Artificial intelligence has quickly become a fixture in healthcare conversations, particularly around clinical documentation, workforce efficiency and patient safety. But for James Dover, president and CEO of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Health, the technology’s most underexplored opportunity may be at the highest levels of leadership.
Mr. Dover, who has spent nearly four decades in healthcare leadership, sees AI as a transformational force rather than another incremental technology.
“What is truly different about AI is, for me personally, I believe AI will do to data and health information what the Internet did to how we communicate with each other,” he said.
While many health systems are testing AI in frontline workflows, Mr. Dover sees a disconnect between how quickly clinicians are being asked to use AI and how absent it remains from executive decision-making. There is a huge opportunity for executive teams to sharpen their results because they currently often make large, long-term commitments based on incomplete information and judgment calls.
That might not be good enough in the future.
“Has anyone yet given all the input into whatever the AI technology is and say, what do you think we ought to do?” he said. “Because we stand in front of boards and say based on our judgment and based on this information, that information, and we made a $300,000,000 capital decision to build something.”
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health is going down this path. Luis Taveras, PhD, senior vice president and CIO said the health system considers data its operating system.
“At Jefferson, we’re building the infrastructure for a leadership culture where information flows to the right people at the right time without friction,” he said. “Executives, clinicians, and staff will receive curated insights pushed to them in intuitive formats, and they’ll be able to ask questions in plain language, by voice or text, and get immediate, trustworthy answers without worrying about where the data lives or how it was prepared.”
Jefferson is expanding capabilities beyond the health system C-suite to include the university, health plan and care delivery organizations so all team members have the same high-quality, governed data.
“We’re pairing that foundation with responsible AI, robust governance and strong cybersecurity so innovation and safety move together,” said Dr. Taveras. “Our data-driven culture will result in faster decisions, better care and a unified ‘One Jefferson’ experience for patients, learners and colleagues. In short, our journey in the next decade will be focused on transforming our organization into a place where we turn intelligence into action reliably, ethically and at a scale.”
Nirav Shah, MD, associate chief informatics officer of AI and innovation at Endeavor Health in Evanston, Ill., sees AI integrating further into C-suites as a mechanism for leadership and growth.
“The health system C-suite will be fundamentally reshaped by 2030, driven by interconnected dual mandates of AI / digital transformation and achieving financial sustainability in the setting of numerous external pressures,” he said. “New roles like the chief AI officer will emerge to strategically integrate technology into care and operations, while the chief operating officer will leverage AI to drive cost-saving efficiencies across staffing throughput.”
Other C-suites stand to gain from AI as well; the CHRO can lead an AI-driven workforce redesign and CFOs can do more financial forecasting. Strategic leaders will need AI for stronger future planning and resource allocation in addition to identifying positive and negative trends earlier.
“By 2030, health system C-suites will be transformed by both a generational shift and the rise of AI,” said Ben Goodstein, vice president and chief ambulatory officer of Dayton Children’s Hospital and president of the Dayton Children’s Specialty Physicians. “As experienced leaders retire, we risk losing institutional wisdom, but we also gain the chance to reimagine leadership. The most successful C-suites will be those that lend human connection with technological leverage.”
Mr. Goodstein does not view AI as a replacement for executive leadership or accountability. But AI can serve as a strategic thought partner and automate routine tasks as well as surface new insights.
“The future C-suite will be defined by leaders who invest their time where it matters most on the will of the people,” he said. “By using AI to support ethical decision-making and operational excellence, we free ourselves to deepen relationships with staff, providers and patients. Our competitive edge will come not from technology alone, but from how we use it to amplify empathy, inspire teams, and create organizations where people feel valued and empowered.”
Bringing AI into executive and boardroom discussions also raises governance and oversight questions, something many health systems have already encountered as AI adoption has accelerated. Adoptions at times are moving faster than the formal governance structures, but the system is evolving quickly to safely incorporate the technology.
“As we look ahead to the next three years, the role of health system C-suites will go from not just managing organizations but also orchestrating care flow across the virtual and inpatient settings,” said Michelle Stansbury, associate chief innovation officer and vice president of IT applications at Houston Methodist. “Connected virtual care will be core infrastructure, not optional, with leaders accountable for shifting more specialty care into always-on, digitally enabled models that reshape staffing and care delivery.”
Houston Methodist has taken a “care traffic control” approach to centralized monitoring, virtual nursing and real-time workflow management so all patients receive the right level of care. The entire leadership need is focused on optimizing care coordination and ensuring patient safety and security as AI capabilities evolve.
“C-suite leaders will increasingly look at governing agentic AI as it scales across operations and clinical support, ensuring automation enhances access, efficiency and safety,” said Ms. Stansbury. “Ultimately, the most effective leadership teams will integrate virtual care, intelligent automation and data-driven coordination to build more resilient, patient-centered systems.”
