Podcast Summary:

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Interoperability at scale: The path to smarter, connected care
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: Lucas Voss (A), Becker's Healthcare
Guest: Scott Saichhorn (B), VP & GM, SmartCare Business Unit, Stryker Medical

Overview

This episode explores the journey toward interoperability at scale in healthcare, with a deep dive into how smart, connected care environments are evolving. Scott Saichhorn shares industry insights on integrating advanced digital technologies, breaking down systemic silos, and building flexible, intelligence-driven ecosystems that prioritize safety, efficiency, and user experience. The discussion covers not only technical innovation but also leadership strategies, future outlooks, and practical advice for healthcare organizations at different stages of digital transformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Evolving System-Level Problem Solving (01:38-03:45)

• COVID-19 as a Turning Point: Macro-level healthcare problems—workforce shortages, variation in care, cost pressures, and operational inefficiency—have intensified post-pandemic.
• Persistent Siloes: Despite massive investments in smart technology (beds, devices, EHRs), these often operate in silos, creating frustration and limiting enterprise value.
• Quote:

  “The frustration that I hear more than anything is that they've made this huge investment in all this technology... but it's still sort of operating in silos and they want more out of it.” – Scott Saichhorn (03:32)

2. Meaningful Technology for Clinical Teams (04:07-05:36)

• Ambient Intelligence: Technology should “disappear” into clinician workflows, giving time back and reducing complexity. Usability wins if tech is seamless, fails if it leads to more clicks and tasks.
• Smarter Hospitals: Ambient tech is one important component, best leveraged when its signals and data combine meaningfully with workflows and analytics.
• Quote:

  “Ambient technology is most meaningful when it sort of disappears into the background and... gives time back to clinicians.” – Scott Saichhorn (04:27)

3. Ingredients of Effective Interoperability Ecosystems (06:02-09:01)

• Critical Infrastructure:
  • Good middleware acts as the “infrastructure” linking devices, systems, and platforms.
  • Real-time, event-driven platforms outperform post-hoc dashboards—allowing systems to respond instantly to critical events (e.g., a bed rail down triggering automatic alerts).
  • Openness and flexibility are essential; platforms must be developer-friendly and adaptable to each hospital's unique needs.
• Customization, Not Standardization: No “templated” smart hospitals. Each system’s digital strategy needs curation to reflect organizational reality.
• Quote:

  “Hospitals, we know at Stryker, are never going to use Stryker as their only technology vendor... So the platform has to be ultra open. It's got to be developer friendly, it's got to be flexible.” – Scott Saichhorn (08:20)

4. Determining Value vs. Hype in Digital Innovation (09:25-11:40)

• Key Leadership Question: Does this innovation reduce fragmentation or add to it?
• Stryker’s Approach: Consolidating hundreds of smart products onto a single, cloud-based, multi-tenant platform aligning with customers’ requests for simplicity—a model open to external algorithms and products.
• Avoiding Hype: Not pursuing “one platform to rule them all”—instead, offering a backbone that enables customers to run any model or application flexibly.
• Quote:

  “We've made this a really deliberate decision here to move towards a one Stryker, one platform... That's also why we're not really trying to own everything.” – Scott Saichhorn (10:34)

5. The Power of Flexibility & Real-Time Orchestration (11:57-14:46)

• From Retrospective Reporting to Real-Time Action: Platforms now enable detection and response to clinical events as they occur, not just after monthly reports.
• Operational Choice & Optionality: Organizations can start small—one use case at a time—and expand without rearchitecting. Flexibility supports meeting fast-changing priorities.
• Smart Hospitals as Operational Backbone: Beyond technology, these platforms enable bolder, faster decision-making with measurable outcomes.
• Quote:

  “A smart hospital platform is less a piece of technology and it's more of like an operational backbone of the organization. And it gives executives a lot of confidence... to drive better care because they can see the impact and adjust course quickly.” – Scott Saichhorn (13:31)

6. Future Outlook: Quietly Intelligent Hospitals (15:18-17:36)

• Success Metrics for the Next 3-5 Years:
  • Technology is “quietly intelligent”—invisible but always supporting care teams.
  • Smooth adaptation to change, reduced technology footprint, rapid deployment of use cases, and minimized disruption.
  • Most importantly: technology that makes clinicians’ jobs easier and care more coordinated.
• Quote:

  “Successful organizations are going to be the ones that can evolve without constant disruption, without friction. And I think ultimately success shows up when the clinicians have great experiences and the patients are getting good outcomes.” – Scott Saichhorn (16:53)

7. Final Takeaways: Culture Over Technology (17:51-19:58)

• No Single Blueprint: The path to a smarter hospital is unique to each organization. Focus should be on creating the right conditions for innovation rather than prescribing solutions.
• Governance & Culture Matter Most: The real determinant of success isn’t technology—it’s governance, culture, and strong partnership between IT, clinicians, and operations.
• Quote:

  “Technology is not... the real determinant of success. It’s governance. It's culture, it's how you choose to use the platform. It's change management.” – Scott Saichhorn (19:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Siloes:
  “...they’ve made this huge investment in all this technology... but it’s still sort of operating in silos and they want more out of it.” (03:32)

• On Ambient Technology:
  “Ambient technology is most meaningful when it... disappears into the background and... gives time back to clinicians.” (04:27)

• On Open Infrastructure:
  “The platform has to be ultra open. It's got to be developer friendly, it's got to be flexible.” (08:20)

• On Success:
  “Success shows up when the clinicians have great experiences and the patients are getting good outcomes. Because if technology consistently makes work easier and more coordinated, that’s a strong signal the strategy is working.” (16:53)

Important Timestamps

• Introduction and Scott’s Background – 00:00-01:38
• COVID-19’s Impact and Macro System Issues – 02:08-03:45
• Clinical Side: Usability and Ambience – 04:07-05:36
• Key Ingredients of Interoperable Ecosystems – 06:02-09:01
• Sorting Value from Hype in Innovation – 09:25-11:40
• Flexible, Real-Time, and Actionable Platforms – 11:57-14:46
• Future Outlook – Quiet Intelligence – 15:18-17:36
• Final Reflections: No Single Blueprint, Importance of Culture – 17:51-19:58

Conclusion

Scott Saichhorn's insights provide a roadmap for healthcare organizations navigating digital transformation: invest in foundational, open infrastructure; emphasize real-time, actionable data over retrospective reporting; avoid one-size-fits-all solutions; and prioritize culture, governance, and co-design with clinicians. The vision for the next era of smart hospitals is one where technology is quietly intelligent, flexible, and always in service of better outcomes for both care teams and patients.