Hosted by Mandy Peckham, President and CEO of BSR Consulting, Innovating for Impact episodes bring together voices from across the public sector and tech industry to explore what it takes to modernize responsibly, scale effectively, and lead with purpose in complex government ecosystems.
On this episode, Mandy sits down with Lori Murphy, Senior Director of Business Development for Federal VA at Unite Us and a licensed clinical social worker with more than two decades of frontline experience. Lori brings a rare perspective shaped by years of direct patient care across the VA, community hospitals, nonprofits, and mental health settings, combined with her current work at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and social services.
The conversation traces Lori’s journey into social work and explores how her firsthand experience with unmet social needs shaped her views on healthcare delivery, policy, and innovation. Mandy and Lori dig into why social determinants of health are still underestimated in patient outcomes, how care coordination has evolved inside the VA, and what lessons siloed systems have taught her about interoperability and cross-sector collaboration.
The episode also examines the often-overlooked role of relationships and trust in driving meaningful change, highlighting how low-tech, community-based solutions can be just as powerful as advanced technology. Lori shares insights from pandemic-era initiatives, discusses where innovation in human services deserves more attention, and reflects on what industry still misunderstands about how federal healthcare agencies operate day to day.
To connect with Lori, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Unite Us by visiting their webpage here.
Connect with host Mandy by following her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about BSR Consulting by visiting their webpage here.
Click here to listen on Spotify.
If you liked listening to this episode, click here to view more in this series. To view all of our podcast series, visit our podcast page.
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