Advancing Health Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Title: From Innovation to Impact: AI and the Future of Health Care
Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Tina Friesdecker, President & CEO of Corewell Health, Board Chair of AHA
Guest: Dr. Jackie Gearhart, Chief Medical Officer of Epic, practicing family medicine clinician

In this Leadership Dialogue episode of Advancing Health, host Tina Friesdecker and Dr. Jackie Gearhart delve into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovations in health care. The discussion covers practical and visionary aspects of AI, strategies for evaluating new technologies, stories from clinical practice, and the profound impact of new tools on both caregivers and patients.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Transformative Potential of AI and Digital Health

• AI: The Next Game Changer (01:58)

  • Dr. Gearhart likens the transformative impact of AI and AI agents on medicine to the rise of the Internet:

    “Just like the Internet was transformational, I think this age of AI and AI agents is also transformational.” (C, 02:10)

  • AI is anticipated to revolutionize care delivery, patient engagement, and medical research.

• Practical Applications Already at Work (02:40)

  • Existing digital tools, like patient portals (e.g., Epic's MyChart), are already enhancing patient-provider communication, appointment management, and self-care.

• Beyond Digitizing the Past (03:19)

  • Friesdecker emphasizes that technology should not simply digitize the old paper-based models but should enable real transformation:

    “We can't design it based on the paper model into a digital model. It's truly transforming.” (B, 03:19)

Navigating the “Shiny Object” Problem: Evaluating New Technologies

• Start with the Problem (04:07)

  • Dr. Gearhart stresses problem-driven adoption:

    “The very first question... is what is our problem that we're trying to solve?” (C, 04:12)

  • Reevaluate whether current technologies are being fully utilized or whether workflow/human factors are the real issue.

• Optimize Before You Buy (04:30)

  • Hospitals often underuse existing technologies. Gearhart notes,

    “One of the hardest things we do at EPIC is we create software... But if they don’t turn it on or... train their users, then it really isn’t allowing for that technology to get to the point where it’s actually being optimized.” (C, 04:40)

• Avoid “Death by Pilot” (05:10)

  • Many organizations get trapped in endless pilot studies, delaying broad deployment. Sometimes, it's better to be bold and implement proven solutions if they've shown success elsewhere.

• Key Criteria for Evaluation:

  • Alignment with real clinical workflows
  • Local testing with the specific patient population
  • Training for all users
  • Willingness to adapt and expand when positive results are evident

Clinician and Patient Experience: Real-World Examples

• Dr. Gearhart’s Clinical Perspective (06:44)

  • She recounts a 2015 patient encounter where she imagined a future where voice-commanded EHRs could streamline care:

    “Wouldn’t it be great if something could kind of bring this all together, a technology perhaps? ...Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just say… ‘order a TSH and follow up in two weeks’... and then, by the way, you know, record this into my note and also give me some decision support...” (C, 06:55)

• The ‘Secret Sauce’: Bridging Clinician Impact and Tech (07:40)

  • Motivation to use technology is grounded in making care easier for both clinicians and patients, and democratizing access.
  • Recent developments at Epic’s User Group Meeting: patients can now use MyChart to create visit agendas and communicate what’s important, improving personalization and visit efficiency (08:50).

• AI at the Point of Care

  • Epic's AI (ART) analyzes these agendas and offers clinicians concise summaries and decision support using real-world data, personalized for each patient (09:05).

Technology’s Role in Changing Patient Behavior

• Engagement Beyond the Exam Room (09:50)

  • The greatest opportunity for influencing healthy behaviors is in the “in-between spaces” (outside scheduled visits), where digital health tools and wearables come into play.

• Continuous Glucose Monitor Study (10:15)

  • Gearhart describes her surprise at data showing no statistically significant improvement in A1C for prediabetics using continuous glucose monitors, leading her to rethink what outcomes are most meaningful:

    “I’m asking the wrong question… The behavior of change actually might be the thing that we should be measuring.” (C, 10:35)

• From Medication-Focused to Person-Focused (11:15)

  • The move toward a “person-focused” philosophy allows patients’ personal goals and agendas to shape care, with clinicians adapting their approach accordingly.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Vision for the Future:

  “Data isn’t the exhaust of healthcare, but instead it needs to be the fuel for personalized medicine.”
  (C, 13:36)

• On Patient-Centered Impact:
  Friesdecker tells of a patient who regained the ability to write after an innovative procedure:

  “He couldn’t sign his name for 30 years… after the procedure, he could draw a straight line, he could sign his name… That is the incredible piece that I see why I’m in healthcare and what I’m so excited about.”
  (B, 12:40)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:34 — Tina Friesdecker sets the stage: Digital transformation & podcast introduction
• 01:58 — Dr. Gearhart on AI’s transformative potential in healthcare
• 04:07–06:15 — Criteria and barriers for adopting new technologies
• 06:44–09:30 — Clinician’s perspective: Real-world practice, patient engagement, AI at the point of care
• 09:50–11:46 — Impact of wearables, patient behavior, and shifting to person-focused care
• 11:54–13:32 — Excitement for the future: Impact stories and the broader vision
• 13:32–14:52 — Data as the foundation for personalizing and democratizing care

Conclusion

This episode of Advancing Health provides a balanced, practical, and visionary discussion on artificial intelligence and digital health’s role in transforming care delivery. Dr. Gearhart and Tina Friesdecker offer actionable insights for leaders, clinicians, and innovators on how to leverage existing and emerging technologies, always keeping the ultimate goal—better, safer, more accessible patient care—at the core of the conversation.