In this episode of CHIME’s Leader-to-Leader Podcast, Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Jason Rose, CEO of Clearsense, to explore the evolving role of data in healthcare. Jason shares his insights on data-driven innovation, overcoming security and access challenges, and the importance of leadership in healthcare technology.

Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the future of healthcare data and the strategies that leaders can use to drive meaningful change and improve patient outcomes. 

In this episode, CHIME President and CEO, Russ Branzell welcomes Rachael England, Associate Principal of Digital Technologies at Vizient, to unpack the complex realities facing digital health leaders who are driving innovation amid mounting economic pressures. Rachael shares insights from working closely with provider CIOs and IT teams to reduce costs, streamline vendor relationships, and ensure digital strategies align with long-term goals. Together, they explore the balance between visionary leadership and sustainable execution, discussing how strategic partnerships can maximize value without sacrificing agility.

Key Takeaways:

• How digital health leaders are navigating budget constraints, vendor fatigue, and pressures to innovate
• Strategies to reduce IT spend and complexity leveraging GPOs and strategic partnerships
• Real-world use cases for AI in procurement and IT decision-making
• How to overcome hurdles in AI adoption with the right data and collaboration
• Thought leadership principles for maintaining focus, avoiding burnout, and leading effective and sustainable digital transformation

In this episode, Harmeet Chauhan, CEO of GS Lab | GAVS Technologies, shares his insights on the evolving role of AI and data infrastructure in healthcare. He emphasizes the importance of building robust, scalable data foundations before implementing AI and advanced analytics to ensure measurable outcomes. Harmeet discusses his perspective on how emerging trends, such as the integration of unstructured and patient-generated data into AI models, are shaping the future of healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

• Why strong data infrastructure is essential before adopting AI and advanced analytics in healthcare.
• Proven frameworks for building scalable, healthcare-ready data platforms that can support sustainable AI integration.
• Strategies for communicating the ROI of foundational data engineering efforts to stakeholders focused on immediate outcomes and short-term results.
• Emerging trends in AI adoption, including the integration of unstructured and patient-generated data into AI models.
• Leadership strategies for aligning technical teams and executives to drive successful investments in data infrastructure and AI.

Allyson Fryhoff, Managing Director of Global Healthcare and Life Sciences at Amazon Web Services (AWS) joins Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME to discuss how healthcare organizations are navigating various phases of cloud adoption and the implications for data interoperability, cybersecurity, and the human element of care. Recently recognized as the 2025 Best in KLAS award winner for Public Cloud, Allyson highlights AWS' approach to customer success and the significance of relationship management to drive desired outcomes in effective cloud migrations.  

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the long-term impact of healthcare's ongoing transition to the public cloud on patient care
• Strategies for prioritizing innovation and sustainability in cloud migrations while minimizing spend and disruptions to patient care
• Innovative solutions in early cloud adoption stages that create immediate value to healthcare delivery
• Pivotal leadership frameworks for fostering collaborative team environments that drive successful cloud innovation

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME welcomes PV SubbaRao, Senior Vice President of Global Healthcare and Life Sciences at Rackspace for an in-depth discussion on the rapidly evolving landscape of cloud strategy in healthcare. PV shares his insights on the biggest shifts in cloud strategy, common challenges, and how digital health leaders can best balance scalability, security, and flexibility in a hybrid or multi-cloud environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the shift from traditional cloud approaches to flexible, multi-cloud ecosystems in healthcare.
• How healthcare leaders can balance scalability, security, and flexibility when adopting hybrid or multi-cloud models.
• Frameworks for ensuring cloud strategies align with business priorities, patient care objectives, and regulatory compliance.
• Strategies for developing and retaining top cloud talent in the face of ongoing workforce gaps in the healthcare sector.
• How healthcare leaders can build resilience and adapt to cybersecurity, cost, and regulatory challenges while embracing digital transformation.

Jason Barr, Vice President of Healthcare at ID.me joins Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME to breakdown the complexities of federated identity in healthcare – including the implications of TEFCA and its impact on patient authentication and interoperability. Jason discusses identity verification’s impact on data sharing, security, and patient trust in an increasingly digital healthcare ecosystem and advises healthcare leaders on how to secure workforce identities from the cyberattacks targeting healthcare employees throughout the industry.

Key Takeaways:

• The crucial importance of federated identity in securing patient and workforce authentication.
• How to navigate federal compliance requirements and security protocols related to TEFCA and the final authentication rule.
• Actionable strategies for balancing security, privacy, and user experience in identity management.
• Emerging technologies in identity security solutions.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME welcomes fellow CHIME Board Member, Jon Manis, SVP and CIO at CHRISTUS Health to the show for an insightful conversation about the transformative power of a "Think Differently" mindset in healthcare. A long-time leader in digital health, Jon shares his perspectives on challenging conventional thinking to drive innovation and the need for modern CIOs to evolve from IT managers to strategic business leaders.

Key Takeaways:

• Actionable leadership strategies for CIOs on how to implement transformational change amid financial, operational, and cultural challenges.
• The evolving role of CIOs as a strategic business leaders and change agents in driving industry-wide transformation.
• Why healthcare must shift from provider-centric to consumer-first models to stay competitive in the digital economy.
• How healthcare leaders can cultivate meaningful, consumer-friendly environments while prioritizing digital transformation

Key Takeaways:

• Key insights into the challenges of AI adoption and its potential to create sustainable solutions to improve patient care.
• Leadership strategies to drive global collaboration in responsible AI adoption, enhancing patient support, and improving access to services.
• How to enhance human intelligence and care in AI integration and ensure clinicians, administrators, and care teams can optimize workflows.
• Advancements in Next Gen technologies that are influencing digital transformation on a global scale.  

Adam Gale, Founder and CEO of KLAS and Shiv Rao, MD, Founder, CEO of Abridge join Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME as they discuss the significance of the KLAS Trailblazer Award, the impact of its recognition, and what broader trends in digital health and AI-driven solutions healthcare executives should consider as they seek to future-proof their organizations. 

Key Takeaways:

• The significance of the BEST in KLAS Awards in the evolving landscape of digital health.
• How to achieve accuracy, usability, and clinician trust in AI adoption amid regulatory challenges and concerns.
• The role AI in reducing clinical burnout to regain time and focus on patient care.
• Critical insights to the future of AI in healthcare and its potential impact on diagnostics, patient engagement, and clinical decision support.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Adnan Iqbal, CEO, Luma Health and Michelle Winfield-Hanrahan, Chief Clinical Access Officer, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to the show for a critical conversation about the complex realities facing clinical care teams, improving patient outcomes, and the power of preserving human connection in healthcare.

Tune in as we explore how leaders can balance technological innovation and automation with meaningful patient-provider interactions and experiences to define quality care.

Key Takeaways:

• Strategies for leveraging AI to reshape workflows, drive operational efficiency, and enhance patient care.
• Thought leadership solutions for scaling innovation to empower both patients and overburdened clinical teams.
• Leadership insights into fostering the right skills, culture and mindset for teams to ensure successful, secure adoption of digital innovation.

This episode is sponsored by Luma Health