Leading Change, Growing Leaders, and When AI Actually Works | Flourish with Crystal Broj

Why It Matters

These practices enable healthcare firms to deliver measurable patient outcomes faster and build resilient talent pipelines essential for sustained innovation.

Key Takeaways

• Effective change starts with clear problem definition before technology
• Inclusive workshops align IT, marketing, legal, and stakeholders early
• Small pilots prove value, enabling rapid scaling across sites
• Mentorship and empowerment create lasting talent pipelines for future leaders
• Continuous learning, especially AI, keeps leadership adaptable in fast changing healthcare

Summary

The Flourish podcast episode spotlights Crystal Broche, a senior IT executive recognized among Becker’s 2026 top digital officers, as she shares how she translates strategy into tangible change within healthcare.

Broche stresses starting every initiative by asking why—identifying the underlying patient or staff pain point—then convening cross‑functional workshops with IT, marketing, legal and frontline staff to co‑design solutions before technology is introduced.

She illustrates the approach with a patient‑outreach pilot that grew from four clinics to over 700, slashing no‑show rates and earning 97 % patient satisfaction; she also notes daily AI experimentation and a disciplined reading habit to stay ahead.

The conversation underscores that disciplined problem framing, rapid pilots, transparent communication, and intentional mentorship are scalable playbooks for any organization seeking to accelerate digital transformation while cultivating the next generation of leaders.

Original Description

Crystal Broj, Enterprise CDTO at MUSC, is an IT executive, Becker's 2026 Digital Officer to Know, and Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare honoree who has built her career on one core belief: start with the problem, not the technology. In this episode of Flourish, Sarah Richardson sits down with Crystal to explore what it really takes to lead complex change, develop talent that outlasts you, and call out AI hype for what it is. From growing a team of one to ten at MUSC, to sharing the Lotus Notes failure that shaped her career, Crystal brings candor, energy, and a rare clarity to what great leadership actually looks like in healthcare today.

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Key Points:

01:31 Leadership Energy and Mentorship

11:37 Building Talent and Team Rhythm

21:01 Vendor Partnerships and Pushback

26:33 Career Growth and Final Takeaways

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