Clinical AI Use Cases Shaping the Future of Healthcare

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast | Host: Scott Becker | Guest: Marcus Perez, President, Altera Digital Health
Release Date: December 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Scott Becker interviews Marcus Perez, President of Altera Digital Health, to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the future of healthcare. The conversation focuses on the challenge of turning healthcare's immense data resources into actionable insights, the importance of data quality and trust, and how real-world AI use cases like ambient scribing are alleviating clinician burdens and driving industry evolution.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Altera Digital Health

• [00:32–01:42]
  • Marcus Perez explains Altera’s mission: "We measure our success by our clients' outcomes."
  • Focus areas: enabling clinicians, empowering patients, and helping healthcare organizations transform through technology.
  • Altera considers itself a healthcare company, not just a tech company:

    “At the end of the day, we consider ourselves a healthcare company. And that's where we think we're different in this space.” [01:42]

2. The Data Challenge in Healthcare

• [02:24–05:23]
  • The majority of healthcare data—97%—remains unused, largely due to issues with data format, semantics, and standards.
  • Data quality and trust are critical for leveraging AI effectively.
  • Altera’s approach: Ingest data from any source, aggregate and harmonize it, and then apply "governance" to ensure trust.
  • Notable process: Applying a “trust score” to data to identify and eliminate outliers and errors.
  • Notable Quote:

    “If we’re all going to take advantage of the power of AI…let’s start and focus on that data.” [03:49]

  • Product spotlight: “Care Intelligence” automates ingestion, standardization, and governance of data using AI.

3. Unlocking Value-Based and Preventive Care with IT

• [05:23–06:28]
  • Value-based care centers on better outcomes; these depend on quality, harmonized data.
  • The synergy between good data practices and proactive, preventive care is emphasized.
  • Perez states that improving data directly improves care:

    “The better the data, the better the opportunity to deliver better outcomes.” [06:21]

4. Prioritizing Health IT Initiatives

• [06:28–07:30]
  • Leaders should focus on securing reliable, traceable data as the backbone for any AI or IT project.
  • Every community has unique needs, so initiatives must be tailored accordingly.
  • Notable Quote:

    “If I was leading a healthcare organization today… I would be hyper-focused on where are we getting our data from, how much can we trust that data so that we can make sure… we’re going to get great results.” [07:10]

5. Most Compelling AI Use Cases in Healthcare

• [07:30–09:51]
  • Ambient scribe technology is highlighted—AI-powered documentation tools that alleviate clinician burden.
  • Difference between basic dictation and advanced AI: AI can populate structured fields across documentation (notes, CPT codes, referrals).
  • Altera’s "Note Plus" product not only listens and transcribes but fills out comprehensive clinical documentation instantly.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Think about the difference between dictation, which just puts notes in a box, and a tool that not only listens but then populates all the fields… The alleviation of burden that that could do for clinicians, I think is monumental.” [09:33]

6. Change Management: Evolution, Not Revolution

• [09:51–13:07]
  • Change in healthcare IT adoption is “an evolution, not a revolution.”
  • AI should augment, not replace, clinician expertise—success comes from incremental, workflow-driven improvements.
  • Emergency department (ED) example: Aggregated data at the point of care streamlines workflows, improves outcomes, and reduces payment denials.
  • Every organization has unique workflows; solutions must meet them where they are.
  • Notable Quote:

    “There’s no revolution, Scott... It’s an evolution and I think you’ve got to find places that you can get incremental and sustainable progress.” [10:20]

  • Customization and adaptability are keys to successful change management.

7. Looking Ahead: Future Technologies and Approaches

• [13:07–15:22]
  • Data—particularly “clean data with robust governance”—will be the linchpin of future success.
  • Predictive analytics, proactive care, and denial management are all powered by data accessibility and quality.
  • Emphasis on investing in tools to unlock the full power of healthcare data.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Imagine a world where you could have a single source of reliable, true data fueled by strong governance... That’s where the technology really does start to be a force multiplier.” [13:47]

  • Missed opportunities: The potential advances possible if the massive volume of unused data were harnessed.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the state of healthcare data:

  “97% of the healthcare data out there today isn’t used at all.” — Marcus Perez [02:59]

• On ambient AI and burden reduction:

  “The alleviation of burden that that could do for clinicians, I think is monumental.” — Marcus Perez [09:33]

• On change adoption:

  “There’s no revolution, Scott... It’s an evolution and I think you’ve got to find places that you can get incremental and sustainable progress.” — Marcus Perez [10:26]

• On visionary data use:

  “Imagine a world where you could have a single source of reliable, true data fueled by strong governance... That’s where the technology really does start to be a force multiplier.” — Marcus Perez [13:47]

Segment Timestamps

• 00:32 — Introduction to Marcus Perez and Altera Digital Health
• 01:32 — What Altera specializes in
• 02:24 — The data challenge in healthcare and need for trusted data
• 05:23 — Value-based care and importance of data
• 06:28 — Health IT priorities for leaders
• 07:30 — Compelling AI use cases: Ambient scribe and “Note Plus” product
• 09:51 — Change management: Evolution vs. revolution
• 13:07 — Unique approach of Altera: Meeting organizations at their workflow
• 13:25 — Future value: Robust data governance as healthcare’s linchpin
• 15:22 — Closing thoughts and thanks

Final Thoughts

The episode provides an engaging look into how AI and data management are reshaping healthcare. Marcus Perez emphasizes that high-quality, trusted data is the foundation for meaningful clinical AI applications, from advanced documentation tools to proactive population health. Success, he asserts, comes through incremental evolution tailored to each organization's unique workflows—not a one-size-fits-all technological revolution.