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To Care is Human

The Beryl Institutetocareishuman.libsyn.com
Stay connected to the changing landscape of Patient Experience through the To Care is Human Podcast Series. The Beryl Institute is committed to elevating the human experience in healthcare by providing a platform for all voices in patient experience to be heard. Join us twice a month as the Institute shares conversations with those leading, delivering, and receiving care. Hosted by Jason Wolf, PH. D., CPXP, President; Stacy Palmer, CPXP, Senior Vice President & COO; Amy Kwiatkowski, Director of Community Experience; and Terri Ipsen, CPXP, Director of Content and Editorial Coordinator of the Patient Experience Journal. Tiffany Christensen, CPXP, Vice President Experience Innovation The Beryl Institute.
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Episodes

Words Matter: Transforming Care Through Better Communication

In this episode of To Care Is Human , Terri Ipsen talks with Susan Osborne about the power of words in healthcare. Based on her PX blog, “Say this instead of,” Susan shares practical tips and real examples of how small language changes can ease anxiety, build trust, and improve patient experience. Learn how intentional communication can make a lasting difference in patient care across all healthcare settings.

Jul 14, 202513 min

We’re all patients, or we’re about to be.

Jason Wolf, President and CEO of The Beryl Institute, speaks with Jennifer Bright, MPA, President of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM). In this insightful conversation, Jennifer shares her personal journey and passion for transforming healthcare. Together, they explore the vital role of patient centricity and why embracing a global perspective is essential to advancing healthcare experiences worldwide.

Jun 23, 202540 min

The One Friend They Miss the Most: The Impact of Pet Interactions on Pediatric Experience

When his son, Brayden, passed away due to complications from a congenital heart defect, John Otten harnessed the power of his grief into action to found Brave Like Me. Listen in as he and Amy Cielak, board member, discuss the profound impact an interaction with a pet can have on a patient, and how they hope to bring that experience to more and more children across the country.

Jun 09, 202523 min

Reviving Humanity in Healthcare: The Power of Story-Sharing

Join Dr. Alexi Puran and Dr. Sherry Kroll as they introduce the Humanity in Healthcare project — a groundbreaking initiative harnessing the power of story-sharing to rebuild trust, foster connection, and restore compassion between patients and physicians. Hear their personal journeys, insights, and the simple yet transformative steps helping bring human connection back to the heart of healthcare.

May 12, 202523 min

To Care is Human – LIVE! A Conversation with Dr. Owais Durrani

Recorded live at ELEVATE PX 2025, this episode of To Care is Human features Jason Wolf and Dr. Owais Durrani. Listen in as they discuss his journey in healthcare, the role of AI, and the importance of equitable care. Key takeaways included the need for ethical AI use, the critical role of communication in hospitals, and AI’s potential to enhance patient care.

Apr 07, 202541 min

Conversational AI: A New Frontier In Improving Patient Experience

Israel Krush, CEO and co-founder of Hyro, sits down to discuss the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in healthcare and how it impacts the patient experience. Listen in as he shares how Hyro’s focus on the patient journey is helping provide AI solutions for patients and healthcare workers alike.

Mar 17, 202526 min

Communicating at an Elementary Level: Lessons from Young Learners

Join us as Katelyn Moser, Senior Director of Patient Experience at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, shares insights from Career and Communication Day—an innovative initiative that brings elementary school students to her campus. This program not only reinforces essential communication skills among staff but also introduces children to the diverse career opportunities within healthcare. Don't miss this engaging discussion on how a fresh perspective from young learners can enhance workplace com...

Feb 24, 202519 min

Work-Life Balance in Healthcare: Caring for Yourself to Care for Others

Achieving work-life balance is essential for overall well-being, especially in healthcare. Join us as Robert Cote, a patient advocate for the VA, shares his personal journey through imbalance and the steps he took to restore stability. Discover the warning signs, practical strategies for self-care, and the importance of setting boundaries. Cote’s powerful message reminds us: caring for yourself is the first step in being there for others.

Feb 03, 202528 min

Safeguarding What Matters: A Deeper Dive into Managing Patient Belongings

Listen in as Gabriel Bolivar of Maui Memorial Medical Center shares how his passion for finding healthcare improvement strategies drove him to find solutions to better manage patient belongings. From policies to procedures, Bolivar emphasizes effective practices to manage this recurring and often elusive challenge.

Jan 13, 202513 min

Green, Yellow, Red: Creating an Experience with Feedback Buttons

Stacy Palmer, Senior Vice President and COO of The Beryl Institute, joins Steven Peltzman, CEO of FeedbackNow, to explore how their innovative feedback devices are transforming the healthcare experience. Tune in as Peltzman discusses the profound impact of empowering patients with a sense of control in situations that often feel beyond their grasp.

Dec 16, 202420 min

Beyond Shiny Amenities: Markers of Quality in Essential Hospitals

As Denver Health strives to become Colorado's most trusted healthcare provider, its mission is grounded in core values of respect, belonging, and responsibility. In this conversation, Amy Friedman and Sharif Abdelhamid, leaders in Denver Health’s experience department, share insights on how a committed workforce and robust community partnerships enable the essential hospital to deliver high-quality, safe care. Together, they discuss how these guiding values help Denver Health foster trust, bring...

Nov 18, 202432 min

Leading through Listening: A Conversation with Garrett South

Join us as Garrett South, Director of Patient Experience at California Hospital Medical Center, shares his inspiring journey from fifth-grade class representative to healthcare executive. In this episode, Garrett discusses the power of connection and belonging in a world reshaped by post-pandemic social isolation.

Nov 04, 202432 min

Curiosity & Connection: A Generational Approach to Patient Care

In this PX Marketplace Webinar, Jennifer Baron, CXO of NRC Health, joins us to explore how generational differences are influencing the current state of healthcare. From varying attitudes and beliefs to shifts in patient behaviors, Baron provides a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities these changes present for healthcare organizations.

Oct 21, 202420 min

Enhancing Patient Experience: A Night Shift ER Doctor's Passion Project

Dr. Donald Wickline of Cone Health, drawing from his experience as a nighttime emergency room physician, explores the art and science of communication from a staff/provider engagement perspective. He highlights Cone Health’s C.U.R.O. communication model as a crucial framework for navigating sensitive and critical conversations with patients. This model provides physicians, including Dr. Wickline, with essential support in the high-pressure environment of healthcare.

Oct 07, 202422 min

Former Patients Who Return As Volunteers: An Expression of Gratitude

Alex Seblatnigg, Director of Volunteer Services and Internal Engagement at Shepherd Center—a leading rehabilitation facility specializing in spinal cord and acquired brain injuries—shares the inspiring stories of former patients who return as volunteers after discharge. Tune in as she highlights the unique value these volunteers bring to the patient experience and how they seamlessly integrate and collaborate with the existing volunteer team to enhance care and support.

Sep 16, 202412 min

Broaden the Scope of What You Consider Experience

Stacy Palmer, Senior Vice President & COO of The Beryl Institute, sits down with Pattie Cuen, Senior Vice President of Jarrard Inc., to discuss a recent consumer survey about public values in healthcare experience. Listen in as Cuen shares key insights and emphasizes the importance of seeing the bigger picture of experience by focusing on multiple factors simultaneously.

Aug 26, 202424 min

A Human Experience Pioneer in Brazil

Marcelo Alvarenga, CEO of ConectaEXP Brazil, joins Jason Wolf, CEO & President of The Beryl Institute to discuss his passion for education in the healthcare experience space in Brazil. Listen in as Alvarenga describes the innovative efforts he has helped lead that have inspired Brazilian healthcare institutions to commit to a focus on human-centered care.

Aug 05, 202442 min

You Can’t Go Wrong If You Do Right by the Patient

Julian Manriquez, Supervisor for Hospitality Services at City of Hope, discusses how his 110-acre campus strives to provide visitors with a five-star transportation and wayfinding experience through a unique Ambassador program. Listen in as he describes the critical roles of innovation and evolution throughout the program’s beginnings, survival during the COVID-19 pandemic, current operations, and plans for the future.

Jul 22, 202421 min

Caring for People Shouldn’t be an Afterthought: A Conversation with Marcia Donzinger

After a devastating diagnosis in her 20s changed the trajectory of her life, Marcia Donzinger, CEO of Vital Biz Consulting, embraced her new direction and bravely marched forward. Listen in as she discusses how culture is chemistry and the importance of helping organizations develop and nurture a culture of wellness to support employee well-being.

Jul 08, 202419 min

I've Come to Find that Anyone in Healthcare Has a "Why"

After her younger brother - born with congenital defects and developmental delays - had a traumatic hospital admission experience that impacted her entire family, Stacy Sedlak knew she had to do something to improve the human experience for pediatric patients. Listen in as she discusses her brother's influence on her "why" and the difficulties that come with transitioning pediatric patients into adult care.

Jun 24, 202427 min

We’re Not Going to Relieve All the Anxiety, but We Can Relieve Some: The Impact of Volunteers in Healthcare

Amy Kwiatkowski, Director of Community Experience, sits down to speak with Cheryl Call, Director of Volunteers and Language Services at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, whose career in volunteer services in healthcare has spanned over two decades. Listen in as Call emphasizes the importance of volunteer engagement in enhancing the patient experience, discusses effective strategies for keeping volunteers engaged, and shares personal anecdotes from patients her volunteers have served throughou...

May 28, 202419 min

The Value Case for Improving Human Experience in Healthcare: A Conversation with Brian Carlson and Jennifer Carron

On the heels of the tenth anniversary release of PX Journal, Jason Wolf sits down with Brian Carlson, Vice President of Patient Experience at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Jennifer Carron, Patient Experience Officer at BJC Healthcare to discuss their new co-authored article, “Investing in the Bottom Line: The Value Case for Improving Human Experience in Healthcare.” Listen in as the trio discusses the impact of experience – at all levels - and how leadership at the top plays a critica...

May 06, 202436 min

To Care is Human LIVE! At ELEVATE PX 2024

Listen to The Beryl Institute’s inaugural live podcast recorded at ELEVATE PX. Sven Gierlinger, Chief Experience Officer at Northwell Health and the 2024 recipient of the Wendy Leebov Championing Experience Award, sat down with Jason Wolf to reflect on his experience journey from hospitality to healthcare. Gierlinger shares how his health system is navigating the healthcare landscape post-pandemic.

Apr 15, 202440 min

"We need to be the patient in the room.”

Transgender activist Emily Newberry joins Director of Community Experience, Amy Kwiatkowski to share her multi-decade journey of acceptance and understanding and how it led her to the field of patient experience and advocacy. Listen as Emily describes how her own experience navigating the health care system as a transgender woman inspired her to be persistent and to advocate for patients across the spectrum of care.

Mar 25, 202422 min

Get to Know Me – Connecting Volunteers with Patients

Linda Fisher, Regional Director for Guest Services at UCHealth North, discusses the Get to Know Me Program, an initiative that connects volunteers with patients. Listen in to learn how, through a series of lighthearted questions designed to spur conversation, volunteers were able to make lasting and impactful connections with patients and their families.

Feb 05, 202423 min

We’re All Emotional Beings: That’s What It Is to Be Human

Ben Larsen, Experience Advisor at Baylor Scott & White Health, discusses the significance of human connection and the relationships we build with patients. Listen as he talks about communicating in service of a relationship, origin stories and the importance of practicing compassion and empathy.

Oct 09, 202327 min

Creating a Culture of Caring with Concierge Services

Bill Mills, CEO of Best Upon Request, shares how offering concierge services impacts both the patient and employee experience. From running errands to providing a listening ear, his team members are instrumental in helping organizations improve satisfaction scores by providing an enhanced level of comfort and care.

Sep 11, 202323 min

We're All Human Beings, So Everything Is Human Experience: A Conversation with Nicole Cable, CXO CareMax

From retail and hospitality to healthcare, Nicole Cable shares her professional journey that ignited a passion for the human experience. Listen as she details how a poor personal experience as a patient initially left her “wanting to stay as far away from healthcare as possible,” but eventually became the driving factor behind a career focused on helping and serving others.

Aug 21, 202329 min

“When we share our stories, there’s a level of healing”

When Monica Jones became a mother of children requiring complex care, she realized her calling in healthcare. Listen as she shares her family’s experience in navigating the healthcare system on her children’s behalf and how it inspired her to join the patient and family experience team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Aug 07, 202320 min
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