Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Interview with Haris Ackerman, Director of Integration and Strategic Operations at Virtua Health

Episode Date: November 7, 2025
Host: Scott Becker
Guest: Haris Ackerman, Director of Integration and Strategic Operations, Virtua Health

Episode Overview

This episode features Haris Ackerman in conversation with Scott Becker, discussing Virtua Health’s approach to patient-centered integration, technology’s evolving role in healthcare strategy, academic and clinical partnerships, and leadership advice for emerging healthcare leaders. Ackerman offers insights into how Virtua Health is innovating patient care delivery, leveraging partnerships, and preparing for the future of healthcare.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Virtua Health and Ackerman’s Role (00:00 - 01:17)

• Virtua Health Overview:

  • Five-hospital system, 1,300+ beds, hundreds of outpatient sites
  • Located in South Jersey, part of Greater Philadelphia area
  • Recent academic affiliation with Rowan University

• Ackerman’s Background:

  • Engineer by education
  • Career focus shifted to healthcare strategy in 2021-22

2. Local Culture: Philadelphia vs. New Jersey Sports Rivalry (01:17 - 02:16)

• Community Identity:

  • Virtua Health is on the Jersey side but firmly in the Philadelphia sports fan base
  • Discusses rivalry within New Jersey: Eagles vs. Giants

  "We are very much Philadelphia sports fans in this part of the state and we love to be rivals besides just North Jersey and South Jersey."
  — Haris Ackerman, 01:42

3. Patient-Centered Strategy and Technological Integration (02:16 - 03:47)

• Patient First:

  • Major strategic priority: Removing confusion from the healthcare journey, especially for patients with complex needs
  • Focused on streamlining care experiences, making navigation simpler for patients

• Technology in Care Coordination:

  • Use of Epic, MyChart for transparency and patient engagement
  • Ambition to go "a step further" in operational efficiency
  • Initiatives like "hospital at home" and expanding outpatient care

  "[...] providing care inside [the] home, with hospital at home and some of our outpatient programs and things like that, to just really try and make it as convenient as possible for patients..."
  — Haris Ackerman, 03:21

4. Innovation and Future Focus: Tech, Wearables, AI (03:47 - 05:09)

• Key Priorities for Next 12-18 Months:

  • Implementing wearable devices in hospital settings to improve in-hospital and post-acute care
  • Exploring how clinical staff can use wearables to enhance care quality
  • Proactive, purposeful deployment of artificial intelligence

  "[...] if something is missed in terms of a follow up appointment, how can AI push that to our scheduling team to help them? How can AI send a notification to a patient to say, hey, you have XYZ clinical thing going on potentially [...]?"
  — Haris Ackerman, 04:27

  • Emphasis on AI not for its own sake, but to measurably improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency
  • Acknowledgement of how rapidly technology is advancing

5. Partnering with Academic and Clinical Leaders (05:09 - 06:53)

• Academic Affiliation with Rowan University (Established 2021):

  • Creation of Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine and Nursing School
  • Partnership with Rowan’s Biomedical Engineering Department
  • Provides clinical learning opportunities and bridges education with real-world healthcare

• Clinical Collaboration with Penn Medicine:

  • Partnership on advanced treatments like proton therapy for cancer
  • New facility in Morristown dedicated to next-generation cancer care

  "Penn's really supported us with proton therapy, which is really like next generation cancer care [...] we're really excited about that because of the options it gives to patients that are trying to navigate their cancer care journey."
  — Haris Ackerman, 06:17

6. Leadership Advice for Evolving Healthcare Leaders (06:53 - 07:57)

• Technology Adoption:

  • Encourages future leaders to trust their instincts on the importance of tech in shaping healthcare

• Relational Leadership:

  • Stresses the necessity of building relationships with clinical counterparts, especially for non-clinicians
  • Recommends basing decision-making on feedback from front-line clinical teams and patients

  "Building relationships and putting that patient first is really going to take you a long way."
  — Haris Ackerman, 07:48

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We are very much Philadelphia sports fans in this part of the state and we love to be rivals..."
  (Haris Ackerman, 01:42)

• "Ours has kind of really evolved into what can we do to streamline care in the best way possible. So we kind of remove some of that confusion that tends to exist in, you know, your healthcare journey..."
  (Haris Ackerman, 02:28)

• "How can AI send a notification to a patient to say, hey, you have XYZ clinical thing going on potentially, and this may be a good idea for you to seek care..."
  (Haris Ackerman, 04:26)

• "Not just because of the extended reach that you can get by being affiliated with an academic medical center, university partnership, but also the fact that we can offer real time opportunities for all these clinical folks that are coming through these programs..."
  (Haris Ackerman, 05:51)

• "I think building relationships with your clinical counterparts, especially like myself, I'm non clinical. So really getting an understanding of what they're experiencing, what their patients are telling them [...] you're not going to go wrong."
  (Haris Ackerman, 07:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:35] – Ackerman’s background and Virtua Health system overview
• [01:17] – Local culture, sports rivalries, and regional healthcare identity
• [02:23] – Virtua Health’s patient-centered strategy
• [03:47] – Technology, wearables, and AI in patient care
• [05:24] – Academic and clinical partnerships (Rowan University, Penn Medicine)
• [07:04] – Advice to emerging healthcare leaders

Tone and Takeaways

Ackerman brings both enthusiasm and practical insight to the conversation, emphasizing Virtua Health's commitment to streamlining care, integrating new technologies, and leveraging strategic partnerships to benefit both patients and staff. The tone is collegial, forward-looking, and grounded in the realities of healthcare’s rapid evolution.

For listeners wanting a window into how leading regional health systems are operationalizing patient-centered care and innovation, and what qualities matter for tomorrow’s leaders, this episode is insightful and succinct.