Kelley Wells, Rph VP- Clinical Applications, Indiana University Health - Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Summary4 min read

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast - Episode Summary

Guest: Kelley Wells, RPh, VP - Clinical Applications, Indiana University Health
Host: Grace Lynn Keller
Date: January 3, 2026
Episode Theme: Healthcare IT leadership, organizational growth, and digital transformation at IU Health

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the evolution of Indiana University Health under the leadership of Kelley Wells, who shares insights on the system’s rapid expansion, major digital initiatives, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence in healthcare IT. The conversation offers a first-hand view of managing large-scale technology transitions and strategic investments for future-proofing health systems.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Background

[00:32–01:22]

Kelley Wells’ Role:
- VP for Clinical Applications at IU Health, a system comprising 17 hospitals across Indiana.
- Background as a pharmacist who “ended up in IT by accident,” implementing clinical systems before fully transitioning into IT leadership.
- Has been leading clinical applications for about a decade.

Quote:
“I was implementing a lot of systems as the pharmacist and just kind of over time moved into IT and have been doing this for about 10 years now.”
— Kelley Wells ([00:57])

2. IU Health’s Growth Strategy

[01:22–02:15]

The system is experiencing “rapid growth,” focusing on significant capital projects:
- Construction of a new adult academic health center in downtown Indianapolis (consolidating two hospitals, opening 2027).
- New hospital in Fort Wayne, a cancer center, and another hospital in Lafayette.
- Emphasis on “building smart,” with a commitment to integrating advanced technology throughout new facilities.

Quote:
“We've kind of gone all in on building. So we have a new academic… health center downtown Indianapolis… consolidating two hospitals… [and] making sure that building is going to be smart.”
— Kelley Wells ([01:35])

3. Major Initiative: Epic EHR Conversion

[02:15–03:18]

IU Health is undergoing a major transition from Oracle Health Cerner (after 25 years) to Epic as its Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
- Go-live target date: May 1, 2027.
- The project is “operationally led,” with former medical group leadership at the helm, supported by IT teams.
- Significant resource shift: Of 250 clinical applications staff, 140 have moved to the Epic transition team and retrained.
- Real-time “legacy support” is being balanced with preparing for the new system.

Quote:
“We made the decision at the end of last year that we were switching to EPIC. We go live May 1, 2027… It is [an] operationally led project… About 140 [staff] went over to that EPIC team, went through all the training, and we're kind of in that legacy support.”
— Kelley Wells ([02:23])

4. Strategic Advice for Healthcare Executives

[03:18–04:12]

AI is a dominant theme at industry conferences and in organizational strategy.
- Health IT spending does not always increase as a percentage of revenue during growth, requiring strategic prioritization.
- Leaders must carefully decide where to invest in AI—both for clinical and back-office functions—while ensuring a robust IT infrastructure and support system.
- Underlines the necessity of deliberate investment in human and technical resources for successful digital transformation.

Quote:
“There's so much AI… It can have great benefits… either with your clinicians or… back office type things. It takes IT people behind that to kind of make that happen… making sure that you're building that infrastructure properly so that we… can deliver and support our users.”
— Kelley Wells ([03:31])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"I've been doing this for about 10 years now." ([Kelley Wells, 00:59])
"We’re trying to... deliver EPIC on time and on budget. So it is very exciting time for IU Health." ([Kelley Wells, 02:56])
"Health IT as a percentage of revenue doesn’t always go up with growth; you really need intentional investment." ([Paraphrased from Kelley Wells, 03:33])

Important Timestamps

00:32–01:22: Kelley Wells introduces her background and role.
01:30–02:15: Overview of IU Health’s growth strategy and massive new projects.
02:21–03:18: Deep dive into the Epic EHR transition.
03:27–04:12: Strategic reflections and advice for executives on AI and IT investment.

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is direct, practical, and forward-looking, reflecting the urgency and excitement of large-scale change in a major health system.
Kelley Wells encourages deliberate investment in both technology and the people who support it, especially as AI and digital transformation accelerate.
The episode spotlights the balancing act of supporting legacy systems while spearheading transformative projects, ensuring IU Health remains at the forefront of healthcare technology.

Useful for:
Healthcare executives, IT leaders, health system strategists, and anyone interested in large-scale digital transformation in healthcare organizations.

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Transcript10 lines

[00:02]
A
This is where healthcare leadership comes together. Becker's 16th annual meeting brings more than 3,500 hospital and health system executives and nearly 800 speakers to Chicago, April 13th through the 16th. This year's event includes keynote conversations with Dallas Cowboys legend Troy Aikman and former President George W. Bush. For the agenda and event details, visit Beckershospitalreview.com and click on the Events tab in the upper right. We're looking forward to hosting you in Chicago.
[00:33]
B
This is Grace Lynn Keller with the Beckers Healthcare Podcast and we are recording live at the 13th annual CEO and CFO Roundtable. I'm currently joined by Kelly Wells, who is the VP of Clinical Applications at Indiana University Health. So, Kelly, thanks for being here. I'm going to have you start off by introducing yourself a little bit more and telling us more about your background.
[00:50]
C
Sure. Thanks for having me. So, like you said, I'm the VP for clinical applications for IU Health. We're a 17 hospital system in Indiana. I overse of our clinical applications, so that includes our emr, our imaging systems, those type of things. I am a pharmacist by background, so kind of kind of ended up in it by accident. I was implementing a lot of systems as the pharmacist and just kind of over time moved into it and have been doing this for about 10 years now.
[01:23]
B
Wonderful. Well, thanks for taking the time to be here. And let's have you start off by talking a little bit about your growth strategy over the next year or two.
[01:31]
C
Yeah. So IU Health is in rapid growth. We have, we've really put, we've kind of gone all in on building. So we have a new academic adult academic health center downtown Indianapolis, and that's a consolidation of two hospitals that are coming together. So that will open in 2027. And we've spent a lot of time trying to make sure that that building is going to be smart. We're going to have all the newest technology, so really spending a lot of time on that. We also have a new hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana and a cancer center, another hospital in, in Lafayette. So we have, we have lots of growth going on. In the meantime, of course, we're trying to also roll out new programs and all that. So it, it has been a pretty busy time for us.
[02:16]
B
And tell us about the most exciting or impactful initiative or project that you're working on right now.
[02:21]
C
Well, for me, it is our epic conversion. So we have been an Oracle Health Cerner client for about 25 years and so we have deep, deep Deep Knowledge with Cerner. And we made the decision at the end of last year that we were switching to EPIC. We go live May 1, 2027. We're doing it as an operationally led project. So we have kind of the ex president of our medical group is running the project, but you've got a bunch of IT people behind him that are helping with that. We actually took our team. My team had probably 250 people supporting all of our applications. About 140 of them went over to that EPIC team, went through all the training, and we're kind of in that legacy support. So we're trying manage still the requests of the business, but at the same time trying to figure out how to. How to obviously deliver EPIC on time and on budget. So it is very exciting time for IU Health.
[03:18]
B
Wonderful. And what is the most important thing you think that health executives should be doing right now to make sure their organizations are successful in the future?
[03:27]
C
I think really, as you've kind of seen in this conference, there's so much AI. It's kind of been the theme. Right. And of course, being an IT person, this is, you know, this is important to me. But you know, as you grow, sometimes you don't necessarily see the spend in the IT space actually go up as a percentage of your revenue. So I think really spending some time understanding, okay, where do we want to invest if we're going to invest in these AI products which can, can have great benefits, you know, either, either with your clinicians or it could be, you know, back office type things. It takes IT people behind that to kind of make that happen. So, you know, just making sure that you're building that infrastructure properly so that we, that we can deliver and support our users.
[04:13]
B
Wonderful. Well, Kelly, thanks so much for joining me today on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. Again, we are recording live at the 13th annual CEO and CFO roundtable. Thank you.