Podcast Summary
Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Reimagining the Safety Net with Tesa Anewishki of Loretto Hospital
Date: March 5, 2026
Host: Laura Dirdo, Becker’s Healthcare
Guest: Tesa Anewishki, CEO & President of Loretto Hospital
Episode Overview
In this candid and mission-driven conversation, host Laura Dirdo welcomes Taeysa Anewishki, CEO and President of Loretto Hospital in Chicago, to discuss the evolving role of safety net hospitals in advancing health equity. Together, they explore the impact of impending Medicaid reductions, the realities facing at-risk communities, the need for innovative care models and community partnerships, workforce challenges, and visionary advice for healthcare leaders. Tesa shares both her personal and professional perspective, illustrating how Loretto Hospital is striving to “reimagine and rebrand the role and reputation of safety nets.”
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Commitment and Background of Loretto Hospital
[01:08–02:20]
- Loretto Hospital is a century-old community safety net institution on Chicago’s west side, serving a predominantly Medicaid (84%) and charity/self-pay (11%) population.
- Taeysa’s family legacy is deep in social service: “My family happens to run one of the largest outreach homeless agencies in the city. My mother is an executive director, both of my sisters are COOs. My daughter's a LCSW. So we are all heavily embedded in the space.”
— Tesa Anewishki [02:40] - Her personal passion is "making sure healthcare inequities are addressed in at-risk and vulnerable communities.”
2. Addressing the Challenges of Coverage Loss & Increased Demand
[04:21–06:48]
- Loretto is closely monitoring trends in self-pay numbers as Medicaid cuts loom.
- “Contrary to what other people are likely talking about... layoffs and cuts... we’re looking at it as, how can we reimagine our service delivery?”
— Tesa Anewishki [04:52] - She highlights a startling “20-year death gap” between some Chicago neighborhoods, noting that long delays for diagnostics (up to 5-6 months) worsen equity.
- Call for larger institutions to partner with safety nets to reduce capacity strains and advance equity.
3. Community Partnerships & Collaborative Solutions
[07:27–09:10]
- Loretto partners with two transformation collaboratives: Wellness West (focused on primary care) and Collaborative Bridges (focused on behavioral health).
- “In times when resources are strained, we tend to go into survival mode... The immediate thing is competition and not collaboration. And I think when you’re talking about the lives of human beings, it has to always be collaboration. We cannot continue to move in terms of putting profit over people.”
— Tesa Anewishki [08:18] - Emphasis on “warm handoffs” and keeping care local: “No one should have to travel more than a couple miles to get care.”
4. Innovative Responses: Food Security Initiative
[09:30–11:58]
- Loretto will open the nation’s first hospital-based free grocery store, aiming to address both health (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular issues) and new Medicaid workforce requirements, enabling patients to volunteer for work credits.
- “The reality is clear now more than ever. It's expensive to be poor in America.”
— Tesa Anewishki [09:31] - The program will provide healthy foods and education—“We just don’t want to supply food. We want to help educate individuals on the importance of eating healthy to decrease comorbidities.”
— Tesa Anewishki [11:15]
5. Workforce as Economic & Social Anchor
[12:30–15:02]
- Safety nets work on lean margins and can’t absorb Medicaid reductions.
- Loretto contributes ~$200 million annually to the local economy: a shutdown would impact ~500 jobs and the broader community.
- Internal focus on “reinvestment” and nurturing talent: “We want our team to work at their highest level and invest in them, so that they can live the life they dream for themselves and grow within the organization. Like myself.”
— Tesa Anewishki [13:50] - Emphasis on promoting staff from within, and supporting community hiring.
- Shared story: “One [employee] was here upwards of 50 years. He started when he was 18 and retired after just a little over 50 years.”
— Tesa Anewishki [15:30] - Leadership is seen as “the collective effort and collaboration of a leadership team along with all the team members... sharing that vision.”
6. Advice to Safety Net Hospital Leaders
[17:17–18:32]
- “It’s time for us to be intentional and innovative in healthcare reform for safety net systems and community hospitals. Not just funding that gets us through the year, but support that allows us to stabilize and increase capacity.”
— Tesa Anewishki [17:20] - Calls for advocacy with policymakers, telling compelling impact stories, and investing rather than cutting as the “antidote for communities in crisis is access and investment.”
- “Transformative investment allows us to really grow and to create a sustainability model that will see us for the next 100 years.”
— Tesa Anewishki [18:20]
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “I was born for this.” — Tesa Anewishki [02:44]
- “Contrary to what other people are likely talking about is... layoffs and cuts. But... how can we reimagine our service delivery?” [04:52]
- On partnerships: “When resources are strained... the immediate thing is competition, not collaboration. And I think when you’re talking about the lives of human beings, it has to always be collaboration.” [08:18]
- “It's expensive to be poor in America.” [09:31]
- “We just don’t want to supply food. We want to help educate individuals on the importance of eating healthy.” [11:15]
- “If our doors were to close, you’re talking about just shy of 500 individuals that could lose their jobs. What does that do to the unemployment rates and the crime and violence that tends to follow?” [13:14]
- “I firmly believe that the antidote for communities in crisis is access and investment.” [18:19]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:08] Loretto Hospital & Tesa’s background
- [04:21] Preparing for Medicaid cuts & rising demand
- [07:27] Collaborative partnerships & transformation
- [09:30] Free grocery store and addressing food insecurity
- [12:30] Economic and workforce impact of safety nets
- [15:02] Leadership development and team longevity
- [17:17] Strategic advice to safety net leaders
Episode Tone & Takeaway
Inspiring, pragmatic, and deeply hopeful, this episode offers a real-world look at the transformative potential of safety net hospitals. Tesa Anewishki’s commitment radiates through her emphasis on innovation, collaboration, community-rooted solutions, and unwavering faith in the importance of equitable access. The conversation is both a call to action for advocacy and a model of how healthcare can be reimagined beyond business-as-usual—placing people and partnership at the core.