Summary3 min read

Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Episode: Dr. Mohammed Abdelaziz, Medical Director of Hospital Medicine, Kings Mill Hospital, Bon Secours Mercy Health
Host: Grace Lynn Keller
Date: January 5, 2026
Recording Location: 10th Annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM Meeting

Overview of the Episode

This episode features Dr. Mohammed Abdelaziz, Medical Director of Hospital Medicine at Kings Mill Hospital, part of Bon Secours Mercy Health. The conversation focuses on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, challenges and opportunities in virtual care, the impact of recent healthcare legislation, and Dr. Abdelaziz’s advice for healthcare leadership in an evolving tech landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Abdelaziz’s Background

Clinical Experience: Internal medicine physician, hospitalist, and physician informaticist
Current Role: Medical Director at Kings Mill Hospital, Cincinnati, within Bon Secours Mercy Health
- “I am also a physician informaticist... So been in healthcare for the past 20 years...” (00:52)

2. AI Adoption in Healthcare

Current AI Use Cases:
- Ambient Scribe Solutions: Widely adopted or piloted for reducing documentation burden, especially in outpatient settings.
  - “Ambient scribe solutions are one of the mostly adopted solutions. I think most organization now right now, either they adopted some sort of an ambient solution or they are piloting...” (01:54)
- Predictive Models: AI-powered analytics from vendors like Epic are now in use at Bon Secours Mercy Health to help shape patient care through predictive risk modeling.
  - “There are also the predictive models... These can change how we take care of our patients.” (02:35)
AI Implementation Mindset: Still in a discovery phase; need to identify the “right problems to solve” to get the most from AI tools.

3. Virtual Care and Digital Health

Key Approach: Virtual care should be treated as equivalent to traditional care. Quality, safety, and outcomes must align, regardless of modality.
- “The way to deal with virtual care is virtual care is just healthcare. The approach should not be any different...” (03:29)
Benefits:
- Expands possibilities for care delivery
- Enhances resource management and workforce flexibility

4. Impact of Healthcare Legislation

Financial Constraints: Ongoing and recent reductions in Medicare reimbursements are forcing organizations to become more efficient.
- “There would be less available money for a lot of organizations... Efficiency becomes even more important.” (04:41)
Strategic Response: Necessity to maximize resource utilization and operational efficiency in anticipation of continued financial pressures.

5. Advice for Healthcare Leaders

Mission-Driven Focus:
- “The most important thing for everyone who is involved in healthcare... is the mission. And as long as everybody is focused and... oriented to the mission... taking care of patients, I think that’s the most important thing.” (05:42)
Patient-Centered Innovation: Any new technology, projects, or initiatives should be critically evaluated by their impact on patient care.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Implementing AI:
- “It’s most important we need to identify the right problems to solve with such solutions.” – Dr. Abdelaziz (02:09)
On Virtual Care Mindset:
- “Virtual care is just healthcare... how we approach it in terms of providing safe care, in terms of outcomes, we should look at virtual care just as parallel to in-person care.” – Dr. Abdelaziz (03:32)
On Navigating Financial Pressures:
- “There will be less and less reimbursement going into the future. And thus, I guess efficiency becomes even more important...” – Dr. Abdelaziz (04:59)
On Leadership:
- “Any solution, any projects, anything we do in healthcare should be guided by what’s best for our patients.” – Dr. Abdelaziz (06:00)

Key Timestamps

00:52 – Dr. Abdelaziz introduces his background
01:54 – Discussion of real-world AI use cases in healthcare
03:29 – Insights into virtual care implementation
04:41 – Effects of healthcare legislation and reimbursement changes
05:42 – Dr. Abdelaziz’s parting advice for healthcare leaders

Summary

Dr. Abdelaziz provides candid insights into the practical adoption of AI in healthcare, emphasizing the need to solve the right problems and to view virtual care as a seamless extension of traditional care. He highlights increased financial pressures due to legislation, pushing the industry toward greater efficiency. Throughout, he reiterates that technology and operational changes must always stay aligned with the core mission: delivering the best care to patients.

Loading summary

Transcript13 lines

[00:01]
A
Philips is a health tech leader focused on innovation that improves the health and well being of people. Our healthcare technology and informatics solutions help care teams diagnose, treat and manage more patients with greater precision, speed and confidence. Across the care journey with Philips, clinicians are empowered with streamlined insights in the moments that matter for every patient. Better care for more people Philips.
[00:29]
B
This is Grace Lynn Keller with the Beckers Healthcare Podcast and we are recording live at the 10th annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM meeting. I'm currently joined by Mohammed Abdel Aziz who currently serves as the Medical Director of Hospital Medicine at Kings Mill Hospital at Bon Secours Mercy Health. So thank you so much for joining me today to get us started. Can you share a little bit more about yourself and your work in healthcare?
[00:53]
C
Yeah, thank you for having me. So my clinical background, I'm trained as an internal medicine physician. I'm a practicing hospitalist. I am also a physician informaticist and I got in medical care since I, you know, joined, finished medical school and went into medicine. So been in the in healthcare for the past 20 years and currently I serve as a medical director for hospital medicine at a small facility in the Cincinnati area, Kings Mills, which is part of the larger network of Bon Secore Mercy Health.
[01:37]
B
Perfect. And let's start our conversation talking about AI. Nearly half of medical practices reported using AI in some capacity in the past year and it remains a key topic for health IT leaders. So from your perspective, what are the use cases that are making a difference right now and how are you leveraging them in your organization?
[01:54]
C
Yeah, I think there are several use cases. I believe as many other organizations, many organizations, Bonso Corps and other organizations, there are still in the discovery phase. There are a lot of great solutions, but I guess most importantly we need to identify the right problems to solve with such solutions. Ambient scribe solutions are one of the mostly adopted solutions. I think most organization now right now, either they adopted some sort of an ambient solution or they are piloting or they are looking at some sort of an ambient solution. Bonsacor is no different. They have been adopting and piloting some solutions especially for outpatient. There are also the predictive models, analytic predictive models, EPIC IT does provide a lot of AI powered predictive models and some of them they have been adopted by Bonsacar and these can change how we take care of our patients.
[03:11]
B
And as virtual care expands from AI enabled tools and remote monitoring to broader digital health platforms, introducing new tech does bring challenges. So what advice do you have for leaders navigating everything from governance to patient engagement. And can you share an example of how your organization has balanced innovation with operational constraints?
[03:30]
C
Yeah. My take on this is the way to deal with virtual care is virtual care is just healthcare. The approach should not be any different from approaching any care we provide to our patient. The quality of the care we provide through virtual care, how we approach it in terms of providing safe care, in terms of outcomes, we should look at virtual care just as parallel to in person care. I think that will help alleviate a lot of the anxiety about doing things virtually rather than doing them in person. Now with the advancement in technology, we can provide provide many of the aspects of the care virtually and that can help a lot of organizations with managing.
[04:25]
B
Their workforce and shifting gears slightly. How are you seeing recent legislation, both at the state and federal levels, affect healthcare organizations and healthcare IT specifically? And have you adjusted strategies in response?
[04:42]
C
I think it's no big surprise for a lot of organizations and a lot of people in healthcare that there would be less available money for a lot of organizations. So the most recent changes with Medicare reimbursements and cutting reimbursement, that affected a lot of providers, that's probably is not, is not going to change. And probably a lot of organization, they need to adjust to the fact that there will be less and less reimbursement going into the future. And thus, I guess efficiency becomes even more important and using your resources wisely.
[05:33]
B
And final question as we wrap our conversation. What's your top piece of advice for healthcare leaders as they prepare for further advancements in tech and rising demands for care?
[05:43]
C
Yeah, I think it's, you know, healthcare. The most important thing for everyone who is involved in healthcare, at whatever shape or capacity, is the mission. And as long as everybody is focused and everybody is oriented to the mission, which is essentially taking care of patients, I think that's the most important thing. Any solution, any projects, anything we do in healthcare should be guided by what best for our patients.
[06:24]
B
Wonderful. Well, Mohamed, thanks so much for joining me today on the Beckers Healthcare podcast and sharing these insights again. We are recording live at the 10th annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM meeting.
[06:36]
C
Well, thank you for having me.