Gwen Sandefur: Rebuilding Trust by Listening to Patients

In this episode of How Health Systems Work, hosts Jim Burke and Steve Pratt sit down with Gwen Sandifer, interim president at Henry Ford Genesis Hospital and founder of Loud Minds. Gwen brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare administration and a deeply personal perspective shaped by her upbringing in a small rural town.

She shares powerful stories—from a near-paralyzing injury in high school to her mother’s struggles accessing mental health services—that inspired her mission to improve healthcare systems. Gwen discusses how the sector has evolved, what’s stayed the same, and why relationships and real conversations remain at the core of progress.

We dive into everything from the loss of informal collaboration spaces to the challenge of truly centering the patient in a fragmented system. Gwen offers bold ideas for healthcare transformation, including radically shifting incentives to put consumers in control of their care. Her perspective is rooted in deep compassion, operational experience, and a clear-eyed view of what’s not working.