QuickHITs

In this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith sits down with Dr. Nicholas Gavin, Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at Mount Sinai, and Dr. Robbie Freeman, Mount Sinai's Chief Digital Transformation Officer. Nicholas and Robbie unpack what it actually takes to move a digital health tool from a small pilot to system-wide scale, including the operational gap, the Hawthorne effect, and why Mount Sinai builds for scale from day one rather than treating pilots as an endpoint. They share how a culture of bottom-up idea submission, paired with rigorous co-design with patients and clinicians, has led to products like an AI tool that predicts pressure injury risk and a digital triage platform shaped directly by patient focus groups. The conversation also covers interoperability, standardizing on a single EMR across seven hospital campuses and 400-plus ambulatory locations, and where Nicholas and Robbie see the next wave of healthcare technology heading, including agentic AI and computer vision. They close with a candid take on healthcare's long struggle with administrative burden, and why current tools may finally offer a real path forward for clinicians and patients alike.

In this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith, CEO of Health Data Movers, sits down with Dr. Bill Winkenwerder, Chairman of CitiusTech, for a wide-ranging conversation spanning four decades at the highest levels of healthcare leadership. Dr. Winkenwerder's career began with a simple but powerful realization: that the physician-patient relationship, while meaningful, wasn't enough to fix a broken system. That conviction drove him well beyond the clinic. He went on to serve as Medical Director at Kaiser Permanente, Vice President at Emory Healthcare, CEO of Highmark Health — the 7th largest health insurer in the U.S., serving more than 34 million Americans — and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, overseeing healthcare across the entire U.S. military. Today, he brings that depth of experience to his role as Chairman of CitiusTech. Together, Tyler and Bill explore the forces reshaping healthcare today — consolidation, aging infrastructure, and the accelerating pace of technological change. Bill makes the case that clean, reliable data isn't just an IT priority; it's the prerequisite for everything else, including AI. And he offers a grounded, experience-backed take on where agentic AI will actually deliver in the next three to five years, and where human judgment remains irreplaceable. The conversation also turns to the bigger picture: what it means to build a healthcare system that helps everyday people live healthier, more informed lives, rather than just treating them when they're sick. This episode is for healthcare leaders who want perspective from someone who has operated at every level of the system and still believes the most important work is ahead. Topics covered: How Bill's career evolved from medicine to policy to healthcare leadership The compounding challenges of legacy systems, consolidation, and constant change Why data quality is the true foundation for AI in healthcare Where CitiusTech and HDM fit in the next phase of healthcare IT The real-world potential of agentic AI and its limits Empowering patients through better data, education, and technology

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Anita Harris-Brown, Vice President, CNIO, and Clinical Applications leader at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. A former pediatric critical care nurse turned healthcare IT leader, Dr. Harris-Brown shares her journey from paper-based workflows to shaping one of the nation's top children's hospitals through technology and innovation. Dr. Harris-Brown reflects on the pivotal experiences that led her into clinical informatics and how she bridges the gap between bedside care and digital transformation. She explores the role of gamification in pediatric care — from turning physical therapy into baseball with the Cincinnati Reds to designing child-friendly digital tools that make hospital visits less intimidating. She also breaks down how her team approaches AI, avatars, and virtual nursing with intentional governance and a focus on safe, scalable use cases. With servant leadership at the core of her philosophy, Dr. Harris-Brown shares why listening to clinicians, patients, and families is essential for building trust and driving adoption of new technology. Please tune in for an inspiring conversation about leadership in pediatric healthcare, the intersection of clinical insight and innovation, and how technology can create both safer outcomes and more engaging experiences for children and their families.

In this episode of QuickHITs, we're joined by Dr. Nirav Shah, Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officer of AI and Innovation at Endeavor Health. With a clinical background in infectious diseases and a career spanning quality, analytics, and digital transformation, Dr. Shah shares how Endeavor is navigating the complex yet urgent task of scaling AI responsibly across a multi-hospital health system. Dr. Shah, Tyler Smith, and Ken Booth discuss what it takes to build trust in emerging technologies from the rapid adoption of ambient documentation to the next wave of agentic AI tools that promise to automate full workflows. He shares how his team is using generative AI to reduce a 3-month manual policy consolidation effort down to five minutes, and why platforms over point solutions is the mindset shift needed for sustainable growth. If you're working to balance innovation with governance, reduce burnout with better tech, or prepare your health system for the scale of change AI is bringing, this episode offers a clear framework for getting started.

In this episode of QuickHITs, we're joined by Dr. Alistair Erskine, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Emory Healthcare and Emory University. With a background that bridges clinical care and digital transformation, Dr. Erskine offers a candid and practical perspective on how healthcare systems can utilize technology to enhance, rather than complicate, care delivery. Dr. Erskine and Tyler Smith, CEO of Health Data Movers, discuss the emerging role of ambient technologies in reducing documentation burden and burnout, the importance of governing AI responsibly, and the power of interoperability through Epic to drive smarter, safer workflows. From real-world change management lessons to forward-thinking use cases like practice-based evidence and predictive patient engagement, this conversation is packed with strategies healthcare leaders can use today. If you're navigating digital transformation, scaling innovation, or just trying to make IT a little less painful for clinicians, this one's for you.

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Nigam Shah, a leading voice in healthcare AI and Stanford Health Care's Chief Data Scientist. As a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, Dr. Shah has spent his career turning massive amounts of health data, from EHRs to wearables, into actionable insights that improve clinical care. Dr. Shah explains what it takes to bring AI out of the lab and into patient care. From Stanford's groundbreaking approach to advance care planning to the importance of understanding workflows and work capacity before deploying any model, he offers a candid look at the complexities and opportunities of real-world AI in healthcare. He also introduces the "Turing Trap" concept, explains why "human-in-the-loop" is often misunderstood, and discusses how we can prepare health systems for sustainable, ethical AI adoption. With his unique perspective at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and informatics, Dr. Shah offers a thoughtful, grounded take on how AI can support, not replace, the people at the heart of care. Please tune in for an eye-opening conversation about responsible AI, the evolution of care delivery, and what it means to be bilingual in tech and medicine.

In this episode of QuickHITs, we sit down with Ramana Sastry, Executive Director of Clinical Technologies at UCSF Health, to explore the evolving landscape of medical technology management and the strategies hospitals can use to optimize costs without compromising patient care. Ramana shares how his team is leveraging data-driven maintenance strategies, automation, and AI insights to enhance equipment uptime and efficiency. He discusses the importance of balancing in-house maintenance with OEM partnerships, and how a collaborative approach with clinicians leads to better decision-making and improved patient outcomes. Ramana also discusses the intersection of medical devices and IT, explaining how connected healthcare technology is reshaping service delivery and support strategies. With decades of experience in clinical engineering, he brings a wealth of knowledge on how hospitals can future-proof their technology while maintaining cost efficiency and regulatory compliance.

As we wrap up 2024, we're reflecting on one of the most transformative topics we explored on QuickHITs this year: AI in healthcare. From revolutionizing clinical workflows to enhancing patient outcomes, AI has been at the forefront of innovation, and we've captured some incredible insights along the way.Join Tyler Smith and Ken Booth for a special highlight reel featuring all the moments AI took center stage on QuickHITs. Whether it's leveraging predictive analytics, streamlining operational efficiency, or tackling complex healthcare challenges, this compilation showcases how AI is shaping the future of our industry.Get inspired by expert perspectives and actionable takeaways as we revisit key episodes that defined 2024.