Dr. Mary Mason takes us on her remarkable journey from practicing physician to Chief Medical Officer of Centene Corporation in this illuminating conversation about the intersection of medicine and business leadership.

What happens when a physician's analytical mindset meets the corporate boardroom? Dr. Mason discovered her interest in healthcare administration during medical school, choosing to pursue an MBA while maintaining her clinical practice. This dual approach defined her career trajectory as she moved from managing complex cases for 86,000 patients to overseeing Centene's explosive growth from 800,000 to 24 million patients.

Throughout our discussion, Dr. Mason articulates the fundamental differences between medical and business decision-making cultures. Where medicine has clear hierarchies and protocols, business environments often feature ambiguous authority structures and group decision processes that can bewilder clinicians. Yet physicians bring invaluable perspectives to corporate settings - a calm, solution-focused approach captured in her memorable phrase: "Look, nobody died, okay? We can fix this."

The conversation pivots to healthcare's pressing challenges, including the corporate employment of physicians (now 75%), creating scenarios where business executives without clinical backgrounds make decisions affecting patient care. Additional concerns include hospital financial struggles, the technological complexity of modern healthcare, and the worrying trend of physician burnout leading to early retirement.

Dr. Mason's insights crystallize in her book "Think Like a Doctor, Lead Like a CEO," which encourages physicians to recognize their transferable leadership skills while helping business executives understand the value of clinical thinking in corporate environments. Her journey demonstrates how medical training provides an exceptional foundation for leadership roles where clear thinking and decisive action matter most.

Want to discover how clinical thinking can transform business leadership? Dr. Mason's book "Think Like a Doctor, Lead Like a CEO" is available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble's website.

Peek behind the surgical drape in this eye-opening conversation with Jared Barton, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with an extraordinary career. Did you know that 80% of all anesthetics are administered not by doctors, but by nurse anesthetists? Barton reveals this surprising statistic while taking us through the intense world of operating room anesthesia, where life-and-death decisions happen behind a paper screen that separates the anesthesia provider from the surgical team.

Barton shares his remarkable journey through the "militant" training program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where a single mistake meant immediate expulsion, and his subsequent work in high-stakes environments including level one trauma centers. With striking candor, he discusses the reality of watching patients' vital signs "second by second by second," and the intuition that develops after years of practice – that sixth sense when something doesn't look quite right.

Perhaps most impressive is Barton's perfect track record: he's never lost a patient throughout his entire career. While he modestly attributes this to luck rather than skill, his descriptions of managing critical situations – pushing blood products with both hands during massive hemorrhages, anticipating problems before they become critical – speak to the expertise that comes only with thousands of hours of vigilant practice.

The conversation also explores the evolving landscape of healthcare delivery, with ambulatory surgery centers creating even more demand for CRNAs, making this a highly secure career path that's unlikely to be replaced by automation or artificial intelligence. For anyone curious about what really happens when you're under anesthesia, or considering a career in healthcare, this conversation offers rare and valuable insights from someone who has spent decades keeping patients alive during their most vulnerable moments.

From the swimming pool to the operating room, Dr. Ryan Reidy's journey exemplifies how elite athletic discipline transforms into surgical excellence. As a former Division I swimmer at Eastern Illinois University who now serves as a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Luke's Hospital, Dr. Reidy reveals why surgical program directors actively seek athletes for their residency programs.

The parallels between competitive athletics and surgical mastery become evident as Dr. Reidy describes his training at the renowned Texas Heart Institute within the massive Texas Medical Center complex. This medical metropolis, housing approximately 40 hospitals including world-class institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center, provided unparalleled surgical volume and experience. "Reps really matter," Dr. Reidy emphasizes, explaining why busy surgeons typically deliver superior outcomes through both experience and validated trust from referring physicians.

Dr. Reidy offers fascinating insights into modern cardiothoracic surgical approaches, particularly his preference for minimally invasive thoracic techniques that speed recovery without compromising cancer outcomes. He shares his philosophy on esophageal cancer surgery, balancing technical considerations with patient safety through meticulous visualization. Beyond the operating room, he discusses how mountain biking and disconnecting from constant communication help maintain the mental clarity needed for surgical precision. Whether you're curious about surgical careers, interested in medical technology advancements, or simply appreciate stories of human excellence, this conversation delivers compelling perspectives from the cutting edge of cardiothoracic surgery.