DGTL Voices with Ed Marx
Episode: Navigating Nursing and Technology (ft. Helen Lu)
Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Ed Marx
Guest: Helen Lu — Clinical Informatics Leader & Nurse Practitioner
Episode Overview
This episode explores the journey of Helen Lu—a nurse practitioner, clinical informatics leader, and AI advocate—highlighting the intersections of nursing, technology, resilience, and leadership. Host Ed Marx delves into Helen's immigrant upbringing, her motivation to enter nursing, significant career pivots, and her perspectives on the future of healthcare technology and nursing education. The conversation is dynamic and authentic, offering wisdom for clinicians at all stages of their careers, with practical advice for those striving to bridge clinical delivery and digital transformation in healthcare.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Helen’s Background and Resilience
- Immigrant Upbringing: Helen’s parents, Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, arrived in the U.S. with no English or resources. Their experience deeply instilled values of resilience and the importance of relationships in Helen.
- “They really taught me the importance of relationships growing up and just pure resilience.” — Helen Lu [02:15]
- Early Exposure to Healthcare Challenges: Her mother’s lupus diagnosis, complicated by language barriers and limited access, influenced Helen's pursuit of healthcare and prevention-focused nursing.
- “I saw how easy it is for certain populations to be marginalized if they didn't speak the language or fit into a very neat clinical box.” — Helen Lu [04:35]
The Nursing Pathway
- Choosing Nursing Over Medicine: Helen was drawn to whole-person care and advocacy, distinct from her brother’s medical path, emphasizing prevention and systemic factors.
- Immediate Progression to NP: Completed a rigorous direct-entry RN-to-Master’s program at Columbia, balancing bedside duties and advanced clinical training.
Leadership and Autonomy as an NP
- Advocacy Influence: Inspired by a formative experience observing nurse practitioners advocate fiercely for abused and neglected children.
- “I wanted to be that kind of provider who was able to care for the patients, but also had the voice to advocate for them.” — Helen Lu [06:41]
Transition from Clinical Care to Digital Leadership
- Frustration with Technology Gaps: Helen’s dissatisfaction with poorly-designed digital workflows motivated her to champion and lead informatics projects, translating clinical needs into technical solutions.
- “Documentation took a lot longer than the visit itself... I just kept asking, why is it like this? Who’s building these tools?” — Helen Lu [09:00]
- Scaling Impact: She reframed the shift away from direct care as a way to help clinicians and patients en masse via improved systems.
- “Instead of helping 20 patients a day, I was able to help hundreds and thousands of clinicians.” — Helen Lu [09:57]
Lessons from Opening a Restaurant
- Unexpected Detour: Helped launch a large Neapolitan pizza restaurant seven months before COVID-19, handling everything from tech setup to pandemic safety.
- “I didn’t actually want to do it... but once they were committed, I had no choice but to be involved.” — Helen Lu [11:17]
- Takeaways: Built resilience, versatility, and appreciation for process design—even outside healthcare.
AI in Healthcare: Current Gains and Future Direction
- Ambient Documentation: The most significant recent impact has been tools that automate clinical documentation.
- “This is the first technology I’ve ever implemented... that clinicians actually want to use.” — Helen Lu [13:22]
- Invisible Technology & Agentic AI: Future advances will focus on seamless, background tools that reduce clinician burden and let them focus on patients.
- “The EHR... has become like having a disruptive dog in your office... With the future of AI, it’s about making the right tools disappear back into the background.” — Helen Lu [14:37]
Nursing Education and Digital Preparedness
- Education Lag: Most nursing programs still treat technology as a side topic; few U.S. health systems have nursing informatics leaders (CNIOs), leaving a gap in design influence.
- “Nurses make up the largest part of a healthcare workforce... but most education programs still treat technology like it’s a side topic.” — Helen Lu [16:32]
- Leadership Void: Only 40–50% of systems have CNIOs, meaning nurses lack voice in digital transformation.
Advice for Clinicians & Aspiring Leaders
- Keep Learning: Take informatics classes, even outside a core program; seek continuous learning and hands-on experience.
- “If you’re not getting informatics or technology education through your nursing program, take some classes after. And... get involved.” — Helen Lu [19:10]
- Be Proactive: Volunteer for technology projects and governance bodies; self-educate instead of waiting for formal curriculum.
- “You can’t just sit on the sidelines and think there’s someone better to do this type of work. It’s you that has to get involved.” — Helen Lu [19:50]
Leadership Lessons from Family and Adversity
- Resilience in Crises: A poignant family story of her father’s business burning down highlighted resolve under pressure.
- “He just said to me, ‘If I built it once, I can rebuild it again.’” — Helen Lu [21:39]
- Creativity and Perspective: Helen recharges by switching gears—exploring psychology, design, business, and creative outlets like cooking and baking.
Closing Wisdom: Minding the Gaps
- Systems Thinking: Helen urges focus on the “gaps”—the in-between roles, processes, and unseen work in healthcare systems.
- “Double down on the gaps, those everyday spaces between systems, roles, different ideas... the stuff that no one really owns but everyone kind of depends on.” — Helen Lu [24:13]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I really try to lead with curiosity.... when you choose curiosity, you’re asking better questions.” — Helen Lu [01:31]
- “Instead of helping 20 patients a day, I was able to help hundreds and thousands of clinicians.” — Helen Lu [09:57]
- “This is the first technology I’ve ever implemented... that clinicians actually want to use.” — Helen Lu [13:22]
- “With the future of AI in healthcare, it’s not about adding more technology. It’s about making the right tools... disappear back into the background so it doesn’t get in between you and your patient.” — Helen Lu [14:39]
- “Nurses are the largest group of clinical users, [yet] often have very little say in how technology gets designed or implemented.” — Helen Lu [16:51]
- “You can’t just sit on the sidelines and think there’s someone better to do this type of work. It’s you that has to get involved.” — Helen Lu [19:50]
- “If I built it once, I can rebuild it again.” (her father’s mantra after losing his business) — Helen Lu [21:42]
- “Double down on the gaps... the stuff that no one really owns but everyone kind of depends on.” — Helen Lu [24:13]
Important Segment Timestamps
- Helen’s Immigrant Upbringing: [02:01–03:53]
- Path to Nursing: [04:09–05:10]
- Choosing NP and Advocacy: [05:49–07:19]
- Digital Transition & Early Tech Aptitude: [08:45–10:20]
- Pizza Restaurant Experience: [11:15–12:48]
- AI’s Gains—Ambient Documentation: [13:14–14:12]
- Invisible Tech and the Future: [14:35–15:46]
- Nursing Education Gap: [16:30–17:29]
- Advice for Continuous Learning: [18:58–19:57]
- Resilience & Family Story: [20:53–21:59]
- Recharge Strategies: [22:45–23:16]
- Closing Advice—Minding the Gaps: [24:07–24:58]
Summary in the Voices of the Speakers
Helen’s tone is inquisitive, grounded, and passionate about both patient advocacy and systems-level impact, while Ed’s hosting style is upbeat, personal, and affirming. The episode blends insightful career advice with personal storytelling and forward-looking perspectives on healthcare technology, offering a roadmap for clinicians and leaders eager to have a voice in digital transformation.
For more episodes and information on digital innovation in healthcare, follow DGTL Voices and Ed Marx.