Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Dr. Cheng-Kai Kao, Chief Medical Information Officer, UChicago Medicine

Episode Date: November 28, 2025
Host: Grace Lynn Keller
Guest: Dr. Cheng-Kai Kao (“Kai”), CMIO at University of Chicago Medicine

Episode Overview

This episode of Becker’s Healthcare Podcast features Dr. Cheng-Kai Kao, Chief Medical Information Officer at UChicago Medicine. Broadcasting live from the 10th annual Health IT, Digital Health, and RCM Meeting, Dr. Kao discusses the transformative impact of AI in healthcare, digital health innovation, the importance of human-centered design, ongoing legislative effects, and practical advice for leaders. The conversation is pragmatic, focusing on how to balance technological advancement with operational realities and patient needs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Kao’s Background and Role

• Practicing hospitalist with 15 years’ experience
• Led the development of the Hospital at Home program at UChicago Medicine
• Oversees EHR (Epic) optimization, clinical AI, and digital health tools
• Focuses on selecting and integrating technology to solve real problems
  (00:48 – 01:22)

The Current State and Use Cases of AI in Healthcare

• AI is omnipresent in health tech:

  • “...it's actually hard to find a company that doesn't have anything that says AI in their distribution. So it's literally everywhere.” (Dr. Kao, 01:41)

• Key Use Cases at UChicago Medicine:

  • Ambient documentation: Enhances patient satisfaction and enables physicians to focus more on patient care by reducing administrative “pajama time.”
    • “Physicians really love that, you know, help them…prepare better notes to save the pajama time and being able to focus on the patient, which is what we sign up for in the medical school.” (Dr. Kao, 02:09)
  • Revenue cycle optimization: AI assists in drafting and appealing denial letters, helping find revenue opportunities and reduce financial pressure.
    • “...being able to use AI, for example to draft denial letters, appeal letters...is a very important piece.” (Dr. Kao, 02:32)
  • ChatUCM: UChicago’s HIPAA-compliant version of ChatGPT allows users to use PHI freely, streamlining communications, appeals, translations, and even patient/family instructions.
    • Over 150 users within three months of rollout.
    • “Whatever you do, you can ask the AI intern questions…It's going to give you some potentially immature answers. But... you have actually a better comprehensive plan…” (Dr. Kao, 03:57)

• Impact: Improved staff efficiency, more comprehensive planning, and “everyone now have inexperienced little AI intern working beside you.”
  (01:41 – 04:46)

Navigating Technology Implementation: Governance, Innovation, and Patient Engagement

• Vetting and Validating AI Tools:

  • Every new AI component undergoes a standardized intake and review process, including model validation and documentation.
    • “…almost every product have AI component now, so do we just trust that they will work fine...? In our experience...there is always a degree of validation we have to do because not all of them perform well.” (Dr. Kao, 05:11)
  • AI must be validated for effectiveness on local patient populations—what works elsewhere may not work for South Side Chicago’s vulnerable and diverse patients.

• Ongoing performance monitoring after implementation:

  • “...once we implement this system, we want to make sure we’ll be able to continue to monitor the performance of these AI models as well.” (Dr. Kao, 06:10)

• The goal of invisible technology:

  • “I often said the best technology or the best integrated technology is the one is invisible. You don’t even see that in a workflow...” (Dr. Kao, 06:32)

• Simplicity and patient-centered design are vital:

  • Reduce complexity, respect varying technology literacy, and ensure the new tools help (not hinder) all patients.
  • “We all want the best for our patients, regardless where they come from and what their background is...” (Dr. Kao, 07:14)

(04:46 – 07:29)

Legislative & Regulatory Impacts

• Legislative uncertainty (e.g., government shutdown, CMS waivers):

  • Temporary policy issues (such as halted “Hospital at Home” expansion) haven’t changed the broader technology roadmap, but require vigilance and adaptability.
  • “...right now there's literally no waiver extension at this point to continue the service per the CMS waiver requirements. But we remain hopeful that this will be resolved…” (Dr. Kao, 08:03)

• Alignment needed between technological advances and policy:

  • “We are seeing too often in this area where technology is in advance of the policies and legislation. So things need to catch up…” (Dr. Kao, 08:44)

(07:29 – 09:11)

Leadership Advice for a Tech-Driven Future

• Human-centered and patient-centered deployments:

  • Tech should fit seamlessly into clinical workflows; users shouldn’t feel burdened to learn or adapt unnecessarily.
  • Engage frontline clinicians and actual patients during the design and implementation process.
    • “The best technology is something that people don’t even recognize as something I need to learn or adapt. It’s just naturally fit into the workflow.” (Dr. Kao, 09:20)
    • Patient-facing instructions and materials were co-designed with real patients (in partnership with a design school) to ensure clarity and accessibility.

• Reduce barriers for vulnerable populations:

  • “We asked the patient to sort of play with the Bluetooth enabled devices they will be going home with and we actually create patient facing material based on their feedback.” (Dr. Kao, 09:49)
  • Materials were iteratively adjusted according to patient feedback to minimize burden and confusion.

(09:11 – 10:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It's actually hard to find a company that doesn't have anything that says AI in their distribution. So it's literally everywhere."
  — Dr. Kao, (01:41)

• "Physicians really love that...help them prepare better notes to save the pajama time and being able to focus on the patient, which is what we sign up for in the medical school."
  — Dr. Kao, (02:09)

• "Everyone now have inexperienced little AI intern working beside you."
  — Dr. Kao, (03:57)

• "The best technology...is the one [that] is invisible. You don’t even see that in a workflow. It just naturally happened because it’s being integrated so well..."
  — Dr. Kao, (06:32)

• "Technology is in advance of the policies and legislation. So things need to catch up and that otherwise is just hindering a lot of developments of a lot of benefit we could have in healthcare."
  — Dr. Kao, (08:44)

• "Always making sure it's human centered, always making sure it's patient centered..."
  — Dr. Kao, (09:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:48–01:22 | Dr. Kao introduces himself and outlines his dual focus on clinical and IT roles | | 01:41–04:46 | Discussion of real-world AI use cases, successes, and early wins at UChicago | | 04:46–07:29 | Challenges/approaches to governance, patient engagement, and invisible technology| | 07:29–09:11 | Impact of legislative environment on innovation and health IT strategies | | 09:11–10:48 | Human-centered advice for leaders; practical patient-facing design initiatives |

Summary

Dr. Cheng-Kai Kao offers a grounded and insightful look at how UChicago Medicine leverages AI and digital health—demystifying hype while emphasizing governance, patient impact, and practical leadership lessons. His bottom line: Technology's real success comes when it quietly empowers both clinician and patient, unobtrusively fitting into lives and workflows, always designed with human needs at the center.