1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,399 This is Laura Dierda with the Becker's Healthcare 2 00:00:02,399 --> 00:00:04,639 podcast. I'm thrilled today to be join joined 3 00:00:04,639 --> 00:00:07,919 by doctor Jose Azar, executive vice president and 4 00:00:07,919 --> 00:00:10,480 chief quality and clinical service line officer as 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,719 well as professor of medicine at Hackensack Meridian 6 00:00:12,719 --> 00:00:14,980 School of Medicine in the department of hematology 7 00:00:15,039 --> 00:00:15,699 and oncology. 8 00:00:16,054 --> 00:00:17,255 Doctor Azar, it's a pleasure to have you 9 00:00:17,255 --> 00:00:18,394 on the podcast today. 10 00:00:18,774 --> 00:00:20,954 Yes. A pleasure is mine, Laura. Thank you. 11 00:00:21,335 --> 00:00:23,414 Absolutely. Now I'm excited to get into our 12 00:00:23,414 --> 00:00:25,255 conversation. I know we're gonna be talking about 13 00:00:25,255 --> 00:00:27,494 some really amazing things that you're doing there 14 00:00:27,494 --> 00:00:29,250 at Hackensack Meridian Health, 15 00:00:29,730 --> 00:00:31,890 connected to quality and patient safety and more. 16 00:00:31,890 --> 00:00:33,649 But before we do, can you tell us 17 00:00:33,649 --> 00:00:35,409 just a little bit more about yourself and 18 00:00:35,409 --> 00:00:36,469 and the health system? 19 00:00:37,170 --> 00:00:40,049 Yes. Absolutely. I am, as you mentioned, I'm 20 00:00:40,049 --> 00:00:43,350 an oncologist by background. I've been, in the 21 00:00:43,945 --> 00:00:45,405 quality and patient safety 22 00:00:45,864 --> 00:00:47,085 arena for about 23 00:00:47,864 --> 00:00:49,644 sixteen, seventeen years now, 24 00:00:50,104 --> 00:00:52,445 and it's really a compliment to, 25 00:00:53,225 --> 00:00:55,704 continuing the clinical work on a bigger scale, 26 00:00:55,704 --> 00:00:57,164 and that's why I do that. 27 00:00:57,759 --> 00:01:00,799 I've been with Hackensack Meridian Health for four 28 00:01:00,799 --> 00:01:01,600 years since, 29 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:03,199 2022, 30 00:01:03,199 --> 00:01:04,579 and it's been a really, 31 00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:06,340 very rewarding, 32 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:07,540 ride. 33 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:09,359 So I'll tell you a little bit about 34 00:01:09,359 --> 00:01:12,364 Hackensack Meridian Health. We are the biggest and, 35 00:01:12,844 --> 00:01:13,744 most integrated 36 00:01:14,284 --> 00:01:16,064 health system in New Jersey. 37 00:01:17,004 --> 00:01:17,744 We have 38 00:01:18,045 --> 00:01:19,104 18 hospitals, 39 00:01:19,885 --> 00:01:20,704 500, 40 00:01:21,244 --> 00:01:22,944 ambulatory care site locations, 41 00:01:23,969 --> 00:01:24,790 40,000 42 00:01:25,090 --> 00:01:27,109 amazing team members, and, 43 00:01:27,969 --> 00:01:29,189 about 8,000, 44 00:01:29,650 --> 00:01:31,350 physicians who are either 45 00:01:31,810 --> 00:01:33,909 part of our medical group or affiliated, 46 00:01:34,689 --> 00:01:35,430 with us. 47 00:01:36,130 --> 00:01:38,424 So I get to work with all of 48 00:01:38,424 --> 00:01:39,305 them, and that's, 49 00:01:39,625 --> 00:01:42,204 that's a a truly deep honor for me. 50 00:01:43,144 --> 00:01:44,665 That's amazing to hear. And, you know, what 51 00:01:44,665 --> 00:01:46,905 an incredible organization. I know you've got a 52 00:01:46,905 --> 00:01:49,224 huge size as well as influence in the 53 00:01:49,224 --> 00:01:51,359 area. So it's exciting to see, 54 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,760 how you've been able to grow and develop 55 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:54,260 the, 56 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,959 department. Now I'm curious. Could you dig a 57 00:01:56,959 --> 00:01:58,319 little bit deeper and tell us a bit 58 00:01:58,319 --> 00:02:01,359 more about Hackesack Meridian Health's Agile Institute? What's 59 00:02:01,359 --> 00:02:03,200 the mission, and how are you driving some 60 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,299 of the rapid quality improvement initiatives? 61 00:02:06,585 --> 00:02:07,564 Yeah. Absolutely. 62 00:02:08,025 --> 00:02:10,284 So we launched the Agile Institute, 63 00:02:10,905 --> 00:02:11,885 two years ago. 64 00:02:12,745 --> 00:02:14,925 And the reason we did that is because 65 00:02:16,264 --> 00:02:17,324 in health care, 66 00:02:17,784 --> 00:02:20,264 it can take sometimes up to seventeen years 67 00:02:20,264 --> 00:02:20,764 to 68 00:02:21,620 --> 00:02:22,120 implement 69 00:02:22,580 --> 00:02:23,080 effectively 70 00:02:23,379 --> 00:02:24,680 a, a new 71 00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:26,840 discovery or a new, 72 00:02:27,219 --> 00:02:29,639 treatment or a new health care solution. 73 00:02:29,939 --> 00:02:30,439 And 74 00:02:31,139 --> 00:02:34,439 to us, that's unacceptable. That's way too slow. 75 00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:36,439 Health care needs to be transformed, 76 00:02:37,685 --> 00:02:40,344 at a much faster rate. And at Hackensack 77 00:02:40,485 --> 00:02:40,985 Meridian 78 00:02:41,444 --> 00:02:43,604 Health, part of our mission and vision is 79 00:02:43,604 --> 00:02:46,884 that transformation is in our DNA and innovation 80 00:02:46,884 --> 00:02:48,585 is in our DNA. And 81 00:02:49,284 --> 00:02:50,504 making health care 82 00:02:50,939 --> 00:02:51,680 more accessible, 83 00:02:51,979 --> 00:02:54,479 more affordable, and better for all patients 84 00:02:55,019 --> 00:02:55,840 is definitely, 85 00:02:56,620 --> 00:02:58,300 what we come to work to do every 86 00:02:58,300 --> 00:03:00,539 day. And so in order to be able 87 00:03:00,539 --> 00:03:03,519 to achieve that, we launched the Agile Institute, 88 00:03:03,580 --> 00:03:04,400 which is 89 00:03:04,780 --> 00:03:05,680 meant to, 90 00:03:07,354 --> 00:03:07,854 support 91 00:03:08,235 --> 00:03:09,055 our clinicians, 92 00:03:09,514 --> 00:03:10,574 support our 93 00:03:11,034 --> 00:03:12,094 clinical teams 94 00:03:12,555 --> 00:03:14,794 in transforming health care and the way we 95 00:03:14,794 --> 00:03:17,354 deliver care every day so that we can 96 00:03:17,354 --> 00:03:17,854 better 97 00:03:18,395 --> 00:03:19,215 serve patients 98 00:03:19,995 --> 00:03:21,935 where they are and meet them 99 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,960 with their needs, whether in their communities, whether 100 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,099 they're in the ambulatory space, or whether they're 101 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:29,379 in our hospitals. 102 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:31,599 I'll tell you just, 103 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:33,620 in terms of its 104 00:03:34,735 --> 00:03:37,794 foundation and and what it actually does. 105 00:03:38,335 --> 00:03:40,675 The Agile Institute is based on 106 00:03:41,055 --> 00:03:42,034 a transformation 107 00:03:42,335 --> 00:03:43,074 and implementation 108 00:03:43,375 --> 00:03:43,875 methodology 109 00:03:44,735 --> 00:03:45,235 that, 110 00:03:46,175 --> 00:03:48,939 we I developed with several of my colleagues. 111 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:49,900 And basically, 112 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,799 the Agile Institute delivers three services. It, 113 00:03:55,319 --> 00:03:57,500 it trains people and changes culture, 114 00:03:58,439 --> 00:03:59,659 so that we can adapt 115 00:04:00,439 --> 00:04:00,919 a, 116 00:04:01,319 --> 00:04:02,780 more of a startup 117 00:04:03,395 --> 00:04:03,895 mindset. 118 00:04:04,835 --> 00:04:07,335 Not waiting for a perfect solution, but really 119 00:04:07,875 --> 00:04:09,814 testing a viable solution 120 00:04:10,514 --> 00:04:10,915 in, 121 00:04:11,875 --> 00:04:13,155 real time and then, 122 00:04:13,555 --> 00:04:16,134 iterating and keep improving it, 123 00:04:16,629 --> 00:04:18,150 as much as we can. So that's the 124 00:04:18,150 --> 00:04:20,790 that's the first mission is to train and 125 00:04:20,790 --> 00:04:21,850 change the culture. 126 00:04:22,310 --> 00:04:25,610 The second is to provide and empower our, 127 00:04:26,470 --> 00:04:29,290 bedside teams, our clinical teams, our 128 00:04:29,975 --> 00:04:32,074 leadership with the tools 129 00:04:32,615 --> 00:04:34,795 and the methods to effectively transform 130 00:04:35,415 --> 00:04:36,074 and implement 131 00:04:36,455 --> 00:04:39,355 a, evidence based solutions in health care. 132 00:04:39,895 --> 00:04:41,915 So what is proven to work 133 00:04:42,379 --> 00:04:44,879 should not take seventeen years to be implemented. 134 00:04:45,019 --> 00:04:45,919 It should take 135 00:04:46,220 --> 00:04:47,980 a very short time. We should, 136 00:04:48,540 --> 00:04:49,680 be able to adopt 137 00:04:50,139 --> 00:04:52,459 and drive that change very quickly. And then 138 00:04:52,459 --> 00:04:53,839 the third part is 139 00:04:54,274 --> 00:04:55,814 oftentimes, we don't have 140 00:04:56,274 --> 00:04:57,254 proven solutions 141 00:04:57,634 --> 00:04:59,955 and we cannot be paralyzed with that. We 142 00:04:59,955 --> 00:05:02,035 need to innovate in real time and we 143 00:05:02,035 --> 00:05:04,035 need to empower our bedside teams to be 144 00:05:04,035 --> 00:05:05,975 able to do that. And we've created, 145 00:05:06,835 --> 00:05:10,610 innovation units that allow us to test a, 146 00:05:11,629 --> 00:05:12,449 a solution 147 00:05:12,990 --> 00:05:15,409 very quickly. And once we find 148 00:05:15,789 --> 00:05:17,870 that it works, we scale it as fast 149 00:05:17,870 --> 00:05:18,449 as possible. 150 00:05:18,870 --> 00:05:19,370 I 151 00:05:19,789 --> 00:05:21,870 love that. I think it's so fascinating to 152 00:05:21,870 --> 00:05:24,029 think about innovation, health care, and and now 153 00:05:24,029 --> 00:05:25,729 moving so quickly because, traditionally, 154 00:05:26,164 --> 00:05:27,685 health care has been a a bit slower 155 00:05:27,685 --> 00:05:29,764 moving in for good reason. But, you know, 156 00:05:29,764 --> 00:05:31,604 when when you talk about this culture change 157 00:05:31,604 --> 00:05:33,704 and the shift that you're making in Hackensack 158 00:05:33,764 --> 00:05:34,564 Meridian Health, 159 00:05:35,444 --> 00:05:36,964 how do you do that? Because I think 160 00:05:36,964 --> 00:05:38,564 that's something that hangs up a lot of 161 00:05:38,564 --> 00:05:41,379 organizations and has been quite frankly a challenge 162 00:05:41,379 --> 00:05:45,379 to try to, help clinicians and others understand 163 00:05:45,379 --> 00:05:47,779 that moving quickly is important in finding those 164 00:05:47,779 --> 00:05:49,080 areas where they can, 165 00:05:49,699 --> 00:05:52,420 test different solutions in in real time, 166 00:05:52,740 --> 00:05:54,580 figure things out that's really gonna be the 167 00:05:54,580 --> 00:05:56,475 right space to do that type of innovative 168 00:05:56,475 --> 00:05:58,074 work and then get used to moving more 169 00:05:58,074 --> 00:06:00,254 quickly than they ever had done before? 170 00:06:01,435 --> 00:06:02,335 Yeah. So 171 00:06:02,795 --> 00:06:04,555 we do it with every single one of 172 00:06:04,555 --> 00:06:06,875 our team members, and I think that's really 173 00:06:06,875 --> 00:06:08,735 the key element that 174 00:06:09,740 --> 00:06:11,740 innovation cannot be something we do on the 175 00:06:11,740 --> 00:06:14,060 side. Transformation cannot be something we do on 176 00:06:14,060 --> 00:06:15,180 the side. It should be 177 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:17,900 and and it is our mission and our 178 00:06:17,900 --> 00:06:19,680 vision, and it is in our DNA. 179 00:06:20,460 --> 00:06:22,400 And I think that that's where it starts. 180 00:06:23,819 --> 00:06:24,319 Also, 181 00:06:25,555 --> 00:06:26,375 our CEO, 182 00:06:27,314 --> 00:06:28,294 mister Garrett, 183 00:06:28,595 --> 00:06:30,134 and our leadership team 184 00:06:30,754 --> 00:06:33,175 is very committed to innovation and transformation. 185 00:06:33,875 --> 00:06:35,334 And I think that is 186 00:06:35,875 --> 00:06:37,735 so critical that the leadership 187 00:06:38,569 --> 00:06:40,750 is absolutely committed to supporting 188 00:06:41,449 --> 00:06:41,949 innovation 189 00:06:42,410 --> 00:06:43,129 in a very, 190 00:06:43,529 --> 00:06:46,089 agile and adaptive way. Right? We we are 191 00:06:46,089 --> 00:06:48,589 not afraid to make tough decisions. 192 00:06:49,129 --> 00:06:50,589 We're not afraid to 193 00:06:51,775 --> 00:06:52,675 test something 194 00:06:53,134 --> 00:06:54,975 and figure out whether it works or not. 195 00:06:54,975 --> 00:06:56,654 And we're not afraid to say, you know 196 00:06:56,654 --> 00:06:58,735 what? There's a better way and a newer 197 00:06:58,735 --> 00:07:00,814 way to do it. Let's figure out how 198 00:07:00,814 --> 00:07:01,214 to, 199 00:07:01,615 --> 00:07:02,835 spread it across 200 00:07:03,229 --> 00:07:05,709 all of our hospitals or all of our 201 00:07:05,709 --> 00:07:08,509 sites. And so that would be the the 202 00:07:08,509 --> 00:07:09,490 second element. 203 00:07:10,430 --> 00:07:12,350 And I think the, the third part in 204 00:07:12,350 --> 00:07:14,990 terms of how we do it is we've 205 00:07:14,990 --> 00:07:16,129 created a culture 206 00:07:16,990 --> 00:07:17,490 that 207 00:07:18,004 --> 00:07:18,504 fosters 208 00:07:19,524 --> 00:07:20,584 innovative thinking, 209 00:07:21,125 --> 00:07:22,584 that fosters psychological 210 00:07:22,884 --> 00:07:23,944 safety so that 211 00:07:24,805 --> 00:07:25,305 anybody 212 00:07:25,605 --> 00:07:26,105 feels 213 00:07:26,485 --> 00:07:28,964 comfortable to step up and say, hey, I 214 00:07:28,964 --> 00:07:31,464 have a new idea, and they feel heard. 215 00:07:31,930 --> 00:07:32,430 But 216 00:07:32,730 --> 00:07:33,870 also, hey. I'm concerned 217 00:07:34,170 --> 00:07:35,470 this may not be working. 218 00:07:36,170 --> 00:07:36,670 And, 219 00:07:37,129 --> 00:07:38,730 we take a pause and we listen to 220 00:07:38,730 --> 00:07:40,889 that. And I think that's really critical. Because 221 00:07:40,889 --> 00:07:42,189 otherwise, if you're trying 222 00:07:42,810 --> 00:07:43,470 to transform 223 00:07:44,410 --> 00:07:45,149 too quickly, 224 00:07:46,134 --> 00:07:48,375 you could be reckless if you don't listen 225 00:07:48,375 --> 00:07:48,875 to 226 00:07:49,175 --> 00:07:51,274 the people who are actually doing the work 227 00:07:51,574 --> 00:07:54,455 and allowing them to weigh in and and 228 00:07:54,455 --> 00:07:54,855 and, 229 00:07:55,735 --> 00:07:57,194 and direct your strategies 230 00:07:57,895 --> 00:07:59,435 in a way that makes them effective. 231 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:02,160 Got it. That makes a lot of sense. 232 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,560 And, you know, I really appreciate that, kind 233 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,680 of additional context because I know the leadership 234 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,839 team often will have one idea and maybe 235 00:08:09,839 --> 00:08:10,980 the frontline teams, 236 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:13,519 have another. And so having that type of 237 00:08:13,519 --> 00:08:14,019 communication 238 00:08:14,399 --> 00:08:16,754 and and balance between how you're looking at 239 00:08:16,754 --> 00:08:18,835 innovative thinking, building it into the culture, and 240 00:08:18,835 --> 00:08:20,915 then, you know, making sure that there is 241 00:08:20,915 --> 00:08:21,895 that feedback, 242 00:08:22,275 --> 00:08:24,835 between the two sides, it seems like it's 243 00:08:24,835 --> 00:08:25,574 really critical. 244 00:08:25,955 --> 00:08:28,514 Now I know that, the health system recently 245 00:08:28,514 --> 00:08:30,055 received a five star, 246 00:08:30,639 --> 00:08:33,279 rating from CMS and which is incredible. And 247 00:08:33,279 --> 00:08:33,779 congratulations. 248 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:35,679 Could you talk a little bit about the 249 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:37,839 transformational changes that took place in order to 250 00:08:37,839 --> 00:08:40,240 achieve this honor, and how did the team 251 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,399 work together cross functionally to make it happen 252 00:08:42,399 --> 00:08:44,100 in such a short period of time? 253 00:08:44,565 --> 00:08:45,304 Yeah. Absolutely. 254 00:08:46,004 --> 00:08:47,384 But just to to, 255 00:08:48,725 --> 00:08:49,945 be very accurate, 256 00:08:50,725 --> 00:08:54,404 we have our flagship hospital, Hackensack University Medical 257 00:08:54,404 --> 00:08:56,585 Center, is a five star hospital, 258 00:08:57,720 --> 00:08:58,220 with, 259 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,379 you know, in the CMS ratings. 260 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,820 But all our hospitals now are three stars 261 00:09:03,879 --> 00:09:06,539 or four stars and above. So, 262 00:09:07,159 --> 00:09:09,100 that's, that's truly a transformation. 263 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:10,620 In the past 264 00:09:11,315 --> 00:09:11,975 five years, 265 00:09:12,914 --> 00:09:14,375 we have gone from 266 00:09:15,554 --> 00:09:17,815 all our hospitals being great 267 00:09:18,195 --> 00:09:21,335 to now we're moving our hospitals to being 268 00:09:21,955 --> 00:09:25,014 all outstanding. And I'm I'm very, very excited 269 00:09:25,154 --> 00:09:27,449 and very proud of all our our teams 270 00:09:27,449 --> 00:09:28,990 because this really requires 271 00:09:29,929 --> 00:09:31,789 each leader and each, 272 00:09:32,889 --> 00:09:36,169 team member to be dedicated to excellence. And 273 00:09:36,169 --> 00:09:38,269 that's what, that's what we fostered. 274 00:09:38,825 --> 00:09:41,784 We fostered a culture where everybody is committed 275 00:09:41,784 --> 00:09:42,524 to excellence, 276 00:09:43,304 --> 00:09:45,404 and that's really what has helped 277 00:09:46,264 --> 00:09:47,644 accelerate the transformation. 278 00:09:48,825 --> 00:09:51,705 The other part to this is, we've partnered 279 00:09:51,705 --> 00:09:54,365 very closely with our hospital leadership 280 00:09:54,929 --> 00:09:56,710 across the entire network. 281 00:09:57,409 --> 00:09:57,889 And, 282 00:09:58,289 --> 00:09:59,190 we identified 283 00:09:59,570 --> 00:10:02,370 and kept our focus on what are the 284 00:10:02,370 --> 00:10:04,049 few things we can do that will have 285 00:10:04,049 --> 00:10:05,029 the most impact. 286 00:10:05,809 --> 00:10:07,110 And that's what we, 287 00:10:07,570 --> 00:10:09,110 focused our attention on. 288 00:10:09,424 --> 00:10:10,164 And then, 289 00:10:10,784 --> 00:10:13,024 what we did is we kind of, we 290 00:10:13,024 --> 00:10:15,024 empowered and unleashed the power of our, 291 00:10:15,824 --> 00:10:17,444 bedside teams. So 292 00:10:17,745 --> 00:10:18,564 we really 293 00:10:18,944 --> 00:10:22,324 directed the teams to where the biggest opportunities 294 00:10:22,544 --> 00:10:24,324 are and where we need to focus, 295 00:10:24,779 --> 00:10:27,120 But then we also allow them to 296 00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:28,799 come up with the solutions 297 00:10:29,500 --> 00:10:32,799 and test those solutions. And once the solution 298 00:10:32,860 --> 00:10:33,519 is working, 299 00:10:34,539 --> 00:10:36,539 help disseminate it as fast as, 300 00:10:36,940 --> 00:10:38,000 fast as possible. 301 00:10:38,684 --> 00:10:41,485 We also are very mindful that health care 302 00:10:41,485 --> 00:10:41,985 is 303 00:10:42,524 --> 00:10:45,264 a business of people taking care of people. 304 00:10:45,725 --> 00:10:47,825 And unless we have solution that are 305 00:10:49,165 --> 00:10:50,924 designed by the people who are doing the 306 00:10:50,924 --> 00:10:51,424 work 307 00:10:51,779 --> 00:10:55,079 and that that are making their work easier 308 00:10:55,299 --> 00:10:56,919 and more effective every day, 309 00:10:58,100 --> 00:11:00,519 health care becomes too rigid and too slow. 310 00:11:00,740 --> 00:11:03,720 And it loses its essence, which is 311 00:11:04,334 --> 00:11:06,674 the the kindness, the caring, 312 00:11:07,054 --> 00:11:09,855 the humane side of it. And that's what 313 00:11:09,855 --> 00:11:11,954 we always anchor our solutions in. 314 00:11:12,735 --> 00:11:15,074 We don't take solutions off the shelf 315 00:11:15,855 --> 00:11:17,954 and try to force them. 316 00:11:18,970 --> 00:11:19,790 We actually 317 00:11:20,250 --> 00:11:22,730 partner with our team members to figure out 318 00:11:22,730 --> 00:11:23,950 solutions that work 319 00:11:24,330 --> 00:11:26,429 in real time in the real world. 320 00:11:27,450 --> 00:11:29,690 That's helpful to understand. And, you know, I 321 00:11:29,690 --> 00:11:31,850 I love how you're talking about making sure 322 00:11:31,850 --> 00:11:33,315 that you're not forcing 323 00:11:33,774 --> 00:11:36,495 those, solutions, but, you know, thinking of this 324 00:11:36,495 --> 00:11:38,674 as a partnership and and making sure that, 325 00:11:39,134 --> 00:11:41,054 you're able to go back and forth with 326 00:11:41,054 --> 00:11:43,934 those bedside teams and and really taking the 327 00:11:43,934 --> 00:11:46,195 heart everything that they're trying to do and, 328 00:11:46,470 --> 00:11:48,889 their perspective on how these changes are going. 329 00:11:49,110 --> 00:11:50,970 And, you know, I am curious, 330 00:11:51,350 --> 00:11:53,350 when you look at the the idea of 331 00:11:53,350 --> 00:11:54,789 taking care of people and being at the 332 00:11:54,789 --> 00:11:57,509 bedside, is there any, example that you can 333 00:11:57,509 --> 00:11:59,190 provide us of the change that you made 334 00:11:59,190 --> 00:12:00,409 based on some of these, 335 00:12:01,475 --> 00:12:02,615 different innovative, 336 00:12:03,715 --> 00:12:06,434 innovation pushes that you've been doing or something 337 00:12:06,434 --> 00:12:07,955 you've done at the suggestion of of a 338 00:12:07,955 --> 00:12:09,735 bedtime bedside team member? 339 00:12:10,595 --> 00:12:13,014 Yes. I'm gonna give you two examples, 340 00:12:13,829 --> 00:12:16,490 that that really illustrate how we've 341 00:12:17,190 --> 00:12:18,409 done a centralized 342 00:12:18,789 --> 00:12:21,610 direction setting and strategy setting, but also 343 00:12:22,230 --> 00:12:23,129 a decentralized, 344 00:12:24,870 --> 00:12:27,449 bottom up type of solution finding 345 00:12:27,829 --> 00:12:28,329 and, 346 00:12:30,565 --> 00:12:32,264 performance improvement. So, 347 00:12:32,884 --> 00:12:34,745 let me start by saying 348 00:12:35,365 --> 00:12:36,504 we had to create 349 00:12:36,965 --> 00:12:38,985 a structure that supports that. 350 00:12:39,365 --> 00:12:39,865 So, 351 00:12:40,485 --> 00:12:42,105 over the past several years, 352 00:12:42,879 --> 00:12:45,620 we've always intended and wanted to, 353 00:12:46,319 --> 00:12:48,659 hear from our team members, from our clinicians, 354 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:49,699 from our bedside 355 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:51,139 physicians, etcetera. 356 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:52,500 And 357 00:12:52,959 --> 00:12:54,659 to be able to do that effectively, 358 00:12:55,424 --> 00:12:56,164 we created, 359 00:12:56,945 --> 00:12:58,804 what we're calling specialty collaboratives. 360 00:13:00,144 --> 00:13:00,965 These are, 361 00:13:01,664 --> 00:13:02,164 basically 362 00:13:03,184 --> 00:13:04,404 groups of physicians 363 00:13:05,024 --> 00:13:05,524 who, 364 00:13:05,985 --> 00:13:07,284 are led by physicians 365 00:13:07,585 --> 00:13:08,144 and they 366 00:13:09,230 --> 00:13:09,730 we 367 00:13:10,110 --> 00:13:12,529 we hand them problems and challenges we're facing. 368 00:13:13,069 --> 00:13:13,569 And 369 00:13:13,870 --> 00:13:16,509 they give us solutions, and they work with 370 00:13:16,509 --> 00:13:18,129 us on implementing those solutions. 371 00:13:18,429 --> 00:13:22,209 We organize those collaboratives by specialty because physicians 372 00:13:22,269 --> 00:13:22,769 really 373 00:13:23,294 --> 00:13:26,754 aggregate around their their specialty and what they 374 00:13:27,054 --> 00:13:28,995 do on a day to day basis. So 375 00:13:29,134 --> 00:13:31,934 we have a collaborative for internal medicine. We 376 00:13:31,934 --> 00:13:34,095 have a collaborative for general surgery. We have 377 00:13:34,095 --> 00:13:35,394 a collaborative for, 378 00:13:36,129 --> 00:13:36,629 neurosurgery 379 00:13:37,409 --> 00:13:39,589 or orthopedic surgery or neurology, 380 00:13:40,690 --> 00:13:41,190 oncology, 381 00:13:41,649 --> 00:13:42,149 cardiology, 382 00:13:42,610 --> 00:13:43,110 pulmonology, 383 00:13:43,490 --> 00:13:43,990 etcetera. 384 00:13:44,450 --> 00:13:44,950 So, 385 00:13:45,809 --> 00:13:47,110 these are physicians 386 00:13:47,490 --> 00:13:49,809 in those specialties that come together on a 387 00:13:49,809 --> 00:13:50,709 regular basis 388 00:13:51,095 --> 00:13:52,475 to help us solve problems. 389 00:13:53,095 --> 00:13:55,754 And we designed it in a very representative 390 00:13:55,975 --> 00:13:57,115 way. So 391 00:13:57,495 --> 00:14:00,475 every hospital sends us two physicians, 392 00:14:01,415 --> 00:14:01,915 and 393 00:14:02,615 --> 00:14:04,955 they send us one physician who is, 394 00:14:06,300 --> 00:14:09,440 by specialty, basically. Two physicians, one that 395 00:14:09,899 --> 00:14:10,559 is employed 396 00:14:10,940 --> 00:14:14,080 and one that is, independent physician. Because 397 00:14:14,700 --> 00:14:16,860 we love our physicians the same way, and 398 00:14:16,860 --> 00:14:19,279 we value all our physicians the same way. 399 00:14:19,504 --> 00:14:21,424 And we want to partner with all of 400 00:14:21,424 --> 00:14:24,245 our physicians, whether they're independent or employed, 401 00:14:25,105 --> 00:14:26,725 because they all bring, 402 00:14:27,504 --> 00:14:31,125 tremendous value to problem solving and to improving 403 00:14:31,184 --> 00:14:33,284 care at the bedside. So, 404 00:14:34,019 --> 00:14:36,740 the way we designed it was similar to 405 00:14:36,740 --> 00:14:39,539 the way, the senate is designed. Right? All 406 00:14:39,539 --> 00:14:42,419 our hospitals are equally represented. And that was 407 00:14:42,419 --> 00:14:43,799 very purposeful because 408 00:14:44,899 --> 00:14:47,480 we care as much about our smallest hospitals 409 00:14:47,924 --> 00:14:51,065 as our biggest hospitals and most complicated hospitals 410 00:14:51,924 --> 00:14:54,105 because every single patient matters. 411 00:14:54,884 --> 00:14:56,504 And from that perspective, 412 00:14:56,965 --> 00:14:58,345 every clinician matters 413 00:14:58,644 --> 00:15:01,205 in being able to bring, solutions. So that 414 00:15:01,205 --> 00:15:02,345 specialty collaborative 415 00:15:03,220 --> 00:15:05,720 model that is a representation 416 00:15:06,899 --> 00:15:08,679 for all the hospitals equally, 417 00:15:09,220 --> 00:15:12,039 for all of our clinicians equally, by specialty, 418 00:15:12,179 --> 00:15:13,160 has helped us 419 00:15:13,779 --> 00:15:16,740 be so granular in our problem solving. Right? 420 00:15:16,740 --> 00:15:17,960 When we talk about, 421 00:15:18,774 --> 00:15:22,455 improving care for patients with, let's say, congestive 422 00:15:22,455 --> 00:15:23,195 heart failure, 423 00:15:23,975 --> 00:15:24,475 we, 424 00:15:25,095 --> 00:15:27,575 depend on our cardiologist to help us find 425 00:15:27,575 --> 00:15:28,075 solutions. 426 00:15:29,095 --> 00:15:31,595 We don't just bring a solution that's canned. 427 00:15:32,190 --> 00:15:34,450 And that brings me to the second, 428 00:15:34,910 --> 00:15:36,750 part of your question. So how did we 429 00:15:36,750 --> 00:15:37,570 find solutions? 430 00:15:38,590 --> 00:15:41,250 We listen to our physicians. Like, for example, 431 00:15:42,110 --> 00:15:44,049 when when we were trying to improve, 432 00:15:44,774 --> 00:15:47,514 readmissions and care for surgical patients, 433 00:15:48,774 --> 00:15:49,514 our surgeons 434 00:15:50,294 --> 00:15:51,595 brought up a a, 435 00:15:52,134 --> 00:15:53,355 a new concept 436 00:15:53,975 --> 00:15:56,375 that they wanted to pay attention to the 437 00:15:56,375 --> 00:15:58,315 most vulnerable patient population 438 00:15:58,809 --> 00:16:01,050 that they take care of, which is patients 439 00:16:01,050 --> 00:16:03,309 who are older than 65 or 70. 440 00:16:03,690 --> 00:16:04,430 And so 441 00:16:04,809 --> 00:16:05,870 they wanted to, 442 00:16:07,210 --> 00:16:08,590 establish a geriatric 443 00:16:09,210 --> 00:16:10,190 surgery verification 444 00:16:10,490 --> 00:16:11,950 certification. So, basically, 445 00:16:12,330 --> 00:16:14,269 being certified that we provide 446 00:16:15,105 --> 00:16:17,044 best evidence care to, 447 00:16:17,424 --> 00:16:19,605 patients who are older than 65. 448 00:16:20,225 --> 00:16:23,264 And the partnership was wonderful because they came 449 00:16:23,264 --> 00:16:25,264 up with the idea. They knew what the 450 00:16:25,264 --> 00:16:28,465 standards should be, but then we empowered them 451 00:16:28,465 --> 00:16:29,205 with tools 452 00:16:29,759 --> 00:16:30,259 and, 453 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,059 methodologies through the Agile Institute 454 00:16:33,519 --> 00:16:34,500 to be able to 455 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:38,100 implement very quickly, test change very rapidly, 456 00:16:38,879 --> 00:16:40,980 design those solutions in a way that, 457 00:16:41,519 --> 00:16:42,899 makes sense to people, 458 00:16:43,684 --> 00:16:44,745 and work, 459 00:16:45,445 --> 00:16:46,584 in the real world 460 00:16:46,884 --> 00:16:48,184 and are human centric. 461 00:16:49,044 --> 00:16:50,904 And we were able to do this, 462 00:16:51,845 --> 00:16:52,345 implement 463 00:16:52,644 --> 00:16:54,884 and get the certification within a ten week 464 00:16:54,884 --> 00:16:57,625 period of time. And that was a really 465 00:16:57,764 --> 00:16:58,264 exciting, 466 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:01,259 you know, I I even get excited now 467 00:17:01,259 --> 00:17:02,240 two years later, 468 00:17:03,100 --> 00:17:05,580 and in terms of just thinking about how 469 00:17:05,580 --> 00:17:07,680 quickly we were able to implement something, 470 00:17:08,779 --> 00:17:09,519 that was 471 00:17:10,539 --> 00:17:12,619 based on a direction that we set from 472 00:17:12,619 --> 00:17:14,480 the network, which is, you know, 473 00:17:15,224 --> 00:17:15,724 improving 474 00:17:16,105 --> 00:17:17,164 certain outcomes, 475 00:17:17,625 --> 00:17:19,944 a solution that came from the bedside and 476 00:17:19,944 --> 00:17:22,125 from our, surgeons and our clinicians, 477 00:17:22,664 --> 00:17:23,724 and then a method 478 00:17:24,025 --> 00:17:26,505 that really helped bring it all together in 479 00:17:26,505 --> 00:17:28,904 a very rapid implementation way. And that has 480 00:17:28,904 --> 00:17:29,724 led to, 481 00:17:30,690 --> 00:17:33,109 really great results. So you mentioned that 482 00:17:33,650 --> 00:17:36,130 all our hospitals are three stars, four stars, 483 00:17:36,130 --> 00:17:37,109 or five stars, 484 00:17:37,569 --> 00:17:39,589 and that tells me we're 485 00:17:40,130 --> 00:17:42,309 among the best in the country and definitely, 486 00:17:43,414 --> 00:17:46,154 you know, the the best system in in, 487 00:17:46,534 --> 00:17:47,434 in New Jersey 488 00:17:47,815 --> 00:17:48,634 because of 489 00:17:49,095 --> 00:17:50,794 that type of partnership 490 00:17:51,174 --> 00:17:51,914 and effective, 491 00:17:53,174 --> 00:17:55,274 implementation of best best practices. 492 00:17:56,759 --> 00:17:59,000 Absolutely. And that's amazing. You know? And I 493 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,000 I really appreciate you digging that one level 494 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:02,059 level deeper because, 495 00:18:02,599 --> 00:18:05,080 you know, that implementation side of it truly 496 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:06,839 is a a huge unlock and and being 497 00:18:06,839 --> 00:18:08,859 able to see success there and moving quickly, 498 00:18:09,244 --> 00:18:09,904 is critical. 499 00:18:10,205 --> 00:18:12,445 Now looking into 2026, where do you see 500 00:18:12,445 --> 00:18:14,285 some of the big priorities or headwinds that 501 00:18:14,285 --> 00:18:15,664 you're focused on right now? 502 00:18:16,765 --> 00:18:19,164 Yes. You know, with with all the improvements 503 00:18:19,164 --> 00:18:22,065 that we've made, I feel very confident that 504 00:18:22,599 --> 00:18:24,700 we're providing outstanding care 505 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,339 for every patient that we take care of. 506 00:18:28,279 --> 00:18:28,779 The 507 00:18:29,399 --> 00:18:31,559 challenge and the headwind that we're facing is 508 00:18:31,559 --> 00:18:32,059 that 509 00:18:32,919 --> 00:18:35,179 not every patient can access our care. 510 00:18:35,855 --> 00:18:38,174 And I think access to health care and 511 00:18:38,174 --> 00:18:39,875 access to high quality care 512 00:18:40,414 --> 00:18:43,215 is a very, very important responsibility for all 513 00:18:43,215 --> 00:18:43,875 of us. 514 00:18:44,575 --> 00:18:46,414 It doesn't matter if I have the best 515 00:18:46,414 --> 00:18:48,494 care in the world and only a few 516 00:18:48,494 --> 00:18:49,875 people can access it. 517 00:18:50,579 --> 00:18:51,319 My communities 518 00:18:52,259 --> 00:18:52,759 and 519 00:18:53,299 --> 00:18:53,799 the, 520 00:18:54,819 --> 00:18:57,059 the communities that we serve, the communities we 521 00:18:57,059 --> 00:18:57,799 live in, 522 00:18:58,179 --> 00:19:00,919 the people that we're supposed to help 523 00:19:01,700 --> 00:19:04,105 are gonna suffer if they can't access the 524 00:19:04,105 --> 00:19:06,345 outstanding care that we have. And so this 525 00:19:06,345 --> 00:19:08,184 is where we're putting a lot of our 526 00:19:08,184 --> 00:19:10,444 focus in 2026 527 00:19:10,904 --> 00:19:14,424 and beyond, is to think about designing our 528 00:19:14,424 --> 00:19:15,164 care models, 529 00:19:16,279 --> 00:19:18,859 meaning organizing the way we deliver care 530 00:19:19,319 --> 00:19:21,960 in a way that allows for very rapid 531 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:22,460 access. 532 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:24,700 Same day access, 533 00:19:25,079 --> 00:19:26,299 same week access, 534 00:19:26,919 --> 00:19:29,000 and no more than, you know, access within 535 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,539 two weeks to a highly subspecialized 536 00:19:30,839 --> 00:19:33,734 service. That's what we're really aiming towards. 537 00:19:34,035 --> 00:19:35,634 We want to be able to see you 538 00:19:35,634 --> 00:19:37,015 when you need to be seen, 539 00:19:37,315 --> 00:19:39,575 and we we need need to be able 540 00:19:39,955 --> 00:19:42,214 to rethink the way we organize ourselves 541 00:19:42,674 --> 00:19:45,009 so that we can meet that expectation and 542 00:19:45,009 --> 00:19:47,589 that responsibility, honestly, that we have to 543 00:19:47,970 --> 00:19:49,430 our patients and our communities. 544 00:19:50,529 --> 00:19:53,349 I think that access question is critical and, 545 00:19:53,490 --> 00:19:56,049 you know, looking into these innovative solutions and 546 00:19:56,049 --> 00:19:58,045 the things, you know, that you've been doing, 547 00:19:58,365 --> 00:20:00,144 on the culture side to be transformational. 548 00:20:00,445 --> 00:20:02,224 It seems to set yourself up, 549 00:20:02,525 --> 00:20:04,605 for success in, you know, troubleshooting some of 550 00:20:04,605 --> 00:20:07,585 those challenges, which, you know, are industry wide. 551 00:20:07,644 --> 00:20:09,484 I'm curious. What do you think the hardest 552 00:20:09,484 --> 00:20:10,845 thing you'll have to do in the coming 553 00:20:10,845 --> 00:20:11,664 year will be? 554 00:20:12,299 --> 00:20:14,960 You know, designing the care models and rethinking 555 00:20:15,179 --> 00:20:16,399 the way we 556 00:20:16,859 --> 00:20:19,519 we organize ourselves is gonna be difficult because 557 00:20:20,859 --> 00:20:23,099 let's face it. I lead change and change 558 00:20:23,099 --> 00:20:25,099 is kind of, you know, my job and 559 00:20:25,099 --> 00:20:25,759 my responsibility. 560 00:20:26,835 --> 00:20:29,554 I don't like change. I have to change, 561 00:20:29,554 --> 00:20:31,414 but I don't like change. And I think 562 00:20:31,554 --> 00:20:33,734 winning the hearts and minds of our clinicians, 563 00:20:34,994 --> 00:20:38,355 and engaging them very early on so that 564 00:20:38,355 --> 00:20:39,794 they are part of the change and the 565 00:20:39,794 --> 00:20:42,029 change is not happening to them, So that 566 00:20:42,029 --> 00:20:44,590 they are designing those care models and they 567 00:20:44,590 --> 00:20:45,330 are helping 568 00:20:45,710 --> 00:20:47,890 us figure out how to best meet those 569 00:20:48,269 --> 00:20:49,170 access standards 570 00:20:49,789 --> 00:20:52,269 rather than doing it to them. We wanna 571 00:20:52,269 --> 00:20:53,330 do it with them. 572 00:20:53,869 --> 00:20:55,410 And we also wanna engage 573 00:20:55,825 --> 00:20:58,325 our patients in our communities to understand 574 00:20:59,025 --> 00:21:00,785 what are they expecting of us and what 575 00:21:00,785 --> 00:21:02,085 do they need from us, 576 00:21:02,625 --> 00:21:04,225 so that we can factor that into our 577 00:21:04,225 --> 00:21:06,384 care model design. I would say that's our 578 00:21:06,384 --> 00:21:09,049 biggest challenge, but also to me, that's our 579 00:21:09,049 --> 00:21:10,589 biggest exciting opportunity. 580 00:21:11,450 --> 00:21:13,210 Figuring out how to do that and how 581 00:21:13,210 --> 00:21:14,589 to do it quickly 582 00:21:15,130 --> 00:21:16,349 is gonna be really, 583 00:21:17,210 --> 00:21:20,250 challenging, but also really, really exciting and very 584 00:21:20,250 --> 00:21:20,750 meaningful. 585 00:21:21,615 --> 00:21:22,835 I also think that 586 00:21:23,214 --> 00:21:24,355 with all the 587 00:21:24,894 --> 00:21:27,954 AI technology and all the advances in artificial 588 00:21:28,095 --> 00:21:28,595 intelligence, 589 00:21:28,894 --> 00:21:30,654 I think we're gonna be able to also 590 00:21:30,654 --> 00:21:32,674 accelerate our ability to 591 00:21:33,055 --> 00:21:35,394 imagine and execute on a 592 00:21:36,259 --> 00:21:39,079 new and better future where access becomes 593 00:21:40,099 --> 00:21:40,839 an engaging, 594 00:21:42,099 --> 00:21:44,599 term rather than a frustrating term. 595 00:21:45,380 --> 00:21:47,940 Absolutely. That that would be, you know, an 596 00:21:47,940 --> 00:21:49,859 amazing transformation to see. And when you look 597 00:21:49,859 --> 00:21:51,615 at access, when you look at technology, 598 00:21:52,315 --> 00:21:54,414 how does that show up for Hackensack Meridian 599 00:21:54,474 --> 00:21:56,714 Health? What are the ways that you are 600 00:21:56,714 --> 00:21:58,954 leveraging or or plan to leverage technology to 601 00:21:58,954 --> 00:22:00,734 expand some of those access points? 602 00:22:01,835 --> 00:22:04,075 Well, I think we need to meet people 603 00:22:04,075 --> 00:22:06,150 where they are. And I think technology 604 00:22:06,609 --> 00:22:07,109 helps 605 00:22:07,570 --> 00:22:09,490 us do that in a couple different ways. 606 00:22:09,490 --> 00:22:09,890 One, 607 00:22:10,289 --> 00:22:12,309 you know, and most straightforward is, 608 00:22:13,330 --> 00:22:13,830 using 609 00:22:14,930 --> 00:22:17,830 AI agents to help interact with patients 610 00:22:18,144 --> 00:22:20,224 on demand when they need to be interacted 611 00:22:20,224 --> 00:22:23,265 with. And we're already using AI agents to 612 00:22:23,265 --> 00:22:24,244 help us with, 613 00:22:25,105 --> 00:22:26,464 scheduling, to help us, 614 00:22:28,224 --> 00:22:30,565 with navigating patients through our system. 615 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:32,859 So we wanna expand on that. 616 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,220 That digital interaction is is really critical. 617 00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:38,359 The other way is, 618 00:22:39,079 --> 00:22:39,579 leveraging 619 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:40,619 AI technology 620 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:42,140 to better 621 00:22:42,919 --> 00:22:43,419 understand 622 00:22:44,204 --> 00:22:45,744 our gaps, our opportunities, 623 00:22:46,284 --> 00:22:47,585 and really model 624 00:22:48,284 --> 00:22:50,924 to better model our our care in a 625 00:22:50,924 --> 00:22:51,984 way that is, 626 00:22:52,924 --> 00:22:55,484 responsive to our patients. So being able to 627 00:22:55,484 --> 00:22:57,825 use technology for better analytics 628 00:22:58,204 --> 00:22:59,184 and for better 629 00:22:59,700 --> 00:23:00,919 testing of change 630 00:23:01,859 --> 00:23:04,659 in a virtual way that allows us to 631 00:23:04,659 --> 00:23:05,480 figure out 632 00:23:05,859 --> 00:23:06,339 and, 633 00:23:06,740 --> 00:23:07,480 and modify, 634 00:23:08,419 --> 00:23:09,559 before we implement 635 00:23:10,339 --> 00:23:12,519 is, is gonna be really critical. 636 00:23:13,075 --> 00:23:15,634 So both in the interface with patients, but 637 00:23:15,634 --> 00:23:17,015 also on the back end, 638 00:23:17,634 --> 00:23:18,535 in the analytics, 639 00:23:20,355 --> 00:23:21,075 and in the, 640 00:23:21,475 --> 00:23:22,535 predictive modeling. 641 00:23:23,634 --> 00:23:26,195 Got it. That's helpful to understand. Now before 642 00:23:26,195 --> 00:23:27,555 we wrap up here, where do you see 643 00:23:27,555 --> 00:23:30,079 some of the best opportunities for organizational growth? 644 00:23:31,019 --> 00:23:31,500 Well, 645 00:23:31,980 --> 00:23:35,099 I'm gonna build on access because if we 646 00:23:35,099 --> 00:23:36,559 have an engaging 647 00:23:37,180 --> 00:23:40,059 and timely access for every patient, we can 648 00:23:40,059 --> 00:23:41,359 meet them where they are. 649 00:23:41,785 --> 00:23:43,325 We can navigate 650 00:23:43,865 --> 00:23:46,744 their journey and their experience through our health 651 00:23:46,744 --> 00:23:47,244 system 652 00:23:47,785 --> 00:23:49,545 to give them access to the best care 653 00:23:49,545 --> 00:23:51,085 that we already deliver. 654 00:23:51,785 --> 00:23:53,005 I think that's gonna 655 00:23:53,384 --> 00:23:55,005 lead to tremendous growth, 656 00:23:55,940 --> 00:23:56,660 in our, 657 00:23:57,059 --> 00:23:59,640 ability to serve our communities and our patients. 658 00:24:00,259 --> 00:24:02,119 I think the other area of growth, 659 00:24:02,819 --> 00:24:05,859 is not necessarily in terms of business growth, 660 00:24:05,859 --> 00:24:06,599 but really 661 00:24:07,059 --> 00:24:08,440 in terms of our capabilities 662 00:24:08,900 --> 00:24:09,400 growth. 663 00:24:10,154 --> 00:24:11,695 Very, very soon, 664 00:24:12,555 --> 00:24:15,134 we're all gonna have to face a very 665 00:24:15,434 --> 00:24:15,934 real 666 00:24:16,315 --> 00:24:17,275 change in our, 667 00:24:17,674 --> 00:24:20,414 day to day life. We're either gonna be 668 00:24:20,715 --> 00:24:24,309 enabled by AI or we're gonna be, you 669 00:24:24,309 --> 00:24:26,089 know, pushed to the side by AI. 670 00:24:26,630 --> 00:24:30,490 And at Hackensack Meridian Health, because we are 671 00:24:30,630 --> 00:24:32,570 absolutely committed to innovation 672 00:24:33,509 --> 00:24:34,490 and to transformation, 673 00:24:35,589 --> 00:24:39,204 we're embracing AI as a a technology that's 674 00:24:39,204 --> 00:24:41,384 gonna enable and empower our workforce 675 00:24:41,924 --> 00:24:43,544 and our, team members 676 00:24:44,085 --> 00:24:44,585 to 677 00:24:45,044 --> 00:24:47,524 be the best caregivers they can ever be, 678 00:24:47,684 --> 00:24:49,684 to be able to achieve things that they've 679 00:24:49,684 --> 00:24:52,724 dreamt of in terms of interacting with patients 680 00:24:52,724 --> 00:24:53,224 and, 681 00:24:54,089 --> 00:24:56,430 being able to serve patients better. 682 00:24:56,809 --> 00:24:58,670 And that to me is really exciting. 683 00:25:00,089 --> 00:25:01,769 I love it. Doctor Azar, thank you so 684 00:25:01,769 --> 00:25:03,369 much for joining us on the podcast today. 685 00:25:03,369 --> 00:25:05,769 This has been such a fun conversation, so 686 00:25:05,769 --> 00:25:08,045 informational and inspiring to hear about what you've 687 00:25:08,045 --> 00:25:10,525 been doing at Hackensack Meridian Health. And, you 688 00:25:10,525 --> 00:25:11,884 know, I look forward to connecting with you 689 00:25:11,884 --> 00:25:14,445 again soon. Yeah. Thank you very much. Thanks 690 00:25:14,445 --> 00:25:15,585 for taking the time. 691 00:25:16,285 --> 00:25:18,204 Absolutely. And, you know, I am excited to 692 00:25:18,204 --> 00:25:19,644 see you as well at our annual meeting 693 00:25:19,644 --> 00:25:20,964 coming up in April. I know you'll be 694 00:25:20,964 --> 00:25:22,740 a speaker on one of our panels, and 695 00:25:22,819 --> 00:25:24,660 it'll be a truly great opportunity to connect 696 00:25:24,660 --> 00:25:26,579 it and, talk further on some of these 697 00:25:26,579 --> 00:25:28,659 things that we've mentioned today. So looking forward 698 00:25:28,659 --> 00:25:30,579 to that too. To that. Yeah. I'm looking 699 00:25:30,579 --> 00:25:31,799 forward to that as well.