Podcast Summary: "AI in Action: Reducing Burnout and Driving Value in Behavioral & Community Health with Mike Harris & Erik Lyon"

Podcast: Becker Business
Host: Scott Becker (Episode hosted by Lucas Voss)
Guests: Mike Harris (CIO, Feather River Tribal Health Center), Erik Lyon (CEO, Feather River Tribal Health Center)
Date: December 22, 2025

Overview

This episode explores how Feather River Tribal Health Center is deploying technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to transform workflows in behavioral and community health settings. The conversation centers on alleviating provider burnout, improving staff morale, and enhancing patient outcomes. Mike Harris (CIO) and Erik Lyon (CEO) share the organization’s journey, use cases, challenges, implementation strategies, and lessons learned while integrating AI-powered solutions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Feather River Tribal Health Center

• Consortium of Three Tribes: Berry, Creek, Morton, and Enterprise tribes.
• Location: Service areas cover Butte (excluding Chico and Durham), Yuba, and Sutter Counties, California.
• Comprehensive Offerings: They are a “one-stop shop” for medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral health, fitness, acupuncture, chiropractic, PT, endocrinology, rheumatology, podiatry, and more.
  Quote (Erik Lyon, 00:46):
  “We have a vast array of services… full gym, aquatic pool… trying to make it a one stop shop for our patients.”

2. The Impetus for AI Integration

• Recognition of Opportunity: Leadership recognized the limitations of outdated systems and saw how AI could improve efficiency.
  Quote (Erik Lyon, 01:55):
  “There’s got to be implications for health care. I just knew that I wanted to be at the forefront of that.”
• Journey Began with EHR Upgrade: Moving to NextGen EHR was a major step, opening doors for further automation.

3. Identifying Use Cases and Implementation Steps

• Start with Value-Driven Use Cases: Focused on automating bottlenecked workflows to free up staff for higher-value tasks.
  Quote (Mike Harris, 03:23):
  “Taking Eric’s objective… but going back and looking at our workflows, looking at the processes in-house where we’re struggling, that are bottlenecks, and using AI to automate those processes… that was the first step for us.”
• Operational Focus: Prioritized automation tools that supplement—not replace—clinicians, such as reminder calls and clinical documentation.

4. Impact on Provider Workload and Burnout

• Automation as Relief: Automated reminders and documentation tools (especially via NextGen partners like AmnAssist and Patient Engage) reduced administrative burdens. Quote (Mike Harris, 04:26):
  “In healthcare, we don’t want AI replacing the clinician… It needs to be the supplement.”

5. Staff Perspectives & Change Management

• Initial Anxiety: Staff expressed concern over job security and technology adoption, especially for scribes and front desk. Quote (Erik Lyon, 05:15):
  “Our scribes and MAs started getting anxious. Providers… have a hard time adjusting to new technology.”
• Turning the Corner: Staff began to see their jobs as secure and recognized that automation allowed them to focus on higher-value tasks. Quote (Erik Lyon, 05:15):
  “The scribes are realizing their jobs are safe… freed them up to do other things… now they're seeing that their jobs aren’t really at risk.”

6. Tangible Outcomes in Community and Behavioral Health

• Community Health: Use of the LUMA system improved patient outreach, appointment reminders, and quality measures, notably HEDIS scores. Quote (Erik Lyon, 06:59):
  “We have the highest scores in the HEDIS measures that we’ve ever had, hitting almost all of our targets because we really have leaned into that technology.”
• Behavioral Health: AI assists with treatment plans and ensuring proper clinical documentation. Further AI dictation features are anticipated.

7. Measuring Impact and Value

• Key Metrics Tracked:
  • No-show rates
  • Completion/timeliness of clinical notes
  • Work-life balance for clinicians Quote (Mike Harris, 08:18):
    “Since we’ve implemented these systems… most of our providers are getting their notes completed on time and… they’re able to keep that work-life balance that everyone so desperately needs.”

8. Data Security and Sovereignty Concerns

• Tribal-Specific Caution: As a tribal health entity, data security and sovereignty were paramount in selecting and evaluating AI systems. Quote (Mike Harris, 09:51):
  “Data sovereignty is always a concern… making sure any system is… secure and safe [and] protects our patient confidentiality first and foremost.”

9. Advice for Other Organizations

• Lessons Learned:
  • Don’t assume staff will eagerly adopt new tech—even if leadership is excited.
  • Engage stakeholders, especially providers, early and deeply in the decision and implementation processes for buy-in.
  • Leverage tech-savvy champions among clinicians to speak to and persuade peers. Quote (Erik Lyon, 11:08):
    “One of the biggest lessons I learned is be mindful of my own naivete. I really thought… the providers are just going to absolutely jump in head first… They didn’t.”
    Quote (Mike Harris, 12:24):
    “Getting that provider involved… I’m not in the trenches. I don’t necessarily speak the same language as those providers… it’s vital to get a provider perspective.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Erik Lyon (01:55): “I just knew that I wanted to be at the forefront of [AI in healthcare].”
• Mike Harris (03:23): “Finding and identifying [bottlenecked] processes in house was… the first step.”
• Erik Lyon (05:15): “Scribes are realizing their jobs are safe… it’s freed them up to do other things.”
• Erik Lyon (06:59): “We have the highest scores in the HEDIS measures that we’ve ever had…”
• Mike Harris (08:18): “Most of our providers are getting their notes completed on time and… work-life balance.”
• Mike Harris (09:51): “For us as a tribal healthcare program, data sovereignty is always a concern.”
• Erik Lyon (11:08): “Get your stakeholders involved from…early onset… a provider who’s a little more tech savvy join… they can speak to the other providers… nobody wants to hear from the CEO.”
• Mike Harris (12:24): “As a technologist… I don’t necessarily speak the same language as those providers… have a provider in the decision-making process.”

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:46: Overview of Feather River Tribal Health Center (Erik Lyon)
• 01:55: Motivation for adopting AI (Erik Lyon)
• 03:23: First steps to integrate AI and workflow analysis (Mike Harris)
• 04:26: Impact on staff workload and burnout, role of automation vs replacement (Mike Harris)
• 05:15: Reaction of staff and change management challenges/successes (Erik Lyon)
• 06:59: Tangible patient outcome improvements, HEDIS scores, quality measures (Erik Lyon)
• 08:18: Measuring outcomes, analytics, and improved provider work-life (Mike Harris)
• 09:51: Security and data sovereignty considerations (Mike Harris)
• 11:08: Implementation lessons and tips for other organizations (Erik Lyon and Mike Harris)

Summary Conclusion

Feather River Tribal Health Center’s AI adoption journey illustrates both the opportunities and challenges organizations face when modernizing workflows in behavioral and community health. Key takeaways include starting with achievable automation goals, engaging frontline providers early, tracking meaningful outcome metrics, and addressing data sovereignty. Staff buy-in, incremental change management, and clinical leadership are crucial for AI’s success in reducing burnout and elevating patient care.