Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Dr. Joshua Geltman, MD, MBA, Physician Chair of the Sepsis Committee, Northern Westchester Hospital
Host: Scott Becker
Date: October 12, 2025

Overview

This episode features Dr. Joshua Geltman, a physician leader at Northern Westchester Hospital and part of Northwell Health, discussing the challenges and advancements in managing sepsis—a life-threatening medical condition. Dr. Geltman shares insights on the prevalence of sepsis, efforts to improve outcomes, the critical role of human factors in care, and advice for aspiring healthcare leaders. The conversation also closes with lighthearted reflections on St. Louis sports fandom.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Dr. Geltman's Background and Career Path

[00:41–01:52]

• Dr. Geltman hails from St. Louis, completed undergrad at MIT, and holds an MBA with a healthcare management focus.
• Medical and postgraduate training at Northwell Health, with specialties in internal medicine, emergency medicine, and critical care.
• Progressed to roles in both the ER and ICU, now serving as full-time intensivist and head of the hospital’s Sepsis Committee.
• Emphasizes his administrative work, notably leading sepsis initiatives across the institution.

Quote:

"I'm born and bred Northwell from internship residency... now as a full time intensivist. And I wear many administrative hats. One of the most important ones for me is focusing on leading our sepsis efforts at our hospital and trying to move the needle for us and for the rest of the region." — Dr. Geltman [01:35]

2. Understanding & Addressing Sepsis

[02:23–05:33]

• Sepsis Defined: An overwhelming and often insidious response to infection, making it difficult to recognize, unlike acute conditions like strokes or heart attacks.
• Challenges: Sepsis can escalate quickly and is often not immediately apparent to patients or clinicians until it's severe.
• Northwell’s Approach:
  • Community awareness to ensure early patient presentation.
  • Empowering frontline staff (nurses, techs, PCAs, transporters) to recognize signs of sepsis and intervene promptly.
  • Institutional focus on three pillars: early recognition, effective treatment, and timeliness.
  • Systems-level improvement, leveraging health informatics and team-based approaches for rapid action.

Quote:

"Sepsis is a tricky thing to recognize as it's developing... Healthcare is always a team-based sport, but especially with regards to sepsis in particular, taking a team-based approach is really the only way to succeed here." — Dr. Geltman [04:50]

3. Trends and Technology in Sepsis Care

[05:45–07:53]

• Rates & Challenges: Sepsis rates are difficult to impact nationally due to its elusive nature, particularly when developed during a hospital stay.
• Focus Areas: Preventing and quickly identifying hospital-acquired sepsis is an urgent area of improvement.
• AI and Predictive Analytics:
  • Growing use of artificial intelligence and EHR-integrated risk models (e.g., Epic’s predictive tools).
  • Anticipation that AI will be pivotal for earlier detection and improved patient outcomes in sepsis.

Quote:

"...as you see AI evolving in every space, I think as it evolves in our health care space, this is going to be one of the biggest targets for AI in health care to really move the quality improvement needle for patients." — Dr. Geltman [07:36]

4. Human Factors & Practice Innovations

[08:06–10:15]

• Empowering Staff: Emphasis on the “human element”—ensuring all staff feel equipped and authorized to act when sepsis is suspected.
• Education & Tools:
  • Enhanced training for nurses, techs, and PCAs.
  • Implementation of "code sepsis" protocols—any team member can call overhead for an immediate intervention, similar to "code blue."
  • Streamlined EHR order sets for rapid, coordinated response.
  • Benchmarking tools to measure performance and guide improvements.

Quote:

"I'm most excited about the human elements of managing sepsis... We can have all of the predictive analytics that we can purchase. However, if we don't have the frontline staff that feels empowered... we're never going to move the needle." — Dr. Geltman [08:15]

5. Leadership Advice for Healthcare Professionals

[10:41–12:54]

• Importance of Mentorship: Dr. Geltman underscores seeking and learning from mentors as the cornerstone of his own leadership journey.
• Diversity in Guidance: Advises not to limit mentorship to those with high-ranking titles; great advice often comes from peers or professionals outside one’s own discipline.
• Career Development: Mentorship creates a “snowball effect,” facilitating further connections and opportunities.

Quote:

"I definitely would not be where I am today without the mentorship that I found early on. ...I started with my co residents, I started with the nurse manager, I started with the charge nurse." — Dr. Geltman [11:29]

6. Lighthearted Reflections: St. Louis Sports

[13:12–15:17]

• Dr. Geltman, a lifelong St. Louis sports fan, shares a humorous and heartfelt take on the resilience and pain of rooting for local teams.
• Expresses cautious hope for the Blues and Cardinals, and jokes about the heartbreak associated with the departure of the Rams.
• Comments on building “emotional walls” as a sports fan, highlighting the camaraderie and good-natured rivalry with Chicago sports fans.

Quote:

"I would encourage him not to sign a do not resuscitate order yet. I think that there is life there to be had. I like to think of the Blues Stanley cup run as a Phoenix rising from the ashes." — Dr. Geltman [13:31]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the Challenge of Sepsis:
  "Sepsis is a tricky thing to recognize as it's developing..." — Dr. Geltman [04:50]

• On AI’s Role in Healthcare:
  "...this is going to be one of the biggest targets for AI in health care to really move the quality improvement needle for patients." — Dr. Geltman [07:36]

• On Staff Empowerment:
  "...if we don't have the frontline staff that feels empowered to recognize sepsis and then subsequently sound the alarm...we're never going to move the needle." — Dr. Geltman [08:15]

• On Mentorship:
  "I definitely would not be where I am today without the mentorship that I found early on." — Dr. Geltman [11:29]

• On St. Louis Sports:
  "I think that analogy [Phoenix rising from the ashes] continues to serve us to this day. I think there's a lot to look forward to moving forward." — Dr. Geltman [13:34]

Highlights & Memorable Moments

• Introduction of "code sepsis" as a rapid response mechanism
• Emphasis on multidisciplinary education and empowerment at all staff levels
• Reflections on mentorship across disciplines and career stages
• Dr. Geltman’s witty, heartfelt sentiments about the highs and lows of St. Louis sports fandom

Episode Flow & Timestamps

• 00:00–01:52 — Introduction and Dr. Geltman’s background
• 02:23–05:33 — Understanding sepsis, challenges, and institutional approaches
• 05:45–07:53 — Sepsis trends, AI and predictive analytics
• 08:06–10:15 — Practice innovations and focusing on the human element
• 10:41–12:54 — Leadership advice and the value of mentorship
• 13:12–15:17 — St. Louis sports: humor, resilience, and rivalry

Overall, this episode offers practical and inspirational insights into sepsis care, healthcare leadership, and a touch of sports camaraderie—underscored by Dr. Geltman's dedication to both the science and art of medicine.