Podcast Summary: Steve Smith on Transforming Patient Access Through Automation at Inova

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Host: Laura Dearda
Guest: Steve Smith, Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Contact Center and Access, Inova Health System
Date: March 4, 2026
Theme: Transforming Patient Access with Automation at Inova

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on how Inova Health System is leveraging digital automation to enhance patient access, streamline communication, and improve both patient and staff experiences. Steve Smith, Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Contact Center and Access, discusses the health system’s cloud-based phone system powered by digital assistants, shares results from recent initiatives, addresses ongoing challenges and future priorities, and provides insights into effective change management and organizational growth.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to Inova Health System ([00:57])

• Steve Smith introduces himself and Inova: a five-hospital, Magnet-accredited health system in Fairfax, VA, serving over 3 million patients annually.
• Recent recognition: Inova was named 2025 Press Ganey Hospital of the Year, attributed to patient relationships and leadership commitment.
  • Quote:

    “Last year we were acknowledged as the 2025 Press Ganey Hospital of the Year in large part to our relationship with our patients and under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Jones.” — Steve Smith [00:57]

2. Most Important Initiative: Cloud-Based Phone System & Digital Assistant ([01:38])

• Inova transitioned to a cloud-based phone system featuring a digital assistant to improve seamless patient access and self-service capabilities.
• The digital assistant helps patients schedule, reschedule, request medication refills, and direct their queries without always needing live agent support.
• Key achievement: 25% of interactions are now “self-contained,” resolved entirely by the digital assistant.
  • Quote:

    “…25% of the interactions with the digital assistant have been self-contained, meaning that they've been resolved within the digital assistant space and they haven't had to go into a call queue or speak to a live person. So that's really exciting.” — Steve Smith [02:34]

3. Current Priorities and Upcoming Headwinds ([03:18])

• Expansion of Self-Service:

  • Current self-scheduling is available for primary care; expansion is in progress for women’s services and other specialties.
  • Goal: Provide 24/7 seamless access and off-hour automation across all specialties.

• Team Member Support and Technology:

  • Ongoing efforts to give call center staff integrated tools, like AI-powered knowledge bases and screen pops, for more efficient problem-solving during patient interactions.
  • Desire to help staff “function at a higher level” with better support.
  • Quote:

    “We need to continue to build that infrastructure… and to be able to do it, you know, even at off hours when they call the digital assistant, they're able to interact … and in many instances resolve their concerns.” — Steve Smith [03:33]

4. Change Management Strategies ([05:13])

• Acknowledges challenges in change management: not everyone views change positively.

• Importance of sharing positive results and data to build trust and buy-in.

• Standardization and automation of scheduling are ongoing goals.

• Focus on workforce development through real-time feedback, coaching, and call sentiment analysis.

• Quote:

  “Change management is slow and omnipresent. We are not there yet… but providing positive results and data on the changes we've made … is crucial to kind of verify the trust.” — Steve Smith [05:16]

5. The Hardest Challenge for the Coming Year ([06:22])

• The biggest challenge: maintaining patience during a gradual, complex transformation process.

• Realities: Implementation depends on third-party vendors and cross-functional collaboration, often slower than anticipated.

• Quote:

  “It's definitely a marathon, not a sprint … we just can't flip the switch and say okay, all the automation is built, everything is seamless, go. This really takes a lot of time and it's looking at data, making changes across the way…” — Steve Smith [06:35]

6. Best Opportunities for Organizational Growth ([07:49])

• Continued investment in IT and automation to enhance both staff and patient experiences.

• Implementation of a new CRM platform (integrated with Epic EMR, called “chears”) tracks and documents patient interactions, streamlining workflows and improving service personalization.

• Aim: Reduce staff burden, standardize processes, and facilitate quicker call resolution.

• Quote:

  “We've rolled in a customer relationship management platform … called chears. And it's really to provide a really overview of the patient journey … and just to really capture the patient journey, not only to know them better, but to get into the resolution of a call more quickly and just make that a more seamless experience.” — Steve Smith [08:26]

Memorable Moments and Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |---|---|---| | 00:57 | Steve Smith | “Last year we were acknowledged as the 2025 Press Ganey Hospital of the Year in large part to our relationship with our patients and under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Jones.” | | 02:34 | Steve Smith | “…25% of the interactions with the digital assistant have been self-contained, meaning that they've been resolved within the digital assistant space and they haven't had to go into a call queue or speak to a live person. So that's really exciting.” | | 05:16 | Steve Smith | “Change management is slow and omnipresent. …providing positive results and data on the changes we've made … is crucial to kind of verify the trust.” | | 06:35 | Steve Smith | “It's definitely a marathon, not a sprint … we just can't flip the switch and say okay, all the automation is built, everything is seamless, go.” | | 08:26 | Steve Smith | “We've rolled in a customer relationship management platform … called chears. … to know [the patients] better, but to get into the resolution of a call more quickly and just make that a more seamless experience.” |

Key Timestamps by Segment

• 00:57 — Introduction to Inova and recent achievements
• 01:38 — Transition to cloud-based system and digital assistant; measurable results
• 03:18 — Expansion plans for automation/self-service and staff empowerment
• 05:13 — Change management strategies and supporting workforce development
• 06:22 — Hardest challenge: Patience and complexity in transformation
• 07:49 — Opportunities for organizational growth and future technology investments

Tone and Takeaways

Steve Smith balances enthusiasm for technological innovation with a pragmatic outlook on change management and organizational transformation. He emphasizes the importance of patient-centeredness, data-driven improvements, and supporting healthcare staff as vital contributors to ongoing progress. The episode offers practical insights for healthcare leaders navigating similar access and automation challenges.