Julia Sorensen on Why Healthcare Innovation Doesn’t Require a Big Budget

Julia Sorensen on Why Healthcare Innovation Doesn’t Require a Big Budget

Julia Sorensen, VP of Marketing at Mass General Brigham, shares how her unconventional path from EMS and clinical social work to healthcare marketing shaped her approach to problem-solving and leadership. She explains why smaller organizations may have an innovation advantage, how marketers can build community trust through low-cost engagement, and why measuring ROI is essential. Julia also offers a practical framework for using AI to improve personal productivity, test new ideas, and streamline workflows without chasing every shiny new tool. The conversation concludes with advice for creating space for experimentation and a look at how Julia’s work as an artist fuels her creativity beyond healthcare.

Christine Albert on How Experience Fuels Patient Growth

Drawing on her experience as both a Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Experience Officer, Christine Albert explores why patient retention, access, trust and experience are valuable growth levers for healthcare organizations. The conversation covers experience design, operational alignment, provider accessibility, and how healthcare marketers can drive meaningful business outcomes by thinking beyond campaigns. Christine also shares practical examples of how small changes in patient experience can produce measurable growth and discusses how AI is raising the bar for trust, discoverability, and content quality across healthcare.

Rebecca Mankin on Avoiding Rural Health Funding Application Traps

Rebecca Mankin, Founder and CEO of Mankin Consulting, joins Jerry Hofer to discuss two of the most common application traps that rural health organizations encounter: misunderstanding allowable uses of funding and failing to align projects with state priorities. Rebecca shares practical insights from years of experience helping healthcare organizations secure and manage grant funding, including why outreach and marketing activities are often allowable expenses, how compliance requirements are evolving, and why stakeholder engagement is critical before submitting an application. The conversation also explores innovative uses of funding for telehealth, cybersecurity, remote patient monitoring, and specialty care access in rural communities.

Carleigh Gabryel on Why Now is a Critical Moment for Research Communications

Carleigh Gabryel shares her unique career journey from television news reporter to leading research communications at the University of North Carolina. Along the way, she discovered a passion for helping researchers tell stories that connect scientific discoveries to real people, real communities, and real-world impact. Carleigh discusses how her team works across UNC's research enterprise to communicate everything from public health breakthroughs to cutting-edge medical discoveries. She explains why the most effective research communications humanize the researchers behind it and show how their work improves lives. The conversation also explores the growing role of short-form video, the importance of curiosity in effective communication, and the challenges universities face in demonstrating the value and impact of research.

Dispelling Myths & Changing Lives: An Inside Look at a Federally Qualified Health Center

What does it really take to improve healthcare access in underserved communities? In this episode, Paola Rios, Nicole Kuzmicic and Dr. Kathy Cornelius from Central North Alabama Health Services, Inc. (CNAHSI) share how one of Alabama's leading Federally Qualified Health Centers is helping patients overcome barriers to care through community partnerships, coordinated services, and a commitment to treating the whole person. The conversation explores common misconceptions about community health centers, the challenges many patients face in accessing care, and the innovative programs that make healthcare more affordable and accessible, from transportation assistance and low-cost medications to cancer screenings and food security initiatives. The team also discusses what it means to be a Patient-Centered Medical Home and an Age-Friendly Health System, demonstrating how coordinated, compassionate care can improve health outcomes across every stage of life.