Radio Advisory

• 257: Paul Markovich on new builds, breakups, and bold healthcare bets

  In this special live episode from the 2025 Advisory Board Summit, host Rachel (Rae) Woods sits down with a leader well-versed in bold transformation: Paul Markovich. After more than a decade as President and CEO of Blue Shield of California, Paul now leads Ascendiun—a new nonprofit parent company that includes Blue Shield of California, its clinical services firm Altais, and the newly launched health services business, Stellarus. Together, they explore the mounting pressures facing health plans and the bold bets Paul has made in pursuit of a powerful mission: to eagerly create a healthcare system that is worthy of friends and family—and sustainably affordable. Upholding that mission while navigating constant disruption is no easy feat. In this episode, you’ll learn: How organizations can drive radical change without losing public trust What action steps leaders can take today, from getting their digital house to restructuring their pharmacy models What it takes to prioritize, scale, and sustain bold moves across a complex organization We’re here to help: Ascendiun Blue Shield of California is ditching its PBM. Here's our take. Radio Advisory's Leadership playlist Understand your customer: Health plans Home - 2025 Advisory Board Virtual Summit Series There are two events remaining in the 2025 Advisory Board Summit Series. Click here to learn more and secure your spot. Advisory Board Fellowship A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

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• 256: How you can prepare for the financial impacts of Trump-era policies

  Healthcare executives are closely watching legislative activity in Congress—anticipating shifts in government-funded insurance, new economic headwinds, and regulatory changes. And while change is certainly coming, what remains uncertain is how these forces will shape market dynamics and organizational finances. To help hospitals and health systems prepare, Advisory Board’s quantitative experts developed an impact estimator to size the financial impact of Congress’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’. This week, host Abby Burns invites Advisory Board experts Sebastian Beckmann, Deeksha Aleti, and Vidal Seegobin to share the scenario planning tool and explore the range of potential outcomes—from moderate disruption to catastrophic margin impact. Together, they explain how leaders can predict the total impact on their organizations, break down how specific policies will shift their finances (and when), and offer actionable strategies leaders can take today to mitigate risk and plan effectively. We’re here to help: Ep. 255: Is healthcare really recession-proof? Ep. 244: What’s happened in Washington (so far) and what policy changes we’re bracing for Healthcare policy updates 4 ways to improve site-of-care transitions for sickle cell patients How VCU built an ‘inescapable’ Adult Sickle Cell Medical Home to improve inpatient to outpatient transitions of care 4 keys to success in the New England Sickle Cell Institute’s outpatient program for adult sickle cell patients Get in touch to learn more about Advisory Board's Policy Scenario Impact Calculator and other tools A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

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• 255: Is healthcare really recession-proof?

  When experts warn that the economy could be headed for a recession, people working across different corners of the economy get nervous. People working in healthcare, maybe less so. That’s because of a longstanding idea that healthcare is impervious to recession. Okay, maybe that’s overstating it. Healthcare is less susceptible than other industries. But did this notion hold up during the pandemic? During the Great Recession? More importantly, will it hold up now? This week on Radio Advisory, host Rachel (Rae) Woods invites Advisory Board Research Vice Presidents Shay Pratt and Vidal Seegobin to debate the question: Is healthcare really recession-proof? We are not economists, we are healthcare experts. So throughout the conversation, they reflect on how past dislocations affected the healthcare industry, and what leaders can—and can’t—learn from these events to help them interpret the current turbulence. Plus, stay tuned to the end of the episode for a policy update on the ripple effects of Secretary Kennedy’s recent shakeup of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. We’re here to help: Listen: Ep. 244: What’s happened in Washington (so far) and what policy changes we’re bracing for Read: Healthcare policy updates Read: How the Great Recession impacted inpatient utilization Read: Could a recession be good for healthcare? Some economists think so. Additional resources related to the Advisory Committee on Immunization practices: Meet the new members of CDC's vaccine advisory panel Understanding the ACIP and How Vaccine Recommendations are Made in the US 4 ways to improve site-of-care transitions for sickle cell patients How VCU built an 'inescapable' Adult Sickle Cell Medical Home to improve inpatient to outpatient transitions of care 4 keys to success in the New England Sickle Cell Institute's outpatient program for adult sickle cell patients Health policy playlist Modeling Reemergence of Vaccine-Eliminated Infectious Diseases Under Declining Vaccination in the US | Infectious Diseases | JAMA | JAMA Network A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

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• 254: Stop searching for the “perfect” AI product and do this instead

  Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to generate excitement across healthcare, promising to reduce clinician burnout, fuel innovation, and ease financial pressures. But despite the hype, AI is far from a “plug-and-play” solution—and simply investing in AI won’t guarantee success. This week, host Rachel (Rae) Woods is joined by Advisory Board AI expert Ty Aderhold to explore what it really takes to see value from AI in healthcare. Together, they unpack: The current reality of AI’s return on investment The hidden risks—like bias, hallucinations, and uneven adoption—that leaders must manage Why leaders should resist the urge to merely copy others How to build the internal capabilities and governance needed for sustainable, high-impact AI adoption Instead of chasing the latest tech trend, leaders should take a problem-first approach—investing in the right governance, expertise, and evaluation to ensure AI solutions are aligned with their organization’s needs. Links: Ep. 220: Why AI in healthcare is more than just ChatGPT Upcoming webinar: AI in healthcare: Use cases, emerging risks, opportunities, and more Healthcare in 2025, part 2: How AI is shaping care team roles 3 paradigm shifts in healthcare: Cheat sheet series Radio Advisory Tech & AI playlist Survey insights: What to know about the clinician workforce today A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

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• 253: A new way to measure patient access

  Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a policy update on the bill containing Medicaid cuts that is making its way through Congress, and the recent MAHA Commission Report. If you were to ask any healthcare leader what the top challenges in our industry are, it’s a fair bet that “improving patient access to care” would be on the list. There have been so many investments made in the industry to improve access—especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. With this level of investment, we should be moving the needle. But the data shows that access is not getting better, and in some cases, it’s getting worse. This week, Advisory Board physician and medical group expert Mahaya Walker joins host Abby Burns to unpack why, and what medical groups can do about it. They break down Advisory Board research findings around how a narrow focus on improving appointment availability may actually be hurting efforts to improve access, and how medical groups can move the needle on access by putting clinicians closer to the center of their access strategies. Links: Provider availability: A new way to measure access for medical groups Top 3 opportunities to save provider time on administrative tasks Ambulatory access: How to make sustainable progress How to reduce in-basket overload by 34%, in 4 steps 4 ways to improve site-of-care transitions for sickle cell patients How VCU built an ‘inescapable’ Adult Sickle Cell Medical Home to improve inpatient to outpatient transitions of care 4 keys to success in the New England Sickle Cell Institute’s outpatient program for adult sickle cell patients A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

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