A series of brief podcasts on our work collaborating and innovating to improve health.

 

Episode 5: What Rural Hospitals Can Do to Improve Care for Older Adults

To celebrate National Rural Health Day, Stratis Health President and CEO Jennifer Lundblad hosts a conversation about how rural hospitals, especially rural emergency departments, can improve care for their older adult patients while contributing to building a fair, just, and equitable health care system. Jennifer is joined by two expert colleagues, Kevin Biese, associate professor of emergency and internal medicine at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine and co-principal investigator at the Geriatrics Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC), and Christie Foster, the emergency department nurse manager at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital (APD) in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

 

Episode 4: Why Focus on Health Equity?

To coincide with National Minority Health Month, this episode focuses on health equity. Stratis Health Program Manager Marleny Garber and UCare’s Health Equity Officer Pleasant Radford Jr. discuss the complex social factors and systemic barriers that cause an inequitable distribution of health care resources to diverse communities. They explore how multiple intersecting identities and understanding factors such as sexual orientation, gender, identity, age, ability, geography, and language are critical to providing the proper care for everyone to live their best life.

 

Episode 3: Improving the Care and Health of Older Adults in Rural Communities

To help celebrate ⁠National Rural Health Day⁠, this episode focuses on the care and health of older adults in rural communities. Stratis Health President and CEO Jennifer Lundblad is joined by two other national leaders –  Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association, and Rani Snyder, vice president of programs, John A. Hartford Foundation. The discussion explores needs, opportunities, strategies, and innovations to improve the health of older adults in rural communities. The session also includes advice for policymakers and a call to action for leaders in rural communities.

 

Episode 2: The Current and Future State of Patient Safety

In this episode, David Satin, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School (and Stratis Health Board Member), and Jennifer Lundblad, PhD, Stratis Health president and CEO, discuss the current state and future of patient safety.

They examine some of the challenges regarding technical fixes needed in health systems, the importance of physicians having more time with patients, and the need to optimize and streamline the way electronic medical record systems function.

Moreover, they explore the notion of trust and what that means for health workers and their interactions among teams and with patients. Amid the competing demands facing clinics and hospitals, patient safety must be prioritized at all levels. As a result, David and Jennifer make a call to action for patient safety to have greater strategic prominence. This can be achieved by actively engaging leaders, leveraging political will, and ensuring patient safety is integral to medical school education.

 

Episode 1: Building Bridges Between Health Care and Community

In an ever-changing world, it is crucial to build bridges between health care and the community to meet the comprehensive health needs of all people so that no particular group is left behind. As part of our podcast series, Jennifer Lundblad, president and CEO of Stratis Health, sat with June Simmons, president and CEO of Partners in Care Foundation, and a National Council on Aging’s Board of Directors member. In their in-depth conversation, they discussed innovations that can increase the quality, availability, and effectiveness of community-based programs to prevent disease and injury, improve health, and enhance quality of life.

They also examined social determinants of health and disparities affecting diverse populations. Their in-depth and candid sit-down was an opportunity to discuss how institutions are working to address structural challenges regarding community-based care. There was a focus on technology and its crucial role in bringing long-term and sustainable change. Lastly, partnerships were looked at when it comes to diversification of funding streams, mobilization of resources, and inclusion of voices at the table.