How can physicians drive meaningful change in a dysfunctional healthcare system? In this episode of Scalpel and Sword, host Dr. Lee Sharma, welcomes Dr. Andrea Austin, to share findings from her qualitative research on 15 physician change makers, exploring how they navigate barriers to transform healthcare. From cultivating emotional resilience and listening to dissent to using storytelling and understanding organizational dynamics, Dr. Austin reveals the internal and systemic strategies that empower physicians to lead change. She emphasizes the power of reflection, or “metacognition,” and compassionate accountability as key tools for personal and professional growth. This episode offers practical advice for healthcare professionals eager to create a better system while managing conflict constructively.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Practice Intentional Reflection – Carve out time daily to reflect on patient and colleague interactions, asking why conflicts arose and what personal or systemic factors influenced your response to foster growth.
2. Embrace Dissent and Conflict – Actively listen to dissenting voices and view conflict as a catalyst for change, using emotional agility to stay calm and productive in challenging situations.
3. Learn the System – Understand your organization’s policies, procedures, and key influencers to navigate change effectively, seeking historical context from past leaders to avoid repeating failed efforts.

About the Show:

Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:

Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, Navy veteran, and simulation educator with over 12 years of experience. She served in Iraq, trained military personnel at a top U.S. trauma center, and holds a Certificate in Health Professions Education from Uniformed Services University. As Simulation Director for Southwest Healthcare and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, she advocates for physician well-being. Her book, Revitalized, details her journey through burnout. Dr. Austin chairs the American Association of Women Emergency Physicians and is transitioning to Program Director at Sacred Heart, Pensacola.

Website: http://www.andreaaustinmd.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaustinmd

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreaaustinmd

About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

• Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
  📧 Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com
  🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

How are healthcare workers using strikes to improve patient care and working conditions? In this episode, Dr. Lee Sharma, hosts Professor Johnnie Kallas to share insights from his work tracking union and non-union strikes across the U.S., with a focus on the growing trend of fixed-duration strikes in healthcare. These short-term walkouts, often lasting one to five days, allow nurses and physicians to protest unsafe staffing ratios and working conditions while minimizing patient care disruptions. Drawing from his experience with the Service Employees International Union and California Nurses Association, Kallas discusses the economic and reputational leverage of these strikes, the unique regulatory environment under the National Labor Relations Act, and how post-COVID challenges have fueled labor activism. This episode is a must-listen for healthcare professionals navigating the evolving landscape of unionization and collective action.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Explore Fixed-Duration Strikes – Consider short-term strikes (1-5 days) as a strategic tool to advocate for better staffing, pay, and patient safety, ensuring compliance with the National Labor Relations Act’s 10-day notice requirement to maintain legal protections.
2. Leverage Public Support – Highlight patient care advocacy in strike messaging to counter hospital narratives of “greed” or “patient abandonment,” capitalizing on the public’s trust in nurses and physicians as frontline heroes.
3. Learn from Labor Action Tracker Data – Use the publicly accessible Labor Action Tracker to analyze strike trends, demands, and outcomes in healthcare to inform organizing strategies and negotiations in your workplace.

About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:

Professor Johnnie Kallas is a labor relations scholar and director of the Labor Action Tracker at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. With a PhD from Cornell University, he has extensive experience as a labor organizer with the Service Employees International Union and California Nurses Association. His research focuses on healthcare strikes, union strategies, and the impact of collective action on patient care and working conditions.

Email: jkallas@illinois.edu

Website: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/faculty-and-research/labor-action-tracker

About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

• Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
  📧 Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com
  🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Can the familiarity between a surgeon and anesthesiologist impact patient outcomes? In this episode, Dr. Lee Sharma, welcomes Dr. Julie Hallet, to share insights from her recent JAMA Surgery study, which found that increased familiarity between surgeon-anesthesiologist teams leads to reduced 90-day morbidity in high-risk GI, GYN oncology, and spine surgeries. Sparked by her frustrations with inconsistent anesthesiology teams in Ontario’s regionalized system, Dr. Hallet’s research highlights the power of non-technical skills, trust, and shared worldviews in improving OR outcomes. She discusses why there’s no “magic number” for team familiarity, the challenges of scheduling stable teams, and her ongoing work to address anesthesiologists’ concerns and develop cost-neutral care models. This episode offers actionable insights for clinicians, administrators, and policymakers aiming to enhance patient care through team-based approaches.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Prioritize Surgeon-Anesthesiologist Familiarity – Schedule consistent surgeon-anesthesiologist teams for high-risk elective surgeries to reduce 90-day morbidity, leveraging the trust and communication built through repeated collaboration.
2. Advocate for Cost-Neutral Change – Use Dr. Hallet’s data to push for scheduling reforms that stabilize OR teams without requiring additional resources, emphasizing improved patient outcomes to hospital leadership.
3. Address Implementation Challenges – Engage anesthesiologists early to understand concerns about specialization and ensure care models balance familiarity with maintaining broad expertise, especially in smaller hospitals.

About the Show:

Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:

Dr. Julie Hallet is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Toronto and a hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and GI surgical oncologist at the Odette Cancer Center at Sunnybrook Health Sciences. With a medical degree from Université Laval and fellowships in complex surgical oncology (University of Toronto) and advanced hepatobiliary surgery (Strasbourg, France), she is also an associate scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute. Her research focuses on improving surgical outcomes through team dynamics and system-level changes.

Email: Julie.hallet@sunnybrook.ca  

Twitter: @HalletJulie

Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

• Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
  📧 Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com
  🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Can setting boundaries transform your medical practice and personal life? Host Dr. Lee Sharma sits down with Dr. Ruby Powar, to explore her inspiring journey from Vancouver, Canada, to building a private practice alongside her husband. Drawing from her diverse experiences in urgent care, hospice, and outpatient medicine, Dr. Power shares how she prioritized family while navigating the challenges of establishing a practice. She discusses the power of internal and external boundaries to create harmony in both professional and personal spheres, offering practical strategies for conflict resolution and team-building in a small practice. From choosing not to admit patients to preserve work-life balance to learning the business side of medicine, Dr. Powar’s story weaves together themes of curiosity, resilience, and gratitude. This episode provides actionable insights for physicians aiming to align their practice with their personal values and sustain their passion for medicine.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Define Internal Boundaries First – Reflect on your personal priorities and set internal boundaries to guide career decisions, ensuring alignment with your values, such as family or work-life balance.
2. Establish Conflict Resolution Processes – Create structured processes for addressing workplace conflicts, including designated times for discussion and built-in pauses to reduce emotional reactivity.
3. Embrace Curiosity in Career Choices – Explore diverse practice opportunities early in your career to discover what aligns with your strengths and passions, avoiding the trap of comparing yourself to others.

About the Show:

Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:

Dr. Ruby Powar is a family physician in private practice in Auburn, Alabama, alongside her husband. A graduate of the University of West Indies and a former resident at North Shore-LIJ, she also serves as a physician for the city of Opelika. With a background in urgent care, hospice, and outpatient medicine, Dr. Powar brings a unique perspective on balancing family, professional growth, and practice management. Her journey reflects a commitment to curiosity, resilience, and fostering harmony in both her personal and professional life.

About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

• Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
  📧 Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com
  🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

How can surgeons navigate the inevitable complications and conflicts that arise in their practice? Host Dr. Lee Sharma welcomes Dr. Steven Cohen, a seasoned colorectal surgeon based in Richmond, Virginia, to the Scalpel and Sword Podcast. Dr. Cohen's wealth of knowledge and experience makes him the perfect guest to explore the human side of medicine and the importance of professionalism in surgery. He delves into the medical-legal arena, highlighting trends like finger-pointing among healthcare teams and the importance of pausing to respond rather than react to bad outcomes.

Drawing from a case where a patient died despite exceeding standard care with a Greenfield filter, he emphasizes transparency, documentation, and team collaboration. Dr. Cohen also shares practical advice on ownership, power dynamics, and the “trust but verify” approach, equipping surgeons with tools to enhance patient care and professional resilience.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Pause and Respond – Take a moment to involve all stakeholders, including family and team, to manage complications effectively.
2. Document Thoroughly – Record all steps and decisions to preempt conflict and ensure accountability in patient care.
3. Trust but Verify – As the surgeon, confirm all preoperative optimizations and maintain control over patient outcomes.
   

About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:
Dr. Steven Cohen is a board-certified colorectal surgeon with over 30 years of experience, holding an MD from UCLA, residency from Boston University, and a fellowship in colorectal surgery from Cleveland Clinic Florida. He earned an MBA from Walden University and serves as associate faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University and staff surgeon at the VA hospital in Richmond, Virginia. A prolific publisher and expert witness, Dr. Cohen reviews medical-legal cases to enhance his practice, teaching residents about accountability and conflict management. Known for his mentorship, he advocates for transparency and team-based care, drawing from his extensive surgical and educational background.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephencohenmd
  

About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

What happens when a future physician confronts the past, present, and future of medical labor rights? In this thoughtful and timely conversation, Dr. Lee Sharma sits down with Dr. Tarun Ramesh, soon to begin his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, to unpack his NEJM article, “Striking a Balance,” which examines the ethics, history, and global impact of physician strikes.

Together, they explore why doctors are increasingly turning to unions—from South Korea’s historic 2024 resident strike to post-pandemic organizing in Boston. Dr. Ramesh offers compelling insights on how burnout, corporatization, and lack of clinician voice are fueling a new era of collective action. With historical context and global comparisons, he helps frame a vision for balanced policies that prioritize both physician wellbeing and patient safety.

From the risks of punitive backlash to the policy promise of minimum staffing laws and advanced notice provisions, this episode is a masterclass in labor advocacy, ethics, and modern medical leadership.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Protect Without Punishing: Punitive government responses to physician strikes (e.g., South Korea) can erode trust. Constructive frameworks with legal safeguards can maintain continuity of care.
2. Multiple Paths to Voice: Unionization is one tool, but organized medicine, hospital committees, and leadership roles are equally vital avenues for clinician advocacy.
3. Physicians as Policy Partners: Excluding doctors from healthcare policy—whether in strike negotiations or hospital ownership—means ignoring frontline wisdom that drives better patient outcomes.
   

About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:
Dr. Tarun Ramesh is a medical student at Harvard and incoming internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. His article “Striking a Balance” was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, exploring physician collective bargaining through a global lens. His academic work centers on health economics, workforce policy, and the evolving dynamics of clinician labor. He has deep research experience in hospital financial models, and his advocacy work reflects a deep commitment to clinician wellbeing and health system transformation.

Twitter: @TarunR99

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarun-ramesh/

About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

Connect: scalpelandsword@gmail.com

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

What happens when a combat medic turns to the law to continue his mission of service? In this deeply inspiring episode, Dr. Lee Sharma welcomes Zej Moczydlowski, who shares how his years providing care in austere environments from Sub-Saharan Africa to the ER taught him to lead through crisis, work across hierarchies, and find humanity in hardship.

Zej discusses the unique dynamics of medical teams in the military, where saving lives sometimes meant pushing past traditional roles and stepping into leadership with humility and resolve. He also reflects on his pivot to law school, his passion for international justice, and how medicine taught him to manage pressure, handle trauma, and stay focused on outcomes, not ego.

From delivering babies in Tampa to debriding wounds in South Sudan, Zej’s stories reveal a powerful truth: the skills we carry into conflict—professional, emotional, and ethical—can shape the justice we pursue. His dream? To prosecute war crimes and protect the most vulnerable through global legal systems. This episode is a masterclass in courage, compassion, and conviction.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Lead with Team, Not Title – Zej’s experience shows how military medical teams succeed by flattening hierarchies and focusing on outcomes, not credentials.
2. Bridge Conflict with Care – Even in combat zones, medicine can become a tool for diplomacy and healing. From OB care to trauma response, Zej shares how care builds connection.
3. Turn Off, Turn On – Learning when to emotionally detach and when to re-engage is a skill both in war and in law. Resilience is about regulation—not just endurance.

About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:
Zej Moczydlowski is a U.S. Army Special Operations Combat Medic and recent graduate of Washington University School of Law. He is pursuing an LL.M. in International Legal Studies at NYU, focusing on international criminal law, armed conflict, and atrocity prevention. Zej has worked in some of the world’s most austere environments—including South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Uganda—where he led trauma care in combat zones and humanitarian crises.

In law, he’s interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. District Court in California. Zej is also a published author in the Harvard International Law Journal and has contributed to the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative under Professor Leila Sadat. His mission-driven path continues as he prepares to advocate for human rights and prosecute international war crimes on the global stage.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zejmski/

About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

What does it take to thrive in medicine beyond clinical excellence? In this episode, Dr. Lee Sharma speaks with Dr. Resa Lewiss about the small, everyday actions that can make a big impact on your career. Dr. Lewiss shares how she turned feelings of being left out of the "professional playbook" into a guide for others, offering practical tools like pausing before reacting, scheduling emails thoughtfully, and recognizing conflict early.

They also explore the deeper cost of unresolved conflict in the workplace, from burnout to poor patient care. Dr. Lewiss explains how to spot gaslighting using the D.A.R.V.O. framework and why having a trusted support circle—your personal board of directors—can make all the difference.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Recognize Conflict Early – Learn the signs of subtle and systemic conflict (like gaslighting) and begin documenting patterns to better respond and protect yourself.
2. Schedule with Intent – Respect your team’s boundaries by drafting emails when inspiration strikes—but scheduling them to send during working hours.
3. Build Your Board – Create a personal board of directors: people you trust who offer honest, thoughtful guidance during professional challenges.

About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.

About the Guest:
Dr. Resa Lewiss is a board-certified emergency physician, professor of emergency medicine, and a pioneer in point-of-care ultrasound. A graduate of Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, she has trained and taught at top institutions including Harvard and Mount Sinai. She is the co-author of MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact, a guide to practical workplace strategies that address conflict, leadership, and psychological safety. A frequent keynote speaker and advocate for equity in medicine, Dr. Lewiss uses storytelling and strategy to empower healthcare professionals at every level.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/resaelewissmd/

About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.

Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.