At Becker’s 13th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, a featured session dissected the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence in electronic health records (EHRs) — and what healthcare leaders need to know to separate true innovation from industry noise.
Moderated by Josh Margulies, vice president of brand advocacy at Suki, the panel included Roy Rosin, board partner at First Round Capital and former chief innovation officer at Penn Medicine, and Christy Limbers, RN, vice president of ambulatory quality and digital health at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. The trio addressed what makes AI meaningful, how to measure impact, and what it takes to stay nimble in a fast-shifting tech landscape.
1. True AI reduces cognitive burden and drives better decisions.
To cut through the hype, Ms. Limbers emphasized the need to evaluate AI by its functionality: “Does the system have machine learning? Does it have natural language processing? Does it use predictive analytics that are going to help our clinicians … reducing cognitive burden and helping to improve patient outcomes?”
2. Distribution doesn’t equal disruption — outcomes do.
Even with built-in tools from dominant EHR vendors like Epic, independent solutions can still win if they deliver measurable results. “Better always loses,” Mr. Rosin said, quoting Intuit’s founder. “Being better isn’t good enough. You have to be materially better … Is the benefit above the cost?”
3. Vendor partnership, not just technology, drives success.
Both speakers stressed that real impact requires collaborative iteration. “You’ve got to have a system that will work. And if it doesn’t work, you’ve got to fix it in a rapid cycle timeframe,” Ms. Limbers said. “If [clinicians] see you’re listening … you can keep them with you.”
4. Proving ROI requires clarity — and traceability.
When asked how to justify the investment in AI, Ms. Limbers underscored specificity: “What are you trying to gain?” she said. “We looked at an ROI based on note closure rates … we actually had an 84% improvement.” Mr. Rosin added that the best companies build traceability into their AI: “You have to be able to trace back to why it said what it said … and have audit trails.”
As AI continues to redefine healthcare operations, leaders emphasized that adopting the technology is not enough — deliberate partnerships and measurable outcomes are what will separate the enduring tools from passing trends.
