Shekar Ramanathan, Executive Director, Digital Transformation, Atlantic Health

Summary

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Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Shekar Ramanathan on Digital Transformation, AI, and Innovation in Healthcare

Episode Date: December 12, 2025
Guest: Shekar Ramanathan, Executive Director, Digital Transformation, Atlantic Health
Host: Grace Lynn Keller, Becker's Healthcare
Event: Recorded live at the 10th Annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM Conference

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast features Shekar Ramanathan discussing digital transformation in healthcare, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven strategies, governance, and navigating legislative changes. Ramanathan shares practical insights on leveraging AI to reduce administrative burdens, implementing innovation despite financial and operational constraints, and the crucial role of data in prioritizing initiatives to deliver the most value.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Shekar Ramanathan’s Background in Healthcare IT

• Shekar Ramanathan has 25 years’ experience in healthcare technology, spanning consulting, vendor roles (including time at Epic), and health systems.
• Focus areas include digital transformation, leveraging digital data, and integrating AI to improve clinical and business processes.
  • “I've been in the healthcare technology space for close to 25 years now... focused on digital transformation, digital data, AI and how all that kind of comes together.” (00:47)

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2. AI Use Cases Making a Difference Now

• AI is omnipresent in healthcare technology discussions, with nearly half of medical practices having adopted some form of AI in the past year.
• High-impact AI use cases:
  • Reducing administrative burden: Streamlining provider workflows via ambient voice technology, automation for prior authorizations, and contact center automation.
    • Removes inefficiencies, allowing providers and systems to focus on patient care.
    • “The biggest area... is really around areas where we can really remove some of the administrative burden for the health system and especially for our providers... and really be able to put more focus back on the patient and clinical care delivery.” (01:34)
  • Cautions against AI for AI’s sake—emphasis on choosing areas that create true value.

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3. Innovation Amid Constraints: Governance and Strategic Focus

• Healthcare leaders are challenged to innovate smartly in times of financial and operational constraint.
• Governance and strategic prioritization:
  • Focus on desired outcomes and “work backwards.”
  • Choose technologies that tangibly support organizational goals.
  • Constraints can spur “the best innovation,” as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • “Governance is incredibly important to being able to understand where are your largest value areas and really focusing on outcomes and then kind of working backwards from there.” (02:52)
    • “Oftentimes in the time of like financial constraints and operational constraints is usually when we actually see some of the best innovation.” (03:28)

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4. Navigating Legislative and Reimbursement Changes

• New state and federal legislation directly impacts healthcare organization strategies, especially for telehealth reimbursement.
• Adaptability is crucial:
  • Organizations need both short- and long-term strategic contingencies.
  • “We are not in the business of making the laws, but we are responsible for following them. So it's important that we're designing plans that allow us to operate at a high level regardless of what happens.” (04:40)

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5. Data-Driven Leadership Advice

• Top advice for healthcare leaders:
  • Start with data to identify true value drivers.
  • Focus on the right opportunities—not just good ones, but the great ones that will have the most impact.
  • Avoid spreading resources too thin; use data to sharpen organizational focus.
    • “I'm going to say data is kind of where you want to kind of really start... being able to be really data driven. Understand what's going to impact your organization the most should be a priority.” (05:04)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On AI’s real value:
  “There’s really no reason for us to not look at ways for us to be able to speed up that process... and really be able to put more focus back on the patient and clinical care delivery.” – Shekar Ramanathan (01:54)
• On innovation during constraints:
  “Oftentimes... operational constraints is usually when we actually see some of the best innovation.” – Shekar Ramanathan (03:25)
• On laws and adaptability:
  “We are not in the business of making the laws, but we are responsible for following them.” – Shekar Ramanathan (04:40)
• On prioritizing data-driven strategies:
  “Being able to be really data driven. Understand what's going to impact your organization the most should be a priority.” – Shekar Ramanathan (05:25)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:47 – Shekar Ramanathan’s background and career journey
• 01:34 – AI use cases: Reducing administrative burden (ambient voice, automation)
• 02:52 – Approaching governance, balancing innovation and operations
• 04:01 – Adjusting strategy for legislative changes, telehealth reimbursement
• 05:04 – Leadership advice: Start with data, focus on high-impact opportunities

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Conclusion

Shekar Ramanathan underscores that successful digital transformation in healthcare hinges on leveraging AI for practical, high-value efficiency, embracing innovation during challenging times, responding nimbly to legislative change, and—above all—using data to drive organizational priorities. His guidance offers healthcare leaders a strategic roadmap to navigate today’s evolving health IT environment.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

This is Grace Lynn Keller with the Beckers Healthcare podcast and we are recording live at the 10th annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM meeting. I'm currently joined by Shekhar Ramanathan who is the Executive Director of Digital Transformation at Atlantic Health. Shekhar, thanks for being here today. Let's have you start off by sharing a bit about yourself and your work in healthcare.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. So I've been in the healthcare technology space for close to 25 years now in all kind of different aspects of it from kind of the consulting end vendor side. I used to work at Epic and then have worked for a number of health systems in between. Really kind of focused on digital transformation, digital data, AI and how all that kind of comes together to really transform clinical and business process.

[B]

Wonderful. And let's start our conversation right there actually with AI, because nearly half of medical practices reported using AI in some capacity in the last year and obviously it does remain a key topic for health leaders. So from your perspective, what are the use cases that are making a difference right now and how are you leveraging them in your organization?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, AI is pretty much everywhere that we go nowadays. We go through these conferences and pretty much every vendor is talking about how they're leveraging AI, what they're doing and all those kind of things. Ultimately it kind of comes down to where are we really able to drive value. And I think the biggest area, especially right now, is really around areas where we can really remove some of the administrative burden for the health system and especially for our providers. The things like ambient voice, helping with things like prior authorization, contact center automation, all of those areas where there's really not a lot of immediate value to the patient, to the provider or to the health system. There's really no reason for us to not look at ways for us to be able to speed up that process, look at more efficient ways to do those things, and really be able to put more focus back on the patient and clinical care delivery.

[B]

And as virtual care expands from AI enabled tools and remote monitoring to broader digital health platforms, introducing new technology does bring its own challenges. So what advice do you have for leaders navigating everything from governance to patient engagement and can you share an example of how your organization has balanced innovation with operational constraint?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. And I think right now, especially where dollars are getting much tighter and health systems have to be a more focused on picking the right opportunities and right areas to focus on. I think governance is incredibly important to being able to understand where are your largest value areas and really focusing on outcomes and then kind of working backwards from there. What is it that you really want to achieve, how are you going to go about doing that and then picking the technologies and solutions that are really going to support that. And oftentimes in the time of like financial constraints and operational constraints is usually when we actually see some of the best innovation. You know, we saw a lot of that during COVID We saw everyone kind of focusing on the same problem, which allows for a greater level of innovation and a really a greater opportunity for.

[B]

Transformation and shifting gears slightly. How are you seeing recent legislation, both state and federal, affect healthcare organizations and healthcare IT staff specifically. And have you adjusted strategies in response?

[C]

I don't think we have an option not to. Especially right now with the current government shutdown and the impact on things like telehealth reimbursement. We really have to then be able to shift and pivot and understand kind of short term strategies as well as long term strategies of are those type of things going to change? It's important that we're always staying abreast of what is happening and then having contingency plans that allow us to quickly adopt and being able to stay focused on clinical care. You know, what we constantly talked about organizationally is the idea of the fact that we're not in the business of making the laws, but we are responsible for following them. So it's important that we're designing plans that allow us to operate at a high level regardless of what happens.

[B]

And as we wrap up our conversation, I'd love to know your top piece of advice for healthcare leaders as they prepare for further advancements in technology and rising demands for care.

[C]

Yeah, so I'm going to be a little bit biased. I'm going to say data is kind of where you want to kind of really start. I think it's really important that you're in a position to understand what are those major value drivers and how do you understand where your opportunities are and ultimately how do you weed out just the good opportunities so you really have the opportunity, so you have the time and ability to really focus on the great ones. And organizations often get caught up in too many things. So being able to be really data driven. Understand what's going to impact your organization the most should be a priority.

[B]

Wonderful. Well, shaker, thanks so much for joining me today on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. Again, we are recording live at the 10th annual Health IT Digital Health and RCM Conference.

[C]

Thank you.