THE SHOW
Healthcare is a multi-trillion dollar industry in the United States, and yet many people are completely unaware of the brilliant people who work tirelessly behind the scenes and their efforts to improve access, lower costs and improve patient outcomes. Welcome to PopHealth Podcast, the show by healthcare professionals that explores the challenges facing the American Healthcare system and the innovative minds looking to solve them and move the industry into the future. We invite thought-leaders and influencers to discuss population health; from elected officials tasked with setting public policy, to clinicians who treat patients in every conceivable condition and social situation, to ground-breaking business leaders who are creating ways to connect and streamline the delivery of care to an ever-growing and diverse nation.
Our hosts, Gavin Ward & Zac Morgan, bring a combined 20 years of heath care and home care experience which allows them to facilitate thoughtful and meaningful discussion on topics including population health, care transitions, readmission prevention, etc. Our goal is to provide listeners with a wealth of knowledge on the issues which affect millions of Americans every day, and a glimpse inside the world’s largest healthcare system.
If you have experience with population health or possess a passion for care transitions and readmission prevention, join us on the PopHealth Podcast! Together, through healthy conversation, we can change and improve the future of healthcare!
Latest Episodes
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Former Blue Shield California Leader Raine Arndt-Couch on Building Social Work Teams, CalAIM, & More
Raine shares about her journey as a social worker, including gaining her JD while winning runner up in the Ms. Hawaii pageant, starting as a frontline social worker in a hospital setting, to ultimately leading a social work team while building programs around the CalAIM initiative at Blue Shield California. Raine closes out the show[...]
U.S. VETS Inland Empire's Executive Director Nicole Starks-Murray: Breaking Ground, Steps for Vets
Nicole joins host Gavin Ward and shares about U.S. VETS recent groundbreaking of a new 30 unit community in San Bernardino as part ofU.S. VETS goal of eradicating homelessness among veterans. She also shares about the upcoming Steps for Vets 5k, honoring social workers, and recapping all of what U.S. VETS does for our veteran[...]
MedZed's Enrique Balaguer on Impact in California with Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports
MedZed's Chief Growth Officer Enrique Balaguer joins host Gavin Ward to discuss MedZed's impact as one of the largest enhanced care management and community supports providers in California. Check out this episode!
Riverside County Department of Public Social Service Leaders On Medi-Cal Eligibility Changes in 2026
Riverside County DPSS leaders Allison Gonzalalez and Sandra Bowlan discuss some of the changes to Medi-Cal eligibility in 2026. They share what the nearly 1 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries in Riverside County (and similar to all CA counties) can do to maintain eligibility not just this year, but in the years ahead with the federal government's[...]
Former CA Medicaid (Medi-Cal) Director Jacey Cooper on the Creation & Future of CalAIM
The former Medicaid leader for the CA Department of Health Care Services joins host Gavin Ward in the final episode of 2025. Jacey Cooper discusses the creation of the CalAIM initiative what she sees as the future of services like Enhanced Care Management, Community Supports, and more. Check out this episode!
Blue Shield of California's Julianne Holloway Explains DSNP, Medi-Cal (Medicaid) and Medicare Eligibility
Blue Shield of California's Julianne Holloway joins host Gavin Ward to help explain the often conplex world of DSNP, or Dual Special Needs Plans, for individuals that qualify for both Medi-Cal (known as Medicaid Nationally) and Medicare Check out this episode!
Pair Team VP Megan Carlson on How Her Team Enables ECM Services Via Existing Local Organizations
Pair Team VP Megan Carlson shares how her background in building care navigation systems (e.g. Unite Us) has equipped her to help Pair team enable existing organizations to launch enhanced care management services. Pair Team is now one of the largest ECM organizations on California. Check out this episode!
PopHealth Podcast Executive Producer Ryan Iwamoto Looks Back on 10 Years of the Podcast
Ryan Iwamoto, Executive Producer of PopHealth Podcast and Co-Founder of 24 Hour Home Care, joins the show to look back on 10 years of the podcast and some of his favorite memories as he reminisces with host Gavin Ward. Check out this episode!
California Association of Health Plans President and CEO Charles Bacchi- 2025 Realities, Upcoming CAHP Conference
Charles returns to the show, touching on his past as a soccer coach before sharing the realities health plans are facing in California. Charles also shares with host Gavin Ward about the upcoming fall CAHP conference, including how leaders from health plans, providers, and DHCS will be attending to present as well as network. Check[...]
Former DHCS Leader Athena Chapman and Elizabeth Evenson Provide an Update on Medi-Cal Transformation and CalAIM
Former DHCS leader Athena Chapman, President of Chapman Consulting, and Chapman's VP Elizabeth Evenson join host Gavin Ward to give an update on Medi-Cal Transformation/CalAIM, including touching on the 2024 annual report recently released by DHCS on Community Supports. Check out this episode!
OUR HOSTS
Gavin Ward - Co-host
Gavin Ward is the first Certified Fellow in Readmission Prevention and is a Nationally Certified Readmissions Professional. Gavin brings over 12 years of experience in the healthcare and homecare space, including assisting in the development of Maxim Healthcare’s senior care, or “companion,” division early on in his career. He currently serves as 24Hr HomeCare’s Regional Director of Strategy and Partnerships, where he works with various hospitals, managed care groups, health systems, and the post-acute community to develop programs to improve throughput (decrease length of stay), care transitions, and readmission prevention through a professional caregiving, non-medical solution. His efforts, including the Hospital to Home™ care transitions programs nominated as a finalist for the Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Awards, have led to 24Hr HomeCare partnerships with many healthcare organizations which previously had not funded non-medical in-home care, but are starting to now that the right homecare program can bring cost savings and stronger outcomes. Gavin recently joined the Alzheimer’s Association-California Southland Chapter’s Speakers’ Bureau and also serves as an expert panelist moderator for the National Readmission Prevention Collaborative in California and Arizona. He received his BA in Communication Studies from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, where he also enjoyed time on the Westmont Warriors Ultimate Frisbee team. Gavin is married and has two children, ages 2 and 4.
Joe Zimmer - Co-host
Joe Zimmer is Regional Director at 24Hr HomeCare. As one of the leaders of the sales team, Zimmer oversees several Directors of Admissions throughout California, Arizona, and Texas. Joe was one of the company’s first employees, and helped to launch three start-up branch locations in Culver City, Encino, and Walnut Creek. He was also the engineer of the industry-first exclusive contractual partnership with a non-profit Community Based Organization: Jewish Family & Children’s Services of the East Bay – a pillar in the SF Bay Area since 1877. He also is a certified readmission prevention fellow through the National Readmission Prevention Collaborative. Fun fact: Joe taught himself how to play the piano at age 3.
Zachary Morgan - Co-host
Zac Morgan began as an Account Manager for 24Hr HomeCare’s Culver City office in 2010, and now serves as Regional Director of Strategy & Partnerships. He was the company’s first Senior Director of Admissions when he led the expansion into San Diego County, and also served two terms as the Chairman of the American Board of Home Care (2014-16). An early employee of 24Hr HomeCare, he helped to create the innovative Hospital to Your Home program and is a Nationally Certified Readmissions Professional. Zac graduated from Loyola Marymount University in LA where he studied both Sports Medicine and Business, and was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Fun Fact: After graduating from LMU, Zac moved to South Korea where he taught English, science and math while traveling around Asia.
Ryan Iwamoto - Co-host and Producer
Ryan Iwamoto is owner and co-founder of 24Hr HomeCare. As leader of the sales, marketing and business development team, Iwamoto is responsible for developing the overall sales and marketing strategy, execution, and development. He co-founded 24Hr HomeCare’s award-winning Hospital to Your Home™ program that offers a high-touch, low cost solution for hospital throughput efficiency, reducing hospital readmission, and care transitions. The program was named a finalist for the Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovations award and the Los Angeles Journal’s Healthcare Leadership Forum & Awards for post-acute care programs. Fun fact: Ryan is a former Eagle Scout with the Bronze Palm.
