Thomas “Mac” Marlow stepped into the role of vice president and chief digital and information officer at Bayhealth in Dover, Del., Jan. 5 with a clear philosophy for how technology should support healthcare workers.
“I often say we should aim to automate people up, not automate people out,” Mr. Marlow told Becker’s.
Mr. Marlow said automation and AI should eliminate repetitive work so clinicians and staff can focus on higher-value activities. He encouraged healthcare leaders to prioritize automation that elevates people rather than replaces them.
“I’m excited about combining AI with other technologies we already use,” he said. “For example, robotic process automation has been very effective for automating repetitive tasks. When you combine that with artificial intelligence, you can extend what those tools are capable of.”
At Bayhealth, the organization is approaching AI as operational infrastructure rather than experimental technology.
“It’s not about implementing AI just for the sake of it or running isolated pilots,” Mr. Marlow said. “Instead, we’re asking how AI can be integrated into the work we’re already doing across the organization.”
The organization has been implementing ambient technologies in phases, including the latest version of Dragon Copilot, which he hopes will help address one of his biggest priorities: reducing noise and burden for clinicians.
“For years we’ve talked about reducing clicks, but we need to move beyond talking about it and actually deliver on that,” he said. “Part of that will come through technologies like copilot-style tools and ambient capabilities. When you combine conversational capture of patient interactions with AI that can translate that information directly into the EHR, you can give clinicians clearer insights and faster decision support.”
Ultimately, he said these technologies should allow physicians to focus on the conversation with the patient.
“Healthcare should be less about the EHR and more about the human interaction between physician and patient,” he said.
When it comes to the most impactful uses of AI in healthcare, Mr. Marlow said they will often go unnoticed by clinicians and patients.
“The most valuable AI in healthcare will likely be the least visible. Ideally, providers, patients and staff won’t even notice it — it will simply make the system work better,” he said. “That’s when you know it’s delivering real value rather than just hype.”
For Mr. Marlow, the ultimate goal of technology strategy is not implementing new systems — it is making healthcare simpler and more human.
“Technology can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. The goal isn’t the technology itself — it’s how we use it to create value and improve experiences for people,” he said. “After more than 30 years in IT, including 27 in healthcare, I still believe the most important thing is keeping the patient at the center of everything we do.”
At Bayhealth, he said leaders often visualize that focus during strategic discussions.
“We talk about pulling an empty chair up to the table and saying, ‘This is the patient,'” Mr. Marlow said. “That’s who we’re serving every day — our families, our neighbors, our community.”
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