The Big Unlock

In this episode, Sameer Sethi, SVP and Chief AI & Insights Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health, shares how the health system is embedding AI directly into clinician workflows, moving from theory to real-world transformation.

Sameer outlines practical applications such as specialty-specific clinical note summarization, which reduces “pajama time” for physicians and improves patient interactions, and sentiment analysis of patient survey data, which surfaces actionable insights at scale. He also describes Hackensack’s AI governance framework – a board-approved structure with six strategic focus areas, guided by cross-departmental representation to ensure safe, effective adoption.

Emphasizing that AI solutions serve as decision-support rather than decision-making tools, Sameer highlights the importance of keeping a “human in the loop.” He sees agentic AI as the next frontier – integrating LLMs, RPA, and rule engines to automate complex processes such as prior authorizations and denial management. The result: faster workflows, administrative efficiency, and truly personalized care at scale. Take a listen.

In this episode, Ramesh Kumar, CEO and Co-founder of Zakipoint Health, shares his perspective on addressing healthcare’s persistent challenges—high costs, lack of price transparency, and fragmented care. He emphasizes that patients, or ‘members,’ often struggle to understand the true value of care, even as regulatory pushes for transparency continue.

Ramesh highlights how greater data visibility and patient empowerment can shift the system toward value-based outcomes. He emphasizes that true digital transformation goes beyond compliance and organizations must leverage transparency in data to create actionable insights for patients, employers, and providers alike. He also discusses the role of AI and agentic AI in simplifying complexity, reducing administrative burden, and enabling more personalized, efficient care delivery.

Ramesh underscores the need for co-creation between payers, providers, and technology innovators to build sustainable solutions. For him, the convergence of transparency, digital innovation, and AI marks a pivotal moment to reimagine healthcare’s future. Take a listen.

In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz, Founder and CEO at Holistic Heart Centers, shares her journey from conventional hospital-based cardiology to leading the charge in personalized precision medicine and longevity-focused care. She explains why optimizing health is the cornerstone of extending lifespan and how digital health innovations must deliver value for patients, clinicians, and caregivers—improving outcomes, reducing burnout, lowering costs, and meeting regulatory demands.

A pioneer in telemedicine, digital devices, and AI tools such as ambient scribes and large language models, Dr. Druz examines the opportunities and challenges of Agentic AI in transforming healthcare workflows. She envisions a near future where AI goes beyond administrative tasks to provide advanced clinical decision support—predicting and preventing conditions like Alzheimer’s and heart failure years before symptoms arise.

For Dr. Druz, the “N-of-1” approach—tailoring care to each individual’s unique biology and circumstances—will become the new standard, redefining population health through truly personalized care. Take a listen.

In this episode, Inderpal Kohli, Healthcare Executive Leader (Englewood Health, HSS, and Columbia University Medical Center), shares his vision for scalable digital health transformation. He outlines a proven framework focused on patient engagement, clinically integrated care, and remote patient monitoring—strategies that have already driven an 18–20% increase in online scheduling and improved outcomes in preventive care campaigns.

Inderpal also reflects on how a chance project in biomedical informatics sparked his passion for digital transformation, leading to pioneering work in digital pathology, remote monitoring, and digital front door solutions. He explores the promise of ambient documentation in reducing clinician burden and enhancing satisfaction, and addresses the persistent challenge of integrating EHR systems with third-party tools—stressing the importance of seamless integration for meaningful impact.

He also discusses the potential of digital twins as a game-changer, shares lessons on building agile, consumer-focused digital teams, and weighs in on how GenAI and agentic automation are poised to reshape care delivery. Take a listen.



In this episode, Ashis Barad, Chief Digital Technology Officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), discusses his journey in rehumanizing healthcare through digital health transformation. A practicing pediatric gastroenterologist, Ashis advocates for tech that genuinely solves problems, viewing himself as a “doctor first, technologist second.”

Ashis stresses on Agentic AI and change management as pivotal elements in healthcare transformation. Healthcare is inherently workflow-centric, not a series of isolated moments. Barad explains Agentic AI as a workflow orchestrator designed to reduce administrative waste, enhance patient experience, and accelerate the adoption of best practices.

Ashis outlines HSS’s strategy to leverage its specialized focus to build a modern data lakehouse architecture and deploy AI-powered solutions through key partnerships. He envisions rehumanizing healthcare by automating backend processes, expanding clinician-patient time, and codifying best practices that can be scaled globally, especially in musculoskeletal care and movement. Take a listen.

In this episode, Michael Marchant, Director of Digital Applications at Sutter Health, shares his expert perspective on how interoperability and AI are reshaping the future of healthcare. He discusses the promise of TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement) in expanding data exchange beyond treatment to support broader care coordination. He also highlights California’s Data Exchange Framework as a model for equitable and inclusive health information sharing across diverse communities.

The conversation explores the real-world applications of generative AI in clinical settings, from ambient documentation to AI-powered inbox agents that reduce administrative burden and help clinicians deliver faster, more personalized care.

Michael emphasizes the importance of assistive, not autonomous, AI, spotlighting use cases where technology enhances the capabilities of care teams without replacing the human touch. Drawing on decades of experience in health IT and data policy, Michael offers a grounded yet visionary take on building scalable, interoperable, and patient-centered digital ecosystems. Take a listen.

In this episode, Michael Hughes, Senior EVP, Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer at United Church Homes, shares how the organization is reshaping the future of senior living. Moving beyond a traditional housing-first model, United Church Homes is leading a shift toward a wellness-first approach that prioritizes health, dignity, and independence for older adults. 

With more than 100 communities across 15 states, the organization is leveraging scalable, data-driven strategies to support aging in place, particularly for vulnerable populations. Mike explains how understanding and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) is key to improving outcomes, and how machine learning is helping evaluate the impact of non-clinical interventions in real-world settings.

From transitioning fall detection to fall prevention, to exploring lightweight sensor technologies, Mike emphasizes the importance of proactive care and personal motivation in sustaining long-term wellness. He also introduces the organization’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program—a unique initiative that brings innovators into senior communities to co-create human-centered solutions rooted in real-life experience. Take a listen.

In this episode, J.D. Whitlock, Chief Information Officer at Dayton Children’s Hospital, discusses how a smaller pediatric health system is embracing digital transformation and generative AI while navigating resource constraints.

Mr. Whitlock shares how platforms like Epic, Workday, and Microsoft are enabling innovation from within, especially through features like ambient documentation and coding assistance. With a fast-follower mindset, Dayton Children’s focuses on adopting proven tools from peer organizations rather than being the first to experiment. Mr. Whitlock emphasizes the importance of balancing hard ROI with softer benefits such as improving physician satisfaction and reducing burnout.

He also discusses the challenges of innovation in pediatric care, where many AI tools are still designed with adult medicine in mind. From building data infrastructure to enabling smarter imaging through a vendor-neutral archive, Mr. Whitlock highlights the importance of governance, strategic procurement, and cross-functional collaboration in delivering sustainable innovation. Take a listen.

In this episode, Alicia Abella, AI Product Lead at Novo Nordisk, discusses how she is helping drive responsible AI adoption in the pharmaceutical industry. She shares her early experiences in AI, starting with her PhD research at Columbia University on image processing and natural language processing. 

At Novo Nordisk, the current focus is on applying AI to commercialization functions including – marketing, legal, and HR – beyond its traditional use in drug discovery. Alicia highlights key use cases such as generative AI for knowledge search, content generation for marketing campaigns, and traditional AI techniques for deriving insights about healthcare providers. She also emphasizes the importance of applying a product mindset to AI development by evaluating user needs, business value, and compliance from the outset.

Alicia notes that adding effective governance can help innovation move in the right direction. She also talks about an internal AI Ambassador Program and emphasizes the importance of designing intuitive AI tools to increase adoption. She concludes by discussing future trends in AI, including contextual intelligence, user-centric design, and the opportunity for AI to enhance, rather than replace human decision-making. Take a listen.



In this episode, Sara Vaezy, Chief Transformation Officer at Providence, discusses Providence’s strategic approach to digital transformation, consumer engagement, and responsible AI adoption to improve both patient and caregiver experiences. 

Sara highlights the importance of delivering personalized, frictionless, and proactive healthcare experiences across digital touchpoints. At Providence, a standout initiative is the use of conversational AI to enable ‘message deflection’ which reduces the volume of patient messages sent to physicians by helping patients resolve queries instantly through intelligent chatbots. Sara emphasizes building a digital workforce not just to automate routine tasks, but to rethink and redesign workflows creatively. With foundational investments in cloud infrastructure, unified data systems, and interoperability, Providence is well-positioned to scale AI use cases like ambient documentation and care navigation. 

Sara also shares how Providence has incubated and spun off innovative startups like DexCare and Praia Health to address critical gaps in supply-demand matching and patient personalization. She advocates for ethical AI governance, better observability tools, and designing AI-native healthcare processes that go beyond simply replacing human tasks. Take a listen.