Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners debuted a podcast Nov. 11 hosted by Mark Sannes, MD, chief medical officer of HealthPartners Care Group, with President and CEO Andrea Walsh as its first guest.
The podcast, “Thriving Forward: A HealthPartners Podcast,” brings together leaders and innovators to discuss what is working in healthcare, what isn’t and how to move the industry forward, HealthPartners said in a LinkedIn post.
Dr. Sannes joined HealthPartners in 2006 and previously led its clinical response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He still practices in infectious disease and sits on the boards of HealthPartners and Hutchinson Health.
The show mixes the interview with recurring segments. In the “Triple Checkup,” Dr. Sannes introduces the guest. In “Health on the Spot,” community members talk on the street about what thriving means to them. Episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, Simplecast and YouTube.
In the first episode, Ms. Walsh named affordability as the most broken aspect of healthcare. She also discussed how clinician well-being affects patient outcomes, how changing traditional care models can improve access, and the potential and limits of AI.
She also highlighted two community partnerships: Little Moments Count, a statewide movement that encourages early connection with children, and Make It OK, which works to end mental health stigma.
The podcast launches as HealthPartners, which serves more than 1.4 million patients, prepares to combine with Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health. The deal would form a 22-hospital system led by Ms. Walsh and is expected to take effect Jan. 1, pending regulatory approval.
