In this episode, Dr. Stephen Swensen discusses his work at Mayo Clinic to create thriving, ideal work environments. His most recent book, Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout - 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace, outlines four evidence based elements of an ideal workplace: agency, belonging, collective effervescence and positivity.

Dr. Swensen is a recognized expert, speaker and inter-disciplinary researcher in wellbeing, leadership and organizational development. For 35 years, he served patients at Mayo Clinic as a clinician, scientist, educator and leader. He serves as a senior fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and a transformational fellow at The NARBHA Institute.

Expert: Dr. Stephen Swensen, senior fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; transformational fellow, NARBHA Institute; professor emeritus, Mayo Clinic

Notable topics covered:

• The role leadership plays in creating healthy, thriving work environments
• The elements of an ideal workplace: agency, belonging, collective effervescence and positivity
• How People-Centered Kind Leaders cultivate work communities that allow people to optimize their positive life assessment and healthspan

Links:

• Steve Swensen (LinkedIn)
• Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout - 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement
• The NARBHA Institute
• Leading with Kindness

In this episode, Chris Siebenaler shares how his nearly 25-year Houston Methodist career has shaped his perspective on how to drive continuous improvement. As executive vice president of network hospitals, Siebenaler shares how incorporating lean management principals and daily management systems have empowered physicians and staff to identify issues, track performance and implement solutions.

Expert: Chris Siebenaler, executive vice president of network hospitals, Houston Methodist

Notable topics covered:

• Fostering continuous improvement and frontline engagement through lean management
• Creating a culture of excellence through transparency and staff empowerment
• Quality is not just metrics — it’s about meaningful experiences for patients and caregivers
  
  

Links:

• Chris Siebenaler LinkedIn
• Dr. Eric Dickson: How Lean Management Transformed a Health Care System | Quality Time Podcast
• Examining the Relationship Between the Lean Management System and Quality Improvement Care Management Processes
• Lean Management — The Journey from Toyota to Healthcare

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Sexton, discusses how emotional exhaustion and burnout impact clinical outcomes—and how measuring and improving well-being through bite-sized interventions can lead to better teamwork, leadership and patient care.

Expert: J. Bryan Sexton, Ph.D., chief wellness officer of Duke Health Integrated Practice and director of the Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science.

Notable Topics Covered:

• Measuring clinician well-being to predict and improve quality outcomes
• Addressing well-being through bite-sized Interventions

Links:

• Bryan Sexton (LinkedIn)
• Dr. J. Bryan Sexton (Duke Profile)
• Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science Bite-Sized Resources

In this episode, Dr. Brian R. Spisak — organizational psychologist, author and senior partner at Csuite Growth Advisors — discusses the intersection of behavioral science, leadership and emerging technology in health care. Dr. Spisak shares his personal journey from burnout in behavioral mental health to a career dedicated to understanding and improving organizational well-being.

Expert: Dr. Brian R. Spisak, chief people and communication officer and senior partner at Csuite Growth Advisors, Program Director of AI and Leadership at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University and author of Computational Leadership: Connecting Behavioral Science and Technology to Optimize Decision-Making and Increase Profits.

Notable topics covered:

• Self-determination theory
• Organizational well-being
• CAR-driven needs: Competency, Autonomy, Relatedness

Links:

• Brian Spisak, PhD (LinkedIn)
• Csuite Growth Advisors
• BEST IDEAS WIN Podcast
• Computational Leadership: Connecting Behavioral Science and Technology to Optimize Decision-Making and Increase Profits
• National Preparedness Leadership Initiative
• American College of Healthcare Executives
• Avoiding the Pitfalls of AI Hype with a Strategic Innovation Agenda

In this episode, Dr. Shawn Tittle discusses his transition from a working as a highly specialized cardiothoracic surgeon to serving as the senior vice president and system chief quality officer of system safety, quality and service at Houston Methodist.

Expert: Shawn Tittle, MD, senior vice president and system chief quality officer for the Houston Methodist Department of System Safety, Quality and Service

Notable topics covered:

• Culture of safety
• Principles of high reliability
• Vizient Inc. scorecard and national benchmarking
• Houston Methodist Quality, Safety and Well-being Institute

Links:

• Shawn Tittle, MD (LinkedIn)
• Houston Methodist Quality & Patient Safety
• Houston Methodist The Patient Experience
• PODCAST: Advancing the Science of Quality Improvement | Quality Time with Dr. Schaal
• Vizient Inc.
• The Framework for High Reliability Healthcare
• Crossing the Quality Chasm
• To Err is Human

In this episode, nursing leaders Gail M. Vozzella and Caroline Mascarenhas discuss how Houston Methodist's implementation of virtual nursing and innovative technologies has transformed health care delivery, enhanced care coordination and improved patient safety.

Experts:

• Gail M. Vozzella DNP, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president and chief nurse executive at Houston Methodist
• Caroline Mascarenhas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, vice president and chief nursing officer at Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital

Notable topics covered:

• How virtual nursing and innovative technology have improved patient safety
• Cooperative efforts of virtual and bedside nursing
• Role of nursing in care coordination and patient outcomes

Links:

• Gail M. Vozzella DNP, RN, NEA-BC (LinkedIn)
• Caroline Mascarenhas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC (LinkedIn)
• Houston Methodist Department of Nursing
• Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital
• Florence Nightingale (1820-1910): The Founder of Modern Nursing

In this episode, Dr. Don M. Berwick, a foundational figure in health care quality improvement, shares his perspective on how far we've come in our pursuit to improve patient safety through the design of a safer health system — and how far we have left to go.

Expert: Dr. Don M. Berwick, president emeritus and senior fellow at the Institute for Health Care Improvement (IHI), which he co-founded in 1991 and led as its first CEO, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and former faculty member at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Notable topics covered:

• The development and adoption of the science of health care improvement
• The goal to close the quality gap through research and education
• The impact of a psychologically safe work environment on health outcomes

Links:

• Dr. Don M. Berwick (LinkedIn)
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
• To Err is Human
• Crossing the Quality Chasm
• Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program

Ms. Mary A. Daffin discusses her impact on Houston Methodist's quality and patient safety initiatives as a member of the board of directors and how her deep Methodist faith underscores her commitment to her role.

Expert: Mary A. Daffin, JD Of Counsel, Barrett Daffin Frappier Turner & Engel, LLP, Vice Chair Board of Directors, Houston Methodist Hospital System and chair of multiple committees including the executive committee of the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, quality and patient safety and system quality integration

Notable topics covered:

• Understanding the role and reach of a board of directors
• Centering quality as strategic goal of health care institutions
• Bettering patient outcomes with innovative technology

Links:

• Mary Daffin
• Houston Methodist Board of Directors
• Why Choose Houston Methodist