Medicine · Andrea Austin, MD

Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare

by Andrea Austin, MD

Welcome to "Heartline," a podcast dedicated to exploring the inspiring journeys and impactful work of healthcare changemakers leading the charge in transforming healthcare. Despite the United States spending more on healthcare than any other developed nation, key quality outcomes like life expectancy and maternal mortality lag behind. With over half of American physicians experiencing burnout, the challenges within the system are clear. Join us as we delve into the stories of patients, medical professionals, and other experts who defy the status quo. We’ll uncover the unique characteristics and experiences that propel them to be effective changemakers and the organizational factors that support change. Dr. Austin, host of the podcast, is an emergency physician with real-world experience with the dysfunction in the system. Along with working in the emergency department, she is a medical educator focusing on healthcare worker well-being and how innovative approaches like simulation can improve healthcare. In addition, she researches how we can accelerate changemakers in healthcare. Dr. Austin also uses coaching-informed thinking to unlock the potential of healthcare changemakers, and she will guide you through these narratives with insightful commentary and expert analyses. Through in-depth interviews and real-world examples, this podcast aims to inspire and equip the next generation to drive meaningful change in healthcare. Whether you're a physician, a medical student, or simply passionate about the future of healthcare, "Heartline" will offer valuable perspectives and actionable ideas to help you thrive in a challenging environment and contribute to improving our healthcare system. Seasons 1-4 focused on gender bias in the medical system and shared the uplifting stories of women and allies who stay true to their values, boundaries, and priorities, improving their career fulfillment and increasing their impact on healthcare. Season 5 will expand the guests beyond physicians and tackle issues beyond gender bias that impact healthcare. Tune in to the "Hearline" for a deep dive into healthcare transformation and be inspired by the changemakers making a real difference.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

From Burnout to PACE: Redefining Success Without Losing Yourself

What if achieving your highest level didn’t require sacrificing your health, values, or sense of self? Dr. Judy Wright shares how her experiences across clinical medici

Sep 15
33 min

Peak Performance in Medicine: Wearables, Recovery, Sleep & the Future of Healthcare

What if the same performance science used to support elite athletes, military teams, and other high-stakes professionals could help healthcare clinicians thrive? Dr. And

Sep 8
46 min

Call In, Don’t Call Out: The Human Side of Sustainable Change

What does it really take to create change that lasts? Dr. Andrea Austin welcomes Jennifer Brown for a powerful conversation about the human dimensions of change. Drawing

Sep 1
50 min

It’s Okay for People to Be Wrong About You: Authenticity as Changemaking

What happens when high-achieving women in medicine realize the greatest change starts inside? Dr. Andrea Austin welcomes Dr. Saidie Rodriguez for a wide-ranging conversa

Aug 25
48 min

Laugh Your Way Out of Burnout: Dr. Rashmi Schramm’s Radical Path to Physician Wellness

What happens when a dedicated family physician hits burnout after 22 years in practice? Dr. Rashmi Schramm opens up about her path from residency activism (securing a 15

Jul 14
37 min

What Healthcare Leaders Miss About Culture, Complexity, and Change | John D'Alesandro

What happens when we stop treating hospitals like factories and start recognizing them as complex systems filled with uncertainty, competing priorities, and deeply human

Jul 7
41 min

Medicine Got Harder: Here’s How to Own Your Career and Stay Above the Line | Dr. Rob Orman (Part 2)

In Part 2 of a two-part episode, Dr. Rob Orman joins Dr. Andrea Austin to discuss the profound changes in emergency medicine, the importance of intentional joy, and power

Jun 30
30 min

Creating Space Between Stimulus and Response: How Physicians Can Change Their Impact | Dr. Rob Orman

What happens when a lifelong emergency physician steps back from clinical practice and dedicates himself to helping other doctors navigate the impossible job of medicine?

Jun 23
37 min

The Missing Link in Healthcare: Connecting Patients, Clinicians, and AI with Dale Ellicott

Healthcare is filled with great ideas, promising technologies, and passionate clinicians, but why do so many innovation efforts fail? In this episode, Dale Ellicott join

Jun 16
45 min

Civil Discourse & Team Power: Transforming Healthcare from the Inside Out | Jessica Bunin

What does it take to drive meaningful change in healthcare when systems feel broken and institutional betrayal runs deep? Dr. Jessica Bunin, a retired Army Colonel with

Jun 9
54 min

The Burnout Trap: How Physicians Can Reclaim Time, Energy & Joy with Dr. Sarah Smith

What if the biggest threat to healthcare isn’t just burnout, but the belief that suffering is simply part of the job? In this deeply validating and practical conversatio

Jun 2
47 min

Tall Poppy Syndrome in Medicine: Why Healthcare Cuts Down Its Best Leaders

What happens when excellence makes others uncomfortable? In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Andrea Austin introduces the concept of Tall Poppy Syndrome, the tende

May 26
24 min

The Fragile Lifeline: Inside Healthcare’s Broken Supply Chain with Tony Paquin

What happens when the medications and supplies clinicians rely on simply aren’t there, or worse, aren’t what they claim to be? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Andrea Au

May 19
48 min

Leadership, Agency, and the Future of Emergency Medicine with Dr. Harry Severance

What happens when big business runs healthcare and clinicians are pushed out of decision-making? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Harry Severance shares decades of clin

May 12
34 min

Redesigning the Doctor's Oath: Leadership, Literacy, and Lasting Change

What if medicine's ancient rituals could evolve to heal the modern physician's soul, turning burnout into a blueprint for resilient leadership? In this episode, Dr. Andr

Feb 17
56 min

Partnering Well: Boundaries, Money, and Healthy Relationships for Women in Medicine

What does it actually mean to partner well, especially as a woman in medicine? In this Valentine’s Day episode of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Andrea Austi

Feb 14
9 min

Breaking Point: Divorce, Codependency, and Choosing Yourself as a Woman in Medicine

What happens when medical training, perfectionism, and codependency collide with marriage at a young age? In this solo episode, Dr. Andrea Austin reads from her book and

Feb 10
23 min

Revitalizing After Burnout: Trauma, Healing, and the Path to Integrity

How can healthcare professionals transform burnout and trauma into a revitalized life and practice? In this special episode of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr.

Feb 3
18 min

Revolutionizing Obesity Care: From Myths to Medical Breakthroughs

Why do so many healthcare providers still view obesity as a lifestyle choice rather than a complex chronic disease—and how can we change that? In this Echo Episode, Dr.

Jan 20
43 min

ER Exit to Empire: Building Wealth, Wellness, and Freedom Beyond Burnout

What happens when the adrenaline of emergency medicine meets the high personal cost of shift work and family demands? In this Echo Episode, Dr. Andrea Austin talks with

Jan 13
44 min