Podcast 209: Inside the Rural Health Transformation Program w/ Dr. Tim Ferris, InterSystems

Episode Summary

Rural hospitals in the U.S. have been closing at a steady pace for over 50 years, and the country now has one of the lowest rates of acute hospital beds per capita among OECD nations. A five-year, $50 billion federal program aims to slow the bleeding, but it may only be a stopgap.Dr. Tim Ferris, Vice President of the Health Care Practice at InterSystems and former National Director of Transformation for the NHS in England, joins host John Marchica to unpack the Rural Health Transformation Program, why value-based care models built for large health systems don't translate to rural America, and what lessons the U.S. can borrow from his time inside the NHS.

Episode Notes

Rural hospitals in the U.S. have been closing at a steady pace for over 50 years, and the country now has one of the lowest rates of acute hospital beds per capita among OECD nations. A five-year, $50 billion federal program aims to slow the bleeding, but it may only be a stopgap.

Dr. Tim Ferris, Vice President of the Health Care Practice at InterSystems and former National Director of Transformation for the NHS in England, joins host John Marchica to unpack the Rural Health Transformation Program, why value-based care models built for large health systems don't translate to rural America, and what lessons the U.S. can borrow from his time inside the NHS.

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🎙 ABOUT DR. TIM FERRIS
Dr. Tim Ferris joined InterSystems in February 2026 as Vice President, Healthcare Practice. He brings decades of experience directing large-scale health care technology transformations and leading major physician organizations to drive better patient outcomes and enterprise efficiency.

Prior to joining InterSystems, Dr. Ferris served as President of Health care at Red Cell Partners, a technology incubator and investment firm. Previously, he was the National Director of Transformation at England’s National Health Service (NHS), as well as CEO and Chair of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and Senior Vice President for Population Health at Mass General Brigham.

A recognized leader in health IT, Dr. Ferris’ advisory roles include multiple committees at the National Academy of Medicine and the health policy advisory board at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Ferris trained in medicine and public health at Harvard University and continues to lecture at Harvard Business School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

🎙 ABOUT HEALTH CARE ROUNDS
Health Care Rounds is a weekly podcast developed for health care leaders who are at the forefront of health care delivery and payment reform. Join Darwin Research Group founder and CEO John Marchica as he discusses the latest advancements in health care business news and policy developments.

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