Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Chris Horvat, Senior Director of Clinical Informatics at UPMC
Host: Gracelyn Keller
Date: October 27, 2025
Event: Live from the 2025 Health IT Digital Health and RCM Conference

Episode Overview

This episode features Chris Horvat, a pediatric intensivist and Senior Director of Clinical Informatics at UPMC. Chris discusses the real-world application of artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics in intensive care units, strategies for balancing innovation with operational reality, and sage advice for future-focused healthcare leaders. The conversation is grounded in practical insights on leveraging technology to enhance—not replace—the work of clinicians and teams.

Meet the Guest: Chris Horvat

[00:49]

• Chris is both a practicing Pediatric Intensivist and a clinical informatician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
• He oversees informatics across more than 50 ICUs within UPMC’s system.
• Heavy focus on analytics, standardizing workflows, and system-wide performance improvement using best practice strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Generative AI’s Role in Healthcare Analytics

[01:55]

• Generative AI as a Productivity Multiplier:
  • Used to elevate skill sets and expedite complex tasks—projects that once took many hours can now be completed much faster.
• Case Example: Risk Adjustment Across ICUs
  • UPMC underwent a major risk adjustment project to evaluate ICU performance system-wide.
  • Partnered with MIT’s Lab for Computational Physiology to integrate advanced machine learning (ML) risk adjustment algorithms.
    • These algorithms assess patient illness severity for more accurate comparative performance.
  • Required harmonizing data streams across disparate electronic records.
• How AI Accelerated Implementation:
  • AI assisted in:
    • Refining and debugging code
    • Building IT pipelines
    • Developing data harmonization strategies
  • "We could have accomplished it without AI, but AI dramatically accelerated that work."
    — Chris Horvat [03:23]

2. Balancing Innovation with Operational Realities

[03:38]

• Advice to Leaders: “Don’t try and boil the ocean.”
  • Interpretation: Focus efforts on the most immediate needs rather than attempting sweeping changes from the outset.
• Pragmatic Approach to Integration:
  • Example: When UPMC onboards new hospitals into analytics pipelines:
    • Initial steps may involve simply trading flat files by email before constructing large-scale, unified data queries.
    • The goal is to get teams actionable data quickly rather than delaying for complete large-system integration.
• "Take those small, very practical steps along the way that allow us to deliver before the entire product is completed."
  — Chris Horvat [04:38]

3. People-Centered Technology Implementation

[05:10]

• Chris’s Core Principle:
  "Healthcare...is still about the people first. So what are the needs of the frontline clinicians in order to deliver best possible care? What do the patients need to get from a state of illness into a state of health? What do the teams need to feel like they are well supported, that they are working in a good culture? And then after you've considered all of those things, how does technology actually help in supporting you to accomplish those objectives?"
  — Chris Horvat [05:19]
• Key Insight:
  • Always prioritize people—clinicians, patients, teams—before the technology itself.
  • Technology should support and not drive care delivery; it’s always “people first, technology second.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Accelerating Innovation with AI:
  "We could have accomplished it without AI, but AI dramatically accelerated that work."
  Chris Horvat [03:23]

• On Managing Change:
  "Don’t try and boil the ocean when you start...focus on what needs to happen immediately to accomplish the major objective."
  Chris Horvat [04:02]

• On Technology in Healthcare:
  "Healthcare...is still about the people first...It's always people first. Technology second."
  Chris Horvat [05:19]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:49] Introduction to Chris Horvat and his dual informatics/clinical roles
• [01:55] AI and ML in UPMC ICU analytics—specific project and outcomes
• [03:38] Advice on integrating new technology and balancing with practical operations
• [05:10] Guiding philosophy: putting people before technology in all innovation

Tone & Delivery

Chris Horvat’s tone throughout is pragmatic, clear, and strongly focused on actionable insights. He emphasizes practical solutions, real examples, and a steadfast commitment to patient- and clinician-centered care, making his advice highly relatable for healthcare leaders and IT professionals.

This summary distills the episode’s essential themes and advice, offering a clear, timestamped roadmap for listeners seeking impactful strategies in healthcare informatics and leadership.