Episode Overview

Podcast: Advancing Health – American Hospital Association
Episode Title: When Health Care Is Hard to Navigate: Designing Patient Care Navigation
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Julia Resnick, Senior Director of Health Outcomes and Care Transformation, AHA
Guest: G. Im, System Senior Director of Community and Population Health, CommonSpirit Health

Main Theme:
This episode explores the challenges faced by patients navigating complex healthcare systems and highlights the importance of care navigation. Through personal experience and professional insight, G. Im discusses how systems can be reimagined to reduce patient burden, foster trust, and holistically support community and population health.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to CommonSpirit Health and Population Health (00:40–02:59)

• CommonSpirit Health Overview:

  • Operates ~140 hospitals and 2,300+ care sites across 24 states.
  • Over 20 million annual patient encounters.
  • Provides $5 billion annually in community benefit.

• G. Im’s Role:

  • Positioned “between the clinical world and the community”; focused on addressing health and well-being beyond hospital walls.
  • Describes the organization's mission: “to heal, not just treat, especially in moments of hardship and vulnerability.” (C, 01:16)
  • Initiatives cover more than just medical care; includes connecting patients to housing, food, transportation, and family resources, emphasizing that these “drive as much as 80% of health outcomes.” (C, 01:54)

The Health Care Ecosystem & Patient Burden (02:59–06:12)

• Health is shaped by both clinical and community factors; the guest and host emphasize the need for seamless connections.
• Importance of minimizing the "mental burden" for patients navigating the system:
  • “It really shouldn’t feel like a system to the person.” (C, 03:41)
  • Lists common navigation hurdles: coverage, network information, paperwork, etc.
• Navigation should “remove that invisible cognitive tax” people feel when they interact with healthcare (C, 04:23).
• Personal experience: Even healthcare insiders struggle to navigate the system during vulnerable times.

Personal Story: Navigating the System as a Patient (06:46–08:49)

• G. Im shares a deeply personal experience: Diagnosed with lung cancer two years earlier, she felt lost despite decades of experience and training.

  • “I felt like I was dropped into a foreign world ... what I experience—and quite frankly still experience—are those cracks, one hoop after another, another hurdle.” (C, 06:58)
  • Despite this, she encountered compassionate professionals throughout her care journey.

• Host Julia Resnick relates, referencing her own cancer experience 20 years ago, underscoring the importance of human connection and care.

Elements of a Truly Patient-Centered Model (08:49–10:01)

• Minimizing Friction:
  • The goal is to “extend ourselves to the next base ... until somebody else is there to extend back.” (C, 08:59)
• Involve the community and patients with lived experience in system design.
• Recognize that different patients have distinct needs and preferences (e.g., digital vs. in-person communication).

Existing Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement (10:01–12:33)

• Many healthcare workers already go “above and beyond”:
  • “Yes, I can make a referral, but I know that you could get lost. So I'm going to follow up.” (C, 10:11)
• The problem isn’t with individual effort but with systems that let patients fall through the cracks.
  • “It's not you who can't figure out how to access care... It's because the system isn't working for you and we have to do better.” (C, 11:10)
• Movement toward more seamless and dignified care, but real change requires cross-sector collaboration.

Advice to Healthcare Leaders and Future Directions (13:02–15:08)

• Measure Navigation Quality Broadly:
  • Don't define navigation success too narrowly (beyond tracking appointments) — also value building trust, confidence, and patient agency.
• Invest Resources in Care Navigation:
  • Navigation roles such as community health workers are under-resourced; their positions must be valued and stable.
  • “We have to look where resources are going ... shifting the resources to make navigational support ... roles stable, defined, and valued.” (C, 13:57)
• Listen to Navigators:
  • They see patient nuances that clinicians might miss in brief encounters; leverage their insights to identify and address deeper needs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• G. Im on the purpose of health systems:
  • “Our organization exists to heal, not just treat, especially in moments of hardship and vulnerability.” [01:16]
• On the hidden cost to patients:
  • “Navigation is really about removing that invisible cognitive tax.” [04:23]
• On the challenge of being a ‘healthcare insider’ turned patient:
  • “I felt like I was dropped into a foreign world ... and what I experience—and quite frankly still experience—are those cracks.” [06:58]
• Julia Resnick reflecting on patient needs:
  • “We all need someone to hold our hand and help us.” [08:19]
• On responsibility for better care:
  • “It's not you who can't figure out how to access care... It's because the system isn't working for you and we have to do better.” [11:10]
• Advice to leaders:
  • “Navigators, they probably see so much more of the nuance that a 15-minute visit may miss ... How do we really maximize on that information that navigators have about people?” [14:23]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:49] Guest introduction and overview of CommonSpirit Health’s mission
• [03:38] Redesigning healthcare to minimize patient burden
• [06:46] G. Im’s personal cancer journey and its impact on her approach
• [08:49] Designing truly patient-centered navigation models
• [10:01] Existing mechanisms and the importance of individual effort
• [13:02] Advice for healthcare leaders, value of navigators, and future focus

Conclusion

This candid conversation surfaces both the practical and deeply personal dimensions of healthcare navigation. G. Im’s experiences as a leader and as a patient illuminate why patient-centered, seamless, and compassionate navigation is crucial—especially during times of vulnerability. The episode encourages healthcare leaders to invest in navigation roles, prioritize patient dignity, and co-create solutions with communities to truly transform health outcomes.