Compassion, Curiosity & Change: Dr. Rachel Thompson on Leading Healthcare’s Human Revolution

Dr. Rachel Thompson, Chief Medical Officer at Core Clinical Partners and past president of the Society of Hospital Medicine, joins Dr. Leon Moores to explore the heart of physician leadership. Tracing her journey from childhood animal rescuer to pioneer of the hospital medicine movement, Thompson reveals how "compassion and curiosity" became her guiding stars. She reflects on pivotal leadership lessons - like the humbling "forms committee" incident that taught her the power of collaborative systems -and emphasizes how every physician influences outcomes daily, regardless of formal title.
The conversation dives into practical strategies for humanizing healthcare: Thompson champions AI documentation tools that restore clinician-patient connection by reclaiming hours lost to charting. She shares powerful examples of breaking down silos - from co-managing complex cases with surgeons to multidisciplinary rounds that unlocked capacity for 450+ additional monthly patient transfers at one hospital. Critically, she urges leaders to shift from reactive "firefighting" to proactive design, highlighting how slowing down to build intentional workflows reduces length-of-stay and reignites joy in practice.

Closing with wisdom for emerging leaders, Thompson advocates curiosity as the ultimate leadership tool: "Be willing to lead, flex your style without sacrificing values, and always seek to understand others' realities." This episode is a masterclass in transforming pressure into purpose - essential listening for physicians and healthcare innovators committed to building systems where both patients and caregivers thrive.