Back by popular demand, Bruce Mattos—Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Phoebe Putney Health System—returns to the show for a candid, high-energy conversation on one of the most frustrating issues in recruitment: candidate ghosting. But Bruce doesn’t just identify the problem—he offers practical, heartfelt strategies to elevate the entire candidate experience and drive long-term talent retention.

Whether you’re leading a TA team, managing hiring at a hospital, or just looking for ways to be more human in your hiring approach, this episode is a must-listen.

What You'll Learn:

🔹 Why Candidate Experience Is a Non-Negotiable
Bruce explains how the first impression sets the tone for retention—and how even executives will walk away from a new job if onboarding is sloppy. From interview prep to Day 1 welcome rituals, Bruce outlines how small touches make a massive difference.

🔹 Creative, Low-Cost Ways to Wow Candidates
Think favorite candy on the table, personalized music in the interview room, or a Starbucks meet-and-greet. Bruce and co-hosts Bo and Luke dive into the power of meaningful moments—and how simple, intentional hospitality can win top talent.

🔹 How to Prevent Ghosting—on Both Sides
Ghosting is rampant, but Bruce believes it’s a symptom of something deeper: a lack of value exchange. He shares how recruiters and hiring managers can maintain engagement with timely follow-ups, honest expectations, and genuine connection.

🔹 The Triangle of Trust
Bruce drops a framework that every recruiter should memorize: the triangle between candidate, recruiter, and hiring manager—with “relationship” at the center. Lose that, and ghosting becomes inevitable. Protect it, and magic happens.

🔹 Military & Sports Lessons Applied to Hiring
From college football recruitment to onboarding lessons from his time in the military, Bruce shares personal stories that reinforce a powerful truth: people remember how you made them feel. Not what you said—how you treated them.

Why You’ll Love This Episode:
Bruce’s combination of humor, heart, and hard truths will have you rethinking your recruitment approach before the episode ends. He’s a straight shooter with a servant’s heart—and he’s here to help healthcare HR pros not just fill roles, but build relationships that last.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with your fellow healthcare HR leaders.

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In this inspiring episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan welcome Michael Sloan, CHRO at CommonSpirit Health and author of Unlocking Talent: The Hidden Strengths That Build Extraordinary Teams and Cultures. With oversight of 11 hospitals, 16 clinics, and 8,000 employees, Michael brings a bold and fresh perspective to healthcare HR leadership.

From his beginnings as a prosecutor and labor attorney to leading human resources in one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country, Michael shares his unconventional journey—and how it shaped his people-first philosophy.

What You’ll Learn:

• The “IT Factor” in Talent
  Discover why subject-matter expertise isn’t enough—and how intangibles like curiosity, resilience, and humility are what truly build high-performing teams.
• Lessons from the Courtroom
  Michael explains how his litigation background taught him to read people, build trust, and resolve conflict—essential skills for today’s HR leaders.
• Redefining Leadership Accountability
  Why great leaders don’t “meet halfway”—they take 100% responsibility for the relationships they build and the teams they develop.
• How to Spot Hidden Talent
  Learn how to go beyond resumes and credentials to identify and cultivate talent in overlooked employees.
• Building Culture Through Action
  Michael unpacks the relationship between culture and strategy, explaining how leaders must create space for growth, mistakes, and meaningful contributions.
• Insights from the Book
  Unlocking Talent isn’t just another leadership book—it’s a call to recognize and elevate the unseen strengths within your organization.

Favorite Quotes:

🗣️ “People may not come to the table with everything fully developed, but it’s your job as a leader to help bring it out.”

🗣️ “If you want the best team, look beyond credentials—look for tenacity, curiosity, and people who make others better.”

🗣️ “In HR, it’s all about the human side. Relationships move the needle in healthcare.”

Perfect For:

• Healthcare HR leaders
• Hospital executives
• Talent acquisition professionals
• Leadership coaches
• Anyone striving to build extraordinary teams

🎧 Tune in now and start seeing the hidden strengths in your own team. Michael’s wisdom will challenge how you hire, lead, and think about people—whether you're in healthcare or not.

🔗 Don’t forget to check out Unlocking Talent on Amazon or wherever you buy books.

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Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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In this powerful and candid conversation, hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Billy Parsons, Chief Human Resources Officer at EyeCare Partners and a U.S. Navy veteran, to explore the real work of leading people—and the defining career moments that shape HR excellence.

From Submarines to C-Suite: Billy’s Unconventional Journey
Billy’s career path defies convention. From life in the Navy's tight quarters to HR leadership roles across healthcare, tech, and retail, he’s earned his stripes the hard way. In this episode, he opens up about the lessons he learned as an HR department of one, the power of mentorship, and why starting from the ground up gave him a PhD in leadership—without ever stepping foot in a classroom.

💡 Leadership Gold You’ll Hear:

• “Professional maturity” and why the ability to receive feedback without ego is critical to career growth.
• How to develop honest, feedback-rich cultures where both leaders and employees actually grow.
• A raw story about being “ripped to shreds” by a state inspector—and how it became Billy’s most pivotal career moment.
• Why empathy, courage, and transparency are non-negotiable in healthcare HR.
• The true value of building policy with flexibility and heart—especially when human lives are involved.

🔥 Favorite Quote:

“Sometimes really getting your rear kicked can do a lot for your career.” – Billy Parsons

Why This Episode Matters for You:
Whether you’re a one-person HR team, a tenured leader, or navigating the politics of a complex health system, Billy’s journey will hit home. His grounded, no-fluff advice reminds us that great HR isn’t about perfection—it’s about resilience, humility, and choosing growth every single time.

Thank you for listening!

Bo & Luke

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Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

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Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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🎙️ New Episode: Leading from Your Best Self with Kapri Ames

In this powerful episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo sit down with Kapri Ames, Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer at Indiana University Health, to explore what it truly means to lead with self-awareness, energy, and intention.

With over two decades in healthcare—and 17 years in leadership—Kapri brings more than experience to the table. She brings heart, humility, and a bold message: you can’t lead others well until you know how to lead yourself.

🔑 Episode Highlights:

💡 Know Your Magic
Kapri challenges leaders to discover their “magic”—the unique strengths that allow them to lead with passion and clarity. From Enneagram to DISC to StrengthsFinder, she shares how self-awareness creates more effective, empathetic, and aligned leadership.

💡 Modeling Work-Life Integration
Forget work-life balance. Kapri models integration—giving her team permission to take meetings outside in the sun, adjust their schedules, and care for themselves so they can care for others. Because if leaders aren’t well, their teams won’t be either.

💡 Build Strength-Aligned Teams
Kapri is unapologetic about not managing to weaknesses. Instead, she’s built a high-performing team based on complementary strengths, open collaboration, and radical psychological safety—where people don’t compete, they multiply one another’s impact.

💡 Culture That Wins Awards
This isn’t just theory. Kapri’s leadership has helped IU Health earn its third Magnet Designation with Distinction—an elite recognition for nursing excellence, collaboration, and patient outcomes.

💡 Live for Today. Lead for Tomorrow.
Kapri leads in the moment but plans with intention. She surrounds herself with visionaries who see the road ahead—while she ensures the team is delivering excellence today. As she says: “Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow. Sufficient is the day.”

🧭 Leadership Lessons You’ll Take Away:

• Why real leadership starts with self-care and personal wellness
• How to create psychological safety by owning your strengths (and weaknesses)
• What happens when leaders give permission to unplug, recharge, and re-engage
• How to build teams that want to stay—and love coming to work

📣 Kapri’s Call to Action:
“Reflect on your own journey. Be your best self. And then look around—who can you lift up the way someone once did for you?”

🎧 Listen now to unlock a blueprint for values-driven, people-first leadership that fuels culture, performance, and joy.

The ASHHRA Podcast Team

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Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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🎙️ New Episode: Building Talent Teams That Last with Anthony Scarpino
In this episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo sit down with Anthony Scarpino, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at National Health Care Associates, for a real-world look at the challenges—and opportunities—facing today’s healthcare recruiters.

🔄 From Dietitian to TA Executive: A Fresh Lens on Hiring

Anthony’s path started in clinical care and took him through leadership roles at Sodexo and Marriott. His diverse background shapes how he builds recruiting teams today—emphasizing adaptability, cross-industry learning, and the power of genuine relationship-building.

💡 “A great recruiter can recruit anywhere—as long as they’re willing to learn and connect.”

🧠 Recruiting Across the Healthcare Spectrum

In long-term care, hiring goes beyond clinical roles. Anthony and the hosts explore the challenge of sourcing for everything from CNAs to facilities managers to executives—and why mental flexibility is key in a complex, high-volume hiring environment.

🛠️ Rebuilding the TA Function from the Ground Up

When Anthony joined National, TA operations were largely manual and decentralized. He shares the ongoing journey of implementing an applicant tracking system, introducing consistency across 40+ facilities, and aligning systems with real-world workflows.

🧭 “We train toward the happy path—then guide people back to it when needed.”

💬 People Over Process: Keeping Recruiters Engaged

With change underway, how do you keep your team energized? Anthony walks through his approach:

• Restructuring the team to align closer to field operations
• Investing in team strengths and development
• Launching an incentive plan (even modest rewards matter)

💡 “What you do is valuable—and we’re going to share in the success of that outcome.”

✝️ Wisdom to Lead By

To close the episode, Anthony shares a quote that’s helped him through big transitions:
“Let go and let God.”
Sometimes leadership means trusting the process and moving forward with intention—even through uncertainty.

🎧 Tune in for:
✔️ Actionable insights on structuring TA teams
✔️ Lessons on adopting tech in legacy systems
✔️ Strategies for balancing flexibility with consistency
✔️ Real talk about recruiting burnout, pipelines, and persistence

Listen now on all major podcast platforms—and share with a fellow TA or HR leader who needs a fresh dose of inspiration.

With appreciation,
The ASHHRA Podcast Team

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Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

Support the show

🎙️ This week on The ASHHRA Podcast, co-hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo sit down with Johnathon Bye, AVP of New Talent Strategies at Duke University Health System, to explore the intersection of hospitality, technology, and the all-important human touch in healthcare HR.

From Hospitality to Healthcare: Experience Matters

Johnathon’s journey from retail and hospitality to healthcare HR taught him one thing: experience is everything. At Duke, he leads the charge in delivering a “blue carpet experience”—a nod to classic red-carpet service with a Duke Blue twist. Whether it's a candidate, new hire, or tenured leader, every journey should feel personal and valued.

💬 “You could have the best tech stack, but if you lose that human interaction, you lose everything too.”

Tech Supports, But Empathy Leads

Technology enhances efficiency, but empathy is irreplaceable. Johnathon’s team keeps people at the center of every decision, knowing each interaction shapes both patient care and workforce culture.

🔑 Pro Tip: Help your team connect staffing work to your organization’s mission: “If you can’t staff the beds, you can’t care for the patients.”

Innovation in TA: Shadowing Builds Connection

One of Duke’s most impactful practices? Each year at the TA Summit, recruiters shadow frontline staff—walking in their shoes to better understand the roles they hire for. It builds trust with hiring managers and sparks more authentic candidate conversations.

💡 Action Idea: Have your TA team shadow for a morning—it’s low-cost and delivers big returns in empathy, engagement, and recruiting success.

Retention Through Growth

Talent hoarding blocks growth. At Duke, leaders are encouraged to support internal mobility, driving a culture of shared success. As Johnathon says: “When your team earns promotions, it’s a win for the whole organization.”

🧠 Leadership Reflection: Are you rewarding managers for developing talent—or just minimizing turnover?

Celebrate & Share the Wins

Duke’s TA Summit isn’t just strategy and metrics—it’s about recognizing wins, sharing stories, and energizing the team.

📌 Quote to Remember:
“You might not remember every positive interaction. But you’ll always remember a negative one.” — Johnathon Bye

🎧 Listen to the full episode for practical ideas, leadership insight, and a blueprint for elevating candidate and employee experience.

With appreciation,
The ASHHRA Podcast Team

From our sponsors...

Unlock Pharmacy Plan Potential!

Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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🎙️ New Episode: The Battle Over 340B Drug Pricing – Part 3
If you care about healthcare advocacy, pharmacy savings, and the sustainability of your hospital, this episode of The ASHHRA Podcast is a must-listen.

In the studio:
Your co-host Bo Brabo is joined again by two returning experts—Sarah Hearn of RxBenefits and Rhiannon Klein, a frontline 340B advocate—for a compelling update on where things stand with the 340B drug pricing program.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
💊 340B Basics Made Clear – Rhiannon breaks down what 340B is, why it exists, and how it keeps hospitals and clinics serving vulnerable communities.
🤝 Why HR Should Care – Sarah shares how 340B can dramatically reduce employee drug costs and why HR and pharmacy teams must work together to protect these savings.
⚖️ Current Advocacy Trends – From litigation and state legislation to industry misinformation, learn what’s unfolding behind the scenes—and what’s at stake.
🧠 Fighting Misinformation – Hear how advocates are pushing back against pharma talking points and why HR professionals should be in the loop.
🏥 Strengthening Local Ties – Ideas for building hospital-business partnerships that reinvest 340B savings into employee health and community care.
🤖 AI in Pharmacy – A forward-looking take on how artificial intelligence could shape drug claim management and advocacy work in the future.

Trusted Resources Mentioned:
📌 340B Report – Industry updates & news
📌 Apexus 340B University – Free education tools
📌 NACHC – National Association of Community Health Centers

The Big Picture:
340B isn’t just about pharmacy operations—it’s mission-critical for workforce health, HR strategy, and the financial viability of hospitals. Whether you’re in HR, operations, or advocacy, understanding 340B is essential to leading in today’s healthcare environment.

🎧 Listen now to gain the insight and tools needed to protect this vital program—and support the communities who rely on it.

📍 Haven’t heard Parts 1 and 2?
Check out episodes 133 and 135 for a deeper dive into the legislative landscape and why 340B is under fire.

From our sponsors...

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Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

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Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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In this engaging conversation that happened live at ASHHRA25 in Albuquerque, Felicia Miller, EVP and Chief Talent Officer, dives deep into the success and challenges faced at Parkland Health. Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect:

• Successful Workforce Strategies: Felicia shares Parkland Health's impressive retention rates, low vacancy rates, and how they've successfully kept the workforce engaged and thriving.
• Service Excellence and Human Experience: Discover what "service excellence" means at Parkland Health, as Felicia emphasizes the importance of creating a positive experience for employees, providers, and patients alike.
• Technology Transformation: Learn about Parkland Health's transition from PeopleSoft to Workday, and how they're ensuring a seamless shift without compromising their effective processes.
• Career Development and AI: Felicia passionately discusses how Parkland Health focuses on career development and the exciting future of integrating AI to enhance—not replace—the human workforce.

Felicia's vision for the future of HR at Parkland is truly inspiring, as she aims to transition her department from "Flintstones to Jetsons!" Her leadership ensures that Parkland remains an employer of choice for those with a calling to serve.

Make sure to tune in for these incredible insights and more! And remember, ASHHRA26 is happening next May in Savannah, Georgia. Mark your calendars for another opportunity to connect and grow with us.

Listen to the full episode now and join us on this transformative journey with Felicia Miller!

Warm regards,

The ASHHRA Podcast Team

From our sponsors...

Unlock Pharmacy Plan Potential!

Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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