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As President of St. Luke's North and Critical Access Region, in Kansas City, Missouri, Darren leads both urban hospitals and rural facilities in towns of 9,000 people. He's raised $43 million to build a hospital, navigated government shutdowns, and he's watching AI transform healthcare in real-time.

In this conversation, Darren shares what separates thriving hospitals from struggling ones. Why every employee should understand the revenue cycle. How to build Community Advisory Boards that work.

This is straight talk about healthcare leadership, what's working, and what needs to change.

Connect with Darren Bass:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-bass-dpt-fache-13128732/

To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

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In this episode of The Hunter Ambrose Podcast, host Nicole Barbano speaks with Colin Carmody, a business advisor with The Alternative Board – South Africa.

Colin works with business owners and leadership teams to move from chaos to clarity—helping them build companies that work for them, not against them. He empowers leaders to improve their business and change their lives.

Nicole and Colin explore what makes small- and mid-sized businesses succeed, how leadership mindset influences results, and why accountability is the missing link between vision and execution.

Colin’s Profile

linkedin.com/in/colincarmody

Website

thealternativeboard.za.com/ (Company)

To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

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Arvita Tripati has guided multiple AI-powered medical devices through FDA clearance, including mobile EKG analysis and COVID testing systems. She's contributed to $2B+ in enterprise healthcare revenue with organizations like NHS, Gilead, and American Red Cross.

In this episode, Arvita shares insights on navigating FDA regulatory pathways, the distinction between customer pain points and market demand, and emerging healthcare challenges, including Candida auris—a drug-resistant fungus spreading in hospitals.

Key topics: FDA review strategies, positioning products for enterprise buyers, understanding willingness to pay, and underserved therapeutic areas.

Connect with Arvita: Vahana Labs AI - https://vahanalabs.ai/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/atripati/ https://vahanalabs.ai/

Learn more about Candida auris: https://www.cdc.gov/candida-auris/index.html

To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

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What happens when a physician-executive and former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander sits down with the founder of a national executive search firm with two decades of experience in rural healthcare? You get a raw, data-driven conversation about what’s working, what’s failing, and what’s next for American medicine.

In this episode of The Hunter Ambrose Podcast, Nicole Barbano and Robert Cavagnol, MD, MHA, FACS break down the future of healthcare—rural and urban alike—with clarity and candor. They cover:

• A reality-based SWOT analysis of U.S. healthcare—strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
• The $10 billion Rural Health Transformation program and how hospitals can make smart, sustainable investments
• How AI can improve outcomes, documentation, and physician efficiency—without replacing clinicians
• The limitations of patient satisfaction scores and what the data actually reveals
• Why end-of-life care needs a complete redesign, including earlier palliative care integration
• Critical access hospital sustainability and how to decide when to sunset key services

Guest:
Robert Cavagnol, MD, MHA, FACS — physician executive and former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander.
Connect with Dr. Cavagnol on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robertcavagnol

Host:
Nicole Barbano — Founder of Hunter Ambrose International, an executive search and leadership advisory firm specializing in healthcare, utilities, and infrastructure.
Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicolebarbano

Listen, reflect, and share.
If this episode challenged how you think about healthcare, leadership, or AI—share it with a colleague and leave a quick rating to help other leaders find the show.

To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

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Your job search begins with you. Join executive coach and founder Nicole Barbano as she explores the 4Fs Framework—First, Fitness, Finances, and Family—to help you take control of your career and land your next role with clarity and confidence.

To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

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To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

Send us a text

In this special episode, Three Voices – One Calling, we share the powerful and personal stories of leadership from Helen Morrison, Leslie Mahoney, and Nicole Thorell.

Though their paths differ, these three RN leaders share a common purpose—and their stories offer insight, clarity, and inspiration for anyone navigating leadership today.

To register for the RN Leader Ascent Masterclass starting July 8th, visit nicolebarbano.com. Seats are limited

To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com

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What questions should healthcare leaders really be asking? Andrew Manzer, a Hospital executive and Fordham University faculty member, joins us to discuss leading through complexity, transforming systems, and the mindset today’s healthcare executives need.

To connect with Andy-

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-manzer-1b21477/

To learn more about Hunter Ambrose, visit us at hunterambrose.com and nicolebarbano.com