Podcast Summary

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Dr. Adam Breslow, President and CEO of Children's Primary Care Medical Group
Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Laura Dardo
Guest: Dr. Adam Breslow

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Adam Breslow, a seasoned pediatrician and the CEO of Children’s Primary Care Medical Group (CPCMG), one of California’s largest pediatric safety net providers. Dr. Breslow discusses CPCMG’s growth, recent innovations, and the central principles guiding his leadership during a period of healthcare transformation, particularly in the realm of pediatric care and access. The conversation delves into operational wins, pressing industry challenges, strategies for resilience, and forward-looking leadership lessons.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to Dr. Breslow and CPCMG (00:14–02:24)

• Dr. Breslow’s Background:

  • General pediatrician, now in his 40th year of patient care; CEO since 2016.
  • Still actively sees patients despite his executive role.

• CPCMG at a Glance:

  • 29 sites, ~180 clinicians, 32 advanced practice providers.
  • Serves ~280,000 patients and handles almost 600,000 visits per year.
  • Open seven days a week for office and telehealth visits.
  • Integrated mental health therapists present at many sites.
  • Largest pediatric safety net provider in California; 46% Medicaid patients.
  • Deep affiliations with Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, UC San Diego, and Sanford World Health.

“We are the largest safety net provider for children in a single medical group in California. We're the second largest in the country.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (01:47)

Recent Successes & Innovations (02:41–04:22)

• Population Health Care Coordinator Teams:

  • Implementation of a new team of 18 (mostly RNs) to handle clinician communication (“in basket” work), reducing clinician administrative burden by 80%.
  • Resulted in significantly improved wellness and engagement scores among clinicians.

• Quality Metrics:

  • Enhanced HEDIS quality initiative is a close second win, leading to improved care quality and financial performance.

“It's removed about 80% of in basket work from the electronic records from our clinicians and they are really happy. ...our AMA wellness scores and our Gallup engagement scores over the past year have really improved significantly.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (03:13)

Top Challenges in Pediatric Healthcare (04:54–07:40)

1. Team Wellness:

   • Partnered with Practicing Excellence to foster team-based care across all staff, not just clinicians.
   • Focus on full-staff wellness (medical assistants, IT, HR, finance).

2. Patient Access:

   • Redesigning schedules, removing non-clinical tasks, automating processes.
   • Improved the “third next available” appointment metric for better patient satisfaction.

3. Financial Concerns:

   • Heavy reliance on uncertain Medicaid funding, particularly with potential loss of Prop $35 funding.
   • Advocacy efforts underway, but future funding remains uncertain past 2026/2027.

“Team Wellness is pretty much the alpha and the omega of what we're trying to accomplish.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (05:09)

Navigating Financial Uncertainty & Maintaining Focus (08:35–09:59)

• Control What You Can Control:
  • Focused on robust internal communication and regular feedback between clinicians and executives.
  • Continuous education and open meetings to maintain alignment and momentum.

“The general philosophy is just do the right thing, take care of your patients, do the best you can. And things have historically worked out.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (08:48)

Growth & Future Opportunities (10:14–12:09)

• Technology & AI Investments:
  • Major focus on implementing AI for ambient documentation, chart summarization, patient communication, and omnichannel access.
  • Aim to further enhance patient access and reduce clerical load for clinicians.
  • Prioritizing investments that do not burden clinicians, instead streamlining both patient and staff experience.

“We are very steadily moving into the AI world...you can access us in eight different ways to really make ourselves more efficient. But none of that puts any increased burdens on the clinicians and it makes life much easier for patients and their families.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (10:39)

The Philosophy of Access & Quality (12:09–13:17)

• Friction-Free Environment:
  • Accredited with high HEDIS metrics; goal is to make access as seamless as possible.
  • Challenges remain in covering extensive service hours without staff burnout.

“The general rule is when patients get to see us, they get super duper, high quality care... The question is, the patients who don't get to see us, what kind of care do they get? And we don't know.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (12:12)

Leadership Values for a Thriving Organization (13:52–16:26)

• Change Agility:

  • Importance of adaptability despite personal “luddite” inclinations.
  • Emphasis on people as the organization’s true assets.

• People-First Leadership:

  • Cites the philosophy: “Take care of the people who take care of you and you'll be well taken care of.”
  • Low turnover attributed to prioritizing staff and clinician well-being.

“At the end of the day, 90% of my assets walk out the door ...our people are our assets.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow citing Jim Goodnight (14:18)

“To have a thriving organization now, three years from now, five years from now, 10 years from now is to take good care of your people. ...just take care of your people. It's not that hard.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (15:42)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Team Wellness is pretty much the alpha and the omega of what we're trying to accomplish.” (05:09)
• “It's removed about 80% of in basket work from the electronic records from our clinicians and they are really happy.” (03:13)
• “Our biggest opportunity is to build, to continue. We have really, really, really good access to, I'd say excellent access, but we want to be, you know, premier access.” (11:28)
• “The simple, basic things tend to not fail me. So that's what I do.” (15:58)

Notable Personal Moment

• Dr. Breslow shares an upcoming personal milestone: the anticipated birth of his first grandchild, Juniper Marie. (16:56)

“I will 100% guaranteed be a grandfather by then...you can ask me for pictures of my granddaughter.”
— Dr. Adam Breslow (16:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Group Overview: 00:14–02:24
• Biggest Recent Win: 02:41–04:22
• Top Industry Challenges: 04:54–07:40
• Navigating Uncertainty: 08:35–09:59
• Growth & AI Strategy: 10:14–12:09
• Quality & Access Philosophy: 12:09–13:17
• Leadership Principles: 13:52–16:26
• Personal Note: 16:56

Summary

This episode delivers a compact but deep dive into how Children’s Primary Care Medical Group is championing operational innovation, prioritizing team well-being, unlocking access, and investing in technology as it serves one of California’s largest pediatric populations. Dr. Breslow’s leadership is defined by a “people first” approach, agility in the face of systemic uncertainty, and a commitment to making healthcare frictionless for both patients and staff—offering listeners an inspiring example of values-based, future-ready healthcare leadership.