Candid healthcare leadership conversations with Kevin Stevenson
I Don't Care with Dr. Kevin Stevenson, FACHE, is a healthcare leadership podcast that addresses the most pressing trends, challenges, and debates in the healthcare industry. Dr. Stevenson brings a candid, executive-level perspective to topics ranging from revenue cycle management to nursing workforce issues, speaking with practitioners and leaders across the sector. The show is produced by MarketScale and serves healthcare professionals seeking unfiltered industry insight.
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Episodes
From Institutional Excellence to Population-Level Access: How Pakistan Can Bridge Its Healthcare Divide
Healthcare systems are under pressure almost everywhere, but the strain is especially visible in lower-resource settings where demand is rising faster than infrastructure. In Pakistan, that pressure is playing out across a system that has to serve more than 250 million people with limited public investment. Public health spending remains below 1% of GDP,…
When Geography Meets Purpose: How One Move Reshaped a Vascular Surgeon’s Career
Medicine isn’t what it used to be—not for the people practicing it. Independent physicians are becoming the exception, not the norm, as more doctors move into hospital systems, corporate groups, and academic networks. At the same time, the pipeline of specialists isn’t keeping pace with growing patient needs, particularly in complex fields like vascular…
From the C-Suite to the Classroom: A Healthcare Leader’s Bet on the Next Generation
Healthcare isn’t short on strategy right now—it’s short on people, access, and experienced leadership where it matters most. In Texas alone, more rural hospitals have closed than in any other state over the past decade, leaving entire communities with limited access to care. At the same time, many health systems are realizing they haven’t…
At the Center of Care: How Specialty Pharmacy Aligns Patients, Providers, and Payers
As healthcare costs continue to rise, more patients are finding themselves navigating not just illness, but the growing complexity of paying for treatment. Specialty pharmacy sits right at the center of that challenge—often out of sight, but increasingly essential to how modern care actually works. These high-cost, high-touch therapies now make up more than…
The Healthcare Talent Fix: Build Pipelines Early, Use Data, and Get the Experience Right
There’s a growing tension inside healthcare right now—between the people leaving the workforce and the patients still arriving every day. It’s a dynamic that leaders can no longer afford to ignore. The numbers make that clear: the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. could be short of as many as 86,000 physicians…
The Art of Recovery: Where Music and Medicine Meet in Patient Care
Healthcare today can feel overwhelming—not just for patients, but for the teams caring for them. After a major illness or injury, recovery isn’t handled by one doctor alone; it often involves a whole network of specialists, from physical therapists to nurses to social workers, all trying to help someone regain their independence and quality…
A Physician Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Fixing America’s Specialty Care Gap
The U.S. healthcare system is facing a quiet but accelerating crisis: a widening gap between where specialists are needed and where they actually practice. In urology alone, there are roughly 1,100 open positions but only about 400 new specialists trained each year—a mismatch that’s only getting worse. As physician burnout rises and more clinicians…
The Best Healthcare Platforms Are Built on Clear Communication, AI-Human Collaboration, and a Deep Understanding of the “Why”
Healthcare is being pushed to modernize faster than ever, as AI tools, virtual care, and digital patient experiences shift from innovation to expectation. Recent survey data from McKinsey & Company indicates that about half of U.S. healthcare leaders say their organizations have
Policy, Patients, and the Future of Healthcare: How Texas Plans to Fix a Strained System
The U.S. healthcare system is under real strain—and it’s something both patients and physicians are feeling in everyday care. In Texas, those pressures are even more visible, where rapid population growth, rural access challenges, and regulatory complexity are making it harder for patients to get timely care and for doctors to focus on medicine…
Called to Lead: Joel Allison on Faith, Risk, and the Future of Healthcare Leadership
Healthcare leadership is being redefined in real time. With the rise of AI, mounting financial pressures, and workforce burnout, executives today are operating in an environment of continuous disruption and uncertainty. In fact, industry leaders now rank workforce shortages and digital transformation among their top concerns—forcing a new kind of leadership that blends decisiveness…
From Classroom to Clinic: Pre-Clinical Talent Steps Into Healthcare’s Hard-to-Fill Roles
Healthcare systems are facing a workforce crisis that’s no longer temporary—it’s structural. Even before COVID-19, staffing shortages across nursing, technical, and administrative roles were already straining capacity; today, those gaps are wider, costlier, and directly impacting patient access. With labor shortages persisting and burnout rising, health systems are being forced to rethink not just…
Healthcare’s 2026 Reality: Growing Workforce Gaps, Tiered Access, and the Rise of AI Support
Healthcare systems are entering 2026 under mounting pressure. A growing, aging population and rising disease burden are colliding with persistent workforce shortages—highlighted by projections that new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. will surpass two million this year alone. The stakes are no longer theoretical: delays in care, limited specialist access, and widening disparities are…
Policy, AI, and New Funding Models Are Reshaping Mental Health Care Delivery
Mental health care isn’t a new problem—but it’s finally being treated like an urgent one. After years of being sidelined, the cracks in the system are becoming impossible to ignore: overstretched clinicians, long wait times, and entire communities without consistent access to care. In the U.S., the scale is striking—more than one in five…
The Early-Stage Playbook for Healthcare Founders: Credibility, Founder Mindset, and Real Market Fit
Healthcare innovation is having a moment. With over 500 startups applying annually to leading accelerators like Health Wildcatters, the sector is seeing a surge of founders eager to tackle inefficiencies in care delivery, diagnostics, and patient experience. At the same time, digital health is regaining momentum—after a period of market correction, funding went up…
Diagnosing Your Capital Asset Health: Why Asset Visibility Is the New Financial Imperative in Healthcare
Hospitals and surgery centers own millions of dollars in equipment — but owning assets and having actionable visibility into them are two different things. Most systems maintain inventories, yet many struggle with outdated records, fragmented tracking, and limited insight into useful life or service contracts. With nearly half of U.S. hospitals reporting negative operating…
Exploring the Intersection of Board Governance, Community Engagement and Creativity with Ann Margolin
Behind every city vote, hospital budget or zoning decision is a leader navigating tough, often conflicting priorities. Right now, public leaders are operating in an environment of rising healthcare costs, workforce shortages and heightened community expectations—especially within safety-net systems that collectively provide billions in uncompensated care each year. The stakes are real—they affect patients…
How Predictive AI Is Helping Hospitals Anticipate Admissions and Optimize Emergency Department Throughput
Emergency departments across the U.S. are under unprecedented strain, with overcrowding, staffing shortages, and inpatient bed constraints converging into a throughput crisis. The American Hospital Association reports that hospital capacity and workforce growth have lagged, intensifying delays from arrival to disposition. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence are moving from experimental to operational—raising…
Bridging the Gap Between Hospital Discharge and Daily Life: How In-Home Senior Care Improves Outcomes and Reduces Readmissions
As hospitals across the U.S. shorten length of stay and push more recovery into the home, families are increasingly left to manage complex care needs without formal training or support. Roughly one in five patients with chronic conditions like COPD or congestive heart failure is readmitted within 30 days—a cycle that costs the healthcare…
How Simulation-Based Education Is Transforming Healthcare Leadership and Decision-Making Worldwide
As healthcare systems worldwide face rising costs, workforce shortages, and increasing pressure to balance quality with financial sustainability, traditional classroom-based management education is struggling to keep pace. According to the World Economic Forum, healthcare spending now accounts for nearly 10% of global GDP, making leadership decision-making more consequential—and more complex—than ever. At the same…
Technology Is Transforming Cardiovascular Care But Can Access Keep Up?
Cardiovascular care is entering one of its most transformative periods in decades. Advances in AI imaging and minimally invasive procedures are transforming the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 19.8 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2022, representing approximately 32% of all global deaths. This…
Hot Takes on Rural Healthcare: Lessons from the Frontlines of a System in Decline
Across America, rural hospitals are facing an existential crisis. From physician burnout and recruitment struggles to malpractice insurance woes and shrinking OB units, the challenges facing small health systems are multiplying. According to the National Rural Health Association, roughly 190 rural hospitals have closed down or discontinued inpatient care since 2010 — and many more…
Smarter, Faster, Kinder: How AI Can Help Hospitals Deliver Better Care, All While Keeping Care Human
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword in healthcare — it’s becoming a real partner in how providers care for patients and improve everyday experiences. With rising patient expectations, limited resources, and mounting administrative complexity, hospitals and insurers alike are turning to AI to improve efficiency, communication, and satisfaction. In fact, Citi research…
Dr. Kevin Stevenson Gives His Thoughts on the Evolution of Healthcare Over the Past Decades
As healthcare continues to transform faster than ever — shaped by post-pandemic burnout, staffing shortages, and the rise of AI — leaders are being forced to rethink what it truly means to deliver both value and compassion in medicine. With the U.S. expected to face a shortage of 64,000 nurses in 2030, healthcare leaders are…
The Future of Sleep Apnea Treatment: Vivos’ Oral Appliance Technology Offers an Alternative to CPAP
Obstructive sleep apnea affects a whopping 30 million Americans, yet millions remain undiagnosed or abandon CPAP therapy due to its discomfort and inconvenience. Recent innovations in oral appliance therapy, however, are opening up new possibilities for patients seeking safe, effective, and lasting solutions. With sleep apnea linked to virtually every chronic disease—from heart disease to…
Transforming the ICU Through Technology: Advances in Critical Care Telehealth Delivering Gold-Standard Care Anywhere
Critical care in the United States faces a mounting crisis. With a shortage of board-certified intensivists and younger, less experienced nurses filling ICUs, hospitals often struggle to provide timely, gold-standard care. Studies show that hospitals with board-certified intensivists in their ICUs see a 30% reduction in patient mortality, yet thousands of facilities still lack…
Transforming Healthcare Workforce Development: Sustainable Solutions Through Early Engagement, Access, and Leadership
Healthcare systems continue to face intense workforce challenges, with nursing at the center of concern. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 5% between 2024 and 2034—faster than the average growth across all jobs in the U.S. economy. While this growth reflects rising demand for…
The Future of Employer Benefits: Balancing Rising Healthcare Costs with Creative, Employee-Centered Perks
The landscape of employee benefits has undergone a seismic shift in the last decade. From the rise of telemedicine to the introduction of lifestyle spending accounts and stipends for services like DoorDash and HelloFresh, employers are reimagining how they support workers in a post-pandemic, inflation-conscious world. With healthcare costs rising and talent competition intensifying,…
Improving Employee Engagement Through CAREmunication — A Conversation with Burl Stamp
With the healthcare landscape seeing many evolving changes, employee engagement is no longer just a buzzword — it’s now a business imperative. Amid rising turnover and persistent staffing shortages, organizations are under pressure to build resilient, engaged teams. According to Gallup, 70% of the variance in team engagement is tied to one factor: the…
How THA Strengthens Texas Healthcare Through Policy, Workforce Solutions, and Community Collaboration
As healthcare continues to evolve in response to post-pandemic challenges, workforce shortages, and an ongoing mental health crisis, the institutions that support the backbone of healthcare—hospitals—are under immense pressure. In Texas, where geographic and demographic diversity create unique complexities, the role of hospital associations in steering policy and support services is more vital than…
From Missed Diagnoses to Life-Saving Alerts: How AI is Helping Doctors Detect Structural Heart Disease Before It Turns Deadly
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming healthcare diagnostics, with some of the most promising breakthroughs happening in cardiology. Structural heart disease affects millions and frequently goes undiagnosed in its early stages, leaving patients vulnerable to serious complications. One such condition, severe aortic stenosis, often remains unnoticed until it becomes life-threatening—carrying a two-year mortality rate worse…
SHMS Optimizes Operations for Medicare Advantage Plan Operators in the Healthcare Payer Enterprise
Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans is projected to reach about 35.7 million, according to a 2025 Senate Finance Committee report. Yet, many startup and midsize organizations face steep technical and regulatory hurdles when launching or scaling operations. As part of the broader healthcare payer enterprise landscape, these plans must manage compliance, claims adjudication, risk adjustment,…
Rewriting the Odds: Leadership Resilience at the Heart of Norberto Orellana’s Rise
Economic mobility is often portrayed as a straight climb. In reality, it’s shaped by adversity, identity, and access to opportunity. As research from the University of Michigan notes, mobility requires not only income, education, and employment, but also more intangible resources such as social inclusion and power—the ability to make choices and exert influence….
AI-Powered Care Navigation Reduces Healthcare Spend and Improves Patient Access
The U.S. healthcare system is strained by rising costs, uneven quality, and fragmented care navigation. Employers are bearing the brunt, spending more without always securing better care for their teams. According to the RAND Corporation, one effective strategy is to “change their network and benefit designs to encourage patients to use lower‑priced, higher‑value providers…
Healthcare Operations Improve with AI That Unites Data, Automation, and Ethics
Generative AI has captured the public imagination, but its most transformative use cases may lie far from flashy consumer tools. In healthcare operations, where complexity, inefficiency, and fragmentation remain persistent challenges, AI is now driving measurable improvements. Research suggests AI-enabled healthcare systems could cut administrative costs by up to $360 billion in the U.S. alone….
2025’s Hottest Healthcare Trends with David Willis, Principal with ECG
Healthcare leaders must navigate workforce shortages and deferred investments while seizing new opportunities in a rapidly shifting industry landscape
Private Equity and Venture Capital Are Transforming Healthcare – But at What Cost?
Billions in healthcare investments fuel innovation while raising concerns about whether profit motives align with patient care
Employer-Built Healthcare Plans: Controlling Costs and Transforming Care
Companies are designing their own healthcare systems to cut costs and improve employee outcomes faster than traditional insurance models allow
Overcoming Behavioral Health Challenges: Iris Telehealth’s Technology-Driven Approach
Virtual care platforms are shortening wait times and reaching underserved populations by connecting patients with behavioral health providers faster than tradit
Market-Based Planning, Specialization and Technology To Shape Healthcare Provider Networks for Tomorrow
Health systems must strategically realign their provider networks to balance community demand with financial viability amid a looming physician shortage
AI-Powered Remote Cardiac Monitoring Improves Care Access, Disease Detection, and Diagnostic Accuracy
Advanced monitoring systems are detecting heart conditions earlier while reducing errors and expanding care reach for underserved populations
Patient Physician Network Provides Financial Integration and Value-Based Care Support to Keep Independent Physicians Viable.
Independent doctors are discovering how financial integration and coordinated care models help them compete against health system consolidation
MedCurate’s Transparent Marketplace is Tackling the Healthcare Staffing Crisis, Backed by Mentorship
A marketplace model is reshaping how hospitals fill staffing gaps while giving clinicians fairer compensation
Authenticx Tackles Healthcare Challenges Using Conversational Intelligence
Healthcare systems are discovering how AI-powered conversation analysis reveals hidden patient insights that drive operational efficiency and care quality
Hospital Supply Chain Management: How to Find Scarce Equipment and Supplies
Healthcare leaders are rethinking procurement strategies to build resilience against ongoing supply disruptions and shortages
The Impact of Healthcare Mentorship on Leadership Development
Mentors shaped one healthcare executive's rise through competing industry sectors and complex market challenges
AI in Healthcare: Dr. Lina Bouayad on Improving Provider Efficiency and Patient Care
Automation tools are helping overwhelmed providers reclaim time for meaningful patient interactions while reducing administrative burden
Lessons Learned from 24-Year-Old Hospital CEO Aidan Hettler
Youth and unconventional paths are reshaping how rural hospitals think about finding and developing their next generation of leaders
Be the Best Part of Their Day: Values-Driven Leadership in Rural Healthcare
Rural healthcare leaders who align their teams around shared values can transform patient outcomes and community loyalty in underserved regions
Rising Cancer Diagnoses in Young Adults: Lifestyle Changes and Early Screenings can Lower Risks
Early interventions and lifestyle adjustments offer young adults a fighting chance against a disease that's striking earlier than ever before
Optimizing Healthcare Spaces: Trane’s Innovative Approach .
Proper ventilation and climate control directly reduce infection rates and improve patient outcomes in medical facilities
Values-Driven Leadership Fosters Excellent Patient Care and Strong Staff Morale
Leaders who prioritize purpose and open dialogue create environments where healthcare workers thrive and patients receive exceptional care
Comprehensive Training, Transparency, and Stronger Laws to Secure Better Patient Care
As clinician shortages loom, healthcare systems must clarify training standards and provider roles to ensure patient safety and quality outcomes
School-Based Clinics Are Revolutionizing Healthcare on Campuses, Providing Wider Access to Health Services
Most schools lack mental health services, leaving students without critical support when they need it most
Hays Waldrop Discusses How The Institute of Healthcare Executives and Suppliers Provides Value Through the Exchange of Industry Knowledge and Experience”
Technology is in a constant state of change, especially with new innovations in healthcare happening every day. But it’s not always easy to know what’s out there, or to get your product to market. In today’s connected world, it has become more important than ever to have a community that you can chat with, learn…
I Don’t Care: Building Your Personal Brand Through Social Media
Whether you’re self employed or work for a major company, having a personal brand can be important. But not everyone knows how best to brand themselves, or they’re not comfortable with putting themselves out there in that way. How can someone make their own persona brand and make it work for them? On this episode…
Waco Go Red Event Raising Awareness for Heart Diseases like HCM
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a type of heart disease in which the heart muscle thickens without an obvious cause, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. HCM can result in chest pain, breathlessness, and fainting and may increase the chance of sudden cardiac death. But why is this important? With the Waco Go…
Is It Possible for a Health Plan to Simplify Access and Engage its Customers?
Healthcare plans are easy when one doesn’t need to use them, but navigating a plan to receive needed care can prove challenging. Ryan Coplon, Co-Founder & President of HealthWallet, believes there is a better way to make order out of the healthcare chaos, and that’s through HealthWallet’s smartphone app. He spoke with Kevin Stevenson about…
Health in A Rock ‘n’ Roll World with Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup
It’s the first video episode of “I Don’t Care” and we’re starting strong! Join Kevin as he talks with Jaret Reddick, the founder, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Bowling for Soup. Jaret takes Kevin through his long battle with depression, including the struggle of just talking about it out in the open, and the effect it was having on him…
The Biggest Insights from “I Don’t Care” This Year
These days there are a number of avenues for individuals to dive into the healthcare industry. Gone are the days where proficiency in medicine was the only requirement for a career in healthcare. That has certainly been the case for Kevin Stevenson, who has worked with various healthcare organizations for over 30 years with expertise in…
Preparing for an Unexpected Year in High School Athletics: I Don’t Care
On this episode of I Don’t Care, host Kevin Stevenson discusses how high school sports have been and will be affected by COVID with Coach Lonnie Judd, Head Football Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Moody High School in Moody, TX. Coach Judd, who is entering his first year as head coach at Moody,…
COVID and Crisis Management in the World of Chiropractic Colleges: I Don’t Care
This week host Kevin Stevenson was joined by Dan Armstrong, DC, chiropractor and instructor at Parker University, one of America’s largest chiropractic colleges located in Dallas. Dr. Armstrong talks about chiropractic care in the COVID world. We also discuss how Parker used the devastating tornado that hit Dallas last October to refine its crisis…
A Music Educator’s Perspective on COVID-19’s Higher Education Impact: I Don’t Care
Join Kevin Stevenson as he discusses the impact of COVID-19 on higher education with Dr. David Toledo, Director of Worship Studies and Associate Professor of Music at California Baptist University. Dr. Toledo discusses how Cal Baptist has implemented online learning through an existing platform and the challenges of teaching vocalists, instrumentalists and conducting students…
How Public Schools are Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19: I Don’t Care
The global COVID-19 pandemic has initiated ripple effects across every global industry, and education is no exception. Universities and public school districts around the U.S. are being proactive in addressing the impact of this viral outbreak, working to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on students, faculty and surrounding communities. On this episode of I Don’t…
Randy Grimes Talks Opioids, Addiction, and Recovery – Part 2
In the second part of his interview with Randy Grimes on I Don’t Care, Kevin Stevenson and the former NFL offensive lineman discuss the road to recovery, his efforts to help other athletes, and the widespread nature of the problem of opioids in sports. If you missed part 1 of the interview, check…
Randy Grimes Talks Opioids, Addiction, and Recovery – Part 1
Randy Grimes joins this episode of I Don’t Care with Kevin Stevenson for the first of a two-part interview discussing his career in the NFL, addiction to opioids, and eventual recovery. As the opioid epidemic continues to rage in the United States, Randy shares his personal story of how he found himself in the…
Navigating the Stress of the Holiday Season: I Don’t Care
The holiday season is a joyous and happy time for many people, but for some it can be an emotionally trying time. Interacting with family, missing family members who have passed away, and the general hustle and bustle of the season can be difficult to deal with. On this episode of I Don’t Care…
The Differences Between Medicare and Medicare Advantage: I Don’t Care, Episode 3
Have you ever wondered what the differences are between Medicare and Medicare Advantage? Wonder no more! This episode of I Don’t Care with Kevin Stevenson dives into those differences and gets some expert analysis from Johnny Y’Barbo with the Copeland Group. Johnny and Kevin get into the nitty gritty of Medicare to explain these differences…