Podcast

Executive Interview

Hosted by Bill Russell, Sarah Richardson, or Drex DeFord

One-on-one conversations with healthcare executives sharing their leadership journeys, strategic priorities, and insights on technology-driven transformation.

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Episodes (47)

Jun 3, 2026·Executive Interview

End the Wait: How AI Is Finally Fixing Patient Access | Executive Interview with Adnan Iqbal

June 3, 2026: Adnan Iqbal , co-founder and CEO of Luma Health , joins Bill Russell for a direct conversation about one of healthcare's most stubborn problems: patient access. With 14-day average waits for a PCP appointment, 18% no-show rates, and call centers buried in fax workflows, the problems haven't changed, but the tools finally have. Adnan shares how Luma built a platform from scratch to orchestrate access, intake, financial experience, and patient engagement in one unified system, why de

May 21, 2026·Executive Interview

The Front Door Is Wide Open: Healthcare's IAM Wake-Up Call | Executive Interview with Mark Ferrari

May 20, 2026: Mark Ferrari , VP of Advisory Services at Fortified Health Security , joins Drex DeFord on UnHack for a candid conversation about the threat landscape keeping healthcare security leaders up at night. From asset inventory gaps to the explosion of identity-based attacks, Mark brings a rare perspective shaped by military service, 30 years as an EMT, and deep healthcare IT experience. He pulls no punches on why healthcare keeps buying tools before defining the problem, and what it actu

May 13, 2026·Executive Interview

Rethinking Global IT Delivery and Co-Sourcing | Executive Interview With Jake Morrison

May 13, 2026: Jake Morrison , Global Healthcare Practice Head at Infinite Computer Solutions , joins Bill Russell for a candid executive conversation about what's really driving healthcare IT today. From the promise of AI to the surge in managed services demand, Jake shares why the old "outsource your mess for less" mindset is failing health systems. With 28 global delivery centers and half of Infinite's work in healthcare, Jake brings a uniquely global perspective on where the industry is heade

May 5, 2026·Executive Interview

The Cyber Attack No One Can Survive Alone | Executive Interview with Josh Howell

May 5, 2026: What happens when attackers don't just break into your systems, they become you? Josh Howell , Healthcare CTO at Rubrik , joins Drex DeFord to unpack Rubrik's newly announced partnership with the American Hospital Association, a rigorous vetting process that signals a new standard in cyber risk validation. Josh draws on hundreds of ransomware recovery experiences to challenge how health systems think about resilience, recovery sequencing, and the identity control plane. Learn why th

Apr 29, 2026·Executive Interview

Data Liberation, Tech Debt, and the Road to AI-Ready | Executive Interview with Jim Jacobs

April 29, 2026: Bill Russell sits down with Jim Jacobs , President and CEO of MediQuant , to confront one of healthcare's most expensive and underappreciated problems: runaway application complexity. Jim makes the case that software rationalization isn't an IT to-do list item; it's a board-level imperative. With health systems carrying $60 million in unwanted software spend and cyber risks piling up in legacy systems that no one is maintaining, the urgency has never been higher. And with AI dema

Apr 8, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Maximizing Security with the Tools You Already Have with Frank Duff

April 8, 2026: Frank Duff , Chief Innovation Officer at Tidal Cyber , and one of the original architects of the Mitre ATT&CK framework, joins Drex DeFord on UnHack to expose an uncomfortable truth: most organizations are sitting on powerful security tools they've never fully turned on. Drawing from 18 years at Mitre and deep experience running ATT&CK evaluations, Frank explains how Tidal Cyber bridges the gap between what vendors build and what customers actually deploy. Squeezing more o

Apr 1, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Securing Healthcare's Hidden Attack Surface with James Winebrenner

April 1, 2026: James Winebrenner , CEO of Elisity , joins Drex DeFord to unpack one of healthcare cybersecurity's most persistent challenges, the sprawling, unseen attack surface hiding inside hospital networks. From unmanaged clinical devices to IoT systems running alongside regulated medical equipment, James breaks down how Elisity helps health systems move from visibility to control without re-engineering their networks. He also shares what The Pitt gets right about what really happens when a

Mar 27, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: The Healthcare Data Time Machine with Jonathan Cook and Jason Rose

March 27, 2026: Most healthcare organizations see legacy systems as technical debt—costly to maintain, risky to secure, and difficult to access. But what if that same data could become the foundation for your AI strategy? From the HIMSS floor, Bill Russell sits down with Jason Rose (CEO) and Jonathan Cook (CTO) of Clearsense to explore how health systems can rapidly retire legacy applications while transforming decades of archived data into actionable intelligence. With hundreds—even thousands—o

Mar 27, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: ROI or Bust - Why Emotions No Longer Cut It in Healthcare

March 27: 2026: Live from HIMSS 2026, Drex DeFord sits down with Eli Tarlow , Director of Industry Strategists at CDW , for a candid conversation about the state of AI in healthcare. Eli breaks down the evolution from AI curiosity to AI accountability, where gut feelings have been replaced by hard business plans, measurable ROI, and a closing-the-loop mentality that puts operational leaders on the hook for results. Key Points: 01:44 AI Maturity Shift 03:05 Proving ROI With AI 06:05 Accountabilit

Mar 25, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: How Carahsoft Connects Healthcare to What Works with Rob Courtney

March 25, 2026: How can healthcare organizations move faster on adopting new technology while navigating complex procurement processes? Rob Courtney , Healthcare CTO at Carahsoft , joins Sarah Richardson at HIMSS to share how Carahsoft is bridging that gap. By acting as a master aggregator, Carahsoft helps vendors access the healthcare market while giving providers vetted solutions that solve real problems. From driving demand through events and marketing to simplifying contracting with pre-buil

Mar 25, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview Live at HIMSS 26’: Zero Breach Cloud Security with Gerry Miller

March 25, 2026: Gerry Miller , Founder and CEO of Cloudticity , has spent 15 years helping healthcare organizations harness the cloud securely. In this live conversation at HIMSS 2026, Gerry breaks down why health systems are accelerating their move to the cloud and how multi-cloud strategies are shifting from redundancy plays to service optimization. Key Points: 02:33 Multi Cloud Strategy 04:39 ROI and Security 08:24 Future Data and AI X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donat

Mar 20, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview Live From HIMSS 2026: The Smart Hospital Room Is Becoming Real with Adam McMullin

March 20, 2026: Healthcare leaders have been talking about the “smart hospital room” for years. Now it is starting to become real. In this live conversation from the floor of HIMSS 2026, Bill Russell speaks with Adam McMullin , CEO of AvaSure , about how virtual care platforms are evolving beyond patient monitoring into a foundation for the hospital room of the future. With deployments across more than 1,200 hospitals, AvaSure built its footprint through virtual safety monitoring, helping health