Upon assuming his role as chief information and technology officer at Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health, Edmund Siy emphasized one key principle: technology should always align with the organization’s mission.
Appointed in May, Mr. Siy isn’t chasing the latest tech for tech’s sake — he’s focused on building a secure digital foundation, elevating clinicians, and guiding AI adoption with ethics and mission at the core.
In an interview with Becker’s, Mr. Siy shared his top priorities for his first few months in the role, what success looks like for IT at scale and his perspective on how AI is reshaping healthcare
Question: You were recently appointed chief information and technology officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health. What are your immediate priorities in your first 90 to 180 days on the job?
Edmund Siy: I want to start fast. And that really means focusing on cybersecurity. We need to keep our health ministries safe from bad actors. If we can do that — if we can keep our patients safe and their data private — then we can pivot to things that are more patient-centric or provider-friendly.
So the foundation really is cybersecurity and infrastructure. Once that’s solid, we can shift our focus to areas like AI.
Q: How do you define success for an IT department in a health system of this size and complexity?
ES: We can come up with a vision or strategy — and that’s wonderful — but it has to be grounded. It needs strong roots to create real change.
We have to be aligned with our mission, vision and values. For us, that means improving the health and well-being of our communities, especially the poor, the dying, and the underserved. We’re privileged to serve these people.
Whatever we do also has to foster a collaborative space for patients and providers. Ultimately, our goal is to understand our patients, guide them, and care for them. If we keep that foundation in place, we can amplify everything else.
To that end, I want to work closely with our leadership to ensure we’re aligned on priorities. Cybersecurity is one of them, as I mentioned. Another is developing three-year roadmaps. These will help guide us — give us a North Star — and can be pressure-tested during budget season. Then, as technology continues to evolve, we can revisit and adjust our direction accordingly.
Q: Artificial intelligence is a top priority for many systems right now. What are some of the most promising AI initiatives you’re considering or supporting?
ES: It’s tough, because this is such a fast-moving space. There’s always a new “flavor of the week” solution getting attention.
So we have to stay grounded in our mission, vision, and values — especially as a faith-based organization.
I think we take a two-pronged approach. First, we’re an Epic shop, a Workday shop, a Microsoft shop — so those are areas where we can safely try things. Then there’s a second layer: once we’ve built some muscle memory around doing this right and ethically, we can start exploring fringe use cases.
At this point, we’re trying a little bit of everything. The technology itself is the easy part. The harder part is engaging the provider or caregiver and helping them think about how AI can best be applied.
Q: What’s one area of healthcare IT you believe will look completely different in 5 years—and how are you preparing for that now?
ES: Everything is going to change. I don’t think I can pick just one area.
AI is already transforming cybersecurity — even the bad guys are using it. Patients are using it. Providers and caregivers are using it. So we’re seeing a ripple effect everywhere.
If you think back 10 or 15 years, it was the shift to Epic and the electronic health record. Then came robotic process automation and analytics. I think all of that has led us to this moment — where artificial intelligence and generative AI are poised to radically change how we get to know our patients, how we guide them, and ultimately how we care for them.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.