The Fire Chief
The Fire Chief is the podcast for Chief Medical Officers and physician executives navigating leadership in today’s complex healthcare environment. Hosted by Dr. Lee Scheinbart, an authentic physician executive and leader, each episode delivers practical insights on strategy, governance, physician engagement, organizational performance, and career development—through real conversations with experienced leaders and experts.
Leadership, Strategy, and Career Development for Chief Medical Off…
Recent Episodes
76
July 7, 2026
How Do You Build Relationships?
In this in-depth episode, host Lee Scheinbart welcomes retired U.S. Navy submarine commander Robert "Navy Bob" Roncska for a conversation that bridges military command and physician leadership. Drawing on decades of experience leading nuclear submarine crews, Bob shares practical lessons on building trust, developing people, and creating high-performing teams through genuine relationships rather than authority alone. Lee and Bob explore the principles of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and discuss
75
June 23, 2026
How To Contain The Heat
In this thoughtful episode, host Lee Scheinbart interviews Dr. Vidhya Prakash, physician executive and author of The Leadership Learning Curve: A Woman Physician's Journey as a Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Prakash shares candid reflections on her evolution from an infectious disease physician to Chief Medical Officer and the leadership lessons learned along the way. Lee and Vidhya explore the transition from clinical expert to enterprise leader, the importance of adaptive leadership, and why effec
74
June 9, 2026
The One Stop Shop for Chief Medical Officers
In this critical episode, host Lee Scheinbart interviews Dr. Nicholas "Nick" Testa, Chief Clinical Officer at Sentact and former Chief Medical Officer for California at CommonSpirit Health. Nick shares his journey from emergency physician to healthcare executive and discusses his passion for improving healthcare by helping CMOs do their job with the proper tools and support. Lee and Nick explore the foundations of healthcare improvement through safety, quality, and ultimately the patient experi
73
May 26, 2026
Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
In this transformational episode, host Lee Scheinbart interviews Dr. Chad Perlyn, Dean and Chief Medical Officer at Nova Southeastern University. Lee and Chad explore how physicians can transition from clinical roles to leadership positions within healthcare systems. Dr. Perlyn tells the tale of his "hard right turn" toward leadership and also shares his journey from pediatric plastic surgery to becoming a healthcare leader, highlighting key experiences and mindset shifts essential for success.
72
May 12, 2026
Building Sustainable Physician Careers Starts At Your Front Door
In this powerful episode of The Fire Chief Podcast, host Lee Scheinbart engages in an insightful conversation with Carey Goryl, CEO of AAPPR, a seasoned leader in the world of physician recruitment. As head of the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recuitment (AAPPR), Carey provides leadership to the only organization committed to redefining recruitment and retention through its membership of physician and provider recruitment leaders and others who influence recruitment, onboardin
71
April 28, 2026
What Leadership Is Really About.
In this heartfelt, face-to-face interview for The Fire Chief Podcast, host Lee Scheinbart engages in a profound conversation with Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling US Army (ret), author of the recently published book, If I Don't Return: A Father's Wartime Journal. Together they explore their shared passion, research, and results in leadership development and the impact of context in leadership teaching. The conversation covers key concepts like trust, self-awareness, and adapting leadership to changing env
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