meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
You've Been Heard

384- The Expert Blindspot That Cost Everything w/Bob Berbeco

You've Been Heard

Philip Howard

Technology, Tech News, Management, News, Business

5 • 49 Ratings

🗓️ 9 December 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Bob Berbeco is the Chief Information Officer at Mahaska Health, leading IT, data science, AI, cybersecurity, and informatics. He's been in healthcare technology for 27 years and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt.For most of that time, Bob operated the way many IT leaders do—shields up, knowledge expert, the guy who does all the talking.Then something shifted.When executives ask him something he doesn't know, the best answer isn't to fake it. It's four words: "I got the lead.""I may not have the answer. That's okay. I got the lead. I will run it to its endpoint, and I'll follow up to make sure it's done."That's all they need to know.In this episode, Bob breaks down his SBAR communication framework (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) that eliminates tech-speak. He shares how he presents 30-60-90 day roadmaps with SWOT analysis—then asks the question most IT leaders skip: "Is there a priority we should probably change?"We get into the label printer story. Nurses were hand-labeling surgical supplies. Printers across units were inconsistent with no standardization. One team member saw the problem, took ownership, talked to technical people, clinical people, providers, even people outside the organization—and got it done. Persistence won.Bob also unpacks why he hires for fire not credentials, how "what you permit, you promote" shapes culture, and why the beginner's mindset beats expertise every time.The biggest struggle for IT? Unlimited demand with limited resources. Bob's answer isn't to be the Department of No. It's to show executives what yes actually costs.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Bob, welcome to You've Been Heard.

0:12.0

You're number two.

0:13.2

You're like number two.

0:14.4

I mean, I believe I might have lost track here.

0:18.0

After 380 episodes, we were no longer dissecting popular IT nerves.

0:21.8

We are, you've been heard.

0:22.9

We're going to get deep into it in a second.

0:24.4

But introduce yourself and tell everyone about you, how you got started, where you're at.

0:29.3

Let's go.

0:30.7

Absolutely.

0:31.6

Sure thing.

0:32.5

So right now, I am the chief information officer, I ask you help.

0:36.2

And I lead the organizational information officer of MassHealth, and I lead the organizational,

0:39.1

organization's information technology, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity,

0:44.2

and informatic strategies. And all I do is ensure that all those things are seamless as we're

0:51.6

looking to enhance patient care and operational efficiency.

0:55.1

So I have it from end to end, all the technology.

0:59.0

And prior to Mahaaska Health, I've been a senior leader in healthcare technology for numerous

1:06.8

years.

1:07.3

I've done predictive analytics, process optimization, change management,

1:12.4

service line administration, business intelligence, data governance, experience design,

1:17.4

demand management, information security, and then I've also done Six Sigma work. I have a black

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 20 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Philip Howard, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Philip Howard and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.