The ASHHRA Podcast
The ASHHRA Podcast is the definitive audio briefing for healthcare HR leaders navigating what’s next.
Hosted by Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan, this weekly podcast explores the forces reshaping the healthcare workforce, from talent shortages and leadership burnout to data-driven HR strategy, labor relations, and policy shifts that impact care delivery.
Each episode features candid conversations with CHROs, senior executives, and industry change-makers who are solving real problems inside hospitals and health systems right now. No theory, no fluff, just practical insight from leaders in the arena.
Listeners gain clarity on complex workforce challenges, early signals on emerging trends, and grounded perspectives that help bridge strategy and people operations. Whether you lead HR for a health system, support workforce strategy, or influence organizational culture, this podcast equips you to make better decisions with confidence.
New episodes drop weekly, with timely news updates, deep-dive conversations, and forward-looking insights designed for healthcare HR leaders preparing for 2026 and beyond.
The ASHHRA Podcast
#231 - Medicaid Work Requirements 2026: 80 Hours a Month, Effective July 31 — What HR Leaders Must Do Now
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Greenwood LaFleur Is Still Fighting, Medicaid Work Requirements Land July 31 & the Layoff Tracker Is Telling You Where the Work Is
June 15th, 2026. Bo and Luke open with a Mississippi hospital that was supposed to close today — and is still open. Then a Medicaid rule taking effect without a real comment window. Then a layoff tracker that, read correctly, is actually a roadmap for HR.
🏥 Greenwood LaFleur: Still Open, Still Fighting
The 25-bed public hospital in Greenwood, Mississippi extended its WARN Act closure date from June 15th to July 31st as negotiations with UMMC continue. UMMC submitted a formal acquisition proposal last week. LaFleur County has a 13% uninsured rate and very few alternatives. The City Council president is cautiously optimistic. Whether this hospital is open August 1st depends entirely on whether this deal gets done.
HR Action: Review your WARN Act procedures, severance frameworks, and workforce communication templates this week. Not because you expect to need them — because preparation is what makes great HR leadership possible in any environment.
📋 Medicaid Work Requirements: 80 Hours, Effective July 31
CMS published its interim final rule on Medicaid work requirements June 1st — effective July 31st, the same day public comments are due. No meaningful comment window. Starting January 1, 2027, states must require Medicaid enrollees to document 80 hours per month of work, education, or community service to maintain eligibility. Nebraska is live now. Fifty different state implementation processes are coming.
HR Action: Model what a 5% and 10% increase in self-pay volume does to your workforce budget in 2027 by service line. Get that in front of your CFO before June ends.
📉 The Layoff Tracker Is a Workforce Transformation Map
Central Health, Optim, PacificSource, and UnityPoint Health all added to the tracker this week — but the pattern has shifted. IT, revenue cycle, and back-office functions are now absorbing a larger share of cuts through outsourcing and automation. This is not just reduction. It is redesign.
HR Action: Find out this week whether your organization has active outsourcing or automation initiatives in motion. If yes, make sure HR is embedded in the planning from the start — not notified when WARN notices need to go out. Change management, reskilling, and culture continuity are yours to lead.
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This episode is brought to you by AP3 — the ASHHRA Preferred Partner Program.
Healthcare HR leaders are navigating rising costs, workforce shortages, and an overwhelming vendor landscape. AP3 cuts through the noise.
Managed in collaboration with Lockton and backed by ASHHRA, AP3 is a governed ecosystem of vetted, healthcare-aligned solution providers across talent acquisition, benefits administration, workforce compliance, financial wellness, and employee engagement. Every partner is rigorously vetted. Every relationship is governed. Every solution is built for healthcare.
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Visit AP3.info to learn more and get connected with a partner.