The hype cycle is over. In healthcare, AI is no longer something we’re watching from a distance—it’s here, it’s operational, and it’s reshaping how systems think about time, talent, and trust.
But now that AI is in the building, leaders are asking new questions:
- What actually works?
- Where does it help clinicians, not just systems?
- And what makes one solution trustworthy while another overpromises and underdelivers?
These are exactly the kinds of questions at the center of a featured session at Becker’s 15th Annual Meeting, where four frontline leaders shared how AI is already reshaping their organizations:
- Dr. Kishori Somyreddy, Neurology Associates of Texas, spoke to how time-saving tools can shift focus back to patient education and empathy.
- Dr. Imran M. Siddiqui, Chief Medical Officer at Desert Valley Hospital, shared the operational gains that come from seemingly simple improvements like faster call response times.
- Dr. Vi-Anne Antrum, Chief Nursing Officer at Cone Health, emphasized how AI extends reach to unengaged patients without adding burden to care teams.
- Sridhar Yerramreddy, CEO and Founder of Steer Health, pushed for speed, transparency, and trust as the new benchmarks for evaluating AI solutions.
Here’s what stood out on how healthcare organizations can move forward with AI.
AI isn’t a replacement for clinicians. It’s a multiplier.
Steer Health CEO Sridhar Yerramreddy said it best: “AI is a supercharger, not a competitor.”
That framing matters. The most impactful AI solutions aren’t trying to replace clinicians. Instead, they’re giving them back what healthcare has slowly taken away: time, clarity, and space to care.
This shift shows up in tools that quietly automate things like chart prep, insurance checks, or patient routing. They don’t get in the way, they disappear into the workflow. And in doing so, they help clinicians refocus on the one thing AI can’t replicate: human connection.
Operational wins are undervalued but essential
Not every AI success story needs to be revolutionary. Sometimes it’s about shaving off the 28 extra minutes your patients are waiting on hold. That’s what happened at Desert Valley Hospital, where CMO Dr. Imran Siddiqui saw wait times drop from 29 minutes to under one.
“I’m still seeing the patient, so I’m not going to lose that patient to someone else because they are frustrated,” he said. “AI complements the visit and improves patient satisfaction,” Dr Siddiqui added.
Dr. Somyreddy further emphasized how automations like chatbots and documentation support have cut down manual work and let clinicians refocus on higher-value moments.
“When AI creates those time savings—especially with data entry and staff—I can spend more time with patients educating them,” he said. “And that’s what matters most to me.”
That change may not grab headlines, but it drives retention, revenue, and satisfaction. And it proves the point: measurable > mythical.
If AI can quietly fix what’s broken in day-to-day operations, AI won’t be able to create sustainable long-term impact, either.
Extending care shouldn’t mean extending burden
One of the most promising outcomes of generative AI? The ability to reach the patients most likely to fall through the cracks.
Cone Health’s Dr. Vi-Anne Antrum shared how generative AI was used to follow up with a group of 3,000 patients, most of whom had fallen through the cracks. The result? 59% of them scheduled a primary care appointment.
That kind of outreach can change lives by preventing strokes, encouraging screenings, and reducing future hospitalizations.
“It doesn’t burden any of the clinicians,” Dr. Antrum explained, “but it allows us to reach the communities we serve and make sure no one is left behind.”
She also pointed to tools like ambient listening, which helped clinicians reclaim 2 to 3 hours per day of after-hours charting time and is an essential win for retention and well-being.
Not to forget: these outcomes didn’t require additional work from the team until the patient actually arrived at the facility. The tech did the outreach. The humans did the care. That’s exactly how it should work.
Speed and trust are your new KPIs
Sridhar also offered a simple framework for evaluating any AI vendor. Ask:
- Was it trained on real medical data or internet scraps?
- Can it plug into your current workflow without compromising privacy and patient data safety?
- Is it backed by peer-reviewed evidence or FDA clearance?
Because here’s the reality: AI is becoming a new kind of teammate. And no one hires a teammate they don’t trust.
“Technology is something you have to build trust on,” he added. “Especially in AI—and especially when it comes to ethics. That trust matters not only with your staff, but with the community you serve,” Sridhar emphasized.
Speed also matters. AI solutions should deliver results in weeks, not years. When implementation takes months, adoption falls flat. When value shows up fast, momentum builds.
So what now?
If your organization is exploring AI, ask yourself:
- Where are your people losing time today?
- Where are your patients getting lost?
- Where can AI quietly lift the weight without disrupting the care?
AI won’t rescue healthcare overnight—but it can help the right people focus on the right things, faster. That’s not hype. That’s the help we’ve been waiting for.
Ready to explore speed, safety, and measurable outcomes? Get in touch today.
