The Smart Care Team Spotlight

Episode #69. What the Map Misses: Research, AI, and the Fight for Health Equity, with Dr. Bridgette Rice

From bedside care to system-wide change, this conversation traces how clinical experience can drive research and health equity impact. In this episode of the Smart Care Team Spotlight, Dr. Bridgette Rice, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at Villanova University, discusses her journey from neonatal intensive care nursing to becoming a nationally recognized researcher and leader focused on health equity and vulnerable populations. She explains that patient experiences, particularly those related to mental health and social determinants of health, inspired her to use research as an advocacy tool to drive meaningful change. Bridgette shares both optimism and caution about AI in healthcare, stressing that technology must be developed responsibly, inclusively, and with human oversight. She also offers advice to emerging nurses and researchers about following their passions, embracing unexpected opportunities, and using every experience as a stepping stone for future impact. Tune in for insights on health inequities, community-driven research, and the opportunities and risks of AI in care! Resources: * Connect with and follow Dr. Bridgette Rice on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgette-m-rice-phd-mdiv-aprn-faan/]. * Follow Villanova University on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/school/villanova-university/] and explore their website [https://www.villanova.edu/university.html]!

Episode #68. From AI Hype to Real Impact: A Blueprint for Healthcare Transformation Part II

What happens when AI in healthcare stops assisting and starts practicing? In this episode of the Smart Care Team Spotlight, host Molly McCarthy partners with the Healthcare on Air podcast by Verizon, and along with its hosts Robin Goldsmith and Brian Urban, they welcome Geisinger’s Dr. Jonathan Slotkin, Chief Medical Officer of Strategy and Growth, Tim Fitzgerald, Chief Strategy Officer, and Susan Lucas Collins, Vice President of Geisinger Ventures, to discuss how Healthcare AI is transitioning from a supportive tool to a core component of care delivery, with innovations like ambient listening, virtual nursing, and AI-driven clinical decision-making becoming standard expectations. These technologies are not only improving efficiency but also reshaping workforce dynamics, recruitment, and long-term care models, especially in rural and home-based settings. The conversation highlights a major inflection point: AI systems are beginning to take on regulated clinical tasks, signaling a shift in how care is delivered and by whom. However, questions around regulation, ethics, reimbursement, and the role of human oversight will ultimately shape the pace and impact of this transformation. Tune in to explore how AI is redefining care delivery, workforce expectations, and the very role of clinicians in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape! Resources: * Connect with and follow Dr. Jonathan Slotkin on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/slotkinjr/]. * Connect with and follow Brian Urban on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-urban-ms-mba-mph-8416b571/]. * Connect with and follow Susan Lucas Collins on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanlucascollins/]. * Follow Geisinger Health System on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/geisinger/] and visit their website [http://geisinger.org]! * Connect with and follow Molly McCarthy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollykmccarthy/]. * Check out more episodes of the Smart Care Team Spotlight podcast here [https://smarthospital.ai/smart-care-team-spotlight/]! * Connect with and follow Robin Goldsmith on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingoldsmith/]. * Connect with and follow Brian Urban on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-urban-ms-mba-mph-8416b571/]. * Check out more episodes of the Healthcare on Air podcast here [https://marketscale.com/shows/healthcare-on-air-by-verizon/]!

Episode #67. The Power of Nurses: From Caregivers to Healthcare Architects

What if the people best positioned to fix healthcare are the ones who’ve been closest to the problem all along? In this episode of the Smart Care Team Spotlight, Mary Lou Ackerman, Vice President of Innovation and Digital Health with Saint Elizabeth Health Care, and Nico Gennaro Sciasci, Chief Executive Officer of SONSIEL, discuss how “The Power of Nurses” lies in their ability to influence change and redesign healthcare through frontline insight. They emphasize that nurses are not just caregivers, but innovators and system architects who understand the full patient experience. Through SONSIEL, a global movement is emerging to equip nurses with the tools, confidence, and community to turn problems into scalable solutions. The conversation highlights that the future of healthcare depends on empowering nurses to lead innovation and integrate human care with digital intelligence. Tune in to hear how nurses are evolving from caregivers to system architects and leading a global movement to redesign healthcare from the inside out! Resources: * Connect with and follow Mary Lou Ackerman on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-lou-ackerman-76722424/]. * Follow Saint Elizabeth Health Care on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/se-health/] and explore their website [https://sehc.com/]! * Connect with and follow Nico Gennaro Sciasci on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicosciascia/]. * Follow SONSIEL on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sonsiel/] and explore their website [https://www.sonsiel.org/]! * Mary Lou has co-authored two books, The Future of Aging and The Rebel Nurse Handbook: Inspirational Stories by Shift Disruptors.

Episode #66. From AI Hype to Real Impact: A Blueprint for Healthcare Transformation Part I

What if the biggest breakthrough in healthcare innovation isn’t AI, but how we choose to use it? In this episode of the Smart Care Team Spotlight, host Molly McCarthy partners with the Healthcare on Air podcast by Verizon, and along with its hosts Robin Goldsmith and Brian Urban, they welcome Geisinger’s Dr. Jonathan Slotkin, Chief Medical Officer of Strategy and Growth, and Tim Fitzgerald, Chief Startegy Officer, to discuss how Geisinger Health System is leveraging its legacy of innovation to shape the future of AI-enabled healthcare. Leaders emphasize that technology, especially AI, must solve real clinical and operational problems rather than add complexity, with early impact seen in provider workflows and revenue cycle management. A key theme is reframing innovation through a public health lens, such as viewing autonomous driving as a life-saving intervention rather than just a tech advancement. The discussion highlights the importance of trust, community alignment, and rural healthcare dynamics as enablers of scalable innovation. Ultimately, success depends on integrating people, process, and technology while building models that strengthen both care delivery and local economies.  Tune in to hear how leaders at Geisinger Health System are redefining innovation by focusing on real problems, trust, and measurable impact at the bedside! Resources: * Connect with and follow Dr. Jonathan Slotkin on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/slotkinjr/]. * Connect with and follow Brian Urban on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-urban-ms-mba-mph-8416b571/]. * Follow Geisinger Health System on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/geisinger/] and visit their website [http://geisinger.org]! * Connect with and follow Molly McCarthy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollykmccarthy/]. * Check out more episodes of the Smart Care Team Spotlight podcast here [https://smarthospital.ai/smart-care-team-spotlight/]! * Connect with and follow Robin Goldsmith on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingoldsmith/]. * Connect with and follow Brian Urban on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-urban-ms-mba-mph-8416b571/]. * Check out more episodes of the Healthcare on Air podcast here [https://marketscale.com/shows/healthcare-on-air-by-verizon/]!

Episode #65. Hearts, Minds, Wallets, and Watches: A Better Framework for Healthcare Innovation with Mike Higgins, Executive in Residence at the Health Management Academy

What if the secret to becoming a trusted advisor in healthcare isn’t expertise, but how well you listen, serve, and show up? In this episode, Mike Higgins, Executive in Residence at the Health Management Academy and an advisor to several other healthcare companies, connects his leadership style to early lessons in empathy and service from his family’s funeral business, which carried into his career at The Advisory Board Company and beyond. He explains that true strategic partnerships in healthcare are built on deep listening, transparency, and a shared commitment to solving complex problems, not just delivering solutions. He highlights AI as a transformative force but emphasizes that the industry is still in a learning and experimentation phase, guided by frameworks like hearts, minds, wallets, and watches. Across it all, Higgins reinforces that trust, gratitude, preparation, and making every interaction valuable are the foundations of lasting relationships. Tune in to hear how Mike Higgins defines true partnership in healthcare, and why service, trust, and preparation matter more than ever in an AI-driven world! Resources: * Connect with and follow Mike Higgins on LinkedIn. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-higgins-5a20161/] * Follow the Health Management Academy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-health-management-academy/]and explore their website! [https://hmacademy.com/]