Episode 6 - The Plight of Rural Health Networks - Zachary D'Argonne

Episode 6 - The Plight of Rural Health Networks - Zachary D'Argonne

In this episode of Healthcare Rewired, Mark Noble sits down with Zachary D’Argonne, President and CEO of the Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium, to explore how rural health networks help independent hospitals build the scale, resources, and collective strength needed to remain sustainable. We explore how collaboration has become increasingly important for rural and frontier hospitals facing workforce shortages, limited specialty access, and mounting financial pressure. The conversation looks at how networks can aggregate patient demand across multiple hospitals, making specialty services such as telehealth, visiting clinicians, and shared staffing models more financially viable than they would be for any single hospital operating alone. The discussion also examines why keeping care local matters not only for patients, but for the financial sustainability of rural hospitals. Zachary shares a practical framework for developing shared services that can reduce costs, generate revenue, strengthen hospital operations, and support the long-term sustainability of the network itself. Together, Mark and Zachary explore: * Why rural health networks create scale while allowing hospitals to maintain their independence. * Why recruiting full-time specialists is often financially and operationally unrealistic for critical access hospitals. * The role of telehealth, traveling specialists, and larger health system partnerships in closing rural care gaps. * A three-part framework for evaluating shared services based on cost savings, revenue generation, and network sustainability. * and more! Tune in for a practical conversation on how rural health networks can help independent hospitals expand specialty access, strengthen operations, and build a more sustainable future for the communities they serve.

Episode 5 - RHTP Planning for Compliance and Success with Christian Milaster

In this episode of Healthcare Rewired, Mark Noble sits down with Christian Milaster, Founder and CEO of Ingenium Digital Health Advisors, to unpack what it really takes for rural hospitals and health systems to succeed under the Rural Health Transformation Program. As states move rapidly from funding awards to implementation and CMS accountability, many organizations face tight timelines, unclear expectations, and pressure to demonstrate measurable outcomes. Christian shares practical guidance on how leaders can position their organizations for success by aligning initiatives with community needs, designing programs with sustainability in mind, and building the internal capabilities required to launch new services, not just operate existing ones. The conversation explores why change management, clinician engagement, and thoughtful workflow design are just as critical as technology itself, and introduces a simple framework for verifying the strategic, financial, and clinical value of new programs so outcomes can be measured from day one.  Together, Mark and Christian explore: * Why CMS reporting timelines feel compressed and how organizations should realistically interpret early progress expectations. * How rural providers can align their strategic plans with state RHTP priorities to strengthen applications and impact. * The difference between operating services and launching new ones and why many implementations fail without the right internal capabilities. * The biggest barriers to innovation adoption, including clinician change resistance, workflow design, and integration challenges. * A simple verification framework for ensuring new programs demonstrate strategic value, financial sustainability, and clinical relevance. * Why clinician engagement and change management often determine success more than the technology itself. Tune in for an actionable conversation on how rural healthcare leaders can move beyond compliance to build lasting, sustainable programs that expand access and improve outcomes for their communities.

Episode 4 - Dr. Roy Schoenberg - The Caregiver Shortage Emergency: Can AI Help Our Aging Population?

Host Mark Noble is joined by Dr. Roy Schoenberg, Founder and CEO of Aileen and former CEO of Amwell, for a timely look at the growing crisis in elder care and the role AI can play in addressing it. Roy discusses why caregiver shortages are reaching unsustainable levels, why traditional age-tech hasn’t delivered meaningful change, and how an AI companion focused on connection, not clinical tasks, may offer a new path forward. He also shares his perspective on responsible AI use for vulnerable populations and how solutions like Aileen could support both professional caregivers and families. Together, Mark and Roy explore: * Why the elder-care crisis is accelerating, and what’s driving caregivers into the “red zone.” * How AI companions differ from traditional digital health tools and why relationships, not reminders, may be the unlock. * What responsible use of AI looks like for vulnerable populations, especially amid a lack of clear regulation. * How home-care and senior-living organizations may be the critical entry point for AI-supported companionship. * The distinction between AI that improves efficiency and AI that reshapes care models and why that matters for rural health transformation. * Why future-proofing AI strategies means staying agile, not locking innovation into fixed models. Tune in for a thoughtful, hopeful, and urgent conversation about the future of elder care, the role AI can play, and why this moment calls for bold, human-centered innovation.

Episode 3 – Michelle Hager – Building Sustainable Rural Health Strategies, Fast (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our Rural Health Transformation series, host Mark Noble sits down with Michelle Hager, Managing Partner at Blue Cirrus Consulting and one of Becker’s Top Women in Health IT to Know, to unpack what it takes to build sustainable, data-driven rural health strategies under tight deadlines. With $50 billion in new federal funding and only months for states to submit plans, Michelle offers practical insights into how leaders can balance centralization vs. regional models, apply lessons from broadband expansion, and design technology frameworks that ensure long-term success beyond one-time funding.

Episode 2 - Dr. Saurabh Chandra - Turning Rural Health Funding into Sustainable Change

In this episode of Healthcare Rewired, host Mark Noble sits down with Dr. Saurabh Chandra, Chief Telehealth Officer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, one of the first federally designated Centers of Excellence for Telehealth in the United States. Together, they explore the real-world challenges facing rural healthcare: provider shortages, chronic disease burdens, and the growing risk of hospital closures. As states prepare their plans for the Rural Health Transformation Program, Dr. Chandra shares a clear call to action: act fast, act smart, and design with sustainability in mind. From remote patient monitoring to multi-specialty telehealth networks, Dr. Chandra outlines how states can use technology and data to build programs that endure beyond five years of funding. His roadmap is simple: start with proven solutions, scale what works, and collect the data that will prove long-term value. This is a conversation about urgency, opportunity, and the responsibility to turn historic funding into measurable impact for rural America.