This Clinical Life | Presented by Practicing Excellence

Human Connection in Modern Medicine with Laura Cooley, PhD

In this episode of This Clinical Life, we welcome Dr. Laura Cooley, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Patient Experience, an academic, open-access, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to transforming health and care experiences.  Dr. Cooley joins us to discuss what patient experience really means beyond metrics and satisfaction scores, how communication drives outcomes, and how clinicians and leaders can bring research into everyday clinical practice. She also shares practical ways to elevate human connection at scale, ensuring that every patient interaction reflects both empathy and evidence-based care.  Practicing Excellence is a human development company. We help coach and develop the healthcare workforce to make a meaningful impact by building proven skills in patient connection, team collaboration, and leadership effectiveness. Learn more about our approach to empowering health systems, care teams, and individuals at PracticingExcellence.com [https://practicingexcellence.com/]. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/practicingexcellence-com/]. Watch episodes on on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PracticingExcellence/videos]. Please subscribe to and rate This Clinical Life on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-clinical-life-presented-by-practicing-excellence/id1659859535] or wherever you download podcasts.

Why Burnout Isn’t Failure and What We Can Do About It with Patrick Riecke

In this episode of This Clinical Life, we welcome Patrick Riecke, a burnout survivor, healthcare leader, author, and coach dedicated to helping clinicians and leaders prevent, understand, and recover from burnout with research-based, practical tools.  Patrick draws on personal experience and years of leading teams through high-stress environments to explore how burnout develops, what it really feels like, and what individuals and systems can do to foster resilience, well-being, and meaning in demanding clinical settings. If you’re feeling depleted, questioning your career, or leading others through stress, this conversation brings both hope and actionable direction. Practicing Excellence is a human development company. We help coach and develop the healthcare workforce to make a meaningful impact by building proven skills in patient connection, team collaboration, and leadership effectiveness. Learn more about our approach to empowering health systems, care teams, and individuals at PracticingExcellence.com [https://practicingexcellence.com/]. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/practicingexcellence-com/]. Watch episodes on on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PracticingExcellence/videos]. Please subscribe to and rate This Clinical Life on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-clinical-life-presented-by-practicing-excellence/id1659859535] or wherever you download podcasts.

Purposeful Leadership in a Disconnected World with Zach Mercurio, PhD

Welcome to This Clinical Life, proudly presented by Practicing Excellence. In this podcast, we explore the transformational impact of skill development for physicians, nurses, teams and leaders to power better healthcare.  In this episode of This Clinical Life, we sit down with Dr. Zach Mercurio, a leading researcher, author, and speaker on purposeful leadership and meaningful work. Zach shares insights from his work on why mattering, the fundamental human need to feel seen, heard, valued, and needed, is critical to human thriving and effective leadership. We unpack how these ideas apply not just to organizational life but clinical settings where connection, well‐being, and motivation are paramount. Together we explore how purpose and daily interactions can transform culture, deepen engagement, and strengthen resilience in an era where many feel invisible.  Practicing Excellence is a human development company. We help coach and develop the healthcare workforce to make a meaningful impact by building proven skills in patient connection, team collaboration, and leadership effectiveness. Learn more about our approach to empowering health systems, care teams, and individuals at PracticingExcellence.com [https://practicingexcellence.com/]. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/practicingexcellence-com/]. Watch episodes on on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PracticingExcellence/videos]. Please subscribe to and rate This Clinical Life on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-clinical-life-presented-by-practicing-excellence/id1659859535] or wherever you download podcasts.

Leading Through Complexity: Trust, Accountability, and the Human Element with Dr. Kierstin Kennedy

Healthcare leadership is no longer just about decisions and outcomes it’s about how leaders show up for the people doing the work. In this episode, Kierstin Kennedy, MD, MSHA, FACP, SFHM, Chief Medical Officer at UAB Medicine, reflects on the leadership principles that sustain teams in complex, high-pressure environments. From navigating accountability with humanity to strengthening quality and safety through trust, Dr. Kennedy shares lessons from the frontlines of executive leadership. This conversation explores how emotional intelligence and servant leadership quietly shape culture, performance, and patient outcomes and why the future of healthcare depends on leaders who can balance clarity, compassion, and courage. Practicing Excellence is a human development company. We help coach and develop the healthcare workforce to make a meaningful impact by building proven skills in patient connection, team collaboration, and leadership effectiveness. Learn more about our approach to empowering health systems, care teams, and individuals at PracticingExcellence.com [https://practicingexcellence.com/]. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/practicingexcellence-com/]. Watch episodes on on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PracticingExcellence/videos]. Please subscribe to and rate This Clinical Life on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-clinical-life-presented-by-practicing-excellence/id1659859535] or wherever you download podcasts.

Connection First: A New Model for Leadership and Well-Being with Mark Greenawald, MD

Welcome to This Clinical Life, proudly presented by Practicing Excellence. In this podcast, we explore the transformational impact of skill development for physicians, nurses, teams and leaders to power better healthcare.  In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mark Greenawald, Medical Director for Carilion Clinic’s Institute for Leadership Effectiveness and Director of the AAFP Chief Resident Leadership Development Program, to explore the importance of care team well-being and what it means to truly lead in healthcare today. Practicing Excellence is a human development company. We help coach and develop the healthcare workforce to make a meaningful impact by building proven skills in patient connection, team collaboration, and leadership effectiveness. Learn more about our approach to empowering health systems, care teams, and individuals at PracticingExcellence.com [https://practicingexcellence.com/]. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/practicingexcellence-com/]. Watch episodes on on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PracticingExcellence/videos]. Please subscribe to and rate This Clinical Life on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-clinical-life-presented-by-practicing-excellence/id1659859535] or wherever you download podcasts.