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 Officers and Physician Executives
Recent Episodes
79
Aug. 18, 2026
How Do You Manage The "Difficult" Physician?
In this insightful episode, host Dr. Lee Scheinbart interviews Dr. Anne Hirsch, certified physician coach and expert in physician professionalism and behavioral concerns. Drawing on decades of clinical practice and extensive experience with physician peer review, Dr. Hirsch challenges leaders to look beyond the label of the “difficult physician” and understand what may actually be driving problematic behaviors. Lee and Anne explore how stress, burnout, communication styles, and a lack of self-a
78
Aug. 4, 2026
How Do Great Leaders Make High-Stakes Decisions?
In this compelling episode, host Lee Scheinbart interviews Colonel Michael Kloepper, Director of Leader Development and Character at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Drawing on decades of experience leading soldiers in combat and developing future military leaders, Colonel Kloepper shares timeless leadership principles that translate remarkably well to healthcare and physician leadership. Lee and Mike explore how effective leaders make high-stakes decisions under uncertainty, the role o
77
July 21, 2026
What's The Difference Between a Physician Leader and a Physician Executive?
In this thought-provoking episode, host Lee Scheinbart welcomes Dr. James "Jim" Lindberg, Chief Medical Officer, physician executive, board-certified coach, and an incredible essayist on physician leadership. Drawing from decades of experience across clinical practice, academic medicine, and executive leadership, Jim challenges physicians to rethink many of the assumptions they hold about leadership, organizations, and professional influence. Lee and Jim explore why so much physician frustratio
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
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