Health IT Podcasts

In this episode of HITea, recorded live at the ViVE conference, we learn from Teri Thomas, CEO of Volpara Health — a leader in AI-powered breast health solutions. The conversation centers around the future of autonomous readings of mammograms and how this technology is shaping the next era of early detection and precision care. Teri shares her insights into the growing role of AI in radiology, the need for scalable and consistent screening tools, and how automation can improve clinical outcomes and reduce disparities in women’s health. With global experience, Teri provides valuable perspective on how AI implementation differs across regions and what’s needed to support broader adoption. Whether you’re in digital health, radiology, or women’s health innovation, this episode offers a timely look into where the industry is headed — and why autonomous mammogram readings are a key part of that future.

March 27, 2025: Deborah Proctor, Retired CEO of St. Joseph Health, explores the intricate tapestry of healthcare leadership. What does it truly mean to build a mission-driven culture that permeates every aspect of an organization? Deborah shares her remarkable journey from bedside nurse to system CEO, revealing how the Sisters of St. Joseph's charism of unity and reconciliation shaped her leadership philosophy. The discussion delves into innovative approaches to sponsorship, where leaders take personal ownership of their team members’ success and examine the courage required to make decisions that may not win popularity but honor organizational values. Key Points:05:19 The Importance of Mission and Values14:25 Building a Mission-Based Culture18:25 Values in Action and Pilgrimage23:11 Sponsorship and Leadership 29:15 Prioritization Challenges38:50 Courageous LeadershipX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

What if AI could guide every patient through their healthcare journey—nudging them toward better choices, anticipating their needs, and adapting in real time? We talk a lot about engagement in healthcare, but too often, the digital tools we use fail to improve outcomes. AI and data-driven personalization hold incredible promise, yet many health plans and providers still struggle with low participation rates. Dr. Erich Huang, Associate Chief Clinical Officer for Informatics and Technology at Verily, an Alphabet company leading the charge in precision health, joins Eric to discuss what’s next for AI in healthcare. The conversation touches on how AI is redefining patient engagement, the delicate balance between automation and human touch, and how platforms like Verily’s Lightpath are pioneering a new model for chronic care management. If you’re a health plan or hospital leader looking to unlock the next generation of patient engagement, you won’t want to miss this conversation.  About Erich Erich leads a team focused on structuring clinical-grade data that integrates with the clinical research and healthcare data ecosystems and is optimized for precision medicine, analysis, and artificial intelligence.    Erich was previously at Duke University where he served as the Chief Data Officer for Quality at Duke Health, Director of Duke Forge, Director of Duke Crucible, and Assistant Dean for Biomedical Informatics for Duke University School of Medicine. There, he led and deployed machine learning capabilities for complex care management in Duke Health’s Accountable Care Organization, led health data science initiatives, and helped develop Duke Health’s new institutional governance process for algorithmic decision support.    He earned his MD and PhD from Duke University, trained and was a Chief Resident in the Duke General Surgery Residency Program. Erich is previously a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Innovations in Regulatory Science Award recipient, received a Sidney Kimmel Cancer Research Foundation Translational Scholar Award, and is twice a recipient of an IBM Faculty Award.   About Verily Verily is an Alphabet health technology company focused on research, care, and health financing to deliver on the promise of precision health and help people live healthier lives. We are uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology, data science, and healthcare to create tools to accelerate evidence generation, products to enable more personalized care, and approaches to make costs more predictable.  

The news of the year for UK healthcare in March 2025 was the announcement of the abolishment of NHS England. Many people welcome the move, expecting the healthcare system in the UK to become more efficient. If we look at the history, NHS is under constant restructuring - in the past, for digitalization efforts, two entities were established - NHS X and NHS Digital, and were later merger into NHS England. A few years ago 200+ commissioning groups were restructured into 42 integrated care systems. In this discussion Liam Cahill, Founder of Together Digital, Digital Advisor to Organisations and Healthtech Advisor talks about the impact of the latest restructuring and expected impact. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB3XXtxvfag&t=19s www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

March 26, 2025: Julie Johnson, Executive Director of the Center for Research Informatics at the University of Chicago, explores the current state of healthcare data and advancements aiming to transform patient care. How can organizations democratize data while maintaining appropriate governance? Julie shares insights on her partnership with MDClone, describing how this tool helps clinicians and researchers "fail fast and pivot quickly" rather than waiting months for critical information. Key Points:01:57 Data Utilization and Governance03:44 Addressing Data Bias and Sourcing05:26 Future Prospects and Innovations08:23 Navigating HIMSSX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

What happens when patients take the lead in shaping healthcare innovation?  In this episode of HIT Like a Girl, guest host Demi Radeva sits down with Molly Schreiber, a passionate patient advocate who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 35 years and rheumatoid arthritis. Molly shares her incredible journey from being a patient to joining Savvy Cooperative, a patient-owned marketplace revolutionizing how healthcare companies access patient insights and data. Together, Demi and Molly explore: The critical gaps between patient needs and industry deliverables. How patient-centric approaches can drive better healthcare solutions. The ongoing challenges in digital health, including accessibility, interoperability, and data privacy—especially in women’s health. Why patient collaboration is essential for meaningful policy and innovation. Molly’s story is a powerful reminder that patients aren’t just beneficiaries of healthcare—they’re its most valuable partners. Key Moments: 00:17 | Molly’s Personal Healthcare Journey 00:59 | Policy Shifts and Industry Changes 02:21 | Bridging the Gap Between Patient Needs and Industry Delivery 03:18 | How Savvy Cooperative is Empowering Patients 05:36 | Overcoming Challenges in Digital Health Accessibility 07:12 | Interoperability and Patient Control Over Data 08:21 | The Untapped Value of Patient Data 10:07 | Women’s Health Data and Privacy Concerns 11:17 | How to Improve Patient Collaboration in Healthcare 12:24 | Molly’s Message to Policymakers Tune in to hear Molly’s inspiring story and learn how patient insights are shaping the future of healthcare. Why Listen? This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about patient advocacy, healthcare innovation, and data-driven solutions. Molly’s insights are a call to action for policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators to put patients at the center of healthcare.

March 25, 2025: Albert Villarin, VP and CMIO of Nuvance Health, interviews Dr. Mark Weisman, CIO and CMIO of Tidal Health. Mark candidly discusses the difficulties of implementing AI solutions, emphasizing the critical importance of proper AI governance and education for healthcare professionals. As AI tools increasingly write clinical notes and suggest diagnoses, what skills should future clinicians develop—memorizing facts or critically evaluating AI outputs? Mark envisions a future where ambient AI transforms nursing workflows, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care than documentation, while acknowledging the challenges of building trust in these emerging technologies.Key Points:03:10 Challenges and Successes with AI06:23 AI Governance and Education14:22 Adoption and Trust in AI18:48 Future goals for AIX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

On this episode Justin records live at ViVE 2025 in Nashville. Stay tuned for the next few weeks to hear all his guests. This week tune in to hear Pooja Babbrah, EVP, Strategy & Industry Alignment, National Council for Prescription Drug Programs + Rich Scarfo, President, HLTH. www.ncpdp.org/ www.hlth.com/

March 24, 2025: Heather Costa, Director of Technology Resilience at Mayo Clinic, shares her journey of rebranding her team from "disaster recovery operations" to "technology resilience operations," emphasizing that cyber incidents require a fundamentally different approach than physical disruptions. The conversation delves into the challenges of communicating technical needs with clinical staff, with Heather explaining her philosophy of "meeting people where they are" and focusing on their work rather than the technology. As cyber threats continue to evolve, Heather offers insights into building resilient systems that minimize disruption to patient care.Key Points:03:43 Heather's Role at Mayo Clinic04:29 The Evolution of Disaster Recovery07:10 Engaging Frontline Operators 17:44 Building Blocks of Resilience20:52 Lightning RoundX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 21, 2025: MEDITECH leaders Christopher Policano, VP of Sales, and Rachel Wilkes, Director of Marketing, sit down at HIMSS 2025 in Las Vegas. They explore how healthcare interoperability is evolving through their newly launched Traverse Exchange platform. How are these real-time data exchanges transforming clinical workflows beyond traditional fragmented files? The discussion reveals a company culture deeply invested in sustainable healthcare innovation while making advanced capabilities accessible to community hospitals.Key Points:01:51 Introducing Traverse Exchange05:36 AI Enhancing the EHR08:02 MEDITECH's Culture and MissionSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 21, 2025: Philipp von Gilsa, CEO of Kontakt.io, explores how next-generation real-time location systems (RTLS) are re-entering the healthcare space and creating rapid growth. Philipp reveals how his company's cloud-based approach is helping health systems drastically reduce equipment costs through enhanced visibility, with some clients seeing benefits in the first month after deployment. Don’t miss this discussion live from the floor of HIMSS.Key Points:03:47 Next Generation RTLS04:39 Implementation and ROI08:19 RTLS with AISubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 20, 2025: Gary Chan, Assistant VP/CISO at SSM Health and Security Mentalist, brings a refreshingly innovative approach to cybersecurity. Gary reveals how he transforms traditionally dry security training into memorable experiences through psychological techniques and mentalism performances, demonstrating live social engineering tactics that leave audiences both entertained and better prepared. As healthcare faces increasing cybersecurity threats, particularly with the rise of AI, how might the balance between technological defenses and human awareness evolve? Key Points:04:43 Security Mentalism10:04 Impact of Security Training15:41 Human Behavior and Social Engineering19:06 Future of Cybersecurity with AI26:45 Common Misconceptions and Personal InsightsSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 19, 2025: Jonathan Cook, CTO for Clearsense, explores how healthcare organizations can achieve immediate ROI through data enablement and application rationalization. Cook reveals how Clearsense has evolved from an archiving solution to a comprehensive data enablement platform that indexes, structures, and makes accessible data across disparate systems while providing a clear path to cost savings. Key Points:05:12 ROI Found Fast08:15 AI Enablement and Future Prospects11:24 Business Continuity and Disaster RecoverySubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Empowering nurses through technology is crucial for improving patient care and addressing workforce challenges.  In this episode, Dr. Brian Weirich, Chief Nursing Innovation Officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health, discusses his journey from bedside nursing to healthcare innovation, emphasizing the need for technology to ease nurses’ workload and enhance their ability to provide quality care. He shares his experiences with tech startups, including developing a virtual assistant for nurses and addressing clinical gaps with innovative solutions. Dr. Weirich highlights the importance of automating physical tasks, augmenting clinical decision-making with AI-driven nudges, and reducing the documentation burden to free up nurses' time. He envisions a future where ambient technology and smart rooms seamlessly integrate into care, allowing for real-time documentation and more patient-focused interaction. Finally, he encourages nurses to actively participate in technology implementation and to embrace new tools that can transform the profession. Tune in and learn how technology can empower nurses and revolutionize patient care!

March 19, 2025: Tony Douglas, RVP of US Healthcare from Palo Alto Networks, explores solutions to the current vulnerabilities in healthcare security. Tony unpacks their "platformization" approach, consolidating multiple security functions into a single platform to combat breaches. How are healthcare providers balancing the benefits of AI with the risks of data exposure? The conversation highlights their new Unit 42 service offering remote SOC management with real-time zero-day threat intelligence.Key Points:02:23 Platformization: Simplifying Security04:13 AI Inconsistencies 07:51 Unit 42 and Global Threat IntelligenceSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

As care delivery shifts beyond traditional hospital settings, how do we ensure patient safety, cybersecurity, and equitable access to high-quality care? In this episode of HITea at the ViVE conference, we sit down with Laura Rogers, Senior Director, Healthcare Strategy at SHI International, to explore how the "Care Anywhere" model is transforming healthcare. We discuss the driving forces behind home-based care, the IT infrastructure needed to support it, and the biggest challenges—from cybersecurity risks to reimbursement hurdles. Plus, we dive into how this shift impacts women, who often juggle their own health alongside caregiving responsibilities. What cutting-edge innovations are making Care Anywhere a reality? And what’s still standing in the way? Tune in to find out!

What does it take to revolutionize healthcare with data? In this episode of the HIT Like a Girl Podcast, guest host Demi Radeva sits down with Shirel Daniel, a leader in the healthcare startup space, to uncover her unique journey and the transformative work she’s directing at Extrico Health. From her roots at Syracuse University and Tel Aviv University to her impactful roles with the UN Environment and Philadelphia Internal Medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shirel’s path to healthcare innovation is anything but traditional. Now, as a leader at Extrico Health, she’s harnessing the power of data analytics, AI, and clinical phenotypes to tackle some of healthcare’s biggest challenges—from Revenue Cycle Management to Clinical Documentation Improvement—all while keeping patient privacy and outcomes at the forefront. Tune in to hear Shirel share: How Extrico Health is using AI-driven insights to improve hospital performance and patient care. The delicate balance between innovation, security, and regulatory compliance in the age of AI. Why value-based care is the future—and how Extrico is paving the way. A roadmap for overcoming patient privacy barriers and aligning AI policy language across the industry. Key Moments: 00:00 | Shirel’s Nontraditional Path to Health Startups 04:56 | Aligning AI Policy Language for Industry-Wide Impact 08:35 | Breaking Down Patient Privacy Barriers 09:48 | Balancing AI, Security, and Innovation 13:08 | The Shift to Value-Based Care and Better Patient Outcomes 17:06 | Shirel’s Vision for the Future of Healthcare Improvement This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about the intersection of data, AI, and healthcare innovation. Shirel’s insights are a masterclass in navigating the complexities of the industry while staying focused on what matters most: improving patient lives. Stay Connected: Follow Shirel Daniel on LinkedIn Learn more about Extrico Health This episode was recorded live at #ViVE2025—where the future of healthcare comes to life.

What if your health plan’s biggest opportunity to improve outcomes wasn’t in a hospital or clinic—but in a home, a grocery store, or a child’s support system? Mark Rakowski, President of Chorus Community Health Plans (CCHP) and Senior Vice President of Children's Wisconsin, joins Eric to explore the plan’s innovative approach to social determinants of health.    From its Housing Navigator Program and Foodsmart initiative to its groundbreaking mental health strategy,  CCHP is driving better health, lowering costs, and achieving remarkable results—including a 70% treatment adherence rate among Medicaid members.   If you’re a healthcare leader looking for scalable, high-impact strategies to address social determinants of health and improve member outcomes, this episode is a must-listen!   About CCHP Chorus Community Health Plans, which is owned by Children’s Wisconsin – the state’s only health care system dedicated 100% to children and teens, is focused on improving the health and well-being of its members by providing access to a broad network of health services and providers, as well as prevention programs. CCHP is the second-largest Medicaid health plan in the state. The plan serves 150,000 Medicaid members in 28 counties in eastern Wisconsin. In 2017, CCHP began offering individual and family plans in the Marketplace in southeastern Wisconsin, and the plan has now expanded to 15 counties in eastern Wisconsin, covering 15,000 members in 2022.   About Mark  Mark is responsible for the health plan's overall operation. He directs the development of strategies and budgets, negotiates contracts and ensures compliance. In addition to these roles, Mark oversees the contractual relationship with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and monitors and influences state and local healthcare policy.   Mark is also actively involved in the Children’s Wisconsin strategic plan to improve children’s health in Wisconsin. The plan focuses on increasing access to preventive services, addressing social drivers of health, and partnering with providers to improve care coordination. Mark joined Children’s Wisconsin and the CCHP team in 1999 as director of managed care.    Before that, he had 11 years of experience in healthcare-managed care roles. Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and a master’s in accounting from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.  In 2010, Mark was recognized as a notable health care hero by BizTimes Milwaukee, which was an advancement in healthcare. 

March 18, 2025: Today on TownHall, Sue Schade, Principal at StarBridge Advisors, talks with Sonney Sapra, SVP and CIO at Samaritan Health Services. Sonney discusses his nearly four-year journey at Samaritan Health, detailing the organization's focus on technological innovation, financial sustainability, and population health. Why move to a fully cloud-based infrastructure? How can AI and ambient listening technologies transform healthcare? Sonny shares insights into these questions and more, including integrating health plan data to improve patient outcomes. He also delves into workforce management in a remote and hybrid environment, and emphasizes the importance of understanding organizational needs in vendor partnerships. Finally, Sonny discusses his future role as a TownHall moderator in 2025 and his passion for sharing knowledge within the CIO community. Subscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

6% of the hospital budget, EPIC and 100 healthcare IT systems. That's the description of the infrastructure in the Cleveland clinic London. CIO Raihaan Mughal likes to emphasize CEOs are concerned about three things: Increasing revenue Reducing cost Mitigating risk When investing, Cleveland clinic is mindful of Return on investment, return on employee. When it comes to AI, CIO Raihaan Mughal says: "Take your time, be skeptical about vendor promises." Cleveland Clinic in the US is running a pilot comparing 5 ambient solutions before they sign a long-term contract. Tune in to the full discussion with Raihaan, recorded at the Digital Health Excellence Forum by Smart Bridges GmbH in Berlin. Youtube: https://lnkd.in/dKzBrAxS www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

On this episode Justin records live at ViVE 2025 in Nashville. Stay tuned for the next few weeks to hear all his guests. This week tune in to hear Erik Pupo, Director, Commercial Health IT Advisory, Guidehouse + Kamal Jethwani, Co-founder & CEO, Decimal.health and VP, Digital Ventures, Moffitt Cancer Center

On this episode Justin records live at ViVE 2025 in Nashville. Stay tuned for the next few weeks to hear all his guests. This week tune in to hear Chris Paravate, CIO, NGHS, President, HIMSS Georgia Chapter, Northeast Georgia Health System + Allyson Fryhoff, Managing Director, Global Healthcare & Life Sciences, Amazon Web Services (AWS).

On this episode Justin records live at ViVE 2025 in Nashville. Stay tuned for the next few weeks to hear all his guests. This week tune in to hear Aneesh Chopra, Author, Innovator, Former U.S. CTO, Chief Strategy Officer, Arcadia + Rich Scarfo, President, HLTH.

March 17, 2025: Dr. Donita Brown, Business Professor and Host of The Management Minute podcast, explores the fascinating shifts in workplace motivation across generations. Donita shares powerful insights on the demographic cliff affecting higher education and the potential rise of micro-learning formats like "micro MBAs." Through stories about family vacations, workplace dynamics, and lessons from her father, Dr. Brown offers listeners quick insights into generational leadership and career development.Key Points:03:50 The Power of Listening09:29 The Future of Higher Education20:48 Mastering Mutual Gains Negotiation29:35 Lessons from Writing a Book33:29 Staying Relevant and ThrivingSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer