What if the skills that make a great physician aren’t enough to lead healthcare, and the real transformation begins when medicine and business finally learn to speak the same language?

This recast episode of Pemba on Demand: Leadership Odyssey Bridging Medicine and Business revisits a compelling conversation with host Dr. Norman A. Chapin and Dr. Michael Marks, Senior Medical Director at Relievant Medsystems, Inc.

Dr. Marks reflects on his professional journey from orthopedic spine surgeon to healthcare executive in the medical device industry. He shares how his experience in the Physician Executive MBA program at the University of Tennessee shaped his leadership approach, supported complex orthopedic group mergers, and prepared him for roles in hospital administration and industry leadership.

The episode explores the evolving identity of physician leaders and highlights the importance of education, mentorship, collaboration, and adaptability when navigating the intersection of medicine and business. Dr. Marks also discusses the human side of leadership, including maintaining empathy in patient care, facing personal health challenges, and advocating for patients within complex insurance and reimbursement systems.

• Transitioning from clinical practice to executive leadership roles
  
  
• The value of the Physician Executive MBA program for physicians
  
  
• Managing healthcare mergers and navigating cultural integration
  
  
• Empathy and communication as essential leadership skills
  
  
• The role of mentorship in career development and growth
  
  
• Staying connected to clinical care during personal health challenges
  
  
• Advocating for patients amid insurance and coverage barriers
  
  
• Understanding healthcare spending and its impact on Medicare and Medicaid
  
  
• The importance of continuous learning in a changing healthcare landscape
  
  
• Collaboration and shared purpose as foundations of effective leadership
  
  

Links and Resources:

• Physician Executive MBA at the University of Tennessee
• Michael Marks MD MBA
  

In this episode of PEMBA On Demand, host Dr. Norman A. Chapin sits down with Camilo R. Gomez, MD, MBA, and former FBI lead hostage negotiator Christopher Voss to explore how elite negotiation strategies can reshape leadership in healthcare.

Drawing from their new book Strategic Conversations, the conversation bridges the worlds of medicine and high stakes negotiation. Dr. Gomez and Christopher Voss explain how principles like tactical empathy, calibrated questions, ethical ambition, and disciplined curiosity can improve physician leadership, strengthen care teams, reduce burnout, and create better outcomes for patients and organizations alike.

This episode challenges traditional command and control leadership models and offers physicians a practical framework for navigating conflict, complexity, and change with clarity and confidence.

• Applying FBI hostage negotiation principles to healthcare leadership
• Tactical empathy as a leadership and communication tool
• Moving from authority based leadership to influence based leadership
• Reducing burnout through better conversations and alignment
• Ethical ambition and its role in modern medical leadership
• Improving collaboration across care teams and organizations
• Navigating high pressure conversations with patients and colleagues
• Building trust and psychological safety in clinical environments
• Creating sustainable win win outcomes in healthcare systems

Dr. Camilo R. Gomez, MD, MBA

Dr. Camilo R. Gomez is a physician, author, and healthcare executive with a focus on leadership, ethics, and system level improvement. He brings deep experience at the intersection of medicine, strategy, and communication, helping clinicians navigate complex professional environments with clarity and purpose.

Christopher Voss

Christopher Voss is a former FBI lead international hostage negotiator and the founder of Black Swan Group. He is the bestselling author of Never Split the Difference and a globally recognized expert in negotiation, communication, and decision making under pressure.

• Dr. Camilo R. Gomez on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/neuroranger/
• Christopher Voss on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophervoss/

Organizations

• Black Swan Group
  https://www.blackswanltd.com/

Books Mentioned

• Strategic Conversations by Camilo R. Gomez and Christopher Voss
  https://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Conversations-Successbooks-Publishing/dp/B0DWH4R21H
• Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss
  https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805
• Empathy and Understanding in Business by Christopher Voss
  https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Understanding-Business-Chris-Voss/dp/B0CNF6J4G8
• Empathic Reasoning for Extraordinary Results by Christopher Voss
  https://www.amazon.com/Empathic...

What if reducing emergency department readmissions wasn’t about working harder, but about leading smarter through data, teamwork, and innovation?

In this episode of PEMBA On Demand, host Dr. Norman A. Chapin speaks with Dr. Max Baumgardner DO, FACEP, Chief Medical Officer at AdventHealth Apopka and current student in the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program. Dr. Baumgardner shares the transformational journey of leading a multidisciplinary initiative aimed at reducing emergency department readmissions. He explains how his team leveraged data, care coordination, centralized case management, Epic integration, and innovative emergency department interventions to improve patient outcomes and move system performance from bottom quartile to top quartile. Dr. Baumgardner discusses the leadership lessons gained through PEMBA, the power of frontline engagement, and strategies for balancing administrative and clinical responsibilities while creating sustainable, scalable improvement.

Key Topics Covered

• Reducing emergency department readmissions through multidisciplinary collaboration
• Identifying high risk patients using real world data insights
• Leveraging Epic tools and alerts to improve care coordination
• The value of centralized case management and live Epic chat support
• Innovative emergency department solutions including infusions, dialysis, and direct facility placement
• Strengthening transitions of care using care plans and team based communication
• Maintaining quality and performance metrics while implementing major change
• Leadership strategies for empowering teams and sustaining improvement
• Balancing clinical work and the Chief Medical Officer role
• How the PEMBA program accelerated leadership capabilities and project success

Links and Resources

• Dr. Max Baumgardner on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-baumgardner-do/
  
• ‍⚕️ Dr. Norman A. Chapin on LinkedIn
  
• ▶ PEMBA On Demand YouTube
  https://www.youtube.com/@PEMBAON-DEMAND
  
• AdventHealth Apopka
  https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-apopka
  
• Physician Executive MBA Program – University of Tennessee
  https://haslamgradprograms.utk.edu/programs/mba/physician-executive-pemba/