Podcast Episode Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Garrett Olen, MBA – Chief Information Officer, Shasta Community Health Center
Host: Chanel Bunger
Date: November 12, 2025
Recorded at: 10th Annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM Meeting, Chicago

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid discussion with Garrett Olen, CIO at Shasta Community Health Center, on the real-world integration of artificial intelligence, digital health tools, and the effects of emerging legislation on healthcare IT. Olen offers grounded advice for leaders navigating technology adoption, with a focus on patient-centered operations, data security, and adaptability amidst regulatory and funding uncertainty.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Garrett Olen’s Background & Shasta Community Health (00:47–01:16)

• Shasta Community Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in Northern California.
• Olen has a decade of healthcare experience, previously working at FQHCs in Indiana and New Mexico, plus experience across other industries.

Practical Use Cases of AI in Healthcare IT (01:38–03:27)

• Ambient Technology for Clinical Documentation:
  • The rise of AI-powered “ambient” note-taking tools is a prominent trend.
  • Shasta had tested ambient AI for note capture but returned to human scribes:
    • Their human scribes do more than documentation—queuing orders, labs, prepping visits.
    • Removing scribes made providers' workload significantly heavier.
    • Olen’s insight:

      “We realized that right now it's just it doesn't work for us ... We keep hearing about people going to that technology and seeing such a huge improvement and we realized they probably never had scribes.” (02:25)

• Agentic AI – Future Use Cases:
  • Shasta is exploring agentic AI for Health Information Management (HIM), especially processing and verifying patient records to improve speed and accuracy.

Balancing Innovation and Operational Constraints (03:27–05:45)

• Advice for Technology Adoption:
  • Many organizations implement AI first, then address governance as an afterthought—a backward approach, according to Olen.

    “I would say start with your governance first. How does your organization want to utilize it? What guardrails are you going to put in place for that?” (04:04)

  • Emphasizes transparency both internally (with staff) and externally (with patients):

    “If you're utilizing AI, let them know so they can have those choices ... Do you have the ability to opt out or not?” (04:21)

• Vendor Security Evaluation:
  • New technology vendors are assessed on security (past breaches, secure networks, etc.).
  • If vendors won’t strengthen security, Shasta will decline to work with them to protect patient data.

Navigating Legislative and Funding Shifts (05:45–07:54)

• Impact of Legislation:
  • Recent California AI law now mandates transparency and safeguards around AI algorithm use.
  • Ongoing uncertainty about federal funding, particularly for FQHCs serving underserved populations.
• Strategic Response:
  • Proactive renegotiation and trimming of vendor contracts to contain costs without cutting services.

    “We've tried to be more proactive, try to be more forward thinking … renegotiate all our contracts and reduce our costs that way … or we have found contracts that we really don't need anymore.” (07:18)

Advice for Healthcare Leaders Facing Rapid Change (08:07–09:06)

• Preparation is Key:
  • Olen’s major lesson: plan for potential scenarios, even if they don't materialize.
  • Engage cross-functional leadership in scenario planning and have contingency plans ready.

    “My top piece of advice…is prepare. The preparation is key to everything...even if it's lining up vendors that may be needed, technologies...if this happens, what are we going to do?” (08:13)

• Be Proactive, Not Reactive:
  • Simple preparatory steps can make a difference in readiness for tech and regulatory changes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We realized that right now it's just it doesn't work for us ... We keep hearing about people going to that technology and seeing such a huge improvement and we realized they probably never had scribes.”
  — Garrett Olen, on AI ambient note-taking vs. human scribes (02:25)

• “I would say start with your governance first. How does your organization want to utilize it? What guardrails are you going to put in place for that?”
  — Garrett Olen, on implementing AI responsibly (04:04)

• “If you're utilizing AI, let them know so they can have those choices ... Do you have the ability to opt out or not?”
  — Garrett Olen, on transparency and patient trust (04:21)

• “We've tried to be more proactive, try to be more forward thinking … renegotiate all our contracts and reduce our costs that way … or we have found contracts that we really don't need anymore.”
  — Garrett Olen, on adapting to funding uncertainties (07:18)

• “My top piece of advice…is prepare. The preparation is key to everything...even if it's lining up vendors that may be needed, technologies...if this happens, what are we going to do?”
  — Garrett Olen, closing guidance for health leaders (08:13)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:47–01:16 – Olen’s background and Shasta’s FQHC model
• 01:38–03:27 – Real-world AI adoption, lessons from AI vs. human scribes, HIM use cases
• 03:27–05:45 – Governance, transparency, and security in technology adoption
• 05:45–07:54 – Legislative impact; contracting and cost-saving strategies
• 08:07–09:06 – Preparing for future technology and care demands

Tone and Takeaways

Olen’s approach is practical, honest, and grounded. He cautions tech-first enthusiasm when organizations lack groundwork in governance, and he repeatedly underscores the need for transparency, security rigor, and strategic preparedness. Leaders are encouraged to plan for disruptions, work closely across organizational roles, and guard patient trust as technologies evolve.