Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: John Gachago, VP Digital Innovation, Parrish Healthcare

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Grace Lynn Keller
Guest: John W. Gachago, Vice President of Digital Innovation, Parrish Healthcare
Event: 10th Annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM Meeting

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the evolving landscape of digital health innovation in the U.S., particularly how health systems are navigating AI integration, digital transformation, and healthcare policy shifts. John W. Gachago, VP of Digital Innovation at Parrish Healthcare, shares insights from his career working with digital transformation in healthcare, the importance of responsible AI adoption, governance strategies, and how policy and funding are shaping technological progress, especially for vulnerable populations.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Background and Digital Transformation at Parrish Healthcare

[00:48–02:23]

• John Gachago’s Role: VP of Digital Innovation, focusing on delivering digital care strategies, especially for elderly, rural, and underserved populations.
• Mission-Driven Work: “Primary to that is the patients. That is why we do what we do.” (C, 00:53)
• Experience: Advises global healthcare organizations and governments on digital transformation, emphasizing telehealth, AI, equity, access, and sustainability.
• Publication: Author of two books—Digital Health: The How To and The Impact of AI on the Maturity of Hospitals.

2. Responsible AI Adoption in Healthcare

[02:23–03:55]

• Developing AI Policy: Under CEO George Mikitarian’s leadership, Parrish Healthcare has prioritized “redesign[ing] our healthcare AI policy…to use AI in a responsible fashion.” (C, 02:45)
• Core Tenets for AI Use:
  • Compliance with regulations.
  • Auditable and explainable AI.
  • Non-maleficence (“making sure it does not cause any harm”).
• Key AI Applications in the Pipeline:
  • Ambient clinical solutions.
  • Federated learning and privacy-preserving AI.
  • Digital twins for precision medicine.
  • Edge computing for remote monitoring and acute care at home.
  • Healthcare-specific large language models (LLMs).

3. Navigating Innovation: Governance and Patient Engagement

[03:55–05:35]

• Balancing Innovation & Reality: “Innovation is very exciting…But at the same time, I think it has to be grounded in reality…” (C, 04:18)
• Advice to Leaders:
  • Start with governance and build trust early.
  • Involve clinical leaders, IT, and community members in design—“so they have equity in it.”
• Example – Remote Patient Monitoring:
  • Success is not just device provision: “There’s training, there is engagement…helping the patient and the providers understand…what’s in it for all of them.” (C, 05:05)

4. Impact of State and Federal Legislation

[05:35–07:03]

• Policy as a Driver:
  • Local and state funding (e.g., Florida House Appropriations Project) is critical to rural digital infrastructure.
  • Federal changes to “interoperability and reimbursement models impact everything we do.”
• Adaptive Strategies:
  • Digital transformation strategies shift based on available funding.
  • “Funding is always a balancing act…But it’s also an opportunity to align innovation with policy.” (C, 06:35)

5. Final Advice for Healthcare Leaders

[07:03–08:03]

• Core Message: “Stay focused on value and people. That’s what I would say.” (C, 07:14)
• Technology as a Means, Not the End: “Technology is a tool. It’s not the goal.”
• Actionable Recommendations:
  • Invest in digital literacy across the organization.
  • Build flexible teams capable of evolving.
  • Keep patient experience central.
• “High Tech, High Touch”: “The future of health care is not just high tech. It’s definitely going to be high touch.” (C, 07:40)
  • Leaders must balance both to deliver quality care.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Primary to that is the patients. That is why we do what we do.” — John Gachago [00:53]
• “We looked at the entire organization [and] thought first thing we have to do is redesign our healthcare AI policy, right, so that we can actually begin to use AI, but certainly use AI in a responsible fashion.” — John Gachago [02:45]
• “Start with governance and build trust, and build it early. Build that trust early because you will need it down the road.” — John Gachago [04:22]
• “It’s about really helping the patient and the providers understand on both sides what’s in it for all of them.” — John Gachago [05:10]
• “Funding is always a balancing act, any which way you look at it. But it’s also an opportunity to align innovation with policy.” — John Gachago [06:35]
• “Stay focused on value and people…We all have to keep in mind that technology is a tool. It’s not the goal.” — John Gachago [07:14–07:21]
• “The future of health care is not just high tech. It’s definitely going to be high touch.” — John Gachago [07:40]

Key Timestamps

• 00:48–02:23: Gachago’s background and mission at Parrish Healthcare
• 02:43–03:55: Responsible AI adoption and strategic priorities
• 04:17–05:35: Governance, trust-building, and remote patient monitoring
• 05:47–07:03: Legislative impacts and adaptive strategy
• 07:13–08:03: Final advice for leaders—balancing technology, flexibility, and patient-centeredness

Tone:
Professional, mission-driven, pragmatic, and people-focused. John Gachago emphasizes balancing technological innovation with practical, humane care delivery and policy realities.

This summary highlights the episode’s main insights and practical takeaways on digital health innovation, AI, patient engagement, and the regulatory and funding environment, providing an actionable synthesis for those exploring the future of healthcare leadership.