The Breakfast Club – Interview: CEO Dennis Pullin Talks Virtua Health, Affordable Healthcare, NYC Nurse Strike + More

Podcast: The Breakfast Club
Host: The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts
Date: February 16, 2026
Guests: Dennis Pullin (President and CEO, Virtua Health)
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, The Breakfast Club welcomes Dennis Pullin, President and CEO of Virtua Health, to discuss the state of American healthcare. The conversation covers the mission of Virtua Health, the challenges of health illiteracy, socioeconomic disparities, bias and inequity in care, community outreach, the economics of health systems, the NYC nurse strike, safety and data privacy, and the pursuit of truly affordable, high-quality healthcare for all communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Virtua Health? (02:54)

• Dennis Pullin explains Virtua Health is an academic health system with 400+ locations, serving South Jersey, Philadelphia, and Delaware.
• Mission: Providing “health care for the community, from birth to hospice, and everything in between.” (03:13)

2. Leadership Representation & Commitment (04:03)

• Pullin points out that of the top five largest US health systems, three are led by Black men, underlining a shift toward more diverse leadership.
• “We’re committed to taking care of our community,” Pullin affirms.

3. The Challenge of Health Illiteracy (05:00)

• Pullin calls health illiteracy “the number one problem in healthcare today.”
• Many spend more time maintaining their cars than their own health, he notes.
  • Quote: “Most people spend more time focusing on the maintenance of their vehicles than they do their own bodies.” (05:09)
• He emphasizes the high cost of ER visits ($1,500–$2,000) versus the benefits of lower-cost primary and virtual care.

4. Building Trust & Overcoming Bias (05:45, 11:49)

• Pullin acknowledges deep, justified mistrust in healthcare among Black communities due to historic inequities.
• Virtua prioritizes cultural competency and unconscious bias training for staff.
  • Quote: “We do unconscious bias training because there’s this misnomer oftentimes when some of us show up in emergency rooms that…the drug seeking or our pain isn’t as severe as we make it out to be.” (11:54)

5. Access, Outreach & Social Determinants of Health (07:40, 08:53)

• Many can't access care due to barriers like transportation, food deserts, or housing insecurity.
  • Cherry Hill vs. Camden: Just 6 miles apart, but a 17-year difference in life expectancy.
• Virtua responds with mobile clinics, cancer screening units, and even a mobile grocery store.
  • Quote: “We initially converted a city transit bus into a mobile grocery store. We now have...customized...mobile grocery stores where people can get healthy nutritious foods at a subsidized cost.” (09:41)
• Education, stable housing, food access, and transport are as vital as medical care: “80% of your health status is determined by your zip code and not by your genetics.” (08:53)

6. The Economics of Healthcare & Disparities (12:00–14:00)

• Pullin breaks down the challenge of serving low-income populations when Medicare/Medicaid pay less than service cost (85% and 55¢ on the dollar, respectively).
• “It is difficult to have an ongoing business enterprise when your biggest payer pays you less than what your cost is.” (12:38)
• The discussion turns to the problem of being treated “like a number” if you don’t have insurance.

7. Fostering Compassionate, Equitable Care (17:04)

• Pullin shares his personal connection: he grew up in a community like the ones Virtua serves.
• Virtua’s board is intentionally diverse (33% Black, 50% women), reflecting and respecting the communities they serve.
• Quote: “The care that we provide, we take care of the haves, and we take care of the have-nots, and nobody gets treated any different.” (17:38)

8. Insurance Barriers & Routine Care (26:17)

• Cost deters preventive care and check-ups, especially among the elderly.
• When routine visits are unaffordable, people delay care until they’re seriously ill—costing more and decreasing outcomes.
  • “When people don’t go, when they wind up showing up, the severity of their illness has progressed and it becomes even more expensive.” (26:36)
• The system fails to reimburse and incentivize preventive and mental health care.

9. The NYC Nurse Strike (19:57)

• Pullin respectfully addresses both sides:
  • Nurses want fair wages, representation, and a voice.
  • Management must protect resources for sustainability.
• “Both sides are doing what they believe is the right thing...I don’t think anybody benefits” from a strike. (20:50)

10. Safety & Data Privacy (21:57, 22:10)

• CEOs and healthcare workers now face security risks—Pullin himself travels with a security detail.
• Virtua implements stadium-style security screening at hospitals.
• Data privacy is critical: “We go to great lengths to protect your health information such that it is not out there on the dark web.” (22:52)

11. The Limits and Promise of Socialized Medicine (24:55)

• Discussion contrasts US and Canadian systems:
  • Canada’s “all payer” system has high taxes (>50%) and sometimes slow access (6 months for an MRI).
  • Even there, people often buy private insurance.
• “It is way too expensive [in the US]. I say that as someone who runs a healthcare organization, but you gotta look at big pharma…cost of medication and the cost of drugs is enormous.” (25:43)

12. Inspiring Care & Community Engagement (23:25, 24:10)

• Pullin urges all to care for people regardless of “what you look like” or “ability to pay.”
  • Quote: “I don’t really care about your ability to pay or not. I care about: are we treating you as a unique individual?” (24:11)
• Visit virtua.org for resources and support.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On health illiteracy:
  “Most people spend more time focusing on the maintenance of their vehicles than they do their own bodies.” (Dennis Pullin, 05:09)

• On bias in care:
  “We do unconscious bias training because there’s this misnomer oftentimes when some of us show up in emergency rooms...” (Dennis Pullin, 11:54)

• On inequity and zip code:
  “80% of your health status is determined by your zip code and not by your genetics.” (Dennis Pullin, 08:53)

• On community outreach:
  “Mobile grocery stores...people can get healthy nutritious foods at a subsidized cost in those areas that are considered food desert.” (Dennis Pullin, 09:41)

• On board diversity:
  “I have a 15 member board. Five of them are African American. Half of them are women.” (Dennis Pullin, 17:21)

• On cost as a barrier:
  “When people don’t go, when they wind up showing up, the severity of their illness has progressed.” (Dennis Pullin, 26:36)

• On affordable care:
  “It is way too expensive...You gotta look at big pharma, the cost of medications and...drugs is enormous.” (Dennis Pullin, 25:43)

• On compassion in healthcare:
  “I don’t really care about your ability to pay or not. I care about: are we treating you as a unique individual?” (Dennis Pullin, 24:11)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:54 – Dennis Pullin introduces Virtua Health’s mission and scope
• 05:00 – Health illiteracy as a systemic issue
• 06:45 – Relying on trustworthy information and early detection/cancer care
• 07:40–10:10 – Community outreach, mobile clinics, and food deserts
• 11:49–14:00 – Bias, reimbursement gaps, and care in underserved communities
• 19:57 – NYC nurses strike, fair pay, and labor relations
• 21:57–22:52 – Security risks for staff and data privacy concerns
• 24:55 – Comparing US and Canadian health systems
• 25:43 – High cost of healthcare and impact of pharmaceutical expenses
• 26:36 – The cost barrier to routine/preventive care

Closing Thoughts

This episode provides a clear-eyed look at the complexities and struggles within the American healthcare system, especially in Black and underserved communities. Dennis Pullin’s insights span the need for cultural competency, patient-first values, financial realities under current systems, and the essential work of building trust through community-based care. The Breakfast Club’s hosts bring personal perspective and frank questions that spotlight the urgency for reform, education, and compassion in healthcare.

For more resources, visit: virtua.org
Host Contact: The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts