of Public Health and Stonehill College. A longtime accreditation leader, he served the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education—including as chair of the Accreditation Council—and is a past board member of AUPHA. Craig is a fellow of ACHE, HFMA, and MGMA.

Michael (Mike) Tracy, Administrative Director, Emerson Health
Mike Tracy leads multi-service-line operations at Emerson Health. A Boston College graduate with an MHA from Virginia Commonwealth University, he began at Emerson as a summer intern, returned for a yearlong Administrative Fellowship, and advanced through roles including Practice Manager and Senior Practice Manager to his current post. An active member of HFMA’s MA/RI Chapter, Mike serves on the chapter’s board and has chaired the New to Healthcare Leadership Conference planning committee.