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Artificial intelligence is being touted as having the potential to revolutionize healthcare.

Joe Zabinski says that the future may not be too far away.

“In terms of how close we are to this having widespread adoption, I think we're closer than most people realize, because so much of it goes on behind the scenes,” he says.

Zabinski, the senior director of AI and personalized medicine at OM1, is the guest on the latest episode of the Data Book podcast.

He sees AI as having great promise in helping diagnose conditions and identify patients who are in the greatest need of screenings for certain areas.

“That's a very promising area for AI to help out with diagnosis,” he says.

Zabinski talked about the ways AI can change healthcare, and how artificial intelligence could be used to improve health equity, or potentially worsen disparities if it’s used incorrectly. He also talked about the potential of ChatGPT to change the industry, and could eventually help physicians and researchers. 

He also talked about the need for more health systems to move toward automation to handle some administrative tasks, especially in light of staffing shortages.

Artificial intelligence and its potential to change healthcare

In the latest episode, he talks about how artificial intelligence can change the practice of medicine, its promise and some thorny ethical questions.

Data Book podcast: Joe Zabinski of OM1 talks about AI and ChatGPT

Tom Cotter spends time thinking about things that would keep some people up at night.

Cotter is president and executive director of Healthcare Ready, a nonprofit organization that works with the health sector to ensure sufficient supplies of pharmaceuticals and other needed supplies for disasters. He talks about the organization’s work in the latest Data Book podcast.

Healthcare Ready was founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and coordinates information sharing between the healthcare sector and supply chain entities.

In light of shortages of key drugs such as albuterol and children’s ibuprofen in recent months, Cotter says, “We need to understand where's the data that is useful for decision makers to take action.”

“I think people think there's more visibility and transparency than there actually is in the supply chain, especially in the healthcare sector,” Cotter says.

Cotter says the supply chain “is more of a supply web. And there's a lot of interdependencies.”

“I think what we need to now do, in general, you know, at a high level, is make sure we're institutionalizing the lessons learned from the past couple of years, and not just from COVID-19,” he adds.

In our latest episode, Cotter talks about his nonprofit organization that helps the health sector prepare for emergencies, and the need for more data to manage the supply chain.


Data Book podcast: Tom Cotter of Healthcare Ready on preparing for disaster

Medical debt is an enormous problem, as more than half of all U.S. adults have gone into debt because of medical or dental bills, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In our latest episode of the “Data Book” podcast, we talked about medical debt with Ryne Natzke, the chief revenue officer of Sphere. Sphere is a technology company that works with health systems on patient billing systems.

Ryne discussed the difficulties for patients. And he says medical debt could be considered a social determinant of health.

“Medical debt is the largest overall contributor to personal debt,” Natzke says.

We also talked about the challenges for providers. Healthcare providers, which are facing tremendous financial pressures in the pandemic, also need to collect as much as possible from patients, Natzke adds.

“Hospitals don’t love having all this money sitting out there uncollected,” he says.

We talked about how health systems can sustain their operations without leaving their patients with catastrophic debt. He talks about the need for health systems to use technology to help determine which patients may be facing financial hardships due to their medical costs, and how to help them. 

But systems also need to give patients the human touch, and allow them to reach a person when they truly need assistance.

Reminder: You can subscribe to Data Book on Apple, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio and virtually everywhere you get your podcasts.

In our latest episode, Ryne Natzke of Sphere talks about how providers need to take different approaches to ensure they are getting paid without leaving patients with heavy debt.

Data Book podcast: Medical debt and the impact on patients and providers 

In our latest episode of the Data Book podcast, Justin Norden talks about the emergence of ChatGPT and what it means for healthcare.

Norden is a physician who teaches about digital health at Stanford Medicine. He’s also a partner at GSR Ventures, an investment firm focusing on early stage digital health companies. In this conversation, he talks about how AI is going to eventually touch every part of the healthcare journey.

Growing up in a family of physicians, he graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine. He became fascinated with the idea of merging technology and healthcare. He helped start the Stanford Center for Digital Health.

As Norden says, “You can’t spend that long in Silicon Valley without starting a few companies of your own.” He was CEO and co-founder of Trustworthy AI, which was acquired by Waymo, Google’s self-driving vehicle company. He also worked on the healthcare team at Apple. He’s been at GSR Ventures for nearly four years.

ChatGPT could be the fastest-growing consumer technology project ever, Norden says.

When asked about ChatGPT’s implication for healthcare, Norden says, “That is the million, if not billion dollar question.”

Justin teaches about digital health at Stanford Medicine and is a partner at GSR Ventures. He talks about the potential of ChatGPT, the ethical questions, and how AI will transform the industry.

Data Book podcast: Justin Norden talks about ChatGPT and AI in healthcare

In this episode of the Data Book podcast, we talked with Ajay Khanna, the CEO of Tellius.

Tellius, a technology firm, operates an AI-driven decision intelligence platform. Khanna talks about machine learning and artificial intelligence, and its potential to help healthcare organizations gain new insights into their operations in areas ranging from hospital readmissions to supply chain challenges.

Khanna also talks about "decision intelligence," which he describes as bringing the what, why and how together. With AI, and decision intelligence, organizations can gain better insights into trends, such as why patients are choosing a certain medication.

And he talks about the steps needed for healthcare organizations to move forward and embrace new technologies. "It's a culture change," Khanna says. But it's also about gaining greater ease with AI and other new technologies.

In the latest episode, Ajay Khanna explains how healthcare organizations can use artificial intelligence to gain new insights into their business. 

Data Book podcast: Ajay Khanna, Tellius CEO, talks about 'decision intelligence'

Kevin Olson certainly knows about multi-tasking in a crisis.

Olson is the chief information officer of Jupiter Medical Center, one of the top hospitals in south Florida. In this episode of the Data Book podcast, Olson discusses managing digital transformation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been a unique challenge that I think we’ve never faced before,” Olson says.

He talked about the challenge of his role in the COVID-19 pandemic, while meeting the needs of caregivers taking care of patients and being agile to tackle important tasks.

Olson also discusses dealing with cyberattacks, a problem that has affected many hospitals. The medical center has worked with partners to fortify the medical center’s defenses.

“We’ve had an unprecedented amount of cyberattacks going on,” he says.

Olson stressed the importance of senior leadership and the board in changing the culture and getting everyone in the organization to take cybersecurity seriously.

And he talked about making it easier for consumers to engage with the healthcare system, and why patients of all ages are embracing technology.

Kevin Olson is the chief information officer of Jupiter Medical Center, one of south Florida's top hospitals. He talks about digital transformation, cybersecurity and helping patients. 

Data Book Podcast: Talking with Kevin Olson of Jupiter Medical Center

In this episode, we spoke with Gregg Church, the president of 4medica, a healthcare technology company that works to give organizations a more complete view of patient records. 

He talked about the company’s work with hospitals, health systems, physicians and laboratories to exchange data and improve outcomes. 

“Our theme now is really health data quality, ensuring that we have the right information with the right patient at the right time,” he says.

Church says the challenge has been systems that are essentially silos, with data sitting in several different systems.

He also talked about how he sees the need for a nationwide patient ID, an idea which he acknowledges has its opponents. “I’m optimistic, but I still think it’s years away.”

Church also sees more promise that interoperability, the exchange of healthcare information between health systems, payers and patients. 

It has been talked about for many years, but Church said it is coming closer to reality. In a promising sign, hospitals are collaborating more often.

“Hospitals are starting to see they can’t hold their data hostage in their own silos,” he says. And he sees requirements for health plans to share data “is a tremendous opportunity for the country.”

Patient care will improve with the greater exchange of data, he says, and consumers are demanding it.

“Consumers are getting smarter,” Church says. “They want better access to their information.”

We talked about the company’s work with hospitals, the work towards interoperability, and why he’d like to see a nationwide patient ID.


Data Book Podcast: A conversation with Gregg Church of 4medica 

It’s been a minute, but the Data Book podcast is back!

In this installment, we talked with Robbie Hughes, the founder and chief executive officer of Lumeon, a firm that works with healthcare organizations to automate processes to reduce the burden on staff and improve patient care. 

We discussed the challenges facing the healthcare industry, the need for higher quality patient engagement, staffing shortages and transforming health organizations.

Check out a very interesting conversation. And you can subscribe to the Data Book podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The founder and CEO of Lumeon, he spoke with us about using automation to reduce the burden on staff and improve patient care.

The Data Book podcast returns: A conversation with Lumeon CEO Robbie Hughes 

On this episode of Healthy Bottom Line, we spoke with Mark Spinner, CEO of AccessOne, a patient financing solutions company that conducted a survey on the needs and concerns patients have regarding healthcare financing. We discussed some of the results from this survey as well as how hospitals and health systems can address the issues that were mentioned by patients. We also talked about the importance of having clear communication and price transparency between providers and patients.

To read more about AccessOne’s recent survey, click 

Mark Spinner, CEO of AccessOne, discusses some of the financing concerns that patients expressed in a recent AccessOne survey as well as some solutions that hospitals and health systems can implement to improve communication and price transparency.

Healthy Bottom Line: The Critical Need for Better Communication, Price Transparency in Healthcare

On this episode of Healthy Bottom Line, Chief Executive Healthcare spoke with Erica Coletti, CEO of the Alliance for Better Health. We discussed some of the current problems associated with programs addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) and how the Alliance’s social Independent Practice Association (IPA) model can help tackle these issues. We’re also talked about the financial benefits hospitals and health systems can see when implementing policy changes that seek to improve SDOH programs.

Several problems exist with current programs that address social determinants of health (SDOH); however, a new social model aims to combat these issues and improve the programs’ effectiveness.

Healthy Bottom Line: The Trouble With SDOH Programs and the Secret to Improving Them 

He’s formed a task force on gun violence. He talks with Chief Healthcare Executive about the effort and getting more leaders to join him.

Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling leads effort to reduce gun violence: ‘We can make a difference’

He talks about the importance of generating optimism and inspiring teams to be a part of something bigger. 

Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling: ‘Leadership is about building hope’ | Lessons for Leaders

More than 30 health systems have all agreed to join a nationwide framework for sharing health information. Epic’s Matt Doyle talks about why it’s a big step toward making interoperability a reality.

Hospitals joining TEFCA: Epic touts pledges from Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, Intermountain and more

The agreement caps nondefense spending. Lawmakers will decide how much goes to the NIH and other vital programs, and advocates will have to work to preserve aid.

Debt ceiling package: Research agencies could lose billions

More young people are having bariatric surgeries. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for more access to the procedure for kids and teens struggling with obesity.

Weight-loss surgeries among teens are on the rise, researchers say

Michael Dowling, the president and CEO of Northwell Health, offers an interesting perspective on the top threat to healthcare organizations.

It isn’t a rival in the market or the changing economic climate.

“The status quo is your biggest competitor,” Dowling says. “Complacency is the biggest danger.”

, Dowling describes what it takes to be a leader that inspires teams to succeed.

Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling: 'Leadership is about building hope'

As head of Northwell Health, Dowling leads an organization with 21 hospitals,  hundreds of sites of care, and annual revenues of $16 billion.

“When I look forward, despite difficulties and financial pressures, et cetera, I see enormous opportunity to improve,” he says.

He’s a big proponent of setting lofty goals.

“It’s a lot better to aim high and miss the mark than to aim low and achieve it,” he says.

“Leadership is about aiming high,” Dowling says. “And when you get to your target, raise the bar. That's what leadership is about: constantly raising the bar. You'll inspire people to go above and beyond what they think is possible.”

“When you push that way, it's amazing what people will find out they can do that they didn't think they could do,” he adds. “COVID proved that. We gotta prove it in non-COVID times.”

Dowling has also taken a leadership role nationally 

in encouraging other health system leaders to join the fight to reduce gun violence

The longtime head of the New York hospital system says leaders should constantly raise the bar. 

Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling: ‘Complacency is the biggest danger’

 - David Higginson has some advice for hospitals and health systems looking to use machine learning.

Higginson, the chief innovation officer of Phoenix Children's Hospital, offered 

 at the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition. He described how machine learning models helped identify children with malnutrition and people who would be willing to donate to the hospital's foundation.

 and offered some guidance for health systems looking to do more with machine learning.

"I would say get started by thinking about how you going to use it first," Higginson says. "Don't get tricked into actually building the model."

"Think about the problem, frame it up as a prediction problem," he says, while adding that not all problems can be framed that way.

"But if you find one that is a really nice prediction problem, ask the operators, the people that will use it everyday: 'Tell me how you'd use this,'" Higginson says. "And work with them on their workflow and how it's going to change the way they do their job. 

"And when they can see it and say, 'OK, I'm excited about that, I can see how it's going to make a difference,' then go and build it," he says. "You'll have more motivation to do it, you'll understand what the goal is. But when you finally do get it, you'll know it's going to be used."

He talks about how machine learning improved patient care and the hospital's financial performance, and offers a few tips for health systems.

David Higginson of Phoenix Children's Hospital on using machine learning

 - The HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition is taking place in Chicago this week, and as many as 40,000 people will be attending. 

With hundreds of sessions on topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, health equity, interoperability, and behavioral health, visitors will find plenty of food for thought.

There's also plenty of great food in the Windy City, and it goes beyond Chicago's famous deep dish pizza.

Christine Buck, chief marketing and communications officer with HIMSS, shares some insights on getting the most out of the healthcare technology conference in this video. She provides some suggestions on getting a taste of Chicago beyond the conference.

With many sessions focused on AI, expect plenty of discussions of ChatGPT. Hint: Don't make a drinking game of ChatGPT mentions. 

The HIMSS 2023 Conference: What you need to know

The HIMSS 2023 Conference is bringing tens of thousands of people to Chicago, and here are a few suggestions on learning, dining, and one mistake to avoid. 

HIMSS 2023: Christine Buck offers tips on making the most of the conference

Jay Bhatt still sees a great deal of inconsistency in efforts to improve health equity.

Bhatt is a managing director of Deloitte and directs Deloitte’s Health Equity Institute. 

 about ways health systems can make real progress on health equity.

“There’s still challenges around organizations seeing how it engages with the business case,” Bhatt says.

In this video, Bhatt describes the potential for digital health and virtual health to close disparities. He talks about how health equity can’t be a “side hustle” but a central part of the health system’s business plans.

“it's got to be part of the business, embedded within your thinking, your strategy, your finance, your operations,” Bhatt says.

Hospital quality and health equity are two sides of the same coin, Bhatt says. “You can’t get to equity without quality,” he says.

As hospitals follow through with virtual care and gain more data on their patient populations, their encounters move from single episodes to “a series, like a Ted Lasso series.”

“You're seeing a holistic view of those digital biomarkers that then help you make decisions,” Bhatt says.

The head of Deloitte’s Health Equity Institute offers guidance on closing gaps in health outcomes in underserved communities.

Jay Bhatt of Deloitte gives guidance on health equity

Doctors and leaders say hospital-at-home programs offer 

David Levine of Mass General Brigham talks about his system’s work to help patients who have challenges in their home environment. He’s the clinical director of research and development for Mass General Brigham’s “Healthcare at Home” program. Mass General Brigham has provided hospital-level care in patient’s homes for more than eight years.

“I think considerations for health equity are paramount in home hospital care,” he says. “And our program, and I know many programs across the country, have taken this very seriously and put in real service offerings to make sure that health equity is top of mind, and being sure that we're able to treat all sorts of patients at home.”

Mass General Brigham has helped patients get enrolled in programs offering assistance with housing needs. For patients in public housing with issues such as leaky windows or holes in the floor, the health system will push the landlord or superintendent to make necessary repairs.

“We bring an element of a power dynamic with us, when there's a doctor or a nurse in somebody's home,” Levine says.

Levine and others say by treating patients in the home, clinicians can see other challenges such as food insecurity, or issues patients may be reluctant to discuss in the hospital.

“I think there's a real opportunity and responsibility to address some of the social determinants of health that we see when we're working closely with our patients in their homes," Levine said.

One of the nation's leading experts on home hospital programs talks about how they can help close health disparities.

David Levine talks about hospital at home and health equity

Across the country, more hospitals are offering acute care at home, and doctors leading those programs say they are impressed by how patients are responding.

They say they are seeing strong clinical outcomes, low readmission rates and high patient satisfaction. 

More than 270 hospitals in 37 states have been authorized to offer acute care at home. As part of our 

, Chief Healthcare Executive® talked to doctors leading programs about how they are helping patients. 

Clinicians and leaders say the programs require a great deal of planning and coordination to ensure patients are cared for safely. But doctors cite several advantages, including reduced risk of infection, better rest, and in some cases, reduced delirium and confusion because patients are in a familiar environment. 

As more health systems are offering acute care at home, doctors say they are seeing good results and high patient satisfaction.

Hospital at home: Leaders describe encouraging outcomes 

 says the future of healthcare isn’t going to be confined to the four walls of the hospital.

“Everyone agrees that part of the future of care is going to be care in the home. So we have to think about that future,” he says.

Health systems need to think about delivering care outside of the hospital. 

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