Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Saad Ehtisham, President & CEO, Atlantic Health
Host: Will Riley
Release Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features an insightful conversation with Saad Ehtisham, President & CEO of Atlantic Health, who shares his experiences and vision for the organization just 100 days into his role. The discussion centers on Atlantic Health’s strategic priorities, the role of emerging technologies—especially AI—in healthcare, innovation partnerships, and how to translate these advancements to better patient and team outcomes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to Saad Ehtisham and Atlantic Health

• Ehtisham’s Background:
  • Recently joined Atlantic Health after overseeing 19 hospitals at Novant Health.
  • Atlantic Health: $5.5B net revenue, 6 hospitals, 1,800 beds, 7.5M population served across 14 counties (+1 in PA).
  • Strong academic/research component: 550 students, 356 residents, $70M research investment.
• [00:57] Quote:

  “Morristown Medical center has been around since 1911. Ranked among one of the top three hospitals in state of New Jersey... Newsweek number one. Overlook Medical Centers number two.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

2. Strategic Priorities for 2026

• Just launched a three-year strategic plan: “A journey to becoming a top performing national leader in healthcare.”

• Five strategic imperatives:

  1. Clinical Excellence
  2. Brand Loyalty & Consumer “Stickiness”
  3. Team Experience & Upskilling
  4. Sustainable Growth (emphasis on "sustainable")
  5. Financial Stewardship

• [02:33] Quote:

  “Number one, execute on clinical excellence. Number two, create brand loyalty and consumer stickiness... A lot of focus on team members... sustainable growth... financial stewardship.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

3. Financial Stewardship & Growth

• Set targets for profit margin to fuel reinvestment in capital and strategic initiatives.
• Emphasizes market share growth via partnerships and joint ventures rather than exclusive ownership.
• [03:54] Quote:

  “It’s probably not going to be possible for health systems to continue to own everything. I think we need to look at partners out there that we can leverage and have growth.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

4. Technology and AI Adoption in Healthcare

• Shift in Attitude:

  • Recognizes a new enthusiasm for tech and AI compared to previous eras.

• Approach:

  • Ehtisham describes himself as a “cautious techno enthusiast.”
  • Stresses problem-first, not solution-first: identify the challenge, assess value/impact, then adopt technology.

• [05:26] Quote:

  “For me...most people are looking at technology as the next wave of how we're going to get better without really understanding what you're trying to get better at...Once you know all those things then go find the solution.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

• On AI:

  • Warns against seeking tech for tech’s sake ("backwards"), advocates for clinical and staff impact assessment.

• [06:53] Memorable Exchange:

  Will Riley: “It’s backwards.”
  Saad Ehtisham: “Yeah. So I'm flipping it a little bit...”

5. Governance and Innovation Structures

• Joint Venture/Product Evaluation Committee:
  • Multidisciplinary, evaluates technology investments and strategic partnerships.
• Venture Studios:
  • $60M PE fund dedicated to healthcare startups—technology-driven and adjacent areas.
• Governance Principles:
  • Decisions run through “patient lens, team member lens, financial lens.”
  • Engage end users (clinicians/staff) early; vital for success and workflow integration.
• [07:11] Quote:

  “Once you do that you're really going to understand how does that alter our workflows. That's where people usually fail. They're trying to put a square peg in a round hole and it doesn't work.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

6. Balancing Incumbency and Innovation

• Strives for Atlantic Health to be “in the middle” between incumbent and disruptor.
• Advocates for self-disruption and proactive innovation versus reactive, survival-mode behavior.
• Utilizes organizational strengths:
  • Emphasizes a culture of reliability, shared governance, deference to expertise.
• [10:10] Quote:

  “If we can disrupt ourselves and innovate around that...then you're not reacting to what's coming down the pike...If you're always in reactive mode, you're in survival mode. And I'd rather us not be in a reactive mode.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

7. Administrative Innovation & The Payer Landscape

• Payer mix: 50% governmental (Medicare/Medicaid/MA), 38% revenue in risk-based contracts (Value-Based Care), robust ACOs.
• Objective: Increase value-based care from 38% to 43–45% over next three years, with policy awareness for risk.
• [11:52] Quote:

  “Our POP health strategy is pretty robust. I've challenged the team in the next three years to try to get from 38 to 43, 45% of total book of business at Value Based Care.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

8. AI’s Impact on Administrative Processes

• AI in Coding:
  • Enables rapid, automated EHR coding, reduces labor needs, but maintains human oversight for validation.
  • Administrative processes (revenue cycle, denials management) are seen as ripe for tech-driven efficiency.
• [13:38] Quote:

  “There's technology out there…that can mine the electronic medical records and code the medical record ready for billing...So you leverage the ability of one coder to be able to do multiple things at the same time...”
  — Saad Ehtisham

9. Patient-Centered Innovation—The Ultimate Goal

• North Star:
  • Better outcomes at lower cost, reducing patient financial burden, meeting patients “where they want to be.”
• [14:51] Quote:

  “At the end of the day, we got to give them a product that improves their health. We want to be partners in their journey...It has to be in the right setting...We want to meet the patients where they want to be met.”
  — Saad Ehtisham

10. Concluding Thoughts

• Reiterates: Identify the problem first, involve stakeholders, and humanize tech adoption (assure staff that AI augments, not replaces).
• [15:33] Quote:

  “Just echo again, reinforce, know what the problem you're trying to solve before you go seek the AI solution and have a governance structure in place that involves clinicians at the bedside...”
  — Saad Ehtisham

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [05:26] “Identify the problem, know what you're trying to solve...then go find the solution.”
• [06:53] “People are looking for solutions, they find the solution, they get excited, then they go looking for problems...It’s backwards.”
• [10:10] “If we can disrupt ourselves and innovate...then you're not reacting to what's coming down the pike.”
• [13:38] “You leverage the ability of one coder to be able to do multiple things at the same time...that’s the huge advantage there.”
• [14:51] “We want to be partners in their [patients’] journey...meet the patients where they want to be met.”

Timestamped Segment Highlights

| Time | Topic/Quote | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:57 | Ehtisham’s background and Atlantic Health overview | | 02:33 | Five strategic priorities outlined | | 03:54 | Financial stewardship and the importance of partnerships | | 05:26–06:53 | The shift to problem-first technology adoption, AI enthusiasm, and potential pitfalls | | 07:11 | Governance structures, venture studios, and clinician involvement | | 10:10 | Embracing self-disruption, innovation culture | | 11:52 | Atlantic Health’s advanced value-based care, payer mix, and population health initiatives | | 13:38 | AI’s administrative impact: coding and denials management | | 14:51 | Patient-centered objectives, cost reduction, and care settings | | 15:33–15:57 | Closing thoughts: technology as augmentation, not replacement |

Tone and Style

Saad Ehtisham brings a tone of pragmatic optimism, emphasizing vision, intentionality, and inclusiveness. He encourages thoughtful innovation anchored in real-world challenges, focusing continually on measurable patient and staff benefits. The conversation is open, practical, and future-oriented, suited for health leaders grappling with digital transformation.

Summary prepared for those seeking quick yet comprehensive insights from this episode without needing to listen in full.