HealthTrust Candid Conversations

Staff Support & Community Outreach (Dr. Ghazala Sharieff)

In this episode, Dr. John Young, HealthTrust CMO, talks to Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Excellence and Experience at Scripps Health in San Diego, California. This is a conversation about leadership in difficult times, supporting our staff, and reassuring the community of the strategies in place to ensure a positive and safe experience with their provider.

Palliative Care: COVID and Beyond - (Dr. Jessica Israel)

Dr. Jessica Israel, Senior VP of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at RWJBarnabas’ Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey discusses providing comfort, honesty, and crucial information during difficult conversations.  Armed with empathy and wisdom, Dr. Israel and her team tackle tough topics.

The Power of Alignment (Dr. William Payne)

In this episode, we talk with Dr. William Payne, Orthopedic Surgeon, Program Director, MPH in Epidemiology, and Leader in the COVID Response Team, at Franciscan Health.  This is an episode about the current complexities surrounding COVID and carrying forward with the lessons learned.  Dr. Payne reminds us all of the power of alignment and how if we all have a singular focus – anything is possible. 

Embracing Technology & Resuming Care (Dr. Craig Morrison)

In this episode, Crystal Dugger, HealthTrust’s Vice President, Clinical Services talks to Dr. Craig Morrison from the Southern Joint Replacement Institute in Nashville, Tennessee.  Dr. Morrison talks about his 20 years of experience with joint replacement, resuming care, and new hospital protocols.  We also discuss leveraging technology, patient care innovation, and Dr. Morrison’s deep appreciation for frontline staff.  This is an episode about safety, the new normal, and improving quality of life, one procedure at a time.  Dr. Morrison is a wealth of knowledge and we hope you feel inspired after this episode.

Contracting & Conquering COVID (Cory Goldstein)

Rick Phillips, HealthTrust’s Vice President, Advisory Services talks to Cory Goldstein, Director of Resource & Materials Mgt. at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Yonkers, New York. Cory was working in a COVID hot zone supporting the front lines and then became a patient himself after contracting the virus.  Cory talked about supply chain operations on the frontlines, PPE preservation, and what it’s like to be a caregiver and a patient. This is an episode about bringing people together, the importance of teamwork, and how a “Thank You” can be a reward unto itself.

PPE Preservation and Resuming Care (Sue Shugart)

Dr. John Young talks to Sue Shugart, CEO of KershawHealth in Camden, South Carolina. KershawHealth was the first LifePoint Health facility to identify and treat a COVID-19 patient. Sue talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the patients and staff, the necessary response to the disease, and how KershawHealth will prepare for a potential second wave of COVID-19.  This is an episode about managing PPE while caring for patients, the overwhelming community support in Kershaw County, the importance of staying present during challenging times, and so much more. 

The Safest Place to Be (Dr. Shaefer Spires)

Dr. John Young talk to Dr. Shaefer Spires, Infectious Disease Specialist. Dr. Spires is treating patients and monitoring the impact of COVID-19 at Duke Health. We discuss returning to elective surgeries, COVID-19 testing, the effectiveness of antibody testing, and the use of medicine to treat the virus.

Commitment and Sacrifice (RWJUH Somerset)

Jack, Obe, Joe, Evan, JR and the entire supply chain team at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset are working tirelessly 7 days a week to get supplies to staff and patients on the front lines. This COVID-19 battle can’t be won without the commitment and sacrifices being made by supply chain teams across the nation! Thank you!

Ingenuity and Collaboration (Cristina & Tom Simeone)

Cristina Simeone showed her husband Tom a picture of an isolation tent created to protect clinicians transporting COVID-19 patients and asked if he could build them. Tom took action, building 3 IsoPods that they donated to Jersey City MC and he continues to build. Thanks to the ingenuity and generosity of people like the Simeone’s we will win this battle!

Light, Laughter and Normalcy (Jessica Liles)

Jessica Liles, Director of Child Life at Methodist Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN discusses the emotional health of children during crisis. Patients battling COVID-19 are often separated from their families, causing emotional strife for children. Jessica and her team work to bring “a little bit of light, laughter and normalcy” to their lives at this difficult time!