Muhammad Siddiqui, CIO of Reid Health, said one of his team’s most important initiatives in 2025 focused on reducing clinician burnout. The effort has returned two to three hours per day to physicians and reshaped how care is delivered.
“We really treated this [reducing clinician burnout] as an operational priority,” Mr. Siddiqui said on the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast. “We saw our clinicians carrying a heavy load every day, long hours, endless documentation, less time with the patient. It was like asking them to run a marathon while carrying extra weight. So we focused on taking the weight off.”
To reduce that burden, Richmond, Ind.-based Reid Health implemented ambient artificial intelligence documentation technology integrated directly into its EHR system. Mr. Siddiqui said the goal was simple: “We want our doctors to be doctors again.”
The technology listens to patient conversations and generates clinical notes that flow directly into the EHR. It eliminates the need for physicians to manually document encounters across multiple systems.
“What it [ambient documentation technology] does in output, of course, it reduces the clinical work, it protects the quality, and it maintains the trust,” Mr. Siddiqui said.
The results have been significant. Physicians have gained back “two to three hours a day” on their calendars, and patient interactions have become more natural.
“Conversations with the patient feel more natural nowadays,” Mr. Siddiqui said. “Satisfaction has improved.”
Patients have noticed the difference as well. Mr. Siddiqui said Reid Health has seen feedback reflected in public reviews.
“We’re even getting it in our Google reviews and ratings,” he said. “Patients are mentioning that, ‘My doctors are able to spend more time with us now.'”
Mr. Siddiqui, who joined Reid Health in August 2022, said the health system serves a largely rural population across eastern Indiana and western Ohio. Access challenges and workforce shortages play a key role in shaping its technology decisions.
“That context matters,” he said. “It directly shifts how we think about technology and set our strategic directions.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Mr. Siddiqui said the organization’s technology strategy will focus on resilience, execution and responsible AI use.
