George Cybulski, MD MBA, AI clinical leader and Chief of Neurosurgery at Humboldt Park Health

Summary

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Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Dr. George Cybulski, AI Clinical Leader & Chief of Neurosurgery, Humboldt Park Health
Host: Grace Lynn Keller
Date: November 8, 2025
Event: 31st Annual Business and Operations of ASCs (recorded live)

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Episode Overview

This episode features a dynamic discussion with Dr. George Cybulski, a neurosurgeon and clinical leader in artificial intelligence at Humboldt Park Health. The conversation zeroes in on the evolving role of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) within the U.S. healthcare landscape, the impact of technology and AI on the sector, and the crucial need for enhanced collaboration and integration. Dr. Cybulski also shares perspectives from his bestselling book and reflects on current challenges and innovations shaping the ASC space.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Cybulski’s Background and ASC Involvement

[01:00]

• Still an active neurosurgeon, focusing mainly on spine procedures.
• Over the past decade, developed a keen interest in supporting outpatient spine operations, particularly with advancements in specialized instrumentation.
• Previously involved in a business developing outpatient spine instrumentation for ASCs, though no longer affiliated ("no conflict of interest").
• Sees significant growth opportunity in outpatient spine surgery, noting that it was rare in ASCs ten years ago but is now expanding rapidly.

Quote:
"There’s an opportunity to do [spine surgery in ASCs], and I think it’s a great opportunity." – Dr. Cybulski [01:58]

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2. Trends & Market Forces Driving ASC Growth

[02:43]

• The ASC market is projected to reach $60.8 billion by 2030, experiencing strong year-over-year growth.
• Medicare policies encouraging outpatient total joint procedures (hips, knees) have spurred expansion.
• Demographic shifts, especially an aging population, are driving demand for outpatient procedures.
• Outpatient opportunities extend beyond orthopedics to include various spine surgeries (e.g., microdiscectomies, laminectomies, spine fusions, anterior cervical discectomies).

Quote:
"ASCs will be able to step up and include those [spine procedures] in their list of procedures that they can do." – Dr. Cybulski [03:50]

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3. The Role of Technology: AI & Integration

[04:07]

• Technology is now a pivotal element in ASC performance, determining care delivery and operational efficiency.
• Dr. Cybulski stresses AI’s potential to break down silos in healthcare by connecting disparate processes and stakeholders (e.g., patient evaluation, testing, clearance).
• AI could streamline pre-surgical workflows—getting approvals, lab work, and primary care input more efficiently.

Quote:
"Artificial intelligence… will be very beneficial in connecting the silos. That is the checklist, if you will, that we need to satisfy in order to get patients approved." – Dr. Cybulski [04:34]

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4. Transformative Technologies on the Horizon

[05:30]

• Rapid proliferation of companies entering healthcare AI, many present at industry conferences.
• The key to transformative impact lies in meaningful alignment with providers' real needs, rather than just technological advancement.
• Dr. Cybulski refrains from naming a specific standout company, citing the pace of innovation and the importance of ongoing provider-tech collaboration.

Quote:
"Really coordinating [AI platforms] with providers, with surgeons and specialists, is really going to be the key." – Dr. Cybulski [06:13]

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5. Collaboration & Joint Ventures in the ASC Space

[07:04]

• Approximately 60% of health systems are exploring ASC joint ventures.
• Healthcare remains highly fragmented—fragmentation across payers, government agencies, and providers.
• Emphasizes that increased collaboration across entities is essential for future success, especially through platforms that foster integration.

Quote:
"There’s a tremendous opportunity that must be seized in order to get this collaboration to occur. And the people who are able to create platforms to do that will contribute the most value." – Dr. Cybulski [07:51]

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6. Final Reflections & Book Recommendation

[08:16]

• Dr. Cybulski highlights his book, Can We Manage to Save Healthcare?, which became an Amazon #1 bestseller.
• The book aims to pinpoint healthcare pain points and propose ways to improve patient care flow.
• Invites listeners to read and share the book for further insights into healthcare transformation.

Quote:
"My idea with that book is to identify the pain points that we need to address in order to make the flow of patient care better." – Dr. Cybulski [08:34]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the momentum of outpatient spine surgery:
  "Most ASCs...weren’t doing spine procedures 10 years ago. And now there’s an opportunity to do that." [01:40]
• On the challenge of meaningful tech integration:
  "The key will be how valuable they are to a provider." [06:00]
• On the importance of cross-industry collaboration:
  "Healthcare is tremendously fragmented. There are just different types of entities that are involved with it." [07:29]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:00] – Dr. Cybulski’s background and ASC involvement
• [02:43] – Major trends and drivers in the ASC market
• [04:07] – Role of technology and AI in ASC operations
• [05:30] – Most promising AI innovations and provider alignment
• [07:04] – Opportunities and necessity for ASC collaboration
• [08:16] – Final thoughts and book recommendation

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Overall Tone

Insightful and forward-thinking, with a clinical and systems-level perspective. Dr. Cybulski remains pragmatic about technology’s promise, emphasizing integration, collaboration, and the real workflow challenges facing healthcare providers and organizations.

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This episode provides a concise yet deep dive into the evolving ASC market, the impact of technology, and the need for greater integration in U.S. healthcare, all filtered through Dr. Cybulski’s experience as a practicing neurosurgeon and AI thought leader.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Is Grace Lynn Keller with the Beckers Healthcare Podcast and we are recording live at the 31st annual business and operations of ASCS. I'm currently joined by Dr. George Cybolski who is the AI clinical leader and Chief of Neurosurgery at Humboldt Park Health. So, so thanks for being here. I'd love to kick off our conversation by having you share a little bit more about yourself, your work in the ASC space, and any opening remarks that you may have.

[C]

Well, thank you Grace. It's a pleasure to be here and pleasure to be involved with the conference. I'm speaking tomorrow on a panel, so these are always great opportunities to share and acquire information about what people are doing. So it's great to be here. I am a neurosurgeon. I still practice neurosurgery, mainly spine procedures, but I have this interest that I've developed over the last 10 years or so, which is the support of spine operations literally with the instruments that we use. And I've been involved previously with the last few years with the business which has developed. I'm no longer with it, so no, no conflict of interest there, but outpatient spine instrumentation for ASCs. And so I think really the, the big area for development is outpatient spine surgery. It's already done obviously, and ASCs, but and really to coordinate with processing of the instruments at an off site facility because most ASCs, they didn't, they haven't been doing spine procedures 10 years. They weren't 10 years ago. And now there's an opportunity to do that and I think it's a great opportunity.

[B]

Wonderful. Well, I'm eager to hear your thoughts on these questions we have here. So let's start off talking about the ASC market because in the US it's projected to reach 60.8 billion by 2030 and it continues to experience strong year over year growth. So from your perspective, what are the most significant trends and market forces driving this expansion and how should ASC Leaders be preparing today?

[C]

Well, as I said, I'm a spine specialist. So really a few years ago, Medicare really encouraged the movement of total joint procedures to the outpatient setting. And so that would be like total hip and total knee replacement. Obviously that's not something I do, but that is a growing, due to demographics of aging, that's a growing area of work. And then the spine procedures, which microdiscectomies, laminectomies, spine fusion, lumbar spine fusions, anterior cervical discectomies are really all things that could be done in an outpatient setting. And so I think that's a tremendous area for increased growth. And ASCs will be able to step up and include those in their list of procedures that they can do.

[B]

And from AI and robotic surgeries to advanced EHR systems, technology remains both a make or break factor and a critical driver of ASC operations at scale. So how do you see deeper tech integration shaping the way ASCs deliver care and manage their business over the next few years?

[C]

Well, so I am a clinical AI leader at my hospital, so I'm very interested in artificial intelligence. And I think artificial intelligence, as with any other process, will be very beneficial in connecting the silos. That is the checklist, if you will, that we need to satisfy in order to get patients approved, evaluated, approved for surgery, getting their preliminary testing, blood work checked, and getting clearances from their family doctors. Because anything that I'm involved with is a specialty. So we need the primary care doctors to be involved. So I think AI especially is a tool that will help to connect all of these, what has been in the past, these siloed, disparate groups and help with the communication.

[B]

For sure, absolutely. And I guess a follow up to that. I'm curious, as a clinical AI leader, is there a specific technology or innovation that stands out to you as especially transformative?

[C]

That's a great question. So as we know from just reading, let's just say the Wall Street Journal or on our phones, news, you know, stories, it's just exploding, the number of companies that are getting into healthcare utilizing artificial intelligence. And so before I came in here today, I took a quick tour through the exhibits here at the Becker meeting. And there are tremendous number of companies that get that and are offering these services. From my point of view, the key will be how valuable they are to a provider. And because a lot of these, I mean, obviously the development of AI platforms is high powered development, technological development, so really coordinating it with providers, with surgeons and specialists is really going to be the key. So at the moment I can't name one, but I know that people get that and it's coming along.

[B]

Absolutely. And shifting gears a little bit. With 60% of health systems considering ASC joint ventures and many ASCs already partnering with systems in their communities, what opportunities do you see for collaboration, whether with other providers or vendors, to strengthen patient care and operational efficiency?

[C]

Well, it has to happen. That's what we need to have. And I had mentioned I had written a book which is a number one bestseller on Amazon. Can we manage to save Healthcare? I talk about in that book, in regard to your question, healthcare is tremendously fragmented. There are just different types of entities that are involved with it. Health insurance, federal programs, Medicare, Medicaid. So there's a tremendous opportunity that must be seized in order to get this collaboration to occur. And the people who are able to create platforms to do that will contribute the most value and they will be the successful entities.

[B]

Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. Is there anything that we didn't touch on or final thoughts you'd like to share?

[C]

Would love to just have people check out my book. It's a number one bestseller on Amazon and people have enjoyed it. I've gotten a lot of five star reviews on it. So if you would spread the word, I'd really appreciate that. My idea with that book is to identify the pain points that we need to address in order to make the flow of patient care better.

[B]

Wonderful. Well, again, thank you so much for your time. And we are recording live at the 31st annual business and operations of ASCS.

[C]

Thank you, Grace.