Breaking Down Silos with Sean Nguyen, 2025 Harwick Innovation Award Winner

In this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host Daniel Williams, Senior Editor at MGMA, interviews Sean Nguyen, MHA, the 2025 Harwick Innovation Award winner and System Director of the Interventional Pain Service Line at Ochsner Health.

Nguyen shares how his “One Reason for Visit” model revolutionized multidisciplinary care for patients with back pain by breaking down silos, improving patient access, and creating a coordinated, scalable system across a 45-hospital network. He also reflects on his Louisiana roots, how his experience with FEMA during Hurricane Katrina shaped his healthcare leadership, and how collaboration drives sustainable innovation.

Tune in to learn how Nguyen’s approach can help your practice enhance care coordination, streamline scheduling, and improve patient satisfaction — no matter your size or specialty.

Key Takeaways

[01:36] – Winning the Harwick Innovation Award
Sean shares the story behind receiving the Harwick Innovation Award and credits his Ochsner team’s collective effort in transforming care delivery.

[03:11] – About Ochsner Health’s System-Wide Reach
Sean provides an overview of Ochsner Health’s 45-hospital system, spanning Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, emphasizing the organization’s focus on innovation, collaboration, and excellence in care.
[05:40] – Roots in Louisiana and a Passion for Community
Growing up “down the bayou” in Houma, Louisiana, as the son of Vietnamese immigrants, Sean learned the value of family and community. After Hurricane Katrina, his work with FEMA in recovery and behavioral health inspired his career in healthcare leadership.

[11:22] – Breaking Down Silos in Patient Care
Nguyen explains how fragmented care for patients with back pain led to the development of the “One Reason for Visit” model — streamlining access and ensuring consistent triage regardless of specialty or location.

[15:46] – Implementation: Building Collaboration Across Systems
Sean details how his team partnered with Epic and clinical leaders to connect decision trees across specialties, standardize initial visits, and gain clinician buy-in through transparent communication and trust-building.

[20:45] – Buy-in, Measurable Results, and Patient Impact
The initiative reduced wait times, expanded same-day availability, and boosted patient satisfaction. Nguyen also notes culture change as one of the most meaningful outcomes, as teams embraced shared goals over silos.

[29:35] – Scaling the Model to Chronic Disease Management
Sean outlines opportunities to apply the “One Reason for Visit” framework to chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, cancer, joint pain, and women’s health — emphasizing the need for both top-down and grassroots collaboration.

[34:13] – Innovation Through Teamwork
Drawing inspiration from his Avengers pin, Sean compares his multidisciplinary team to superheroes — each with unique strengths working together for patients’ benefit.

Resources from this episode:

• Sean Nguyen on LinkedIn
• Ochsner Health
• 2025 MGMA Award Winners
• MGMA Insights Podcast Network