Becker’s Hospital Review is honoring Vanderbilt Health’s Ruchika Talwar, MD, MMHC,Medical Director of Episodes of Care, Population Health, with inclusion on its 2026 “Rising Stars: Healthcare Leaders Under 40” list.
Emerging leaders recognized on the list are driving innovation, championing better outcomes and leading boldly, according to a release from Becker’s.
“I’m incredibly honored by this recognition, but the work it reflects is truly a team effort. None of what we’ve accomplished in Episodes of Care and specialty value-based care at Vanderbilt Health would be possible without my co-director, Chelsea Parris, whose partnership has been instrumental, or the leadership of C.J. Stimson, who has created the vision and opportunity for this work to grow and have meaningful impact for our patients,” said Talwar, Assistant Professor of Urology.
“I’m also deeply grateful for the mentorship of Dave Penson, whom I first met as a medical student. Throughout every stage of my career, he has encouraged me to pursue a path that extends beyond traditional surgical practice and has supported my interests in health policy, research, health system leadership, and advisory work on Capitol Hill and with Medicare. His willingness to invest in those varied experiences has been critical to my development as a leader and has given me the opportunity to contribute to improving health care both at Vanderbilt Health and nationally.”
In her role as Medical Director of Episodes of Care, Talwar leads the operationalizing and scaling of Medicare and commercial specialty value-based care programs, including MyHealth Bundles, a value-based bundled payment program at Vanderbilt Health. She has overseen the expansion of MyHealth Bundles to regional Vanderbilt Health facilities. Through December 2025, more than 11,000 patients had participated in MyHealth Bundles across various specialty bundles, collectively reducing out-of-pocket spending by $3.4 million, while self-insured employers saved an average of $1.4 million annually from the highest-volume bundles. The programhascut average wait times for cochlear implants from 152 days to two days; reduced diabetes-related spending by 40%; and decreased cesarean section rates by nearly 5% compared with market benchmarks.
Talwar also maintains active clinical practice as a urologic oncologist, performing robotic and open urologic cancer surgery, and consults for other health systems seeking to replicate the bundled-payment model.
“Ruchi does it all, and this honor is just more proof of it. Whether she is managing the episodes of care project, teaching residents or performing complicated urologic surgeries, she does it with grace and ease,” said David Penson, MD, MPH, MMHC, the Paul V. Hamilton MD and Virginia E. Howd Professor of Urologic Oncology and Chair of the Department of Urology. “I am so proud of her and am truly heartened to see Becker’s recognizing her accomplishments.”
Talwar held the H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellowship, working on Capitol Hill to advise on health legislation, and has served as chair of the American Urological Association’s residents and fellows committee. Her research on drug pricing and value transformation, including a study evaluating cost-saving opportunities through the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company model, has been published in NEJM Catalyst, JAMA and the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“This recognition may have my name on it, but it reflects the mentors, colleagues and teams across Vanderbilt Health who have invested in me and who make this work possible every day,” Talwar said.
