Podcast
Working Healthcare
Hosted by Meredith Hirsh · EN
The truth reshaping America’s $5 trillion healthcare system. This show provides a front-row seat to the policies, powerhouses and forces. Candid conversations no one else is telling with the most fascinating healthcare leaders, every week hosted by trailblazer Meredith Hirsh. You can’t fix what you don’t understand.
Watch full video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingHealthcare
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Meredith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithfhirsh/
Contact Email: workinghealthcarepodcast@gmail.com
37episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 84 - Dr. Marc Hirsh on 2025 Healthcare Turmoil and 2026 Priorities
Jan 600:48:08Tap to summarizeKick off 2026 with a clear-eyed, occasionally snarky recap of what shaped healthcare in 2025 and what deserves your attention in 2026. Working Healthcare host Meredith Hirsh sits down again with her lifetime and business partner, Dr. Marc Hirsh, senior physician at The Hirsh Center. The dynamic duo breaks down expiring ACA enhanced subsidies, rising health insurance premiums and what patients may face as coverage gets more expensive and harder to navigate. They dig into physician burnout, healthcare consolidation and vertical integration, declining reimbursements and the administrative burden pulling clinicians away from patient care. They then explain why prior authorization is expanding, how practices are staffing to manage denials and what that means for healthcare access and quality. They close with a 2026 watch list including PBM reform, 340B scrutiny, downcoding battles and copay accumulator programs, because nothing says “new year” like a fresh round of insurance fine print. Hit play to understand what’s driving healthcare today and what to watch next.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare
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Ep. 83 - Dr. Bob Levin Unmasks PBMs: The Hidden Power Shaping Patient Care
Dec 3000:43:58Tap to summarizeUncover how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) shape which medications patients can access as Meredith Hirsh sits down for an in-studio interview with independent rheumatologist Dr. Robert (Bob) Levin. In this Working Healthcare episode, Bob traces how PBMs gained power. He explains how they steer drug coverage decisions and shows how those choices ripple through exam rooms and infusion suites across the country. He breaks down the rise of alternative payment models, the squeeze on specialty medications and the mounting pressure on independent practices. He also spotlights the push for PBM reform, from Capitol Hill to state legislatures, as advocates challenge opaque pricing and demand transparency. You’ll hear why delinking pharmacy benefit manager profits from drug list prices could lower costs, expand access and improve affordability for millions of patients. Listen now, share this episode and take action for real healthcare change.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare
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Ep. 82 - Lynette Byrnes Explains How Independent Practices Stay Strong
Dec 2300:49:02Tap to summarizeStep into the ever-changing world of healthcare as host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Lynette Byrnes, a longtime force in rheumatology operations. In this episode of Working Healthcare, Lynette explains how she helps teams tackle the day-to-day pressures of practice life and traces her path from imaging and gynecology to two decades guiding rheumatology practices. From her early involvement with the National Organization of Rheumatology Management (NORM) to helping grow United Rheumatology from a small roundtable into a national voice, Lynette breaks down why independent practices are shouldering heavier administrative burdens and what it takes to stay resilient. She also opens up about balancing motherhood, adapting through constant change and why ending prior authorization is the single move she believes could reshape American healthcare. Get ready for a direct, energizing conversation packed with real-world insight and practical takeaways.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare
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Ep. 81 - From Hotels to Hospitals: Herold Figareau Elevates the Patient Experience
Dec 1600:48:43Tap to summarize“Patient experience” is on every strategic plan, but Herold Figareau treats it like an operating system, not a slogan. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh sits down with Herold, a former hospital concierge turned health system leader and consultant, to show how a hospitality mindset can transform care in hospitals and outpatient practices alike. They dig into hiring for attitude over experience, mentoring frontline staff and redesigning check-in and financial clearance so patients and teams face less friction. Herold reveals what health systems can steal from hotels on communication, expectation setting and service recovery, especially in complex high-volume metropolitan markets. He also explains how transparent financials and smarter scheduling help clinicians protect both margins and morale. We invite you to treat this conversation as your working blueprint for welcoming patients like guests at every touchpoint.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare
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Ep. 80 - Wine, Weed and the Next Generation: Dalton Hirsh Confronts Cannabis and Public Health
Dec 900:53:30Tap to summarizeAlcohol use is dropping, THC products are exploding and American healthcare is not ready for what comes next. In this episode of Working Healthcare, host Meredith Hirsh talks with her son, fermentation science student and winemaker Dalton Hirsh, about why wine has a long, metabolically familiar place in human history while today’s high potency cannabis poses new risks for brains, bodies and hospital systems. Dalton unpacks how policy loopholes let potent THC products flood the market, what that means for emergency rooms and mental health, and how ordinary voters can use farm bills and local regulation to push for smarter safeguards. Pour a glass and tap into a candid family conversation about cannabis culture, public health and the future of our care system.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare
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Ep. 79 - Neeraj Puro Reshapes Healthcare Education for the Next Generation
Dec 200:47:53Tap to summarizeExplore how the next generation of healthcare leaders is taking shape inside and outside the classroom. Host Meredith Hirsh and Neeraj Puro, director of health administration programs at Florida Atlantic University, dive into academic trends and shifting student expectations. They break down the gap between theory and practice, why internships and mentorships matter and how personality and problem-solving skills influence career paths. Neeraj shares his journey from Mumbai to the United States, compares the Indian and American healthcare systems and explains why independent practices need more attention in health administration programs. Drawing on years of experience in higher education, he tackles artificial intelligence in the classroom, grade inflation and the pressure to keep students engaged in an online world. Listen in to how today’s students are mapping tomorrow’s healthcare landscape.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare
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Ep. 78 - How Tara Gillespie Leads a 17-Location Independent Dermatology Practice
Nov 2500:44:16Tap to summarizeExplore how Tara Gillespie rises from medical assistant to CEO as she leads a 17-location independent dermatology practice while staying connected to patient care. She explains how she manages acquisitions, integrates cultures across rural and metropolitan clinics, and builds scalable operations that keep her organization strong in a challenging reimbursement environment. Learn how Tara normalizes the business side of medicine to strengthen independent practices and share the strategies you can use to support your own team and community.Contact Meredith:Website: meredithhirsh.com Instagram: @workinghealthcareFacebook: WorkingHealthcareLinkedIn: @meredithfhirshYouTube: @WorkingHealthcare
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