Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Rethinking Workforce Strategy for a More Resilient Future
Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Lucas Voss, Becker’s Healthcare
Guests:
- Kathy Conkey, Senior VP of Client Services, Ingenovis Health
- Jodi Paul, Chief Nursing Officer, Workforce Outcomes and Experience of Care, Bon Secours Mercy Health
- Vince (last name not specified), Director of VMS and Contingent Workforce Operations, Bon Secours Mercy Health
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the evolving complexities of workforce strategy in healthcare, with a specific focus on fostering resilience in clinical teams and operations. The panel discusses rising patient acuity, burnout, flexibility needs, and the critical role of collaborative, data-driven models and external partnerships in transforming workforce management. They provide insights and lessons drawn from their experiences across multiple states and institutions, highlighting successful tactics, future directions, and actionable advice for healthcare leaders.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Top Workforce Pressures in Healthcare
[01:18–02:49]
- Vince highlights increasing patient acuity as a persistent challenge:
“What our clinicians are facing is a tougher workload and really a lot sicker and more difficult patients than probably historically has been on that average level for a long time... it seems like it’s just been kind of that high level for most of the last 12 months.”
— Vince, [01:45] - Consistently high patient census and operational pressures (financial, reimbursement, regulatory) are compounded by evolving demands based on local community needs.
2. Collaborative Workforce Models and Flexibility
[03:11–04:28]
- Jodi describes how collaborative workforce models at Bon Secours Mercy Health create flexibility and resilience:
- Internal float pool covers 49 care sites in four states.
- Agencies are leveraged to fill gaps and transition into permanent roles.
- Care delivery and shift models are redesigned to better match patient complexity and staff skills.
“...Collaborative workforce models really have helped us address creating flexibility and resiliency for our staff... We are designing care delivery models and different shift models to better align skills with our patient needs.”
— Jodi, [03:14]
3. Shifting Approaches to Staffing and Design
[04:57–06:09]
- Kathy points to changing workforce demographics (aging nurses vs. younger generations) and the importance of hyper-local, tailored solutions:
“Every hospital is different and every hospital will tell you they’re different. Every market is different... so you really have to understand the idiosyncrasies of the different hospitals.”
— Kathy, [05:00] - Emphasis on innovative scheduling and catering to generational preferences for shifts.
4. Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration for Performance & Support
[06:34–09:53]
- Vince underscores the value of standardization in processes while balancing customization:
“Standardization in the structural processes... is really the biggest key... Collaboration between clinical and business leaders is where you create that synergy.”
— Vince, [06:40] - Jodi adds that external partners (like Ingenovis/Genovest) help alleviate administrative burdens so clinical managers focus on coaching, mentoring, and patient outcomes:
“They’ve helped remove a lot of that administrative burden on agency staffing from frontline managers so I can have my managers out, you know, coaching and mentoring new nurses...”
— Jodi, [08:49] - Trust, transparency, and shared accountability at all organizational levels strengthen workforce sustainability.
5. Lessons for Building a Resilient Workforce
[10:35–12:11]
- Kathy shares lessons on using data to forecast needs and balancing full-time with part-time ratios (70/30 mix) for flexibility:
“You don’t staff at 100% of what your capacity is... you do this 70/30 mix... instead of moving patients around, moving nurses around.”
— Kathy, [11:34] - Focus is moving from COVID-driven crisis staffing to data-driven planning for sustainable growth.
6. Future Directions and Excitement for 2026
[12:35–15:23]
- Vince looks forward to further modernizing and integrating agency partnerships and leveraging technology for operational excellence and flexibility.
“We’re really just excited about continuing to modernize the program... to ensure the terms of our partnerships... are up to speed with what the industry is demanding... but also positioning us for future growth and future flexibility.”
— Vince, [13:05] - Jodi highlights piloting new care delivery models—especially LPN integration—and rapidly deploying pilots to validate outcomes beyond just nursing roles.
“Because it’s not just nursing. We’re talking all ancillary folks that we need within our facilities.”
— Jodi, [15:15]
7. Final Takeaways and Advice for Leaders
[15:40–17:36]
- Kathy calls Bon Secours Mercy Health’s model “best practice,” citing transparency, standardization, and piloting as keys for future care delivery.
- Vince recommends organizations focus on continual learning, flexibility, scalability, and data-driven decisions.
- Jodi advises other healthcare leaders to seek trusted partners dedicated to delivering high-quality patient care:
“Find a partner that you can truly trust and that their goals are to ensure your patients receive the best high quality care...”
— Jodi, [17:10]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On current workforce stress:
“It seems like it’s just been kind of that high level for most of the last 12 months, rolling into even the new year here from a patient workload perspective.”
— Vince, [01:45] -
On tailoring staffing to generational differences:
“Our workforce is changing... how they run their life is different than the way our senior nurses run their life. So we’re looking at different shift combinations, different ways to schedule.”
— Kathy, [05:18] -
On the foundation of effective partnerships:
“When you do create those really, really strong external partnerships with the trustworthiness of your clinical or business leaders, then it really just creates one well-oiled machine that creates good outcomes.”
— Vince, [13:44] -
On advice for others:
“Find a partner that you can truly trust and that their goals are to ensure your patients receive the best high quality care. And that’s what we have with Ingenovis.”
— Jodi, [17:10]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Major workforce pressures & evolving challenges: [00:45–02:49]
- Collaborative workforce models & flexibility: [03:11–04:28]
- Changing workforce demographics & personalized staffing: [04:57–06:09]
- Collaboration for clinician support & performance: [06:34–09:53]
- Building and sustaining workforce resiliency: [10:35–12:11]
- Future vision & innovations in workforce strategy: [12:35–15:23]
- Final thoughts & calls to action: [15:40–17:36]
Conclusion
The episode provides a rich, practical discussion on how health systems can rethink and modernize workforce strategies for greater resilience. Through candid insights on collaboration, standardization, and flexible workforce models, the guests detail how a data-driven, partnership-based approach can support both clinician well-being and operational excellence. For healthcare leaders navigating ongoing pressures—both clinical and financial—the themes of nimbleness, trust, and continual innovation offer a forward-looking blueprint for the future.