Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Episode Summary

Guest: Daniel Roth, M.D., EVP and Chief Clinical and Community Division Operations Officer, Trinity Health
Host: Chris Sosa
Date: August 23, 2025
Duration: ~11 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode explores the strategic priorities and evolving landscape of healthcare transformation at Trinity Health, with Dr. Dan Roth providing insights into leadership, operational efficiency, and particularly the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and ambient listening. Dr. Roth discusses how these innovations are reshaping clinical practice, patient access, and staff workflows, all in the pursuit of making healthcare easier for both patients and providers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Leadership Philosophy & Background

[00:14 – 01:38]

• Dr. Roth, originally a primary care internist, now leads clinical, operational, and technology initiatives at Trinity Health.
• Career focus: “How do we make things easier for patients and clinicians?”
• Recognizes healthcare’s inherent complexity, emphasizing that simplifying patient experience begins by supporting clinicians and caregivers.

“It's hard to be a patient. I learned that in practice. It's really hard to be a patient. And one of the reasons it's hard is because it's hard to be a doc, it's hard to be a nurse… The system doesn't make it easy.”
— Dr. Dan Roth [00:34]

2. Current Priorities & The Promise of AI

[02:00 – 03:34]

• Top priority: Smart application of technology, especially AI, to improve efficiency and support both clinical and operational goals.
• Dr. Roth views AI as the “single biggest thing we've had in the last decade” to address ongoing healthcare challenges.
• Critical economic shifts require increased efficiency, and AI presents practical tools to address these pressures.

“Technology is always a means to an end, it's never an end to itself. …We have to be outstanding at leveraging these tools, particularly in the earliest stages, to drive our clinical and operational results.”
— Dr. Dan Roth [02:20]

3. AI in Action: Revenue Cycle & Ambient Listening

[03:49 – 05:36]

• AI-powered automation: Significant improvements observed in revenue cycle management—freeing up resources, reducing errors.
• Ambient listening: A standout technology that reduces documentation burdens for clinicians.
  • Physicians using this AI tool are able to see 1.9–2.1 more patients per day.
  • Adoption is spreading from primary care to hospital settings and emergency departments.

“With ambient listening... we've made a significant improvement, right? An improvement for our providers, our physicians, but also improvements for our patients.”
— Dr. Dan Roth [04:57]

4. Access, Efficiency, and Cross-System Learning

[05:50 – 07:27]

• Access improvements: Ambient listening increases provider capacity, directly enhancing patient access.
• Collaborative learning: Trinity and peer institutions nationwide share successes and setbacks, adapting AI for nursing, ER, and other care settings.
• Systemic adoption: Emphasizes the importance of collective learning across the industry due to rapid technological evolution.

“We as a country… have an access problem in primary care. …Our providers who are using ambient listening …can see just about 2.1.9 patients more per day. So we're improving access for our patients.”
— Dr. Dan Roth [05:58]

5. Excitement Around Outpatient Care

[07:54 – 08:53]

• Growing emphasis on outpatient and ambulatory surgery as a means to increase access, enhance navigation, and reduce costs.
• The trend aligns with patient preferences and system efficiency.

“Having more sites of care closer to home …will improve both access... and make it more affordable, which is another key part of this.”
— Dr. Dan Roth [08:00]

6. Navigating Change: Engagement, Communication, and Failure

[09:06 – 11:06]

• Change management is critical; not everyone welcomes rapid transformation.
• Dr. Roth’s "three keys" to leading change:
  1. Remember your “why”: Personal and organizational purpose should drive adaptation.
  2. Over-communicate and listen: Bidirectional, transparent communication is vital.
  3. Fail fast: The system needs to permit rapid experimentation and corrective action, even as financial pressures create risk aversion.

“Everybody has their why. …Our why always ends up with providing better care and helping people achieve their health goals. …The second part …is over-communicate. …And then the third is …the ability to fail fast, because not everything we’re going to do is going to work.”
— Dr. Dan Roth [09:30 – 10:36]

7. Closing Perspective

[11:28 – 11:35]

• Optimism for the future. Dr. Roth is enthusiastic about unfolding opportunities and tools that promise to help lighten the load for both clinicians and patients.

“The future is great. There's lots of opportunities for us and lots of tools coming our way that are going to help us be successful. And it’s very exciting.”
— Dr. Dan Roth [11:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Technology is always a means to an end, it's never an end to itself.”
  — Dr. Dan Roth [02:20]
• “We know that our providers…can see just about 2.1.9 patients more per day. So we're improving access for our patients.”
  — Dr. Dan Roth [05:58]
• “But never lose sight of your why.”
  — Dr. Dan Roth [09:30]
• “You don't want failure to be a resistance to future change, because change is the constant.”
  — Dr. Dan Roth [10:57]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:22 | Dr. Roth introduces background and leadership philosophy | | 02:00 | Top priorities: the evolution and potential of AI | | 03:49 | AI in action: revenue cycle, ambient listening, and direct patient impact| | 05:58 | Patient access improvement via AI technologies | | 07:54 | Shift to outpatient care and ambulatory surgery | | 09:06 | Keys to leading change in healthcare organizations | | 11:28 | Dr. Roth’s optimistic outlook on healthcare’s future |

Summary

Dr. Dan Roth shares Trinity Health’s journey toward making healthcare more accessible and efficient, spotlighting the transformative power of AI and technology, the shift to outpatient care, and the nuanced work of engaging staff through change. For leaders and clinicians seeking actionable guidance on healthcare transformation, this episode provides a clear vision rooted in practical experience, collaborative learning, and a strong sense of mission.