Send us a text

Host: Jarvis T. Gray, The Quality Coaching Co.
Guest: Paul Wilder, Executive Director at CommonWell Health Alliance

In this insightful episode, Jarvis T. Gray sits down with Paul Wilder, an expert in health IT and interoperability, to dive deep into the challenges and opportunities facing healthcare leaders today. The conversation covers leadership philosophies, the evolution of patient data access, risk-taking in career decisions, and the crucial importance of data accuracy in healthcare.

Key Topics & Highlights

1. Leadership Mindset

• Paul Wilder
• emphasizes action over overthinking: “A poor plan executed well is still better than the best plan executed poorly.”
• Jarvis T. Gray
• echoes the importance of vision and action for healthcare leaders, preferring to “take action” rather than “pontificate.”

2. Journey into Healthcare

• Paul Wilder
• shares his unique path into healthcare, from declining a coveted MD program to working in biomedical science and health IT.
• The tangible impact and meaningful stories within the industry inspired his continued dedication.

3. Data, Technology & Interoperability

• The shift from doctor-driven decisions to data-driven care is explored, with
• Paul Wilder
• championing interoperability—the seamless exchange of data between providers and patients.
• The next big wave? Empowering patients with access to their own health data and enabling them to engage meaningfully with that information.

4. Patient Data Accuracy

• Paul Wilder
• shares personal anecdotes about data errors and the potential downstream effects, likening health records to financial statements that require regular accuracy checks.
• Jarvis T. Gray
• adds a real-world example of using AI to interpret lab results, showing new ways patients are taking charge of their health.

5. AI, Data Tools & Patient Empowerment

• Real stories demonstrate the value of AI, not just for clinicians but for reassuring and informing patients during stressful moments.
• The use of AI for personalized health decisions is discussed as a growing trend—and game changer—for both patients and providers.

6. Leadership Challenges & Advice

• Paul Wilder
• recounts a pivotal career moment, the importance of aligning with leadership, and taking calculated risks.
• Advice for rising leaders: Take smart risks, seek feedback, and work with those who teach you valuable skills.

7. Trust in Healthcare

• The episode addresses trust as both the biggest challenge and opportunity in healthcare—especially regarding data sharing, patient engagement, and regulatory evolution.

Recommended Resources

• Podcasts: Freakonomics, Planet Money (for broader business and economics insights)

Connect with Guest

Find Paul Wilder on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paullwilder

Is your healthcare organization ready to excel with Lean Six Sigma? Take our quick Readiness Assessment to uncover strengths and improvement opportunities for quality, safety, and efficiency

• Start Now: Lean Six Sigma Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

Send us a text

Guest: Jeffrey Simms, Associate Chair for Alumni and External Affairs & Assistant Professor, UNC
Host: Jarvis T. Gray, The Quality Coaching Co.

In this impactful conversation, Jarvis T. Gray sits down with Jeffrey Simms, a “rock star” in healthcare leadership and education, whose journey from North Carolina tobacco fields to academia is both inspiring and deeply insightful. Jeffrey Simms shares his guiding leadership mindset: always strive to leave every interaction better than you found it—a philosophy shaping his work with students, alumni, and healthcare professionals.

Together, they discuss:

• The importance of professional development and connecting alumni with future healthcare leaders
• AI and technology trends, workforce development, and improving access to care
• Real challenges facing rural healthcare organizations, and strategic planning for these providers
• The value of partnerships and not duplicating work—collaboration over competition
• Personal stories about overcoming early career challenges, imposter syndrome, and leading teams as a young professional
• Lessons on vulnerability, the power of lived experience, and always finding/including missing voices in decision-making
• Influences from family and pivotal mentors, and the vital importance of community engagement in healthcare delivery
• The biggest challenges and opportunities for healthcare leaders today, including workforce morale and purpose-driven leadership
• Inspirational advice: keep learning, know your “why”, and don’t forget to celebrate wins (and take vacations!)

Key Highlights

• AI & Workforce Trends: Emphasis on necessity for leaders to engage with AI, even if it feels intimidating, and making workforce retention/safety a top priority.
• Rural Healthcare & Strategic Partnerships: Discussion about supporting rural health organizations through strategic planning and partnerships with academia.
• Early Career Lessons: Navigating leadership roles at a young age, relationship building during difficult decisions, and the importance of including diverse voices.
• Purpose & Resilience: Advice on leading with purpose, staying curious, and remembering that patient care is at the heart of all healthcare work.

Rapid Two-Minute Drill

• Career Advice: Never stop being a student, and always carry a pen and notepad to ask questions and learn.
• If He Could Start Over: He’d prioritize his own wellbeing and take more vacations.
• Recommended Resources: Assembly Required podcast by Abrams, North Carolina Institute of Medicine resources, ACHE publications, and the power of reading fiction for balance.
• Looking Ahead: Excited to celebrate his son’s graduation, upcoming student successes, and innovative problem-solving in the face of healthcare challenges.

Connect with Jeffrey Simms

• LinkedIn: jefferysimms
• Email: jsimms@email.unc.edu

Is your healthcare organization ready to excel with Lean Six Sigma? Take our quick Readiness Assessment to uncover strengths and improvement opportunities for quality, safety, and efficiency

• Start Now: Lean Six Sigma Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.

Send us a text

Guest: Dr. Jeff Doucette, SVP & Chief Nursing Officer at Press Ganey

Welcome back to Excellence In Healthcare! In this inspiring episode, Jarvis sits down with Dr. Jeff Doucette for a deeply authentic conversation about leadership, resilience, and driving excellence in healthcare. Together, they dive into Dr. Doucette’s unique career journey, the critical importance of humility, and real-life stories of growth, challenge, and transformation in healthcare leadership.

Key Topics & Takeaways

1. Leadership Mindset & Ego Check

• Dr. Jeff shares his go-to leadership mantra from author Cy Wakeman: “Your ego is not your amigo.”
• The conversation centers on the strength found in humility and how authenticity and confidence, absent of ego, create stronger, more effective leaders.

2. Dr. Jeff Doucette’s Unconventional Path

• Nursing wasn’t Jeff’s original plan—he wanted to be a pilot!
• A childhood experience in a hospital opened his eyes to the power of compassionate care, leading him into various frontline and executive nursing roles, and eventually to Chief Nursing Officer at Press Ganey.
• Emphasis on career flexibility, mentorship, and saying “yes” to opportunities.

3. The Employee-First Revolution

• Top-performing healthcare organizations prioritize employees first.
• Dr. Jeff discusses the importance of separating “accountability” from “availability,” advocating for genuine work-life boundaries—especially for leaders.

4. Lessons in Leadership—Adversity as Growth

• Jeff opens up about a pivotal, tough feedback experience at Duke University that forced him to reflect and develop a more compassionate, humble leadership style.
• The importance of vulnerability, transparency, and how supporting and investing in others creates exponential impact.

5. Challenges & Opportunities in Healthcare Today

• Current political and economic uncertainties pose significant challenges for healthcare delivery, especially for vulnerable populations.
• At the same time, Dr. Jeff expresses hope, seeing resilience and compassion in the next generation of healthcare leaders, especially Gen Z and Millennials who value meaningful work and life outside the job.

Connect with Dr. Jeff Doucette

• LinkedIn: Connect with Jeff
• Press Ganey: Follow the Press Ganey page for insights
• Email: jeff.doucette@pressganey.com

Quotes to Remember

• “Your ego is not your amigo.” – Cy Wakeman
• “Sometimes you have to just go out there and lead with excellence.”
• “You can be accountable for your 24/7 operation, but not be available 24/7.”

Is your healthcare organization ready to excel with Lean Six Sigma? Take our quick Readiness Assessment to uncover strengths and improvement opportunities for quality, safety, and efficiency

• Start Now: Lean Six Sigma Readiness Assessment

Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence.