The ASHHRA Podcast
The ASHHRA Podcast is where healthcare HR leaders come to connect, learn, and lead.
Hosted by Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan of The Bo & Luke Show, each weekly episode dives into the real challenges and innovations shaping today’s healthcare workforce. From leadership development and employee engagement to workforce strategy, policy updates, and the latest HR data, this podcast brings practical insights straight from the experts who are redefining what it means to work in healthcare.
Through authentic conversations with CHROs, executives, and industry change-makers, The ASHHRA Podcast helps listeners bridge the gap between strategy and people, turning big ideas into action. Whether you’re leading a hospital HR team, managing talent acquisition, or simply passionate about the future of healthcare work, this show gives you the tools, stories, and inspiration to drive meaningful impact.
Listen weekly for fresh perspectives, timely news drops, and powerful stories from the frontlines of healthcare HR.
The ASHHRA Podcast
#203 - The New Healthcare Labor Wave
Healthcare HR leaders are heading into one of the most consequential weeks of the year. In this episode of the ASHHRA Monday News Drop, Luke Carignan, Bo Brabo, and ASHHRA President & CEO Jeremy Sadlier unpack three fast-moving developments that demand immediate attention from HR, finance, and executive teams.
Segment 1: A Tale of Two Coasts
While New York nurses return to work after securing historic staffing protections, the West Coast is waking up to a massive escalation. More than 31,000 healthcare workers across California and Hawaii, including nurses, pharmacists, and imaging professionals, have launched an open-ended strike over staffing ratios and wages tied to inflation.
HR reality check: The contagion effect is real. Enforceable staffing guarantees are now the most powerful organizing and recruiting tool in healthcare. Union or not, organizations that fail to visibly address staffing risk becoming the next target.
Segment 2: The Telehealth Hail Mary
With just days remaining before the January 30 deadline, the House has passed a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities. The Senate still must act. A lapse, even for 48 hours, could trigger denied claims and major revenue disruption.
Actionable guidance: Do not dismantle telehealth infrastructure. Instruct revenue cycle teams to hold telehealth claims from February 1–3 until Senate confirmation is secured. This single step could prevent a costly billing crisis.
Segment 3: The “Great Healthcare Plan” and PBM Reform
The White House has released a new healthcare framework emphasizing aggressive PBM reform and price transparency, while notably stepping away from enhanced ACA subsidies. Premium pressure for employees is likely to persist.
HR opportunity: PBM reform is not just a finance issue. Use this moment to demand transparency from your benefits partners, audit rebate structures, and identify savings that can help offset rising employee costs.
This Week’s Focus:
• Monitor West Coast labor activity and prepare for patient surges
• Protect telehealth revenue during legislative uncertainty
• Reassess staffing strategy, benefits cost exposure, and PBM risk
Healthcare HR is no longer adjacent to strategy. It is central to it.
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