Richard Helppie's Common Bridge
The problems we have in the country are solvable, but not solvable the way we’re approaching them today, because of partisan politics. Richard Helppie, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist seeks to find a place in the middle where common sense discussions can bridge the current great divide.
Episodes
348 episodes
Episode 344- Direct Contracting That Actually Works. With Nick Stefanizzi
Health insurance is supposed to buy peace of mind, but too often it buys a new kind of stress: surprise bills, long waits, and prior authorization hurdles that hit when you’re already sick. We sit down with Nick Stefanizzi, president of Northwe...
Episode 343- Rural Care On The Edge. with Tonya Darner
If you’ve ever wondered what “access to care” really means, picture a region that holds 30% of Michigan’s land mass and just 3% of its population. From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Tanya Darner, Market Chief Executive Office...
Episode 342- Hospital Bingo And Brain Waves Fix Tremors.
Healthcare gets argued like a spreadsheet, but most of what matters shows up as a human moment: a parent trying to make sense of a diagnosis, a patient who just wants care close to home, a kid in a hospital room who lights up because it’s bingo...
Episode 341- A Better Front Door To Health Care. With Shannon Striebich
Seven days. That’s the average wait time Trinity Health Michigan says it takes to get a new patient in with a primary care doctor and it’s a clue to how affordability and access can actually improve at the same time. From the 2026 Mackinac Poli...
Episode 340- Building Michigan’s Healthcare Workforce. With Russ Kavalhuna
Healthcare workforce shortages are not a single problem with a single fix, they are a pipeline problem. I’m joined by Russ Kavalhuna, President of Western Michigan University, to talk about what it looks like when a community decides to grow it...
Episode 339- How Grand Rapids Builds Talent And Health. With Rick Baker
Health care is not just a line item for employers, it’s a defining force in whether a region can grow, attract talent, and stay competitive. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Rick Baker of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Co...
Episode 338- Medicaid On The Line in Michigan. With Monique Stanton
A lot of health care headlines sound distant until you realize how quickly a policy tweak can turn into a long drive, a missed refill, or an ER visit that could have been prevented. From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Monique ...
Episode 337- Fixing Michigan’s Broken Mental Health System. with Michael Webber
A brand-new building can look like progress, but what happens when the real problem is leadership and accountability behind locked doors? From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Michigan State Senator Michael Webber to talk candid...
Episode 336- "The Power Of And" In Health Care. With Matt Elliott
Health care gets blamed on villains, but the harder truth is that most people are reacting to the incentives right in front of them. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Matt Elliott, founder of Blue Lake Ideas and former ...
Episode 335- Building Safer Systems For Kids. With Luanne Thomas Ewald
A kid walks into the ER because they thought a THC edible was candy, and the package did the lying. That’s one of the most unsettling through-lines in my conversation with Luanne Thomas Ewald, chief operating officer at CS Mott Children’s Hospi...
Episode 334- Building Detroit’s Next Medical Campus. Dr. Adnan Munkarah
Detroit’s next wave of health care may be built as much with partnerships as with concrete. We sit down with Dr. Adnan Munkarah, President for Care Delivery and Chief Clinical Officer at Henry Ford Health, to unpack what it takes to modernize a...
Episode 333- The Gift Of Life. With Dorrie Dils
One choice at the DMV can ripple into hundreds of surgeries, thousands of hospital hours, and a second chance at life for people you’ll never meet. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Dorrie Dils from Gift of Life Michiga...
Episode 332- Health Care Should Be A Right, Not A Privilege. With Debbie Stabenow
Health care feels personal until you try to navigate it and realize how many parts are designed to be confusing. From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with former Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow for a fast, candid conversation ...
Episode 331- Your Deductible Is High And Here Is Why. With Dominick Pallone
Premiums are climbing, deductibles feel heavier every year, and most people still can’t tell you why health care costs what it costs. From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we talk with Dominick Pallone, CEO of the Michigan Association of Health ...
Episode 330- When A Heart Attack Hits Nobody Asks Party. with Sarah Anthony
A state budget can feel like spreadsheets and deadlines until you connect it to the moment someone needs insulin, prenatal care, or an ER visit they never planned for. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Michigan State Se...
Episode 329- Detroit’s $2.2B Hospital Bet. with Denise Brooks-Williams
A 111-year-old Detroit institution is making one of the biggest bets in Michigan health care, and the details are more ambitious than a new building. From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we talk with Denise Brooks Williams, Executive Vice Presi...
Episode 328- Michigan Health Care Affordability. with Bill G. Schuette
Michigan’s biggest challenges aren’t neatly separated into “economy” over here and “health care” over there. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Representative Bill G. Schuette of Michigan’s 95th District to connect the d...
Episode 327- How Michigan Hospitals Stay United Under Pressure. with Brian Peters
Medicaid decisions made in a capitol building can land in a hospital waiting room fast and the ripple effects are bigger than most people realize. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Heal...
Episode 326- The Cost Squeeze In Health Care. With Rob Casalou
This episode of The Common Bridge is part of a special 21‑part series of interviews recorded with healthcare leaders from across Michigan during the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, in partnership with the Michigan Health and Hospital Assoc...
Episode 325- How Michigan Medicine Sees The Path To Lower Costs. David Miller, M.D., MPH
Healthcare affordability is having a moment, and not the vague kind. From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Dr. David Miller, Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs at Michigan Medicine and President of the University of Michig...
Episode 324- Independent Hospitals And Local Power. with Bill Manns
This episode of The Common Bridge is part of a special 21‑part series of interviews recorded with healthcare leaders from across Michigan during the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, in partnership with the Michigan Health and Hospital Assoc...
Episode 323- Stop Counting Hours And Start Hiring Graduates. with Rick Snyder
This episode of *The Common Bridge* is part of a special 21‑part series of interviews recorded with healthcare leaders from across Michigan during the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, in partnership with the Michigan Health and Hospital Ass...
Episode 322- Why The Real World Feels Different Than The News.
Scotland takes over Boston, travelers flood YouTube with “America is amazing,” and suddenly a question hits hard: if the country is truly collapsing, why do so many visitors leave impressed by the people, the space, and the everyday energy? We ...
Episode 321- Leadership in Action. A Disruptor Who Defied the Odds. With Dr. Imamu Tomlinson
The emergency department is where America’s healthcare system tells the truth. It’s the hospital’s front door, it can’t turn people away, and it absorbs every crack in primary care access, insurance coverage, and patient flow. I’m joined by Dr....
Episode 320- You Will Love America More When You Talk To People
The fastest way to lose faith in your country is to let a screen tell you who your neighbors are. We take that head-on, because the gap between media narratives and real life keeps growing, and it is warping how we talk about policy, elections,...