HWL Talks

Leading Rural Healthcare Forward: Workforce, Retention, and the Power of Doing More With Less

Rural healthcare leaders are being asked to do the impossible—deliver high-quality care with fewer resources, tighter margins, and an increasingly strained workforce. In this episode of HWL Talks, host Tommy Binner welcomes back Aidan Hettler, CEO of Sedgwick County Health Center, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to lead and grow a rural hospital today. Aidan shares his unconventional journey to becoming a CEO at just 22 years old and reflects on the lessons learned while stabilizing and expanding a critical access hospital on the front lines of rural care. The conversation explores workforce recruitment and retention in frontier communities, building culture through personal connection, and why retention strategies must be dynamic—not one-size-fits-all. Aidan also dives into how technology and AI are helping rural hospitals close long-standing gaps—from reducing clinician burnout to strengthening documentation, payer negotiations, and data-driven decision-making. The episode closes with a thoughtful discussion on the future of rural healthcare, the realities behind the $50B rural health funding headlines, and what true transformation will require beyond temporary relief. This is an honest, practical look at leadership, resilience, and innovation in rural healthcare—straight from someone living it every day.

From Bedside to Boardroom: Rethinking Nursing Workforce Strategy

In this episode of HWL Talks, host Tommy Benner sits down with Nancy Bourg, RN, BSHCA, MBA, Executive Vice President of Insourcing and Chief Clinical Officer at HWL, for a candid conversation on the past, present, and future of the nursing workforce. With decades of experience spanning bedside nursing, agency staffing, and health system leadership, Nancy shares how early efforts to aggregate spend and standardize contracts laid the foundation for today’s MSP, VMS, and internal resource pool models. Together, they unpack the realities facing nursing in 2026—from burnout and bedside shortages to generational shifts, travel nursing evolution, and why flexibility is no longer optional. Nancy also offers a compelling reframing of nursing as a revenue protector, not just a cost center, and explains why hospitals must rethink culture, career pathways, and flexible staffing models to retain talent long term. This episode is a must-listen for healthcare leaders looking to balance cost, quality, and clinician experience in a rapidly changing workforce landscape.

High-Tech, High-Touch: Workforce Strategy, Physician Leadership, and the Future of Care

Season 2 of HWL Talks kicks off with a powerful conversation featuring Kent McMackin, Chief Operating Officer of Syncoro Health LLC, Navy veteran, and healthcare leader with more than four decades of experience spanning clinical care, hospital administration, physician services, and workforce strategy. Kent shares how his early years in clinical medicine and 23-year Navy career shaped his leadership philosophy, grounding it in service, empathy, and accountability. Together with host Tommy Binner, he explores the realities facing healthcare today—from physician shortages and rural hospital closures to chronic disease burden and the evolving role of technology in care delivery. This episode dives deep into: * Why workforce strategy directly impacts patient outcomes * The balance between “high-tech” systems and “high-touch” human connection * What rural healthcare needs to survive and adapt * How MSPs and data-driven workforce models can improve retention, reduce cost, and strengthen provider partnerships * Why honesty, integrity, and listening to clinicians are critical to sustainable healthcare transformation A must-listen for healthcare executives, workforce leaders, and anyone passionate about building a system that supports providers while keeping patients at the center.

A Decade of Insight: Jonathan Ward on the Future of Healthcare Staffing

As we close out the year, HWL Talks welcomes a special guest—HWL Co-Founder and President Jonathan Ward—for a candid conversation on the state and future of healthcare staffing. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Jonathan reflects on the biggest workforce challenges healthcare organizations face today, from ongoing staffing shortages and financial pressure to the growing role of AI, data, and transparency in workforce decision-making. He shares how contingent labor models, MSP and VMS adoption, and smarter analytics are reshaping nursing, allied, and physician staffing—and why the next phase of innovation must focus on reducing friction for both healthcare organizations and agency partners. Jonathan also offers a look ahead at what excites him most about HWL’s evolution, including investments in advanced analytics, greater pricing transparency, and technology designed to support long-term, sustainable workforce strategies. Whether you’re a healthcare leader, recruiter, or workforce strategist, this episode offers valuable insight into where the industry has been—and where it’s headed next.

Redefining Bedside Care: Innovation, AI, and the Future of Nursing

In this episode of HWL Talks, we sit down with Dr. Akram Boutros, a leader who has spent his career bridging medicine, business, and innovation. Now the founder and CEO of Nexus Bedside, Dr. Boutros is pushing the boundaries of what inpatient care can look like through virtual nursing models and advanced multimodal AI. Dr. Boutros shares why traditional healthcare leadership often stalls innovation, how fearlessness (not recklessness) drives meaningful progress, and why fixing the nursing crisis requires more than staffing—it requires rethinking the entire care environment. He also breaks down real outcomes from Nexus Bedside, including major reductions in documentation burden, improved nurse experience, and measurable gains in patient safety. This conversation offers a candid look at leadership, risk-taking, and the future of high-touch, technology-supported care. For executives, clinical leaders, and innovators looking beyond incremental change, this episode provides a clear view of what bold transformation can look like.