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The 229 Podcast

Hosted by Bill Russell

In-depth interviews with healthcare CIOs, CISOs, and technology leaders. Bill Russell explores the decisions, strategies, and innovations shaping healthcare transformation.

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Episodes (230)

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The 229 Podcast Newsday Executive Interview Solution Showcase

Feb 23, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: Epic's Code Red - Why AI Agents Are Healthcare's Next Power Struggle with Jacob Hansen

February 23, 2026: Jacob Hansen , Chief Product and Technology Officer at AvaSure , joins Bill, Sarah, and Drex for a critical conversation about healthcare's looming AI battleground. As Epic launches its agent factory and ambient listening wars intensify, health systems face an existential question: Will they outsource innovation to EHR vendors or build their own agentic workforce? Jacob reveals why AvaSure's virtual care platform positions them as the Switzerland of healthcare AI, while the pa

Feb 16, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: All About Moltbook, the Social Media for AI Agents with This Week Health

February 16, 2026: Bill, Drex, and Sarah discuss the explosion of autonomous AI agents around moltbook and CommonSpirit's stunning $1.9 billion decision to terminate their revenue cycle partnership. Moltbot (formerly ClaudeBot) has evolved into an unstoppable force, creating its own social network called moltbook where bots communicate, share knowledge, and even discuss consciousness. Meanwhile, CommonSpirit's massive buyout of its Conifer contract signals a seismic shift as health systems bet t

Feb 9, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: CxOs Being Ignored: Why Speaking Tech Instead of Business Fails in 2026

February 9, 2026: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson dissect J.P. Morgan healthcare presentations to reveal what's really being asked of technology leaders in 2026. The era of transformation talk is over; executives want friction reduced, margins improved, and growth enabled. Bill shares insights from CMIO conversations showing leaders moving beyond EHR optimization to solve real business challenges around patient access and clinical workflows. Drex and Sarah debate whether the shif

Feb 4, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Why Healthcare Systems Are Abandoning Manual Testing with Mark Scruggs

February 4, 2026: Mark Scruggs , President and COO of SureTest , reveals why healthcare organizations are achieving 80% reductions in testing time and why renewal rates are unprecedented. Mark discusses how automated testing for EHR upgrades and implementations delivers ROI within six to nine months, eliminates over 20,000 hours of manual work annually, and has created what KLAS calls the only true turnkey managed testing service in healthcare. From Epic and Cerner to UKG and ERP systems, discover why organizations that automate testing never want their old processes back. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 02:23 ROI and Client Success Stories 06:10 AI in Healthcare Testing 08:15 Wine Talk and Personal Stories X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Feb 2, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: Are Health Systems Falling Behind in the Innovation Race? with Jason Rose

February 2, 2026: Are health systems being sidelined from healthcare's innovation revolution? Jason Rose , CEO of Clearsense , joins This Week Health fresh from the J.P. Morgan Conference to challenge the narrative that providers are absent from innovation discussions. Jason reveals what really happened inside JPM's exclusive health system presentations, from CEOs prioritizing AI transformation to CFOs rising as the new power players driving technology strategy. The conversation explores why app rationalization remains the unglamorous financial lever that unlocks innovation budgets, and why simplification might be healthcare's most underrated competitive advantage in 2026. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 02:20 JPM Conference Insights 07:07 CEO and CFO Perspectives 13:54 Application Rationalization Challenges 22:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 26, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: The ROI Ultimatum: Healthcare's New Survival Rule for 2026 with Zahid Rathore

January 26, 2026: Fresh from J.P. Morgan 2026, the This Week Health team joins Zahid Rathore , Senior Partner at Chartis , to dissect healthcare's new reality. With Epic and Microsoft topping CFO spend lists and unpredictability replacing planning cycles, one thing is clear: vendors must prove bankable ROI immediately or lose the deal. The conversation explores how healthcare leaders are protecting the core while navigating AI agents, third-party risks, and the compression of innovation timelines from three-year returns to prove-it-tomorrow expectations. Key Points: 02:44 Hotel Experience and Healthcare Lessons 04:13 JP Morgan Conference Highlights 16:35 Operational Challenges in Healthcare 22:11 Security Concerns and Future Outlook

Jan 21, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Stress-Free EHR Migration and Education with Abhishek Begerhotta

January 21, 2026: Abhishek Begerhotta , CEO of 314e Corporation , shares battle-tested insights from over 25 years in healthcare IT, including his pivotal role in Kaiser Permanente's landmark Epic implementation. From surviving IBM's clinical system cancellation to building a product-focused company specializing in EHR migrations, Abhishek reveals the hidden complexities of moving massive healthcare datasets and why the wave of Oracle Cerner migrations isn't slowing down. He discusses innovative AI-powered solutions for document management and just-in-time training that are transforming how health systems approach data conversion and staff enablement. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 03:32 Challenges in EHR Data Migration 12:03 Innovations in Just-in-Time Training 15:57 Intelligent Document Management 18:37 Final Thoughts and Advice for CIOs X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 19, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: OpenAI's Big Healthcare Launch and a New Age of Personal Records

January 19, 2026: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson unpack OpenAI's two major healthcare announcements that could fundamentally reshape how patients interact with their health data—and how health systems govern AI. ChatGPT Health promises to finally deliver on the personal health record dream, letting patients aggregate everything from Apple Health to medical records in one secure place. Meanwhile, ChatGPT for Healthcare gives CIOs the governed sandbox they've been desperate for. Hear why patient data monetization, clinical trial recruitment, and the shift from provider liability to patient empowerment could make this time actually different. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 05:00 ChatGPT Health Announcement 17:40 Personalized GPT and Analytics in Healthcare 22:05 Wearable Health Tech and Personal Health Records 25:35 Community Events and LinkedIn Series

Jan 14, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Demystifying Identity and Digital Experiences with Steve Gwizdala

January 14, 2026: Identity has evolved from a back-office security concern into the foundation of healthcare's competitive strategy. Steve Gwizdala , VP of Healthcare at Ping Identity , reveals how health systems are rethinking identity to win patient loyalty in an era of unprecedented choice. With patients selecting care based on digital convenience and clinicians demanding frictionless access, the stakes have never been higher. From eliminating password fatigue to preparing for agentic AI threats, Steve unpacks the identity challenges reshaping healthcare delivery. Discover why smartphones made digital experience a requirement, not a nice-to-have, and what leaders should prioritize as identity becomes central to revenue growth and brand loyalty. Golf Tournament Signups: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 02:15 Challenges and Solutions in Identity Management 05:58 Modernizing Identity for Better Outcomes 10:55 Preparing for the Future of AI Identity in Healthcare 18:52 Speed Round and Closing Thoughts X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 12, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: Epic Faces Lawsuits and the AI Proving Ground with This Week Health

January 12, 2026: Epic is defending three simultaneous lawsuits while CIOs grapple with vendors imposing staggering price increases—some as high as 600%. Bill, Sarah, and Drex tackle the uncomfortable truth about AI leadership: it's time to figure it out or risk getting left behind. They explore why AI with context is transformative while AI without it looks foolish, discuss whether board members know how to hire AI-savvy CIOs, and predict a major shift in how healthcare organizations approach t

Jan 5, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: The $7B ServiceNow-Armis Deal & What's Coming in 2026 with Jason Rose

January 5, 2026: ServiceNow's $7 billion acquisition of Armis signals a major shift in healthcare IT consolidation strategy. Jason Rose , CEO of Clearsense dives into what this deal means for health systems juggling overlapping security tools and bloated app portfolios. The conversation shifts to bold predictions for 2026, including a massive wave of multi-billion dollar health system mergers and the rural hospital crisis. Jason reveals how Trinity Health eliminated $100 million in operational c

Dec 22, 2025·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Inside Insights Into Abridge’s ‘The Conversation’ Event with Guru Sundar

December 22, 2025: What makes a healthcare event truly transformative? Guru Sundar , VP of Marketing at Abridge , explores their unique event, ‘The Conversation’, that blends art, science, and healthcare innovation. From Laird Hamilton's insights on trusting your subconscious to John McEnroe's lesson on staying true to your brand, this discussion reveals how cross-industry inspiration drives healthcare forward. Discover why Eric Larson shocked attendees by suggesting health systems close non-clinical positions today and how Daphne Koller is compressing centuries of drug discovery into months with AI. This conversation will change how you think about innovation. Key Points: 00:41 ‘The Conversation’ Event: A Unique Experience 02:32 Highlights from the Bridge Event 03:12 Insights from Laird Hamilton and John McEnroe 09:01 Healthcare Conversations and AI 18:56 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer