https://simplecast.com Clinician Real Talk In each episode, we dive into candid, unscripted conversations with frontline clinicians navigating the complexities of today’s care delivery landscape. You’ll hear honest insights, practical wisdom, and personal experiences that shed light on what it truly takes to thrive in modern health care and why partnering with Optum can make all the difference. 2025 Optum Clinician Real Talk en Wed, 3 Jun 2026 21:39:07 +0000 Wed, 3 Jun 2026 21:39:17 +0000 https://clinician-real-talk.simplecast.com Clinician Real Talk https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/25d7fddd-958c-48dd-a8f1-0bece7fd1f28/ab9f8610-7045-4026-a65c-b4241eb8b4fb/3000x3000/podcast-20thumbnail-20with-20copy.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://clinician-real-talk.simplecast.com episodic In each episode, we dive into candid, unscripted conversations with frontline clinicians navigating the complexities of today’s care delivery landscape. You’ll hear honest insights, practical wisdom, and personal experiences that shed light on what it truly takes to thrive in modern health care and why partnering with Optum can make all the difference. Optum Health Care Delivery false https://feeds.simplecast.com/rjzb64tA advance practice providers, care delivery, care innovation, clinical leadership, clinicians, health care delivery, healthcare professionals, nurses, optum, optum care, optum health, physicians, unitedhealth group, value-based care Optum tomica.young@optum.com 44b99ceb-f836-41a7-9fe2-c3ceb196a60d Advancing care through ASCs - An SCA Health leader shares what works Janie Kinsey’s career has been shaped by the rhythm of the operating room — where teamwork, precision, and patient advocacy come together in high‑stakes moments. Early in her career, she recognized a fundamental truth: clinicians aren’t the problem — the system often is.

In this conversation, she shares how that realization led her into leadership and advocacy work, including national efforts to expand access to ambulatory surgery centers. Janie explains how ASCs improve access, lower costs, and create more patient‑centered experiences, while maintaining the same high standards of quality and safety.

She also reflects on the growing pressures clinicians face today — not just burnout, but a gradual erosion of joy, confidence, and trust — and how thoughtful system design, scale, and support can help reverse that trend. Through real patient stories and firsthand experiences, Janie demonstrates how coordinated teams, simplified operations, and intentional culture can transform outcomes and restore meaning to clinical work.

Episode Overview

  • Janie’s identity as an operating room nurse and leader
  • The gap between ideal care and real-world system constraints
  • What ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are and why they matter
  • Misconceptions about ASCs and their role in care delivery
  • Speaking up and driving change at the frontline
  • Advocacy and influencing care at scale through ASCA
  • Reducing administrative burden so clinicians can focus on patients
  • The impact of Optum scale and SCA Health’s specialty focus
  • Improving access, cost, and patient experience through ASCs
  • The importance of team-based, coordinated care
  • Restoring joy, trust, and purpose in clinical practice

Key Topics & Time Stamps

a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; }

00:00–03:00 — Introduction & Janie’s OR background
03:00–07:00 — Protecting clinician capacity and purpose
07:00–11:00 — The gap between ideal care and real-world systems
11:00–16:00 — What ASCs are and why they matter
16:00–20:00 — Misconceptions about ASC care and quality
20:00–24:00 — Speaking up, leadership, and frontline change
24:00–28:00 — Advocacy, scale, and influencing care delivery
28:00–33:00 — Reducing administrative burden & partnership models
33:00–37:00 — Patient stories & real-world impact
37:00–40:00 — The future of care: access, outcomes, and clinician support

Episode Highlights

  • The OR shaped Janie’s perspective on teamwork and patient advocacy
  • System inefficiencies — not lack of effort — often limit care quality
  • ASCs deliver high-quality care with lower costs and faster access
  • Speaking up (even early in your career) can change outcomes
  • Advocacy at scale extends the same commitment as bedside care
  • Simplifying administrative work restores clinician focus
  • Patients benefit from faster procedures and more personalized care
  • Optum and SCA partnership models amplify clinician voice and impact
  • Great care doesn’t require more complexity — just better design

Resources & Links

Take our quiz:
https://lp.optum.com/value-based-care-quiz.html

Optum Care partnership:
https://business.optum.com/en/providers/care-partnerships.html

Resource Library:
https://business.optum.com/en/providers/elevating-clinical-practice.html

]]> Wed, 3 Jun 2026 21:39:07 +0000 tomica.young@optum.com (Adia Morris, Janie Kinsey) https://clinician-real-talk.simplecast.com/episodes/advancing-care-through-ascs-an-sca-health-leader-shares-what-works-QY26fQhN Janie Kinsey’s career has been shaped by the rhythm of the operating room — where teamwork, precision, and patient advocacy come together in high‑stakes moments. Early in her career, she recognized a fundamental truth: clinicians aren’t the problem — the system often is.

In this conversation, she shares how that realization led her into leadership and advocacy work, including national efforts to expand access to ambulatory surgery centers. Janie explains how ASCs improve access, lower costs, and create more patient‑centered experiences, while maintaining the same high standards of quality and safety.

She also reflects on the growing pressures clinicians face today — not just burnout, but a gradual erosion of joy, confidence, and trust — and how thoughtful system design, scale, and support can help reverse that trend. Through real patient stories and firsthand experiences, Janie demonstrates how coordinated teams, simplified operations, and intentional culture can transform outcomes and restore meaning to clinical work.

Episode Overview

  • Janie’s identity as an operating room nurse and leader
  • The gap between ideal care and real-world system constraints
  • What ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are and why they matter
  • Misconceptions about ASCs and their role in care delivery
  • Speaking up and driving change at the frontline
  • Advocacy and influencing care at scale through ASCA
  • Reducing administrative burden so clinicians can focus on patients
  • The impact of Optum scale and SCA Health’s specialty focus
  • Improving access, cost, and patient experience through ASCs
  • The importance of team-based, coordinated care
  • Restoring joy, trust, and purpose in clinical practice

Key Topics & Time Stamps

a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; }

00:00–03:00 — Introduction & Janie’s OR background
03:00–07:00 — Protecting clinician capacity and purpose
07:00–11:00 — The gap between ideal care and real-world systems
11:00–16:00 — What ASCs are and why they matter
16:00–20:00 — Misconceptions about ASC care and quality
20:00–24:00 — Speaking up, leadership, and frontline change
24:00–28:00 — Advocacy, scale, and influencing care delivery
28:00–33:00 — Reducing administrative burden & partnership models
33:00–37:00 — Patient stories & real-world impact
37:00–40:00 — The future of care: access, outcomes, and clinician support

Episode Highlights

  • The OR shaped Janie’s perspective on teamwork and patient advocacy
  • System inefficiencies — not lack of effort — often limit care quality
  • ASCs deliver high-quality care with lower costs and faster access
  • Speaking up (even early in your career) can change outcomes
  • Advocacy at scale extends the same commitment as bedside care
  • Simplifying administrative work restores clinician focus
  • Patients benefit from faster procedures and more personalized care
  • Optum and SCA partnership models amplify clinician voice and impact
  • Great care doesn’t require more complexity — just better design

Resources & Links

Take our quiz:
https://lp.optum.com/value-based-care-quiz.html

Optum Care partnership:
https://business.optum.com/en/providers/care-partnerships.html

Resource Library:
https://business.optum.com/en/providers/elevating-clinical-practice.html

]]> Advancing care through ASCs - An SCA Health leader shares what works Adia Morris, Janie Kinsey 00:40:09 In this episode of Clinician Real Talk, Janie Kinsey shares her journey from the operating room to leadership — and the lessons she’s learned about protecting what matters most in health care: people. Blending a clinician’s heart with an operator’s perspective, Janie explores how ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), team‑based care, and system design can remove friction, restore capacity, and deliver better experiences for both patients and clinicians. She reflects on the tension between idealism and reality, the importance of speaking up to improve care, and how the right support system allows clinicians to focus on what they do best — helping patients get back to the lives they love. In this episode of Clinician Real Talk, Janie Kinsey shares her journey from the operating room to leadership — and the lessons she’s learned about protecting what matters most in health care: people. Blending a clinician’s heart with an operator’s perspective, Janie explores how ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), team‑based care, and system design can remove friction, restore capacity, and deliver better experiences for both patients and clinicians. She reflects on the tension between idealism and reality, the importance of speaking up to improve care, and how the right support system allows clinicians to focus on what they do best — helping patients get back to the lives they love. optum care, ambulatory surgery centers, cost effective care, asc care model, physician partnership models, clinical advocacy, healthcare innovation, clinician leadership, care coordination, value based care, patient experience, sca health, outpatient surgery, healthcare access, reducing administrative burden false full 5 fea28f55-b9c9-46dc-a4c2-8ad2ab03f665 Engineering joy in medicine: Reimagining EHRs to Bring Joy Back to Care Dr. Kim brings together two perspectives — the engineer who sees inefficiencies and the clinician who values connection. He recounts the moment that pushed him into medicine, plus the emotional experiences that shaped his identity as a family physician.

He discusses how engaging clinicians early in EHR design changed adoption, satisfaction, and retention, and how centralized call centers and enhanced workflows improved the patient experience. Dr. Kim also explains why AI Scribe has been so transformative for clinicians, giving them space to reconnect with what brought them into medicine in the first place: listening, presence, and human connection.

He closes by sharing how Optum’s leadership development programs help clinicians grow in their careers and why remembering your “why” is essential in today’s value‑based world. 

]]> Fri, 6 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 tomica.young@optum.com (Adia Morris, Edward Kim) https://clinician-real-talk.simplecast.com/episodes/engineering-joy-in-medicine-reimagining-ehrs-to-bring-joy-back-to-care-fHkr4fxB Dr. Kim brings together two perspectives — the engineer who sees inefficiencies and the clinician who values connection. He recounts the moment that pushed him into medicine, plus the emotional experiences that shaped his identity as a family physician.

He discusses how engaging clinicians early in EHR design changed adoption, satisfaction, and retention, and how centralized call centers and enhanced workflows improved the patient experience. Dr. Kim also explains why AI Scribe has been so transformative for clinicians, giving them space to reconnect with what brought them into medicine in the first place: listening, presence, and human connection.

He closes by sharing how Optum’s leadership development programs help clinicians grow in their careers and why remembering your “why” is essential in today’s value‑based world. 

]]> Engineering joy in medicine: Reimagining EHRs to Bring Joy Back to Care Adia Morris, Edward Kim 00:22:25 In this inspiring episode, family physician and clinical technology leader Dr. Edmund Kim shares how an unexpected moment as a volunteer EMT transformed his path from mechanical engineering to medicine. He reflects on the joy and responsibility of family medicine, the profound impact of caring for multigenerational families, and the privilege of being entrusted with patients’ deepest stories. Dr. Kim also reveals how clinician led workflow redesign, EHR optimization, and AI powered documentation are helping restore joy, reduce burnout, and strengthen patient clinician relationships across Optum. In this inspiring episode, family physician and clinical technology leader Dr. Edmund Kim shares how an unexpected moment as a volunteer EMT transformed his path from mechanical engineering to medicine. He reflects on the joy and responsibility of family medicine, the profound impact of caring for multigenerational families, and the privilege of being entrusted with patients’ deepest stories. Dr. Kim also reveals how clinician led workflow redesign, EHR optimization, and AI powered documentation are helping restore joy, reduce burnout, and strengthen patient clinician relationships across Optum. physician burnout solutions, patient portal usage, centralized call center, technology enabled care, optum clinician experience, care team redesign, ai scribe documentation, workflow transformation, ehr optimization, clinician stories, clinical leadership development, value based care, patient experience, family medicine, multigenerational care false full 4 17940bf3-7864-47c7-ae2a-512f2499668e Clinician Real Talk Podcast Ep. 3 - From listening to lasting impact: Redefining care for older adults Episode Notes

Title: Building Better Care for Older Adults: Value-Based Innovation
Guest: Martin Levine, MD
Duration: ~28 minutes
Theme: How Optum’s value-based care model transforms chronic care management and empowers clinicians to innovate.

Episode Overview:
Dr. Levine discusses his passion for improving care for older adults and the systemic changes needed to make health care more effective. He highlights the Memory Health Support Program, which helps families navigate dementia care without added cost, and shares real-world examples of how interdisciplinary teams—nurses, pharmacists, behavioral health—create better outcomes.

Key Topics & Timestamps

00:00 – 00:02:10
Dr. Levine’s background and career journey
00:03:00 – 00:06:45
Why value-based care matters for older adults
00:07:00 – 00:11:30
Memory Health Support Program: Closing gaps in dementia care
00:12:00 – 00:15:45
Engaging families and redesigning workflows
00:16:00 – 00:20:30
Empowering patients through education and self-efficacy
00:21:00 – 00:24:00
Balancing fee-for-service and value-based models
00:24:30 – 00:27:50
Why Optum is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation

Episode Highlights

  • Innovation in action: How Optum uses value-based care to fund new services.
  • Family-centered care: Bringing caregivers into the process for better outcomes.
  • Clinician support: Reducing administrative burden and creating space for meaningful care.
  • Real impact: Stories of clinics embracing new models and thriving.

Resources & Links

  • Take our quiz: https://lp.optum.com/value-based-care-quiz.html
  • Optum Care partnership: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/care-partnerships.html
  • Resource Library: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/elevating-clinical-practice.html
]]> Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 tomica.young@optum.com (martin levin, adia morris) https://clinician-real-talk.simplecast.com/episodes/clinician-real-talk-podcast-ep-3-from-listening-to-lasting-impact-redefining-care-for-older-adults-k8hA13kD Episode Notes

Title: Building Better Care for Older Adults: Value-Based Innovation
Guest: Martin Levine, MD
Duration: ~28 minutes
Theme: How Optum’s value-based care model transforms chronic care management and empowers clinicians to innovate.

Episode Overview:
Dr. Levine discusses his passion for improving care for older adults and the systemic changes needed to make health care more effective. He highlights the Memory Health Support Program, which helps families navigate dementia care without added cost, and shares real-world examples of how interdisciplinary teams—nurses, pharmacists, behavioral health—create better outcomes.

Key Topics & Timestamps

00:00 – 00:02:10
Dr. Levine’s background and career journey
00:03:00 – 00:06:45
Why value-based care matters for older adults
00:07:00 – 00:11:30
Memory Health Support Program: Closing gaps in dementia care
00:12:00 – 00:15:45
Engaging families and redesigning workflows
00:16:00 – 00:20:30
Empowering patients through education and self-efficacy
00:21:00 – 00:24:00
Balancing fee-for-service and value-based models
00:24:30 – 00:27:50
Why Optum is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation

Episode Highlights

  • Innovation in action: How Optum uses value-based care to fund new services.
  • Family-centered care: Bringing caregivers into the process for better outcomes.
  • Clinician support: Reducing administrative burden and creating space for meaningful care.
  • Real impact: Stories of clinics embracing new models and thriving.

Resources & Links

  • Take our quiz: https://lp.optum.com/value-based-care-quiz.html
  • Optum Care partnership: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/care-partnerships.html
  • Resource Library: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/elevating-clinical-practice.html
]]> Clinician Real Talk Podcast Ep. 3 - From listening to lasting impact: Redefining care for older adults martin levin, adia morris 00:30:21 In this episode of Clinician Real Talk, host Adia Morris talks with Dr. Martin Levine, Chief Medical Officer for Optum Care Network in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Levine shares his journey from family medicine to leading innovative programs that improve care for older adults. Learn how value-based care empowers clinicians to deliver better outcomes, reduce administrative burden, and create systems that support both patients and families. In this episode of Clinician Real Talk, host Adia Morris talks with Dr. Martin Levine, Chief Medical Officer for Optum Care Network in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Levine shares his journey from family medicine to leading innovative programs that improve care for older adults. Learn how value-based care empowers clinicians to deliver better outcomes, reduce administrative burden, and create systems that support both patients and families. martin levine interview, clinician real talk podcast, dementia care innovation, memory health support program, optum care network, improving patient engagement, balancing fee-for-service and vbc, interdisciplinary care teams, chronic care management, optum health care transformation., optum clinician resources, value-based care for older adults false full 3 8821adbf-b99b-4810-aaf4-6e20f61054e2 Standing with the unseen: Addiction, empathy and the power of prevention Episode Notes

Title: Meeting Patients Where They Are: Addiction, Obesity & Value-Based Care
Guest: Lea Witt, DNP, FNP
Duration: ~24 minutes
Theme: Empowering clinicians to address addiction and obesity through education, trust, and value-based care.

Episode Overview:
Lea discusses her personal and professional journey, the importance of clinician education, and how Optum’s model supports proactive care. She shares powerful patient stories that illustrate the ripple effect of early intervention and preventative care.

Key Topics & Timestamps

  • 00:00 – 00:01:42 | Lea’s background and transition to Optum
  • 00:02:15 – 00:03:07 | Why addiction care became her passion
  • 00:03:27 – 00:04:02 | Clinician comfort level as a barrier
  • 00:04:10 – 00:05:49 | Patient story: Overcoming medication dependence
  • 00:06:05 – 00:07:44 | Building trust through value-based care
  • 00:07:59 – 00:09:24 | Signs of addiction across age groups
  • 00:09:44 – 00:10:59 | Patient story: Gradual medication tapering
  • 00:11:06 – 00:11:57 | Optum resources: APC fellowship & education
  • 00:12:08 – 00:13:56 | Preventative care as a gateway to addiction screening
  • 00:14:13 – 00:16:26 | Patient story: Bariatric surgery success
  • 00:17:15 – 00:17:37 | Collaborative care model for better outcomes
  • 00:17:46 – 00:19:35 | Clinician well-being and community support
  • 00:21:05 – 00:21:57 | Advice for clinicians entering addiction/obesity care
  • 00:22:04 – 00:23:15 | Why Optum is uniquely positioned to transform care

Episode Highlights

  • Education matters: Clinician confidence is key to addressing addiction in primary care.
  • Trust first: Value-based care creates space for meaningful conversations.
  • Early intervention saves lives: Preventative visits often uncover hidden risks.
  • Real impact: Stories of patients who overcame addiction and obesity through proactive care.
  • Support for clinicians: Optum provides resources, training, and community to combat burnout and improve outcomes.

Resources & Links

  • Take our quiz: https://lp.optum.com/value-based-care-quiz.html?!23
  • Optum Care partnership website: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/care-partnerships.html
  • Resource Library: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/elevating-clinical-practice.html
]]> Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000 tomica.young@optum.com (Lea Witt) https://clinician-real-talk.simplecast.com/episodes/standing-with-the-unseen-addiction-empathy-and-the-power-of-prevention-0B8tIVbX Episode Notes

Title: Meeting Patients Where They Are: Addiction, Obesity & Value-Based Care
Guest: Lea Witt, DNP, FNP
Duration: ~24 minutes
Theme: Empowering clinicians to address addiction and obesity through education, trust, and value-based care.

Episode Overview:
Lea discusses her personal and professional journey, the importance of clinician education, and how Optum’s model supports proactive care. She shares powerful patient stories that illustrate the ripple effect of early intervention and preventative care.

Key Topics & Timestamps

  • 00:00 – 00:01:42 | Lea’s background and transition to Optum
  • 00:02:15 – 00:03:07 | Why addiction care became her passion
  • 00:03:27 – 00:04:02 | Clinician comfort level as a barrier
  • 00:04:10 – 00:05:49 | Patient story: Overcoming medication dependence
  • 00:06:05 – 00:07:44 | Building trust through value-based care
  • 00:07:59 – 00:09:24 | Signs of addiction across age groups
  • 00:09:44 – 00:10:59 | Patient story: Gradual medication tapering
  • 00:11:06 – 00:11:57 | Optum resources: APC fellowship & education
  • 00:12:08 – 00:13:56 | Preventative care as a gateway to addiction screening
  • 00:14:13 – 00:16:26 | Patient story: Bariatric surgery success
  • 00:17:15 – 00:17:37 | Collaborative care model for better outcomes
  • 00:17:46 – 00:19:35 | Clinician well-being and community support
  • 00:21:05 – 00:21:57 | Advice for clinicians entering addiction/obesity care
  • 00:22:04 – 00:23:15 | Why Optum is uniquely positioned to transform care

Episode Highlights

  • Education matters: Clinician confidence is key to addressing addiction in primary care.
  • Trust first: Value-based care creates space for meaningful conversations.
  • Early intervention saves lives: Preventative visits often uncover hidden risks.
  • Real impact: Stories of patients who overcame addiction and obesity through proactive care.
  • Support for clinicians: Optum provides resources, training, and community to combat burnout and improve outcomes.

Resources & Links

  • Take our quiz: https://lp.optum.com/value-based-care-quiz.html?!23
  • Optum Care partnership website: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/care-partnerships.html
  • Resource Library: https://business.optum.com/en/providers/elevating-clinical-practice.html
]]> Standing with the unseen: Addiction, empathy and the power of prevention Lea Witt 00:24:27 In this episode of Clinician Real Talk, we sit down with Lea Witt, a family nurse practitioner passionate about caring for patients with substance use disorders and obesity. Leah shares her journey from postpartum nursing to leading addiction-focused care, and how value-based care empowers clinicians to meet patients where they are. Through real stories and practical insights, Leah reveals what it takes to build trust, intervene early, and transform lives. In this episode of Clinician Real Talk, we sit down with Lea Witt, a family nurse practitioner passionate about caring for patients with substance use disorders and obesity. Leah shares her journey from postpartum nursing to leading addiction-focused care, and how value-based care empowers clinicians to meet patients where they are. Through real stories and practical insights, Leah reveals what it takes to build trust, intervene early, and transform lives. bariatric surgery success story, family nurse practitioner optum, addiction care in primary practice, clinician real talk podcast, obesity management in primary care, lea witt interview, transforming health care with optum, value-based care for addiction, substance use disorder treatment, clinician education for addiction treatment, signs of addiction in primary care, how to address addiction in older adults, clinician burnout and well-being, apc fellowship program optum, optum clinician resources, early intervention for addiction, preventative care and addiction screening, building trust with patients false full 2 c040180e-bf55-4ce3-83c6-78ae2f8a06d0 The Road to Wellness: Reimagining rural health Episode title: The Road to Wellness: Reimagining rural health

Guest: Dr. Jaren Trost
Duration: ~27 minutes
Theme: Purpose-driven care, clinician well-being, and the power of value-based care in underserved communities.

Episode overview

This episode dives deep into Dr. Trost’s journey from burnout to purpose, highlighting how Optum’s value-based care model empowered him to deliver meaningful care to rural and underserved populations. Through personal stories, he illustrates how data, leadership support, and infrastructure can transform clinician experience and patient outcomes.

Key topics & timestamps

00:00–00:45

Introduction to Clinician Real Talk

  • Purpose of the show: authentic conversations with frontline clinicians
  • Focus on clarity, honesty, and real-world insights

00:45–02:04

Dr. Trost’s early career & burnout

  • Post-fellowship burnout
  • Optum’s promise of fewer patients and more time per visit
  • Initial signs of recovery and support

02:04–03:01

Leadership support & growth opportunities

  • Home visits and leadership buy-in
  • Sequoia Fellowship and Partnership Forums
  • “Happy doctor = happy patient” philosophy

03:01–05:18

Driving across New Mexico to reach patients

  • Using claims data to identify high-risk patients
  • Personal outreach and emotional home visits
  • Rediscovering purpose through direct patient care

05:18–07:28

Value-based care as a sustainable mission

  • Giving voice to voiceless patients
  • Emotional impact of follow-ups and personal calls
  • Expansion of the program with nurse practitioners and mobile vans

07:28–09:39

Solving local problems with national resources

  • Medicaid-heavy population in New Mexico
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
  • Opening new clinics in underserved areas

09:39–11:06

Balancing autonomy & infrastructure for contracted clinicians

  • Tailored support for IPA clinics
  • Operational best practices from employed models
  • Empowering clinicians to spend more time with patients

11:06–13:12

Tools that simplify practice

  • AI scribes to reduce documentation burden
  • Annual wellness visits and extended patient time
  • Right patient, right time, right setting model

13:12–15:29

Streamlining workflow & emotional impact

  • Data-driven outreach
  • Emotional rewards of home visits
  • The power of a hug and human connection

15:29–18:05

Connecting patients to resources

  • Optum’s infrastructure: social workers, case managers
  • Follow-up calls and warm handoffs
  • Building trust and continuity of care

18:05–21:03

Encouraging clinicians to join VBC

  • Invitation to shadow Dr. Trost
  • Leadership support and culture of listening
  • Grove and Sequoia leadership programs

21:03–26:36

Personal growth & patient story

  • A moving story of a patient needing food, not just medical care
  • Team response and emotional impact
  • Realization of purpose and commitment to Optum

26:36–27:37

Closing thoughts & call to action

  • Treating underserved patients with dignity
  • Encouragement to take the readiness quiz
  • Subscribe for more real clinician stories

Episode highlights

  • Emotional storytelling: Dr. Trost’s visit to a patient who simply needed food underscores the human side of care.
  • Leadership development: Grove and Sequoia programs nurture clinicians into impactful leaders.
  • Infrastructure meets autonomy: Optum supports IPA clinics without overriding their independence.
  • Tech-enabled care: AI scribes and data analytics streamline workflows and improve care delivery.

Resources & Links

 

]]> Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000 tomica.young@optum.com (Dr. Jaren Trost, Adia Morris) https://clinician-real-talk.simplecast.com/episodes/the-road-to-wellness-reimagining-rural-health-ekhGd2Hw Episode title: The Road to Wellness: Reimagining rural health

Guest: Dr. Jaren Trost
Duration: ~27 minutes
Theme: Purpose-driven care, clinician well-being, and the power of value-based care in underserved communities.

Episode overview

This episode dives deep into Dr. Trost’s journey from burnout to purpose, highlighting how Optum’s value-based care model empowered him to deliver meaningful care to rural and underserved populations. Through personal stories, he illustrates how data, leadership support, and infrastructure can transform clinician experience and patient outcomes.

Key topics & timestamps

00:00–00:45

Introduction to Clinician Real Talk

  • Purpose of the show: authentic conversations with frontline clinicians
  • Focus on clarity, honesty, and real-world insights

00:45–02:04

Dr. Trost’s early career & burnout

  • Post-fellowship burnout
  • Optum’s promise of fewer patients and more time per visit
  • Initial signs of recovery and support

02:04–03:01

Leadership support & growth opportunities

  • Home visits and leadership buy-in
  • Sequoia Fellowship and Partnership Forums
  • “Happy doctor = happy patient” philosophy

03:01–05:18

Driving across New Mexico to reach patients

  • Using claims data to identify high-risk patients
  • Personal outreach and emotional home visits
  • Rediscovering purpose through direct patient care

05:18–07:28

Value-based care as a sustainable mission

  • Giving voice to voiceless patients
  • Emotional impact of follow-ups and personal calls
  • Expansion of the program with nurse practitioners and mobile vans

07:28–09:39

Solving local problems with national resources

  • Medicaid-heavy population in New Mexico
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
  • Opening new clinics in underserved areas

09:39–11:06

Balancing autonomy & infrastructure for contracted clinicians

  • Tailored support for IPA clinics
  • Operational best practices from employed models
  • Empowering clinicians to spend more time with patients

11:06–13:12

Tools that simplify practice

  • AI scribes to reduce documentation burden
  • Annual wellness visits and extended patient time
  • Right patient, right time, right setting model

13:12–15:29

Streamlining workflow & emotional impact

  • Data-driven outreach
  • Emotional rewards of home visits
  • The power of a hug and human connection

15:29–18:05

Connecting patients to resources

  • Optum’s infrastructure: social workers, case managers
  • Follow-up calls and warm handoffs
  • Building trust and continuity of care

18:05–21:03

Encouraging clinicians to join VBC

  • Invitation to shadow Dr. Trost
  • Leadership support and culture of listening
  • Grove and Sequoia leadership programs

21:03–26:36

Personal growth & patient story

  • A moving story of a patient needing food, not just medical care
  • Team response and emotional impact
  • Realization of purpose and commitment to Optum

26:36–27:37

Closing thoughts & call to action

  • Treating underserved patients with dignity
  • Encouragement to take the readiness quiz
  • Subscribe for more real clinician stories

Episode highlights

  • Emotional storytelling: Dr. Trost’s visit to a patient who simply needed food underscores the human side of care.
  • Leadership development: Grove and Sequoia programs nurture clinicians into impactful leaders.
  • Infrastructure meets autonomy: Optum supports IPA clinics without overriding their independence.
  • Tech-enabled care: AI scribes and data analytics streamline workflows and improve care delivery.

Resources & Links

 

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