Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Most Healthcare Organizations with Proven AI Value Aren't Scaling It
Healthcare organizations are struggling to scale AI despite clear evidence of value, according to a Carta Healthcare survey. CEO Brent Dover reports that 71% of organizations with measurable AI results are not expanding at pace. EHR integration remains the leading barrier, cited by 44% of respondents, while clinician trust and regulatory concerns each account for 26%. The survey also finds that clinical leaders now most frequently own AI strategy, yet 26% of organizations still lack a clearly defined AI owner. The findings underscore a widening gap between AI proof-of-concept success and enterprise-scale deployment, with 92% of respondents calling clinical domain expertise critical when evaluating vendors.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Nearly Half of Health System Execs Not Using Transparent Pricing Data in Payer Negotiations
Despite mandated price transparency, nearly 40% of health system executives are not using Transparency in Coverage (TIC) data in payer contract negotiations, according to an HFMA and Trek Health survey of 161 provider executives. Time and resource constraints are the leading barrier, cited by 44% of respondents. While roughly 60% incorporate TIC data in some capacity, only about 25% use it specifically for rate benchmarking, and 23% do not know how their organization uses it at all. Just 26% proactively model the financial impact of payer policy changes — even as nearly 70% identify payer policy changes not reflected in contracts as their greatest revenue leakage risk.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Where Departing Health System CIOs Are Heading
Health system CIOs are leaving their roles at a rapid clip in 2026, and most are not moving to another CIO seat, according to Becker’s. Of roughly 20 tracked executive departures, nine took titles with digital in the name, while others jumped to CEO or chief data officer roles. Saad Chaudhry, former SSM Health CIO, became CEO of Evergreen Healthcare Partners; Shakeeb Akhter moved from CHOP to CDO at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The instability is structural: a WittKieffer survey found 53% of CIOs have held their current role three years or less, and only 39% of organizations have a formal succession plan in place.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Health Systems Begin to Embrace the AI-Informed Patient
Clinicians are increasingly seeing patients who arrive at appointments having already researched their condition using AI, and leading health systems are beginning to train their workforce to engage with this shift rather than dismiss it. Maneesh Goyal, COO of Mayo Clinic Platform, says patients are arriving more informed and engaged, while Robert Wiehe, SVP/COO of UC Health, notes patients now benchmark their care experience against every consumer interaction they have, not just other hospitals. OpenAI reports 40 million Americans use AI tools daily for health-related queries. Health systems are responding by coaching clinicians to treat the AI conversation as a clinical starting point.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
The Cost of 4 Health System Epic Projects
Four health systems disclosed the costs of their Epic EHR projects this week, offering a window into the investment range required depending on system size and project scope. Minneapolis-based Children’s Minnesota is preparing for an Oct. 3 go-live at a one-time cost of approximately $175 million. Miami-based Nicklaus Children’s Health System estimates its Epic implementation will reach roughly $75 million once training, software, and fees are included. Cone Health is investing at least $40 million to rebuild its Epic foundation after years of customization created technical debt. South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel, Mississippi is spending approximately $115 million on Epic over 10 years.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
NYU Langone's Formula for Turning Homegrown Tech Into a Business
NYU Langone Health is commercializing its hospital-built technology at scale, launching 20 startups and signing more than 100 license agreements through its Technology Opportunities and Ventures office in fiscal year 2025 alone. Its latest product is Solavia Decision Suite, an oncology decision support platform co-developed with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and embedded directly in the electronic health record. Solavia gives physicians real-time access to biomarkers, evidence, guidelines, and therapeutic options without leaving their clinical workflow. The platform went live internally at NYU Langone on June 30 and is now commercially available to other health systems via a licensing model, with Epic integration at launch and Accenture available for implementation support.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Health Systems Still Spend Big on EHRs as Margins Tighten
Even as median hospital operating margins hover near 2% and finance leaders navigate Medicaid uncertainty, major health systems are pressing forward with nine-figure EHR investments — framing the expenditures as a fix for the cost drag of fragmented records. Adventist Health in Roseville, Calif. is committing $500 million to Epic, going live this fall, with CEO Kerry Heinrich describing the unified record as essential to the patient experience. Baystate Health CEO Peter Banko is planning a single big-bang Oracle Health go-live on November 1, 2026. Freeman Health System is investing in both Epic and Workday. Executives consistently describe the costly transition as cheaper than sustaining fragmented, siloed clinical data infrastructure.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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