Hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Heather Zarzycki, Director of Total Rewards at Adventist Health, for a candid conversation about what’s really changing in healthcare compensation, why transparency isn’t the enemy, and how HR leaders can adapt to the realities of wage compression, remote work, and AI.

💡 In This Episode You’ll Learn:

1️. Transparency Is the New Trust
Heather shares how public pay scales, wage laws, and cultural shifts are dismantling the old taboo around “talking money.” From pay equity and internal loyalty to the role of transparency in employee retention, she explains why openness is reshaping the employer-employee relationship.

2️. Wage Compression and Creativity in Compensation
With California’s healthcare minimum wage now at $24 and climbing, Heather walks listeners through the balancing act of raising pay for frontline teams while keeping leadership structures sustainable and why “flattening the top” may soon be unavoidable.

3️. The Remote Work Reality
Heather, Bo, and Luke tackle the return-to-office debate head-on. Does culture really require proximity, or can flexibility create a stronger sense of trust and productivity? The discussion reveals how outdated mindsets may be hurting recruitment and morale more than helping.

4️. Leadership Without Incentives
As more professionals shy away from management roles, the trio explores whether merit pay and performance-based compensation could reignite purpose and accountability, or risk driving burnout if not thoughtfully designed.

5️. AI, Automation & the Next Era of Comp Strategy
From digital twins to AI-driven HR service centers, the conversation turns futuristic. Heather imagines a world where compensation programs adapt in real time and HR leaders must answer the question, “Why shouldn’t AI do my job?”

💬 Memorable Quotes:

• “Transparency isn’t dangerous; it builds loyalty.”
• “If you think you’re underpaid, you deserve to know the truth.”
• “AI isn’t coming—it’s already here. Learn it, or be left behind.”

🌟 Why Listen:
This episode blends humor, hard truths, and forward-thinking ideas to challenge how we view pay, performance, and purpose in the modern workforce. Whether you’re leading compensation strategy, managing talent, or simply rethinking what motivates people to stay, Heather’s insights deliver a masterclass in balancing heart, data, and innovation.

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In this lively and thought-provoking episode, co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Elizabeth Babb, System Director of Human Resources at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, for a conversation that blends humor, heart, and hard-hitting insights about modern HR leadership.

Elizabeth, a lifelong Spartanburg native and self-proclaimed “hilarious dog mom,” brings her infectious energy and wealth of experience across industries to the table as she dives into the art and science of total rewards. From introducing paid parental leave to strengthening benefits education and employee engagement, Elizabeth reveals how communication, not cost, is often the secret ingredient to driving employee satisfaction and retention.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Strategy before benefits: How aligning HR and total rewards with organizational strategy ensures every initiative moves the mission forward.
• Educate before you elevate: Why employees often think a benefit is “bad” when it’s really just misunderstood and how leaders can fix that through consistent, creative communication.
• Analogies that stick: Elizabeth’s unforgettable “car dashboard” analogy for benefits education will forever change how you think about employee communication.
• The hidden cost of leaving: How total compensation statements help employees see the real value of their employment… beyond just the hourly rate.
• Healthcare’s benefits balancing act: Insights into managing self-insured plans, pharmacy programs, and the ever-changing PBM landscape while keeping employees informed and empowered.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Elizabeth, Bo, and Luke unpack the complexity of the pharmaceutical industry, transparency challenges in PBM contracting, and the growing movement toward more accountable, employee-first healthcare models. As always, expect laughter, candor, and moments of reflection on what it truly means to care for the people who care for patients.

🎧 Tune In If You’re:

• A healthcare HR leader navigating total rewards and benefits education.
• A communicator who wants to make your message stick.
• Curious about the intersection of healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and HR strategy.
• Just here for the laughs because Elizabeth’s analogies are legendary.

Listen now to learn how Spartanburg Regional is redefining employee engagement… one benefit, one conversation, and one brilliant analogy at a time.

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Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.

Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Streamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare
Simplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it’s your all-in-one compliance tool.

Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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Monday News Drop: Education Reform, Pharmacy Savings & The Future of Healthcare Workforce

This week on The ASHHRA Podcast, co-hosts Bo Brabo, Luke Carignan, and Jeremy Sadlier tackle three headlines shaking up healthcare HR and workforce strategy: education pipelines, rising benefit costs, and how leadership can get ahead of both.

💡 Inside This Episode:

1️. Healthcare Education Reimagined
With healthcare staffing shortages projected into 2030, the hosts explore how health systems can take education into their own hands. From virtual nursing programs to in-house training pipelines, they discuss how partnering with or even building academic programs could close the supply gap faster than traditional higher education—and at a fraction of the cost.

2️. ADN vs. BSN — Rethinking Requirements
Are degree requirements unintentionally shrinking your candidate pool? Bo, Luke, and Jeremy debate whether strict BSN-only hiring policies are limiting access to great talent and driving future nurses toward long-term-care roles instead of hospitals. The conversation challenges institutions to create flexible career pathways, such as “hire-now, finish-later” BSN partnerships.

3️. Travel Nursing Declines and Telehealth Explodes
Travel nursing demand is expected to drop another 20% in 2025, while locum tenens, nurse practitioners, and telehealth roles continue to surge. The team explores what this shift means for workforce planning, retention, and the evolving role of HR in recruiting advanced practitioners.

4️. Rising Health Insurance Costs — and How to Fight Back
Employer-sponsored premiums climbed 5% this year, averaging $27,000 per family. Bo walks through practical ways to offset these increases, including pharmacy optimization, transparent contract review, and strengthening the partnership between HR and pharmacy leaders. Luke even floats a bold retention idea: What if organizations covered 100% of employee premiums?

5️. A Round of Applause for Healthcare Culture Champions
The hosts celebrate the newest Most Loved Workplaces list, highlighting top health systems like Parkview Health, Nicholas Children’s, and UCLA Health for setting the bar on employee experience.

🌟 Why Listen:
This episode blends insight, humor, and actionable ideas for every healthcare HR leader navigating workforce shortages, benefit inflation, and culture transformation.

From Our Sponsors...

Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefits
Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.

Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Streamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare
Simplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it’s your all-in-one compliance tool.

Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

Support the show