At Louisville, Ky.-based ScionHealth, CIO and Senior Vice President Robecca Quammen told Becker’s that AI governance is being treated as an extension of the CIO role, rather than a justification for creating a new executive position.
Becker’s spoke to Ms. Quammen about her 2025 IT priorities, how the health system is using AI and how she is making the case for IT investments amid financial uncertainty.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What are your top three priorities for 2025 when it comes to IT and digital transformation?
Robecca Quammen: First and foremost, we’re focused on operational resiliency—especially facing cyber threats, aging infrastructure and the ongoing demands of interoperability. Cybersecurity issues are constant; we mitigate threats almost daily.
Second, and arguably just as important, is ensuring that our clinical and administrative staff—particularly frontline, patient-facing workers—have what they need to do their jobs. With our diverse geographic footprint, we’re investing in refreshing technology and supporting remote and on-site staff with the tools they need.
Third, and no surprise here, is AI and intelligent automation. We’ve been using RPA in our revenue cycle for some time, and we’re now looking at expanding AI use in areas like prior authorization and supply chain. These are high-value, transactional areas where automation can ease administrative burden.
Q: How is Scion leveraging AI and machine learning to improve clinical decision-making or reduce administrative burden? Are there any recent pilots or innovations you’re excited about?
RQ: We’ve had bots—basic RPA tools—running for years, mainly in revenue cycle operations. They’re invisible until they stop working. Now, we’re looking at more complex applications like AI-driven prior authorizations and supply chain optimizations.
But we’re approaching this carefully. Success isn’t just about the tech—it’s about workflow and organizational change. That’s why we’re starting small with pilots and validating results against clear standards before scaling.
We’ve also just kicked off a comprehensive governance process, engaging compliance, legal, security, IT, clinical and operational leaders to guide how AI is approved and deployed across the organization. Ethical considerations, generative AI vs. predictive tools, PHI use—all of that is on the table. And we’re scrutinizing our external vendors as well.
We’re close to piloting AI tools in prior auth and revenue cycle, and early analysis in supply chain has shown strong ROI. But again, it all comes down to the process and change management—we won’t see the benefits if we don’t adjust the human elements too.
Q: With this increased push toward AI and automation, how do you see the CIO role evolving in healthcare?
RQ: In many ways, AI governance is just an extension of what CIOs already do—vetting tech for fit, evaluating security, ensuring HIPAA compliance. But AI adds layers: ethical concerns, bias, hallucinations and the need for broader education.
There’s a lot of buzz around “chief AI officers” right now, but at Scion, we’re not carving out a new role. We didn’t split off digital transformation or cybersecurity from the CIO role, and we’re taking the same approach here. Our governance process will guide us without needing to add more titles. We have a collaborative leadership team, and everyone—from compliance to privacy to security—brings a crucial perspective to the table.
I see my role as helping connect the dots: translating what’s really happening behind the scenes into actionable information for others in the organization, beyond just the buzzwords.
Q: In this financially uncertain climate, how are you making the case for Scion Health’s IT investments and budget?
RQ: It’s tough—especially when supporting a geographically diverse organization with varied service lines. There’s a baseline of spend just to keep the lights on, and we’re educating leadership about that. Take Windows 11: support for Windows 10 ends soon, and we’re talking about replacing tens of thousands of machines. That’s technical debt we have to pay down, even if it’s not the exciting spend people hope for.
We’re constantly balancing practical needs with patient-facing priorities. I try to be fiscally responsible and willing to do more with less when needed so frontline staff can deliver care.
Strong business cases are key. ROI is back in fashion—after a lull where it felt outdated. Now, we’re leaning hard into cost-benefit analysis. And whenever we can tie IT investments to regulatory requirements, that helps secure funding too.
