Podcast
Join Patient Access Collaborative Founder and Executive Director, Elizabeth Woodcock, as she guides you through some of the most relevant conversations taking place in the Access world today. Take a behind-the-scenes look at all things access in the ambulatory enterprise. Here, patient access leaders from academic health systems and industry experts share their expertise on hot topics in access including best practices, process development, organizational dynamics, technological innovation, and patient experience.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Beyond the Waitlist: Rethinking Demand and Flow in Healthcare
Waiting lists have long been treated as an unavoidable part of healthcare — a symptom of limited capacity. But Professor Katherine Harding believes otherwise.
In this episode, she joins PAC founder Elizabeth Woodcock to unpack the STAT model, a research-backed approach developed in Australia that replaces backlogs with real-time scheduling and equitable flow. Harding shares insights from clinical trials, lessons from implementation, and her bold challenge to health systems everywhere: waiting isn’t destiny — it’s design.
Tune in to learn how STAT reframes access, equity, and efficiency for modern healthcare.
Category: Strategy
Published: November 15
Timely Access in Oncology: Lessons from Cancer Care
Behind every oncology referral is a patient—and a family—waiting, hoping, and depending on the system to move fast. In this episode, host Dr. Elizabeth Woodcock, Executive Director of the Patient Access Collaborative, is joined by three oncology access leaders: Kristen Thatcher of The James at Ohio State University, Jennifer Kennedy-Stovall of Duke Cancer Institute, and Kate Healy-Levine of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Together, they explore how leading cancer programs are redefining timely access—balancing urgency with empathy, operational efficiency with equity, and data with culture.
Tune in to hear how these systems are tackling workforce constraints, leveraging APPs, and redesigning scheduling models to ensure that every patient receives the right care, at the right time.
Topics include culture and urgency in access, diagnostic and APP models, template standardization, financial navigation, and equity in oncology care.
Category: Strategy
Published: October 20
PAC Access Summit Preview: Discussing Access Strategy and Analytics with Emory Healthcare Leaders
Collaboration is the engine of innovation in healthcare access, and nowhere is that spirit stronger than at the upcoming PAC Access Summit, a two-day event co-hosted by Emory Healthcare on October 13–14. In this episode of All Access Pass, host Chris Profeta sits down with three Emory leaders who will be presenting at the Summit: Kelsey Thomas, Director of Program Development in Patient Access; Nick Woodbury, Assistant Director of Capacity Management in Patient Access; and Josiah Thomasson, Senior Manager of Data Foundations & Engineering.
Together, they offer a preview of their sessions and share how Emory is advancing access through program development, capacity management, and data innovation. From building frameworks that support frontline teams to leveraging system solutions and analytics for smarter decisions, this conversation highlights the interdisciplinary work driving access transformation.
Whether you’re preparing to attend the Summit or looking for fresh ideas to bring back to your own organization, you’ll gain insights into how Emory Healthcare is helping to shape the future of patient access.
Category: Strategy
Published: September 11
Leaders of the Year
What does it take to lead patient access at scale—and with heart? In this inspiring episode, we celebrate the Patient Access Collaborative’s inaugural Access Leaders of the Year: Jamie Kern, MBA, Senior Director of Access & Capacity Management at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Ann Blanchard, BSN, MBA, Director of Access Innovations, Capacity Management & Referral CORE at Nebraska Medicine.
From turning “scapegoats” into strategic powerhouses to building trust through data transparency and team empowerment, Jamie and Ann share their personal leadership philosophies, operational strategies, and digital transformation journeys. You’ll hear how OSU is tackling scalability through behavior change and rigor, while Nebraska Medicine’s “Access Delta” initiative and digital redesign efforts have transformed lag time and self-scheduling at an enterprise level.
Together, they reflect on the evolving role of access, the myth of linear digital adoption, and why listening—not just fixing—is the key to lasting change. Whether you're redesigning visit types or shifting culture, this episode delivers lessons in resilience, innovation, and keeping the patient at the center of it all.
Category: Strategy
Published: August 15