Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Joey Seliski, Director of Digital Health Strategy and Operations, Allegheny Health Network
Host: Scott King
Date: November 25, 2025
Episode Theme: The intersection of digital transformation, workforce challenges, and operational strategy in healthcare, with an emphasis on how technology and people must align to address today’s most pressing issues.

Main Theme Overview

Joey Seliski discusses the major opportunities and headwinds facing healthcare organizations—specifically Allegheny Health Network—in 2025. The conversation centers on leveraging technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to combat workforce shortages and financial pressures, while highlighting the crucial role of organizational culture, training, and change management in successful digital transformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Joey Seliski’s Background and Healthcare Perspective

• Background:
  • Director of Digital Health Strategy and Operations at Allegheny Health Network (AHN), part of the larger Highmark Health organization—a $29 billion nonprofit with 44,000+ employees, 14 hospitals, 300 clinics, and 3,000 physicians in western PA.
  • Started with aspirations for pediatric oncology; shifted to healthcare technology via Epic, developing expertise in global, tribal health, and tech standardization projects.
  • Moved to AHN three years ago to focus on harnessing technology for patient experience, operational efficiency, and improved clinical outcomes.
  • [00:34] “I fell in love with what technology and healthcare truly can do, how it can transform care… truly at scale.” – Joey Seliski

2. Top Headwinds and Opportunities in Healthcare

• Workforce Shortages:
  • Significant projected shortages by 2028: 60,000–90,000 physicians, and over 100,000 nurses nationwide.
  • Burnout is a critical issue; must leverage technology (e.g., AI, ambient documentation) to reduce admin burden and keep clinicians engaged.
  • Example tools mentioned:
    • Automated chart summarization (lab result retrieval, etc.)
    • Virtual nursing models and hybrid care delivery (e.g., specialists remotely assisting rural hospitals).
• Financial Pressures:
  • Industry-wide rising costs, tighter margins, and reimbursement challenges.
  • Technology’s role in revenue cycle management: AI for claim coding, denial reduction, predictive analytics for staffing/resource allocation.
  • [01:56] “Burnout is real… We really have to use that headwind, looking ahead, to find opportunities for how do we prevent that?” – Joey Seliski

3. Growth and Value Creation Amidst Constraints

• Forming Internal Connections:
  • Success isn’t just “buying technology”—it’s about connecting stakeholders, building trust, and repurposing existing capabilities.
  • Emphasis on learning from peer organizations and adapting best practices.
  • Technology teams should act as “dot connectors” rather than simply implementers.
• Data & AI as a “Compass”:
  • Critical for leadership to guide investments using AI and data analytics aligned with organizational goals.
  • [04:38] “Growth isn't also just about maybe buying technology, implementing it… it's about forming relationships and connecting dots internally.” – Joey Seliski

4. Risks and Investment Areas for 2026–27

• People Investment: AI Literacy
  • Organizations must proactively upskill teams (clinicians, operators, leaders) in AI literacy, workflow integration, and outputs assessment.
  • Change management is key: “People and process alignment” trumps shiny new tech.
• Technology Investment: Imaging AI
  • Regardless of value-based or fee-for-service models, AI in imaging will drive critical value—prioritizing urgent cases, flagging findings, auto-generating radiology reports, and reducing backlog.
  • [06:28] “Without all of that—even the best technology fails. So it’s important to educate staff across the organization...” – Joey Seliski

5. Lessons Learned: “Failed” Technologies

• Tech ≠ Magic Bullet:
  • Failures are less about the technology itself, more about insufficient cultural readiness and change management.
  • The hardest part is preparing teams for what’s coming—does a new tool truly solve their pain point?
  • Work begins before implementation: Assess readiness, build trust, get buy-in.
  • [08:51] “We can’t just put technology on a process or operational team member who’s not ready for change.” – Joey Seliski

6. Where is the Best Future Growth?

• People Enablement:
  • Adoption and enablement teams (informatics, training, implementation) are more vital than ever for AI’s success.
  • Need for operational and clinical workflow integration before scaling up new tech.
• Conversational (Ambient) Intelligence:
  • A key emerging area: Using AI to capture and action voice interactions (call centers, video visits, in-person clinics) for next-step guidance and documentation.
  • “Gross” (GRROS – Get Rid of Stupid Stuff): Consistent process mapping to identify and eliminate low-value, inefficient routines for quick wins.
  • [10:10] “The question is not AI versus not AI… the secret sauce here is mapping how people, how AI, how other technologies… all interact.” – Joey Seliski

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [00:34] Joey Seliski:
  “I fell in love with what technology and healthcare truly can do, how it can transform care… truly at scale.”
• [01:56] Joey Seliski:
  “Burnout is real… we really have to use that headwind, looking ahead, to find opportunities for how do we prevent that?”
• [04:38] Joey Seliski:
  “Growth isn't also just about maybe buying technology, implementing it… it's about forming relationships and connecting dots internally.”
• [06:28] Joey Seliski:
  “It’s about the people and process alignment and without all of that, even the best technology fails.”
• [08:51] Joey Seliski:
  “We can’t just put technology on a process or operational team member who’s not ready for change.”
• [10:10] Joey Seliski:
  “The question is not AI versus not AI… the secret sauce here is mapping how people, how AI, how other technologies… all interact.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:34] – Seliski’s journey in healthcare technology
• [01:46] – Major headwinds: Workforce and financial pressures
• [04:25] – Approaches to growth and value in healthcare organizations
• [06:13] – Risks and investments for the next year
• [08:29] – Lessons from technology that fell short
• [10:10] – Best areas for future healthcare growth

Tone & Closing

The episode maintained a thoughtful, practical, and forward-looking tone. Joey emphasized that technology, while pivotal, is only as impactful as the organizational culture, training, and readiness behind it. The conversation is peppered with a sense of optimism about technology’s potential, balanced with candor about the hard work required to truly effect transformation.