Heartline Turns 100: Lessons on Changemaking and What’s Next

I did not plan to celebrate Heartline’s 100th episode on my own.

In fact, I’d recorded a conversation with my “frentor” (friend+mentor) and fellow emergency physician Dr. Cheryl Martin. And then she did me the favor of honestly telling me: “I think our conversation was too negative.”

Her feedback, plus the 100 milestone, created the right reflection point for me. I sat back to consider: What thematic learnings have come through my 90+ conversations with healthcare professionals? What conversations have stayed in my mind? What does the podcast want to be next? And, importantly, what do I need?

So for episode 100 I sat down with myself to answer these questions and to highlight some of my favorite quotes from conversations with Dr. Dan Dworkis, Dr. Dara Kass, Dr. Shikha Jain and more. I also share what’s next for the podcast and for yours truly (more on that below).

Whether you work in healthcare or elsewhere, these top three themes are powerful guiding principles to make change in any field.

1. Systemic Change Through Individual Growth

A “changemaker” is a change agent that is working towards a societal improvement, and I’m (elated to be) close to publishing my thesis on developing physician changemakers. Working on this qualitative study of 15 attending physician changemakers has powerfully expanded my thinking about how we make change in healthcare.

Two things—an observation and a question— are staying with me:

1. Systemic change and organizational transformation is fueled by individual transformation—more on this, the podcast, and “appreciative inquiry” below!
2. How do we increase the number of changemakers and accelerate their growth?

This podcast has always served as a platform for personal healing and collective action. The changemakers featured here understand that humans are at the center of healthcare and that applied theoretical frameworks power transformative learning.

2. Leadership and Well-being in Healthcare

There is an undeniable link between effective leadership and workforce wellbeing. As Dr. Josh Hartzell, author of A Prescription for Caring in Healthcare Leadership, put it in Episode 98:

“There’s very good data that suggests that if we lead more effectively, we can start tackling issues like burnout, well-being. We can do that for students and for faculty. The only way we can lead more effectively is if we train our students, our residents and our faculty to do it.”

This underscores that we can’t meditate our way out of the systemic issues plaguing healthcare. What we need are leaders—changemakers— who understand the challenges on the ground and are equipped to drive meaningful change.

3. The Power of Coaching and Self-Reflection

Throughout my journey, I’ve become increasingly convinced of the power of coaching in accelerating personal and professional development. As Dr. Brian Clyne pointed out in Episode 93:

“Had [healthcare professionals] experienced coaching as a medical student, a resident fellow, in some junior part of their career, then it’s that whole an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. They’d be more effective leaders when they reach that senior level.”

This conversation as well as those with Dr. Gillian Schmitz, Dr. Kara Pepper, and Sharee Johnson on self-compassion, perfectionism and more underscore the importance of personal development and self-awareness in becoming effective changemakers.

What’s next for Heartline?

Be honest: Do you reflect regularly on your career or personal life? Most professionals I know (including me) don’t, yet it’s invaluable when we do (see #3 above!). Reflecting on 100 episodes helped me recognize:

1. It’s time for a much-needed break from releasing new episodes.
2. I feel drawn to release a miniseries this year (instead of weekly interviews) on the concept of appreciative inquiry, something that tunes my antenna towards good things.
3. I’m excited to re-release some classic episodes with improved audio quality.

Appreciative Inquiry: the Miniseries

Appreciative inquiry* looks at what is going right in a system for solutions and invites focus on doing more of what’s working (rather than trying to fix what isn’t). For this miniseries, which I plan to release in May. I’m excited to interview healthcare leaders innovating and making positive change.

It’s my hope and belief that seeking out what’s working, and sharing it with you all, will continue to inspire and activate our changemaking potential.

And I’d love your help: do you know a changemaker (are you one yourself?) improving healthcare for all? If so, hit reply and let me know. I may want an interview for the miniseries!

These 100 episodes are a testament to the power of community, continuous learning, and the unwavering commitment to improving healthcare for both clinicians and patients. Revisit your favorite episodes or discover one you missed—every conversation is a step toward changemaking in healthcare.