Podcast
The DocBuddy Journal
Hosted by DocBuddy · EN
How painful are the outdated, broken workflows you have to deal with everyday as a healthcare provider? Join host Erik Sunset for thought leadership from DocBuddy on ways healthcare providers and workers can streamline their workflows with technology, get the latest practical takeaways from the world of Health IT, and get updates from the leader in mobile workflow solutions for providers and their organizations, DocBuddy.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Marc Ryan: Big News, Bigger Stakes
Mar 2000:54:13Tap to summarizeMarc Ryan, Chief Solutions Officer at Lilac Software, returns to the DocBuddy Journal with big news: Lilac Software has been acquired by Medisolv, combining payer and agentic AI expertise with Medisolv's established provider and quality measurement platform.From there, Marc and host Erik Sunset break down the most important trends shaping healthcare in 2026 — the Trump administration's technology-first agenda, value-based care expansion, and the slow but real progress on interoperability. They also dig into the financial fallout from the One Big Beautiful Bill on state Medicaid programs, the turbulence hitting health plans across every line of business, and what landmark PBM reforms and Most Favored Nation drug pricing could mean for American consumers.Medisolv's acquisition of LilacSee Marc's work at Lilac Software.As always, be sure to follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.
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Breaking the Technology Trap in Surgery Centers
Mar 1300:16:29Tap to summarizeIn this solo episode, host Erik Sunset gives March updates for the DocBuddy team and tackles a common objection he hears from surgery center administrators: "I don't have all my surgeons on board yet. Is that a problem?" The answer might surprise you.Surgery centers have been stuck in an all-or-nothing technology trap for too long. Unlike EHR implementations that require full facility adoption, modern documentation solutions like Op Note offer a flexibility that ASC administrators didn't know was possible and it's changing how surgery centers approach operational improvements.Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn#ASC #SurgeryCenter #EHR #OpNote
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Chris Caspar: Revenue Cycle Reality Check
Feb 2600:39:25Tap to summarizeHealthcare organizations are hemorrhaging revenue through preventable denials, documentation gaps, and front-office errors. Yet, many don't realize how much money they're leaving on the table. In this episode, host Erik Sunset sits down with Chris Caspar, CEO of Altruis, to explore what truly differentiates effective revenue cycle management from the commodity "get paid faster" promises flooding the market.Chris brings 15 years of healthcare technology experience, sharing candid insights about the revenue cycle challenges facing federally qualified health centers, rural hospitals, and medical practices nationwide. Discover why 48% of healthcare leaders cite denials as their biggest revenue leak—while missing that 90% of those denials stem from front-office verification, coding errors, and documentation issues.Links from the episode:AltruisFollow Chris Caspar on X and LinkedIn.MGMA Links- Image 1, Image 2Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.
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Op Note Rave Reviews + Cardio in the ASC
Feb 2000:12:19Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the DocBuddy Journal, Erik Sunset shares a positive story straight from the field regarding one of our account managers at a recent Op Note go-live at a Florida multi-specialty surgery center.He also covers a major ASC update: CMS added 86 new cardiovascular procedure codes for 2026, opening new growth opportunities — but not without challenges like capital costs, staffing, and state regulations.If you lead or manage a surgery center, this episode gives you a clear look at where the ASC market is heading and what it takes to stay ahead.Check out the links discussed in the show:Cardiovascular Procedures Opening Up to ASCs, But Expansion Faces Steep HurdlesEpisode 75 with Michael McClain — Growth Factors for ASCsDocBuddy Op Note
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America's Looming Doctor Shortage: What the Numbers Really Show
Feb 500:16:11Tap to summarizeThe U.S. healthcare system is approaching a critical tipping point. By 2030, America will face a shortage of over 127,000 full-time physicians, representing more than 10% of the current workforce.In this episode of the DocBuddy Journal, host Erik Sunset breaks down eye-opening data from Medicus Healthcare Solutions that quantifies the severity of the physician shortage. Discover how 42% of current physicians are nearing retirement, and why qualified medical school applicants can't get residency positions despite the growing need.Erik explores the key drivers behind this crisis, from our aging population (with 93% of older adults living with chronic conditions) to the limited training opportunities creating a bottleneck of 50,000+ applicants competing for just 40,000 residency slots. He also discusses potential strategies including care team models and cultural improvements, while acknowledging that systematic fixes are needed to restore the profession's appeal.If you're a healthcare professional, administrator, or simply concerned about the future of American healthcare, this data-driven episode provides essential insights into the workforce crisis reshaping medicine.Check out the article discussed here.Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.
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Anesthesia Shortages Are Reshaping ASC Operations
Jan 2900:19:49Tap to summarizeWelcome back to the DocBuddy Journal in 2026! In this episode, Erik tackles the persistent anesthesia shortage crisis that's reshaping ambulatory surgery center operations. From drug shortages to workforce gaps, learn how rising anesthesia subsidies are hitting $30M+ for major ASC management companies, why locum tenens usage has jumped 70% since 2024, and how surgery centers are adapting through CRNA-only models and workflow redesign. Erik also explains why software integration into the ASCs may be the only viable solution to maximize block time utilization in an increasingly constrained environment.Check out the article discussed here.Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.#ASC #AmbulatorySurgeryCenter #AnesthesiaShortage #PhysicianShortage
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Breaking Burnout: How 30 Minutes Can Save Physicians 3 Hours
Dec 400:15:50Tap to summarizeIn this solo episode, host Erik Sunset explores two critical studies, the first on physician burnout and the second on practical solutions for ASC leaders. Discover how dedicating just one 20-30 minute appointment slot per day for administrative work reduced after-hours EHR use by 53 minutes and cut physician burnout by 81%. Erik also digs into CHG Healthcare's latest findings showing only 18% of physicians are highly engaged at work, and why leadership trust remains a key driver of satisfaction. Plus, get reflections from the recent CASCA conference panel on data utilization and challenging the "status quo" in surgery centers. If you're looking to improve physician engagement and operational efficiency heading into 2025, this episode is packed with actionable insights.Links from the show:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842168https://chghealthcare.com/blog/physicians-engaged-new-study
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Phil Sayles: Consigned Chaos - Automating the OR
Nov 1900:36:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode, host Erik sits down with Phil Sayles, CEO of Summate Technologies, to discuss a critical yet overlooked problem in healthcare: the analog documentation process for surgical implants.Drawing on his 16 years as a device rep for Synthes, Phil explains why operating rooms still rely on pen, paper, and sticky notes to track millions of dollars in medical implants. From missing implant data in patient records to week long revenue cycles at ambulatory surgery centers, the current manual system is inefficient, error prone, and potentially unsafe.Phil walks through Summate's Velocity solution, which automates surgical documentation at the point of use, eliminating data entry burdens on nurses, accelerating revenue cycles for ASCs, improving patient safety through FDA recall checks, and helping device manufacturers better manage their field inventory.The conversation also tackles the cultural resistance to automation in healthcare, the parallels to retail's 20-year journey to adopt barcode scanning, and why this technology benefits every stakeholder, from patients and nurses to surgeons and device reps.Whether you're in healthcare IT, surgery center operations, or medical device sales, this episode offers a fascinating look at how automation can finally solve the "final mile" problem in surgical care.Links from the episode:https://www.scanimplants.com/https://www.summate.net/
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