Season 3 Episode 4 – Healthcare runs on social capital: How Aetna puts it to work
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In this episode, Press Ganey CEO, Pat Ryan sits down with Aetna EVP & President, Steve Nelson to discuss how one of the nation’s largest health plans (and Press Ganey’s Inaugural Health Plan of the Year) is leading with purpose to build a more connected, human-centered healthcare system.
Drawing on experience across both providers and health plans, Steve offers a perspective grounded in optimism, focusing on how stronger relationships, clearer navigation, and more consistent experiences can help meet rising expectations. Central to that work is strengthening social capital, the trust, collaboration, and shared accountability that bring health plans, providers, and members together.
He shares how Aetna is evolving its approach through a focus on navigation, advocacy, and deeper partnerships, helping make healthcare simpler, more stable, and easier to access in an increasingly complex environment.
They explore:
- How trust and collaboration are driving progress across healthcare
- The leadership practices that enable alignment and execution at scale
- Why culture and communication are critical to high performance
How optimism and resilience fuel meaningful change