UnHack with Drex DeFord

• Newsday: Streamlining Patient Access and Healthcare Abroad with Will Akers

  December 8, 2025: Healthcare systems are drowning in administrative calls while patients struggle with fragmented portals and coordination nightmares. Will Akers, Chief Strategy Officer from Switchboard, MD, joins Bill Russell, Sarah Richardson, and Drex DeFord to unpack a stunning reality: 25-40% of health system calls are simple scheduling requests that could be automated today. Drawing from his experience having children in both Hong Kong and the US healthcare systems, Will reveals stark efficiency gaps costing patients time and money. The conversation explores why seniors spend three weeks yearly on healthcare logistics, how multiple portals create care coordination chaos, and practical automation strategies that could transform contact centers while improving patient access for vulnerable populations.Key Points:02:06 Healthcare Experiences Abroad vs. US09:55 Technology in Healthcare Communication16:44 Patient-Centric Healthcare Solutions22:52 Thanksgiving Traditions X: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

  --------  

  24:41

  --------

  24:41
• 2 Minute Drill: How AI-Powered Scams Are Reshaping Healthcare Cybersecurity with Drex DeFord

  Drex DeFord explores what he calls the "trust recession"—a era where deepfakes, AI-generated content, and sophisticated social engineering have made it nearly impossible to distinguish real from fake. From synthetic customer service agents to North Korean operatives using AI to pass job interviews at US health systems, the threat landscape has fundamentally shifted. DeFord shares practical strategies for healthcare professionals to protect themselves during the holiday season when cyber criminals are most active, including how to validate information, verify identities, and trust your instincts when something feels off.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

  --------  

  4:56

  --------

  4:56
• Solution Showcase: Pro Security In Your Pocket With Will Houston, Preston Duren, and Spencer Bales

  December 3, 2025: When Will Houston, Network Security Manager at MDI Hospital, received security alerts at 5 AM on a holiday, he faced every healthcare leader's nightmare. But this story gets personal: among the 32,000 breach notifications he later sent were letters to his wife and two children. Join as Will sits down with Fortified Health Security’s Spencer Bales, VP of Product, and Preston Duren, VP of Threat Services, to explore how a small hospital in Bar Harbor, Maine, shut down 170 compromised accounts before breakfast, managed a crisis spanning weeks, and learned why healthcare-focused cybersecurity partnerships aren't just about technology—they're about protecting real people in your community.Key Points:04:45 Will’s Cyber Journey and the terrible summer13:24 Fortified's Central Command Platform16:20 The SOS Button and Work-Life Balance20:36 Incident Response and Escalation IQ28:51 Healthcare Focus and Mission32:40 Advice for Small TeamsX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

  --------  

  34:35

  --------

  34:35
• Newsday: The AI Staffing Dilemma - The Productivity Paradox with This Week Health

  December 1, 2025: As AI tools rapidly transform healthcare IT workflows, leaders face an unexpected challenge: what happens when your team becomes dramatically more productive? Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson explore the productivity paradox hitting healthcare organizations—when AI enables staff to accomplish in hours what once took weeks, do you need fewer people or different approaches? From closing open positions to managing "cozy" employees who've mastered automation, they debate real strategies for navigating this shift. Whether you're a process-driven leader or innovation-focused builder, this discussion reveals how AI is forcing healthcare IT to rethink staffing, workflow waste, and organizational culture before it's too late.Key Points:02:56 AI in the Workplace: Efficiency and Challenges17:15 Leadership Styles and AI Integration20:33 Approaching the AI Wave26:23 Balancing Leadership Styles32:11 End-of-Year Reflections and PredictionsX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

  --------  

  34:08

  --------

  34:08
• 2 Minute Drill: Insider Threats in Healthcare: Employee Recruitment Schemes with Drex DeFord

  Drex examines the growing insider threat landscape in healthcare cybersecurity. The episode covers CrowdStrike's recent insider incident where screenshots were leaked to cybercriminals, new research showing 93% of organizations struggle to detect insider threats, and the Geisinger Health/Nuance $5 million settlement over improper data access. Drex also reveals how ransomware groups like Medusa are directly recruiting healthcare employees with financial incentives, highlighting that insider threats aren't just malicious employees—they're also your people being actively targeted through phishing and recruitment offers.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

  --------  

  2:44

  --------

  2:44

More Business podcasts

Trending Business podcasts

About UnHack with Drex DeFord

UnHack with Drex DeFord: Podcasts in Family