Tell Me WHY
"Tell Me WHY" is a podcast about—and for—the healthcare workforce. Each episode will feature a different healthcare leader's story that highlights the best ways to find harmony in the relationship between the work of healthcare and the people who do it. Our hosts are Jen Wright and Emily O'Sullivan of SC WHY, an initiative from the South Carolina Hospital Association that aims to provide solutions for systemic, root causes contributing to healthcare worker burnout, disengagement, and turnover.
Tell Me WHY
Episode 12: Transformative Leadership with Joshua Trout
In this episode of Tell Me WHY, we sit down with Joshua Trout, Chief Executive Officer of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Greenville. A mission-driven healthcare executive, Joshua has built his career on fostering culture-driven leadership and creating environments where caregivers and patients alike can thrive. As CEO, he led the development of the Greenville hospital from the ground up—both structurally and culturally—earning recognition for building high-performing teams and empowering leaders to deliver meaningful results.
Joshua is also the author of Transformative Leadership, a compelling book that blends personal experiences with professional insights to show how vulnerability, empathy, and authenticity can redefine leadership. In his writing, Joshua emphasizes that true leadership is not about authority alone, but about humility, openness, and the courage to lead with compassion. His book has been praised for offering practical tools to help leaders build trust, strengthen collaboration, and inspire organizational transformation.
In this conversation, Joshua highlights the importance of creating safe and supportive environments for caregivers, recognizing that their emotional well-being directly impacts patient care. He discusses the challenges caregivers face daily—balancing compassion with professional demands—and underscores why healthcare organizations must encourage openness, empathy, and understanding.
To learn more about Joshua's book and other pursuits, go to joshuaptrout.com.