Digital Health Leaders Podcast

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, is joined by Jim Stevens, Senior Director of Data Center and Hybrid/Multicloud Advanced Technology Solutions at Connection, to explore how leaders can build technology environments that remain resilient, adaptable, and ready for what comes next.

From determining where critical workloads belong to managing the growing complexity of hybrid and multicloud environments, the conversation examines the tradeoffs behind modern infrastructure strategy. Jim also explores how decisions around compute, storage, networking, data, and architecture can shape a health system’s ability to scale AI without overbuilding for a future that is still taking shape.

Key Takeaways:

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Why “cloud-first” may no longer be sufficient for determining where healthcare workloads belong.

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How leaders can evaluate the performance, security, integration, and economic consequences of workload placement.

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Which dependencies health systems should understand before disruption tests the resilience of their infrastructure.

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How to determine when hybrid and multicloud flexibility creates strategic value versus unnecessary complexity.

Scale can give healthcare organizations access to greater technology, talent, and capability, but only if growth preserves the specialized knowledge that makes those resources valuable. Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Venky Ananth, Head of US Healthcare at Infosys, for a conversation on balancing global scale with the realities of individual health systems.

Together, they explore what successful technology partnerships should deliver, how leaders can modernize critical environments without disrupting daily operations, and where standardization must give way to provider-specific context.

Key Takeaways:

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How health systems can gain the advantages of scale without sacrificing healthcare expertise, responsiveness, and institutional knowledge.

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Which areas of technology operations lend themselves to standardization and which decisions should remain close to individual health systems.

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How leaders can balance modernization with the reliability of critical systems and day-to-day operations.

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What disciplined sequencing looks like when modernization and operational demands compete for the same resources.

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How CIOs can structure strategic technology partnerships around clear accountability, measurable performance, and long-term value.

What makes healthcare technology truly work is rarely captured on a feature list. Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, joins Scott Sbihli, Chief Product Officer at symplr, to examine how leaders can look beyond functionality to design technology around the realities of healthcare’s increasingly connected environment.

From diagnosing why technology investments underperform to connecting workflows across organizational boundaries, they explore what creates meaningful product value in practice. Scott also shares his perspective on how AI is changing the way healthcare technology itself is built, and what leaders must consider as software gains greater autonomy in how it interprets intent and takes action.

Key Takeaways:

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Why successful healthcare technology depends on more than features, functionality, and adoption.

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How leaders can determine whether an underperforming investment needs optimization, integration, process redesign, or replacement.

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Where connected workflows can create greater value than adding capabilities to individual applications.

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How AI is reshaping healthcare software development, from design and coding to testing and release.

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What product and digital health leaders must consider as agentic AI gains greater discretion across healthcare experiences.

In this episode, Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, and Sundar Subramanian, CEO of Zyter, examine why the next competitive advantage may lie not in accessing more AI, but in orchestrating technology, people, and processes around the work that matters.

Their conversation moves beyond individual use cases to explore workflow redesign, cross-functional accountability, human oversight, and the foundations required to scale AI-enabled execution. They also consider how leaders can measure whether orchestration is actually improving clinical, operational, financial, and workforce outcomes rather than simply adding another layer of technology.

Key Takeaways:

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What separates AI experimentation from a repeatable capability to deliver enterprise value.

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Why meaningful AI adoption may require redesigning workflows, not simply automating existing steps.

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How leaders can establish accountability when AI-enabled work crosses organizational and functional boundaries.

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Where human judgment and oversight must remain explicit as AI coordinates increasingly complex work.

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Which outcomes executives should measure when deciding whether an AI investment is ready to scale.

Complexity may be inherent to healthcare, but that doesn’t mean leaders have to accept it. Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Venkat Kavarthapu, CEO of symplr, for a conversation about what it takes to make simplicity a strategic advantage across modern healthcare organizations.

From listening more closely to the people experiencing operational challenges to using AI and data to rethink how technology is built and delivered, Venkat explores how leaders can reduce friction without sacrificing capability. He also shares perspectives on stepping into the CEO role, building trust across teams, and ensuring faster innovation ultimately translates into better experiences and outcomes for healthcare organizations, clinicians, and patients.

Key Takeaways:

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Where AI and data-driven innovation can reduce complexity for healthcare organizations and their workforces.

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How technology leaders can use AI to accelerate development while keeping customer value and outcomes at the center.

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Why meaningful innovation begins with listening to the people experiencing healthcare’s most persistent pain points.

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How trust, culture, and decisive leadership enable sustained performance through growth and change.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Christopher Logan, Healthcare CISO at Zscaler, to explore what it takes to build security architectures that protect care delivery when systems, users, data, vendors, and AI increasingly operate beyond traditional boundaries. From uncovering systemic risks that conventional assessments may miss to strengthening operational resilience and securing AI at the architectural layer, they examine how healthcare leaders can rethink Zero Trust, access, and cyber preparedness without creating new barriers to clinical care.

Key Takeaways:

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What distinguishes cybersecurity investment from true operational resilience when critical systems or connections fail.

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How Zero Trust must evolve as identity, workloads, data, devices, and third parties move beyond the traditional network perimeter.

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How security leaders can strengthen segmentation and access controls without introducing unacceptable clinical friction.

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How security leaders can strengthen segmentation and access controls without introducing unacceptable clinical friction.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Fran Rosch, President and CEO of Imprivata, to examine how agentic AI challenges long-standing assumptions about identity, access, authority, and accountability and what happens to healthcare identity and access management when the user is no longer human. As AI agents gain the ability to reason, delegate, and act across systems, traditional security controls may no longer be enough. Their conversation explores what healthcare leaders must reconsider about identity lineage, Zero Trust, human oversight, and governance as organizations prepare to secure a growing population of autonomous digital agents.

Key Takeaways:

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Which assumptions behind traditional identity governance are challenged when AI agents can reason and act independently.

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How organizations can preserve identity lineage and accountability as AI agents delegate work across systems.

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How Zero Trust and authorization models may need to evolve for dynamic, agentic environments.

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Why governing an agent's access may be fundamentally different from governing its intent and actions.

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Where human authority should remain nondelegable as healthcare increasingly operates at machine speed.

Peak Perspectives: Conversations from the Climb

Healthcare leaders rarely suffer from a shortage of ambitious ideas. The harder challenge is deciding which ones deserve investment and turning those choices into measurable results. Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Peyman Zand, Chief Strategy Officer at CereCore, for a conversation about what separates a compelling strategy from one that actually delivers.

From allocating finite resources and realizing greater value from existing technology investments to creating governance that accelerates rather than restricts innovation, they examine the decisions behind sustainable enterprise performance. Peyman also explores the growing strategic implications of AI and what leaders must protect when possibility, profitability, and responsibility don't neatly align.

Key Takeaways:

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How leaders can prioritize investments and confidently say “not now” to compelling opportunities.

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Why effective governance can create greater clarity, accountability, and momentum for innovation.

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Where strong strategies most often break down between executive vision and measurable execution.

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What responsible strategic leadership requires when growth, performance, innovation, and ethical considerations compete.

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How health systems can uncover more value from technology capabilities they already own before making the next investment.

As innovation moves faster than healthcare can absorb it, Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, and Dr. Rod Tarrago, CMIO of Pediatrics at Amazon Web Services explore how leaders decide what deserves their attention and what truly improves care.

From making healthcare data actionable at the point of care to determining when AI is ready to assume greater responsibility, their conversation examines how leaders can pursue technological advancement without losing sight of safety, clinical judgment, and the people innovation is ultimately meant to serve.

Key Takeaways:

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How clinical experience, particularly in pediatrics, can shape approaches to technology adoption, risk, and innovation.

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What leaders risk overlooking when technological possibility moves faster than organizational priorities and patient needs.

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How healthcare organizations can turn expanding volumes of data into better decisions, safer care, and meaningful outcomes.

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Where leaders should draw the line between AI autonomy and nonnegotiable human judgment.

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How digital health leaders can balance speed, responsibility, and collective ambition as they prepare for healthcare’s next great advancement.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, is joined by Sandy Gupta, Co-Founder, President, and COO of Innovaccer, as they explore one of healthcare's most important leadership questions: How should organizations prepare for a future where AI is participating in care as part of its workforce?

As AI capabilities evolve from productivity tools to increasingly autonomous systems, healthcare leaders face new, consequential decisions about workforce design, governance, accountability, and value creation. Together, Russ and Sandy discuss how organizations can move beyond AI experimentation to build AI-enabled enterprises that strengthen human decision-making, create operational capacity, and improve care delivery.

Key Takeaways:

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Why healthcare's AI conversation is evolving from automation and productivity tools to autonomous agents capable of coordinating and executing work.

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How leaders can think about workforce augmentation, human oversight, and the evolving relationship between people and AI.

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What it means to reinvest AI-generated capacity into patient care, access, quality, and organizational growth.

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Which metrics matter most when evaluating the business and clinical value of AI investments.

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How organizations can prepare for agentic AI at scale through thoughtful governance, workforce planning, security, identity management, and technology architecture.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Andy Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Impact Advisors, for a candid conversation about leadership, culture, and what it takes to build organizations that thrive in periods of accelerated change. Andy shares perspectives on cultivating high-performing teams, sustaining culture at scale, and leading through complexity without losing sight of the people at the center of healthcare.

Together, they examine the profound promise of AI, what is means to fully embrace innovation, how to balance opportunity with accountability, and how industry leaders are revolutionizing care in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Key Takeaways:

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How healthcare organizations are responding to economic pressures, workforce challenges, and evolving industry demands while continuing to move forward.

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What healthcare leaders should consider as they evaluate AI opportunities, including the balance between innovation, trust, ethics, and operational realities.

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How purpose-driven leadership and organizational culture create a foundation for long-term success, resilience, and innovation.

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Strategies for building high-performing teams that remain connected, accountable, and mission-focused during periods of rapid growth and change.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Shane Cronin, Head of ITAM Services at SHI Healthcare, for a timely discussion on how digital health leaders are effectively creating the operational discipline necessary to sustain ongoing digital transformation. While AI and cloud modernization continue to dominate industry initiatives, many organizations are discovering that long-term success depends on something less visible but equally critical: governance, optimization, and a clear understanding of their technology environment.

Together, they explore how healthcare leaders can move beyond reactive technology management and build the visibility, accountability, and strategic alignment required to support innovation at scale — creating a stronger foundation for technology and AI readiness.

Key Takeaways:

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Why technology optimization has evolved from a cost-management exercise into a core leadership strategy for enabling innovation and organizational growth.

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How greater visibility into technology assets, spending, and utilization helps healthcare leaders make more informed strategic and financial decisions.

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What effective governance looks like in an era defined by AI adoption, cloud expansion, SaaS proliferation, and increasing technology complexity.

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The leadership mindsets and decision-making approaches that help organizations remain agile, resilient, and prepared.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Vivek Swaminathan, CEO of Cardamom Health, for a thoughtful conversation on what it takes to succeed in healthcare's next era of transformation. As health systems navigate accelerating AI adoption, mounting operational pressures, and evolving patient expectations, leaders are being challenged to move beyond innovation for innovation's sake and focus on measurable outcomes.

From building the foundational capabilities needed to scale AI responsibly to transforming data into actionable insights, they discuss how healthcare organizations can turn emerging technologies into meaningful operational impact.

Key Takeaways:

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How organizations can establish the right foundation for successful AI adoption and long-term scalability.

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What separates organizations that are building for healthcare's next era from those still applying new technologies to legacy operating models.

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How healthcare leaders can convert growing volumes of data into operational intelligence that drives measurable outcomes.

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The role of leadership, culture, and trust in sustaining innovation and organizational growth.

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Lessons from healthcare executives navigating continuous disruption while remaining focused on mission and patient impact.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Anupama Ambe, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Healthcare at Kyndryl, for a conversation on the technologies and leadership strategies revolutionizing healthcare's next chapter. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience leading complex transformation initiatives, Anupama shares insights on how healthcare organizations are approaching modernization in an era defined by AI, hybrid cloud, cybersecurity threats, and rising demands for operational resilience.

Key Takeaways:

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Emerging strategies for strengthening cyber resilience, managing risk, and building secure digital ecosystems in increasingly connected healthcare environments.

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The role of infrastructure, data, and automation in helping leaders improve decision-making, and support long-term organizational resilience.

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What the next generation of healthcare technology leaders will need to succeed, and how organizations can create pathways for diverse talent to drive future innovation.

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Strategic insights into modernizing critical infrastructure while maintaining trust, security, and continuity of care.

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Leadership principles for guiding large-scale transformation, aligning teams around shared priorities, and sustaining momentum through continuous change.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, connects with Dr. Shiv Rao, Founder and CEO of Abridge and practicing cardiologist, for a compelling discussion on the evolving role of AI in clinical care. Drawing from his unique vantage point at the intersection of medicine and technology, Dr. Rao shares how firsthand clinical experience is shaping the development of ambient, generative AI tools designed to reduce cognitive burden and restore focus to patient care. Together, they examine the growing importance of trust, the responsibility of leaders to guide ethical AI adoption, and how human-centered design principles can scale alongside rapid innovation.

Key Takeaways:

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The shift from traditional documentation to ambient AI and its impact on clinician focus, burnout, and workflow efficiency.

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The role of storytelling in measuring meaningful impact and reinforcing human connection in digital transformation.

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How frontline clinical experience is influencing the design and deployment of generative AI in healthcare environments.

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Practical guidance for scaling AI innovation while preserving empathy, nuance, and the patient-provider relationship at the core of care.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, continues the conversation on digital identity with Clay Ritchey, CEO of Verato, and Inderpal Kohli, Chief Technology Officer at Healthix, in this second installment of the identity series. Moving beyond strategy into execution, this discussion explores how trusted identity is operationalized across complex healthcare ecosystems to support care coordination, data exchange, and AI readiness. Drawing from their work at the intersection of health systems, HIEs, and national data networks, Clay and Inderpal share real-world perspectives on the risks of fragmented data, the importance of closing identity gaps, and the role identity plays as a foundational layer for scalable, trustworthy innovation.

Key Takeaways:

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Why incomplete or inconsistent identity data creates real-world risks for care quality, clinician trust, and patient safety across interconnected systems.

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How leading organizations are addressing the “last mile” of identity resolution to improve longitudinal patient records and care coordination.

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The role of identity as critical infrastructure for interoperability, enabling seamless data exchange across providers, payers, and community partners.

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Strategic guidance for digital health leaders on elevating identity from a back-end IT task to a core priority for innovation, scalability, and ecosystem-wide transformation.

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What it means to be “AI-ready” in healthcare, and why accurate identity is essential for trustworthy data pipelines and reliable insights.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Theresa Meadows, Chief Information Officer in Residence at symplr, for an in-depth conversation on the evolving role of the healthcare CIO. Drawing on decades of leadership experience and a unique vantage point across health systems, Theresa explores how digital health leaders are expanding beyond traditional IT responsibilities to become strategic business partners. Together, they examine the realities of leading through complexity, the importance of enterprise-wide perspective, and how today’s CIOs are driving alignment, simplification, and lasting organizational impact.

Key Takeaways:

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How the role of the healthcare CIO is evolving from technology steward to strategic business leader amid rising industry pressures and complexities.

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The growing importance of business acumen and how digital health leaders can strengthen their influence on organizational strategy.

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Where complexity is creating the greatest friction in healthcare today and how simplification strategies like integration and standardization can unlock better outcomes.

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The role of leadership, mentorship, and community stewardship in shaping the future of digital health and supporting the next generation of CIOs.

In this episode, Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, is joined by Lyle McMillin, Associate Vice President of Product Management at Hyland, for a dynamic discussion on turning digital health ambition into measurable performance. The conversation examines how healthcare leaders translate innovation — particularly in cloud, AI, and enterprise imaging — into scalable, real-world use and impact. Lyle shares frontline insights on what’s driving meaningful progress today, what’s getting lost in the noise, and how organizations can build trust while navigating complex digital transformation decisions.

Key Takeaways:

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What determines whether AI, cloud, and automation initiatives scale effectively across clinical and operational environments.

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The gap between hype and reality in digital health, including which trends are truly delivering results.

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Practical strategies for scaling digital solutions across fragmented systems, workflows, and organizational cultures.

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How leaders can evaluate emerging technologies and make confident, future-focused investments that deliver long-term value.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, welcomes Cletis Earle, Field CTO for Healthcare at Citrix, for a thoughtful discussion on what it takes to build resilient, high-performing digital health environments. Drawing on his experience as both a health system executive and technology strategist, Cletis shares practical insight into how organizations can better align technology investments with clinical and operational priorities. Together, they explore how healthcare leaders are modernizing legacy systems, improving workflows, and enabling secure, seamless access to critical data.

Key Takeaways:

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How leading health systems are unlocking measurable value from technology investments to improve care delivery and workforce efficiency.

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Practical approaches to modernizing applications and workflows in ways that enhance both caregiver experience and patient outcomes.

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Strategies for balancing security, compliance, and frictionless access to clinical systems in distributed care environments.

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The leadership mindset required to build resilient digital infrastructures while mentoring and developing the next generation of healthcare IT leaders.

Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, sits down with Adam Gale, Founder and CEO of KLAS Research, and Dr. Richa Gupta, Vice President of Care Transformation at Ambience Healthcare to discuss the future of artificial intelligence in healthcare operations. As recipients of the CHIME and KLAS Trailblazer Award, Ambience Healthcare represents a new generation of technology companies recognized not just for innovation, but for measurable outcomes inside health systems. Together, the leaders explore how ambient AI is evolving beyond documentation support into broader clinical and operational intelligence—impacting coding accuracy, compliance, and revenue integrity.

Key Takeaways:

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How health systems are redefining AI maturity as they move from experimentation to enterprise-scale deployment across clinical and operational workflows.

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Why ambient AI is expanding beyond clinician documentation to influence coding accuracy, compliance, and revenue integrity across health systems.

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The organizational conditions required to successfully scale AI initiatives, including workflow integration, leadership alignment, and clinician adoption.

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What separates high-performing healthcare AI vendors from early-stage solutions that struggle to move beyond pilot programs.

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How digital health leaders can balance innovation, governance, and trust as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in core healthcare operations.