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Business News · Jarrard Inc.

The Backstory

by Jarrard Inc.

The Backstory, formerly the High Stakes Podcast, is a new, limited series from Jarrard Inc. President and Co-Founder Anne Hancock Toomey. For nearly two decades, Jarrard – one of the nation’s top communications consulting firms for healthcare – has partnered with thousands of leaders across the country who are striving to make healthcare better every day. But this isn’t a podcast about healthcare, or politics or even communications. It’s about authentic leadership. The Backstory is about demystifying respected leaders who’ve had a lot of success along the way because of the kind of leaders they’ve chosen to be. Each person Anne interviews is visionary, of course. They’re smart as hell, and they’re fierce about their business and their mission. They’re also humble, kind and create the kind of environments in which people can thrive. They’re not perfect. But they are real. And it’s the combination of those two things that makes each one of them great. In every episode, Anne’s guest digs into who they are, where they come from and what’s influenced them to be the person and the leader that they are today.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

BONUS 211. From Plowing Snow to Leading Healthcare Transformation, with Warner Thomas

It's a bonus! In this special edition episode , Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. They start with a note about the first

Sep 23
39 min

210. From Local Newspaper Delivery to National Philanthropy Leader, with Cynthia Brandt, PhD

In the final episode of Season 2, Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Cynthia Brandt, PhD. Brandt is CEO of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and a deeply re

Jun 24
39 min

209. From Pumping Gas to CEO of Leading Children’s Hospitals, with Dr. Patrick Frias

Dr. Patrick Frias is a truly unique leader with a truly unique story. Today, he is wrapping up his tenure as Co-President and Chief Executive Officer of Rady Children’s H

May 6
35 min

208. From Serving Frozen Yogurt to National Health System CEO, with Marty Bonick

Marty Bonick is about as well-known a name as you’ll find when it comes to the National – and Nashville – healthcare scene. Bonick is President and CEO of Ardent Health,

Mar 25
39 min

207. From Clinical Dietician to CEO of Allina Health, with Lisa Shannon

In Season 2, Episode 7, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Lisa Shannon, CEO of Allina Health, to discuss her impressive trajectory from a rural community in Ohio to lead

Jan 7
43 min

206. From Dairy Farmer to Intermountain Health CEO, with Rob Allen

Rob Allen is CEO of Intermountain Health, one of the nation's largest and most innovative health systems. In this episode, host Anne Hancock Toomey talks with allen Allen

Dec 17 2025
40 min

205. From Bike Mechanic to Oura CEO, with Tom Hale

Tom Hale is the CEO of health tech company Oura. Producing one of the most prominent wearables out there (The Oura Ring), Oura is working to improve health and wellness t

Nov 26 2025
40 min

204. From NFL Center to Tech CEO, with Chris Spencer

Chris Spencer is a tech entrepreneur and founder of TeamQ, who today is using his decade playing in the NFL as a foundation for helping athletes across the country maximi

Nov 12 2025
43 min

203. From Seafood Clerk to CEO of Top Veterinary Network, with Chris Bishop

This week, Anne interviews Chris Bishop about his multifaceted career in healthcare and his transition to leading in the animal health sector as CEO of Veterinary Innovat

Oct 29 2025
39 min

202. From Camp Counselor to Elite Athlete, Author and Entrepreneur, with Jennifer Pharr Davis

From sleepaway camp to the Appalachian Trail, Jennifer Pharr Davis’s story is one of curiosity, courage and...camp. Her early desire to "keep up" rapidly transformed into

Oct 15 2025
45 min

201. From Burnt-Out Young Lawyer to Healthcare Media Mogul, with Scott Becker

In the first episode of Season Two, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Scott Becker. Becker’s name is synonymous with healthcare media and can’t miss industry conference

Oct 1 2025
40 min

Welcome to Season 2 of The Backstory

 Ever wonder what makes great leaders tick? Well then welcome to season two of the Backstory, where each conversation is a case study in authentic leadership. Throughout

Sep 24 2025
1 min

18. From Hardware Store to Healthcare Entrepreneur, with Kenny Hancock

In the capstone episode of Season One, Anne Hancock Toomey interviews healthcare entrepreneur and...her dad! Kenny Hancock is CEO of Lync Health Partners. Hancock shares

Apr 16 2025
40 min

17. From Basketball Coach to Physician Executive, with Dr. David Miller

In this episode of The Backstory, host Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Dr. David Miller, President of University of Michigan Health and incoming Executive Vice President f

Mar 19 2025
37 min

16. From Post-War Microlending to Healthcare Private Equity, with Ram Jagannath

In this episode of The Backstory, host Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with the Global Head of Healthcare for Blackstone, Ram Jagannath, to trace the path that led him from

Feb 26 2025
42 min

15. From Passing out in Biology Class to Health System CEO, with Ric Ransom

In this episode of The Backstory, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Ric Ransom, CEO of University of Missouri Health Care, for a conversation that covers everything from

Feb 5 2025
40 min

14. From Kiwifruit Farming to Academic Medicine CEO, with Wendy Horton

In this episode, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Wendy Horton, CEO of UVA Health University Medical Center, to delve into her impressive career in academic medicine. H

Jan 22 2025
38 min

Bonus: 13 Leaders, One Big Question

We're doing something a little different this week on The Backstory. We're two-thirds of the way through this series and has talked to 13 incredible leaders. So, we wante

Jan 8 2025
17 min

13. From Peace Corps to Healthcare Industry Change Agent, with Ken Graboys

From rural Rhode Island to founding and leading one of the country’s top consultancies and one of healthcare’s most respected organizations, Ken Graboys’ story is anythin

Dec 18 2024
42 min

12. From Life Flight Nurse to the Healthcare C-Suite, with Tim Johnsen

Anne Hancock Toomey dives deep into the inspiring journey of Tim Johnsen, a seasoned healthcare leader and current SVP & COO of Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Tim’s st

Dec 4 2024
40 min

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