Episode Overview

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Guest: Matthew Cantonis, MBA, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, USF Tampa General Physicians
Host: Laura Darda
Release Date: November 24, 2025
Main Theme:
The episode dives into how USF Tampa General Physicians is advancing access to care, specifically within the academic medical group context. Matt Cantonis shares strategies for breaking down silos, implementing AI-powered solutions, fostering a culture of access, and imagining the future of patient-centered, digital healthcare.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Access in Academic Medical Groups

[00:14–01:45]

• Cantonis underscores his role in supporting both the clinical and academic missions.
• Access is not only about scheduling but ensuring patients connect with the right specialists and care modalities efficiently.
• "In an academic setting, access also means balancing patient care with the teaching and research missions. This adds complex complication. It's also something that requires a lot of balance, but…is really one of the differentiations of the care we deliver." — Matt Cantonis [00:58]

2. Real-World Example: Measurable Impact on Patient Experience

[01:45–03:10]

• Historically, departments were siloed; USF Tampa General broke these down with a centralized Experience Center—a single, simplified contact point for patient scheduling.
• Leveraged technology by introducing an AI agent to handle 100% of phone calls, soon to be able to schedule and cancel appointments directly.
• Notable Outcome: Reduced scheduling variability, improved efficiency, and enhanced patient experience.
  • "We now have an agentic agent, AI agent that's answering 100% of our phone calls, routing our calls appropriately. And we'll soon be able to schedule and cancel appointments directly, reducing the need for human contact and also accelerating their ability to make and get the appointments in a preferential time that they desire." — Matt Cantonis [02:35]

3. Change Management: Engaging Multidisciplinary Buy-In

[03:10–05:40]

• Academic environments are uniquely collaborative, aiding in accelerating change.
• The foundation: Listening at the point of care—engaging faculty and department chairs early.
• Data transparency is critical for framing access initiatives as positive for patient care and education/research.
• Emphasis on viewing access beyond new patient lead time—it’s transformational when departments see the broader impacts.
  • "Buy in always starts with listening. The point of care is where the value is delivered." — Matt Cantonis [04:10]
  • "The more patients that our learners can see, the wider variety of patients that our learners can see, the better we perform and better we serve them as the future care providers for our community and beyond." — Matt Cantonis [05:11]

4. Leadership Culture & The Importance of Access

[05:40–07:20]

• Leadership must make access a priority; otherwise, it becomes a "back burner issue."
• Building a culture where access is everyone's concern—clinical, operational, and strategic.
• Celebrate wins, maintain ultra-transparency about challenges, and embed access in all leadership conversations.
  • "Every patient that picks up the phone and tries to get an appointment or schedule a diagnostic, they call us with hope, they call us with vulnerability... If leadership doesn't prioritize access, it'll become a back burner issue." — Matt Cantonis [06:14]
  • Notable recognition: The example set by leaders at Florida Health Science Center, Tampa General, and the University of South Florida has produced tangible results.

5. Driving Transparency and Communication

[07:20–08:57]

• Fundamental: Leadership presence—be seen, be engaged, understand front-line work.
• Approaches: Shadowing, handling calls, understanding knowledge management tools.
• Transparency via clear communication, regular leadership meetings, and visible data helps align teams.
  • "I think the first fundamental of leadership and instilling a healthy culture is being present, being seen by the people doing the work, seeking to understand, listen, shadow, actually spend some time answering the phones, understand the way the knowledge management tools work, live the process that your team members do." — Matt Cantonis [07:57]
  • Ensuring that actions match articulated strategies, including how strategic capital is deployed.

6. The Future of Access in Academic Medicine

[09:09–10:23]

• Envisions a system that is more connected, digital, and patient-centered.
• Anticipates AI growth not only for scheduling but for clinical triage.
• Expansion of virtual care options and integration between academic centers and community providers.
• Continuous balance required between innovation and equitable, patient-focused care.
  • "We have to keep the patient voice at the center of everything we do. And remember...behind every request for an appointment is a human being with hope and vulnerability, and we are here to serve them." — Matt Cantonis [09:57]
  • Optimistic closing: "If we keep that concept central, the future of access is extraordinarily bright." — Matt Cantonis [10:15]

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On silo-breaking and technology:
  "One of the things that we have done over the course of the last two years is break down those silos, bridge them through a centralized experience center...We now have an agentic agent, AI agent that's answering 100% of our phone calls..." — Matt Cantonis [02:06 & 02:35]

• On culture and leadership:
  "Creating culture around access is critically important...If leadership doesn't prioritize access, it'll become a back burner issue." — Matt Cantonis [06:03 & 06:14]

• On patient-centered purpose:
  "Behind every request for an appointment is a human being with hope and vulnerability, and we are here to serve them." — Matt Cantonis [09:57]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introducing the concept of access and COO role — [00:14–01:45]
• Breaking down silos; centralized scheduling and AI agents — [01:45–03:10]
• Change management & engaging multidisciplinary teams — [03:10–05:40]
• Creating a culture of access and leadership’s role — [05:40–07:20]
• Transparency, communication, leadership presence — [07:20–08:57]
• Vision for the future of access in academic medicine — [09:09–10:23]

Conclusion

This episode offers a compact, insightful look into the intersection of access, technology, and culture in academic healthcare. The conversation between Laura Darda and Matt Cantonis is rich with practical strategies, thoughtful leadership advice, and an optimistic vision for the future. Listeners come away with actionable perspectives on breaking silos, deploying AI, cultivating transparent leadership, and always keeping the patient’s hope and voice at the center.