Episodes

  • Compassionate Conversations: Transforming Dementia Care with Amy Shaw | Ep62

    Compassionate Conversations: Transforming Dementia Care with Amy Shaw | Ep62
    May 18 2026
    What if the dementia journey didn’t have to be defined by fear, confusion, and guilt, but by clarity, compassion, and better days at home? In this heartfelt and practical episode of Designing Healthcare That Cares, Dr. Laura Suttin welcomes Amy Shaw, drawing from her unique path; from primate cognition research and wedding photography to palliative care and dementia support, Amy shares why our current medical model often fails families navigating dementia and how thoughtful, well-timed conversations can change everything. They discuss: The critical importance of goals-of-care conversationsThe “Arc of Conversation” framework from Amy’s medical textbookWhy dementia is frequently missed in clinic visits How caregivers can become “cognitive detectives” using practical, brain-based strategies Amy also introduces her upcoming book for family caregivers and her new self-paced education course designed to give families a clear roadmap through every stage of the journey. This episode is essential listening for clinicians, caregivers, and anyone who wants to design healthcare that truly cares for both patients and the families who love them. Three Actionable Takeaways: Start Goals-of-Care Conversations Early and Often: Normalize end-of-life and goals-of-care discussions during routine visits rather than waiting for a crisis. Use a structured approach like the Arc of Conversation to explore what the patient and family understand, fill in educational gaps, investigate their values and wishes, and then align care with what matters most to them.Separate Family Conversations from Patient Visits When Needed: Dementia by definition affects a person’s ability to serve as a reliable historian. Meet with family members separately to have frank, detailed conversations about what’s really happening at home. This preserves the patient’s dignity while giving caregivers the practical tools and understanding they need.Give Caregivers a Clear Roadmap and Practical Strategies: Equip families with education about the dementia journey from the very beginning. Teach them stage-specific communication and support strategies that align with what is actually breaking in the brain. When caregivers understand the “what, when, and why” of dementia, stress decreases, guilt lightens, and they can respond with compassion instead of confusion or conflict. About the Show: Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves. About the Guest: Amy Shaw, P.A, is a dementia clinician, educator, and founder of Better Dementia, a national platform dedicated to helping families care for loved ones with clarity, confidence, and compassion. She is the author of The Arc of Conversation: A How-to Guide for Goals of Care Conversations, a medical textbook used by clinicians and educators. Amy offer private one-on-one family guidance sessions online, which is especially helpful when families are spread out geographically. She also recently launched a self-paced digital course that teaches caregivers everything they need to understand the dementia journey, including the stages, how to recognize where a loved one is, how to align communication and support strategies in ways that preserve dignity and reduce conflict, and what to expect medically as the disease progresses. The course also addresses when hospice care can begin and what hospice care can provide. It is a comprehensive framework designed to help families navigate this journey with clarity and avoid unnecessary crisis along the way. Connect with Amy Shaw: Website: betterdementia.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterdementia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betterdementia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterdementia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betterdementia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amyshawpa About the Host: Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine. Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul. When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together. 🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/ 📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD Register for the Clinician Leadership Compass course to ...
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    35 mins
  • Sustainable Leadership Beyond the White Coat with Dr. Tracy Asamoah | Ep61

    Sustainable Leadership Beyond the White Coat with Dr. Tracy Asamoah | Ep61
    May 4 2026
    What if the same drive and self-sacrifice that made you an excellent clinician is now quietly undermining your effectiveness as a leader, and your own well-being? In this heartfelt conversation on Designing Healthcare That Cares, Dr. Laura Suttin sits down with Dr. Tracy Asamoah, as she shares her personal journey: an early multiple sclerosis diagnosis that prompted her to rethink her identity as a physician and proactively build a more sustainable career through coaching. Together they unpack why so many high-achieving physicians struggle when stepping into leadership roles. They discuss how medical training chips away at boundaries, the painful shift from “being the excellent clinician” to “developing others,” the isolation of leadership, and the tension between administrative and clinical demands. Drawing from real coaching experiences, they highlight the importance of self-reflection, embracing uncertainty, comfortable pivots, and giving yourself permission to ask for what you need. This episode is a must-listen for physician leaders, aspiring leaders, and anyone in healthcare feeling the weight of “never enough” while trying to lead with humanity. Three Actionable Takeaways: Reevaluate Your Boundaries and Capacity Regularly: Medical training often conditions us to erode our own boundaries. As a leader, pause to ask: What is sustainable for me right now? Where do I need to say “no”? Recognizing your limits and protecting your energy is not weakness, it’s essential for long-term leadership effectiveness and modeling healthy behavior for your team.Shift from Self-Focused Excellence to Developing Others: Leadership requires moving the spotlight from “How do I look excellent?” to “How do I help my team members grow and shine?” Practice delegation, share recognition generously, and intentionally create opportunities for junior faculty and staff. This mindset shift is one of the hardest, but most rewarding transitions for clinicians entering leadership.Build a New Support Network and Embrace Uncertainty: Leadership can feel lonely when former peers become team members and open conversations change. Actively seek connections with other leaders (inside or outside your organization) who understand your challenges. At the same time, give yourself permission to sit in uncertainty, reflect on your values and purpose, and trust that “everything is figureoutable.” Sometimes the most powerful step is simply being still and listening for what needs to emerge next. About the Show: Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves. About the Guest: Dr. Tracy Asamoah, MD, PCC is a board-certified psychiatrist, professional certified coach (ICF), and consultant with more than 20 years of experience. She helps physician and healthcare leaders develop sustainable, human-centered leadership styles as they navigate transitions, organizational complexity, and change. A certified narrative coach, she brings a neuroscience-informed, whole-person approach to her work with deans, department chairs, medical directors, and physicians across academic medicine and healthcare organizations nationwide. She earned her medical degree at UCSF and completed her psychiatry residency and child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UCLA. Dr. Asamoah is also a writer and coach trainer. 🌐 Website: sageelementscoaching.com 🔗 LinkedIn: Tracy Asamoah, MD, PCC About the Host: Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine. Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul. When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together. 🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/ 📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD Register for the Clinician Leadership Compass course to combat overwhelm and burnout.: www.thepurposefulmd.com/courses The Designing Healthcare That Cares Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding personal or organizational decisions.
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    33 mins
  • Building Physician Excellence Through Skill Development with Dr. Stephen Beeson | Ep60

    Building Physician Excellence Through Skill Development with Dr. Stephen Beeson | Ep60
    Apr 20 2026
    What if the key to better patient care, lower burnout, and higher physician engagement wasn’t more mandates or metrics, but intentional, evidence-based skill development that enriches clinicians while improving outcomes? In this inspiring and practical episode of Designing Healthcare That Cares, Dr. Laura Suttin welcomes Dr. Stephen Beeson. Drawing from his groundbreaking work at Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, where patient experience soared from the 6th to the 93rd percentile, Dr. Beeson shares how a continuous human development approach can create extraordinary results for patients, care teams, and organizations. They discuss: How Dr. Beeson accidentally discovered the power of relational skills in the exam roomWhy patient connection is one of the strongest burnout countermeasuresThe critical role of leadership behaviors in driving physician engagement and discretionary effortBuilding evidence-based skills for better patient interactions, teamwork, and leadershipHow Practicing Excellence uses technology and AI to scale sustainable human development This episode is essential listening for healthcare leaders, physicians, and anyone committed to designing systems where clinicians can bring their best selves to work every day. Three Actionable Takeaways: Start with Identity, Not Just Behaviors: Help clinicians first define the kind of clinician or leader they want to be. Once that identity is clear, small, evidence-based micro-skills become much easier to adopt and sustain.Treat Relational Skills Like Clinical Skills: Communication, empathy, and connection techniques are learned behaviors backed by evidence, just like managing Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or intubating a patient. Provision simple, practical skills that deliver immediate benefits to both patients and clinicians.Invest in Leadership Behaviors to Unlock Discretionary Effort: Physician engagement and willingness to go above and beyond are heavily influenced by how well they are led. Develop consistent leadership skills such as emotional intelligence, gratitude, candor, and authentic appreciation to create an environment where clinicians feel heard, valued, and supported. About the Show: Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves. About the Guest: Dr. Steven Beeson is a practicing physician, national thought leader, speaker, and author of two national bestselling books: Practicing Excellence: A Physician’s Manual to Exceptional Healthcare and Engaging Physicians: A Manual to Physician Partnership. He is the former Physician Director of The Sharp Experience at Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group in San Diego, where the group earned the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award and multiple recognitions as a top-performing medical group. In 2013, he founded Practicing Excellence to scale systemic skill development that improves healthcare delivery while enriching the lives of clinicians and care teams. He currently serves as a national expert on human development applied to healthcare challenges. Website: practicingexcellence.com About the Host: Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine. Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul. When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together. 🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/ 📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD Register for the Clinician Leadership Compass course to combat overwhelm and burnout.: www.thepurposefulmd.com/courses The Designing Healthcare That Cares Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding personal or organizational decisions.
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    36 mins
  • The Surprising Freedom of Boundaries | Ep59

    The Surprising Freedom of Boundaries | Ep59
    Apr 6 2026
    What if setting clear boundaries actually freed you to innovate more boldly, take smarter risks, and combat overwhelm in high-stakes healthcare environments? In this insightful conversation, Dr. Laura Suttin interviews Sheri Jacobs, as she shares her unconventional path, from photojournalist capturing Michael Jordan to founding a thriving consulting firm and chasing wildlife adventures across Antarctica and Africa, and how those experiences shaped her powerful framework on boundaries. They discuss: Why unlimited choices create overwhelm and how boundaries liberate exploration, like the playground fence experiment.The liberating role of boundaries in personal life, career pivots, and avoiding FOMO in side hustles or income streamsDifferentiating risk tolerance from risk capacity, and why evaluating "what if it fails?" unlocks bolder movesAuditing "noise" (distractions, assumptions, social media) to protect focus and energyBottom-up innovation: Amplifying frontline voices closest to patients or customers (e.g., Stanley Quencher turnaround, Good Catch programs, Best New Mistake awards)Combining psychological safety with clear boundaries to create the true "innovation zone" Packed with practical stories from healthcare challenges to corporate experiments, this episode offers healthcare leaders, clinicians, and teams tools to foster resilience, encourage smart risk-taking, and design cultures that innovate sustainably amid uncertainty and burnout. Three Actionable Takeaways: Define your "fence" first: Clarify what matters most right now (outcomes, priorities, capacity). This creates space to explore boldly within safe limits, reducing overwhelm from endless options like the Cheesecake Factory menu.Audit the noise and start small: Track distractions pulling you off-focus for a week, then experiment with one small boundary shift (e.g., limiting inputs or saying no to low-priority asks) to build confidence and momentum.Amplify frontline voices: Create simple channels for ideas from those closest to patients and operations, small inputs can spark massive wins, as seen in Stanley's 10x growth from one sales associate's insight. About the Show: Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves. About the Guest: Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE, is a three-time bestselling author, innovation strategist, keynote speaker, and CEO of Avenue M Group. She has surveyed nearly one million people and helped over 300 organizations unlock innovation, navigate uncertainty, and build resilient cultures. Her upcoming book, The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: Rethinking the Rules, Risks, and Real Drivers of Innovation (early 2026), challenges traditional views on creativity. A passionate wildlife photographer, Sheri draws inspiration from adventures in Africa, Antarctica, and beyond. Website: https://www.sherijacobs.com Avenue M Group: https://www.avenuem.org About the Host: Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine. Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul. When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together. 🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/ 📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD Register for the Clinician Leadership Compass course to combat overwhelm and burnout.: www.thepurposefulmd.com/courses The Designing Healthcare That Cares Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding personal or organizational decisions.
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    34 mins
  • Perfectionism, Self-Compassion, and Becoming More of Who You Truly Are | Ep58

    Perfectionism, Self-Compassion, and Becoming More of Who You Truly Are | Ep58
    Mar 23 2026
    What if the perfectionism that got you through med school and residency is now quietly sabotaging your well-being, relationships, and leadership? In this vulnerable, soul-sister-style return conversation on Designing Healthcare That Cares, Dr. Laura Suttin welcomes back Dr. Jillian Rigert, for a deep dive into perfectionism's hidden costs. They unpack its roots in seeking belonging and approval, how it shows up as procrastination and resistance, even when creating courses, masking vulnerability, shame spirals, and high-stakes pressure in healthcare and academia. Drawing from personal stories, near-death experiences, community (like the ACE group), Kristen Neff's self-compassion research, somatic tools like Peter Levine, and Ram Dass's Becoming Nobody documentary, they explore antidotes: beginner's mind, common humanity, boundaries, spiritual connectedness, and reclaiming flow over hustle. This episode reminds us that true productivity and connection emerge when we strip away layers to become more of who we already are: imperfect, human, and worthy. Three Actionable Takeaways: Tune Into Your Body to Differentiate Resistance from Self-Care: Perfectionism often masquerades as procrastination. Pause and check somatic cues: Does this feel like fear or shame contraction (ugh, avoidance), or genuine preparation for flow? Practice compassionate curiosity. Name the pattern, take a mini-break if needed, then return. Over time, this rebuilds mind-body trust disrupted by years of dissociation in training.Practice Self-Compassion to Counter Shame and Boost Performance: When perfectionism triggers shame, use Kristen Neff's framework: mindfulness (acknowledge "this is hard"), kindness (hand on heart, soothing words), and common humanity ("high achievers everywhere feel this"). Counter shame spirals somatically. Shift to an "authentic pride" posture to reactivate your prefrontal cortex. Research shows self-compassion enhances productivity and mental health more than harsh self-criticism ever did.Cultivate Spaces of Vulnerability and Spiritual Connectedness: Seek or create communities like the ACE group where masking isn't required. Show up raw to experience deeper belonging over fitting in. Tune into the "spiritual channel" (shared humanity, soul-level connection) via nature, eye contact in patient care, or Ram Dass-inspired reflection: At life's end, what truly matters? Let this guide boundaries, release people-pleasing, and prioritize peace over hustle because authentic presence trumps perfection. Episode Mentioned in the Show: Episode 1 - Reclaiming Your Narrative Laura and Jillian discuss the impact of the patriarchy in the medical community and how women physicians can take back power, reclaiming authenticity. About the Show: Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves. About the Guest: Dr. Jillian Rigert (DMD, MD, ACC, TIPC) is a physician, dentist, Air Force veteran, Martha Beck Wayfinder master coach, and trauma-informed professional leadership coach. She partners with high-achievers during life and career transitions, burnout recovery, and identity reclamation. Currently training as a marriage and family therapist with a trauma focus, she brings a holistic, whole-person approach. Her wingman is her dog, Reese Griffin. Website: jillianrigertcoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-rigert Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillian.rigert YouTube: A Life True to You About the Host: Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine. Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul. When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together. 🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/ 📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD Register for the Clinician Leadership Compass course to combat overwhelm and burnout.: www.thepurposefulmd.com/courses The Designing Healthcare That Cares Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding personal or organizational decisions.
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    40 mins
  • From Overloaded to Empowered: Reclaiming Time, Balance, and Joy in Medicine with Dr. Natasha Beauvais | Ep57

    From Overloaded to Empowered: Reclaiming Time, Balance, and Joy in Medicine with Dr. Natasha Beauvais | Ep57
    Mar 9 2026

    Imagine reclaiming your time as a physician: finishing charts by dinner, building meaningful patient relationships, and running a sustainable practice without burnout?

    In this insightful episode, Dr. Laura Suttin interviews Dr. Natasha Beauvais, as she shares her unexpected journey from traditional medicine to concierge care after taking over her mentor's practice over a decade ago.

    They explore:

    • The evolution and growth of concierge medicine as a proven model
    • Overcoming burnout by offloading tasks, systematizing workflows, and valuing physician time
    • Empowering teams through delegation, structure like EOS, and mindset shifts
    • The impact on patient care when healthier providers lead to better outcomes

    Drawing from her experiences running a nine-provider practice and coaching through the Concierge Medicine Academy, Dr. Beauvais offers practical guidance for physicians seeking agency, business acumen, and radical health in healthcare amid administrative burdens and high demands.

    If you're a physician considering concierge medicine, entrepreneurship, or simply better balance, this episode provides tools to redesign your practice for sustainability and fulfillment.

    Three Actionable Takeaways:

    • Delegate effectively: Offload non-physician tasks like refills to trained nurses after collaborative protocols, saving weeks of time annually while engaging your team at their highest level.
    • Value your time holistically: Recognize the health and monetary worth of your hours; implement systems like rotating calls to ensure downtime for rejuvenation, leading to refreshed, more effective patient care.
    • Adopt business structures: Use frameworks like EOS to clarify accountability, redistribute workloads, and build empowered teams, preventing administrative overload and fostering growth.

    About the Show:

    Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves.

    About the Guest:

    Dr. Natasha Beauvais is a board-certified family physician specializing in preventive care for cancer, heart disease, and immobility. She owns and leads Northern Virginia Family Practice, a nine-provider concierge practice in Arlington, VA, and founded the Concierge Medicine Academy to coach physicians in building sustainable, independent concierge models focused on radical health for teams and patients.

    Website: https://nvafamilypractice.com

    Website: https://conciergemedicineacademy.com

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-lewry-beauvais-0532192a

    About the Host:

    Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine.

    Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul.

    When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together.

    🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/
    📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD

    Join the waitlist for the Clinician Leadership Compass course to combat overwhelm and burnout.: www.thepurposefulmd.com/courses

    The Designing Healthcare That Cares Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding personal or organizational decisions.
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    32 mins
  • Mistakes I Made as a New Physician Leader: Lessons to Avoid Burnout and Build Capacity | Ep56

    Mistakes I Made as a New Physician Leader: Lessons to Avoid Burnout and Build Capacity | Ep56
    Feb 23 2026

    What if your drive to "do it all" as a clinician leader is fueling chaos, not results?

    In this vulnerable solo episode of Designing Healthcare That Cares, Dr. Laura Suttin gets transparent about her stumbles transitioning from private practice to health system leadership: inflating her irreplaceability, mirroring toxic after-hours work culture, avoiding peer-to-report conversations, and blasting misaligned emails that sparked backlash. Highlighting the gap between clinical excellence and leadership training. She shares mindset shifts like embracing "you're replaceable" for delegation, themes of unclear roles, emotional pressure, and team bottlenecks.

    Perfect for underprepared clinician leaders feeling reactive or resentful, this episode offers reflective questions to spot over-functioning, plus a promo for her upcoming Clinician Leadership Compass course (10 CME hours). Learn to prioritize, engage early, and lead without burnout, because untrained leaders cost organizations dearly.

    Join the Clinician Leadership Compass Waitlist: thepurposefulmd.com/courses

    This is a self-paced online course with tools for delegation, tough talks, and accountability

    Three Actionable Takeaways:

    • Embrace Replaceability for True Capacity: Overextending signals "indispensable" but breeds bottlenecks. Dr. Laura's coach gut-punch: "You're replaceable" freed her to delegate. Reflect: Audit your plate; delegate one task this week to a team member, building their skills while reclaiming focus and preventing burnout.
    • Model the Culture You Want, Not the One You Inherited: Late-night emails "cast a shadow," normalizing exhaustion. Use delay-send or offline mode to protect boundaries. Scan your habits; if undesired behaviors echo in your team (e.g., weekend replies), initiate a no-after-hours norm via a team huddle, owning your role in the tone.
    • Engage Stakeholders Early to Avoid Backlash: Solo-planning big changes ignores expertise, amplifying friction. Dr. Laura's email fiasco taught: Bring in dissenters sooner. For your next initiative, list 3-5 key players (even intimidating ones); schedule input sessions upfront to co-create and reduce resistance.

    About the Show

    Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves.

    About the Host:

    Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine.

    Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul.

    When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together.

    🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/
    📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD

    The Designing Healthcare That Cares Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding personal or organizational decisions.
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    19 mins
  • Reclaim Your Day: Charting Hacks to Beat Burnout and Boost Balance with Dr. Sarah Smith | Ep55

    Reclaim Your Day: Charting Hacks to Beat Burnout and Boost Balance with Dr. Sarah Smith | Ep55
    Feb 9 2026

    Imagine completing all your charting and tasks during work hours, leaving no homework behind and gaining more time for family and self-care?

    In this practical episode, Dr. Laura Suttin interviews Dr. Sarah Smith, as she recounts her transformation from endless after-hours work to a sustainable clinical routine while practicing in Australia and Canada.

    They explore:

    • Charting as an optimizable skill through noticing habits and curiosity
    • Building team support to work at the top of your license and eliminate low-value tasks
    • Efficient inbox management and patient request navigation within time constraints
    • The potential and pitfalls of AI tools in documentation

    Drawing from real-life coaching experiences and clinical insights, Dr. Smith shares actionable methods for clinicians to redesign their days, minimize interruptions, and create systems that prioritize wellbeing and quality patient care amid rising demands.

    If you're a clinician overwhelmed by charting and burnout, this episode offers relatable strategies to regain control, foster team collaboration, and build a fulfilling practice.

    Three Actionable Takeaways:

    • Practice noticing without judgment: Observe why you're staying late or falling behind. e.g., "I noticed only one chart got done today"—to identify small changes like prioritizing tasks in the moment, reducing evening work.
    • Redistribute team tasks: Discuss daily workflows with staff to offload non-clinician duties (appointment rescheduling or ultrasound bookings), freeing up time for high-level work without adding to anyone's burden.
    • Streamline inbox and requests: Use fewer words, batch process messages, and defer non-urgents safely—e.g., "Your blood work is stable; repeat in three months"—to clear items quickly while ensuring patient safety and efficiency.

    About the Show:

    Designing Healthcare That Cares is where leadership meets humanity. Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin, the show explores what happens when compassion, connection, and courage come together to transform how we care—for our patients, our teams, and ourselves.

    About the Guest:

    Dr. Sarah Smith is a rural family physician in Alberta, Canada, specializing in emergency and hospitalist care. As a charting coach, she helps clinicians restructure their days to finish tasks within work hours, reducing burnout and promoting balance. With experience in Australia and Canada, she empowers professionals through coaching and her podcast, Sustainable Clinical Medicine.

    Website: https://www.chartingcoach.ca

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-smith-999101200/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechartingcoach/?hl=en

    About the Host:

    Dr. Laura Suttin is a physician, leadership coach, and lifelong advocate for designing systems that truly care. After years of navigating the complexities of healthcare, she realized that compassion and connection aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the foundation of great medicine.

    Today, Laura brings that vision to life through her work as a consultant, speaker, and host of Designing Healthcare That Cares. She helps healthcare leaders and clinicians rediscover their purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with both strategy and soul.

    When she’s not interviewing changemakers or guiding organizations, you can find her sharing stories that remind us all why we got into medicine in the first place—to make a difference, together.

    🌐 Website: drlaurasuttin.com
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-suttin-md/
    📸 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulMD

    The Designing Healthcare That Cares Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding personal or organizational decisions.
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    34 mins