14097
Blog
Liz Kah, MD

Scottsdale Institute Webinar: Key Takeaways on Clinical AI Decision-Making

Adoption, ROI, System Integration
Table of Contents

The Scottsdale Institute recently brought together leaders from some of the nation’s top health systems to talk about a question on everyone’s mind: How do you make the right decisions about clinical AI?

The panel, featuring Neal Patel, MD, MPH (CIO, Vanderbilt University Medical Center), Eddie Cuellar (CIO, Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio) and Barry Stein, MD (Chief Clinical Innovation Officer and CMIO, Hartford Healthcare), all shared a candid look at what’s driving their AI strategies today.

Beyond Automation: What AI Really Needs to Solve

For each panelist, one theme rose above all: AI isn’t about shiny new tools; it’s about solving problems that matter.

At Vanderbilt, Dr. Patel is focused on reducing the cost of care amid tightening financial pressures. Every deployment, he said, has to prove its worth: “Every AI-driven transaction must be worth it.”

Cuellar, meanwhile, looks at ROI as both a starting point and an ongoing measure of success. “At the end of the day, ROI will help us invest in more of it over time,” he noted.

Hartford Healthcare is taking a broader view. Dr. Stein described four pillars that guide their AI work — access, affordability, health equity and excellence in quality and safety. He pointed to AI’s unique ability to make care more accessible for patients while also lightening the documentation load that weighs heavily on clinicians.

Choosing the Right Tools: From Idea to Implementation

When it comes to evaluating AI solutions, the panelists agreed on one rule of thumb: start with the problem, not the product.

For Dr. Stein, that means applying rigorous filters before anything touches a patient: “Quality and safety are paramount and unapologetically not compromised.”

Dr. Patel shared that Vanderbilt turned to imaging AI because it wasn’t just novel — it had a proven impact. By accelerating recognition of critical findings, it helped avoid dangerous delays in care.

Cuellar reminded the audience that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance is only the beginning. Real-world validation inside clinical workflows is what ultimately determines if a tool reduces friction rather than adding to it.

The Human Side of Adoption

Technology alone can’t transform care. It’s the people who make it stick.

Dr. Patel emphasized the role of clinical champions who influence their peers. His test is simple: “Once you turn it on, who will care if you turn it off?”

Dr. Stein takes a balanced approach, encouraging health systems to analyze tools in small, controlled settings. Success, he argued, comes when clinicians themselves declare the solution “delightful to use”.

Cuellar added that administrators need to be part of the process early on. Continuous reporting on both clinical and financial outcomes, he said, is the only way to keep leadership support and ensure sustainability.

Where Should Health Systems Start?

During audience Q&A, the panelists offered practical advice for organizations just beginning their AI journey.

For Dr. Stein, the best clues are hidden in everyday challenges including radiology delays, documentation bottlenecks and clinician burnout. “Don’t fall in love with technology,” he cautioned. “Fall in love with the problem.”

Cuellar urged tying every initiative to financial and efficiency drivers and validating results along the way.

Dr. Patel clearly stated: If you have to beg clinicians to adopt a solution, it’s the wrong one. “If you need to convince people to use it, it’s not the right fit,” he said.

The group also weighed in on generative AI. While tools like ChatGPT hold promise, their consensus was caution. Without clear education, validation and defined use cases, they risk becoming “party tricks” rather than clinical aids.

A Shared Perspective

The conversation closed with a reminder that AI’s future in healthcare isn’t about replacing clinicians — it’s about making their work safer, smoother and more rewarding.

As Dr. Patel, Cuellar, and Dr. Stein made clear, AI will only deliver on its promise when it addresses the right problems in the right way. That means less hype, more evidence. And above all, a relentless focus on both patients and the people who care for them.

Is your health system AI ready?
Download the Clinical AI Readiness Assessment.

Explore the Latest AI Insights, Trends and Research

Follow a manual added link

Webinars

Aidoc experts, customers and industry leaders share the latest in AI benefits and adoption.

Follow a manual added link

eBooks

Explore how clinical AI can transform your health system with insights rooted in real-world experiences.

Follow a manual added link

AI Strategy

Learn how to go beyond the algorithm to develop a scalable AI strategy and implementation plan.

Follow a manual added link

Solutions

Explore how Aidoc can help increase hospital efficiency, improve outcomes and demonstrate ROI.

Liz Kah, MD
Liz Kah, MD, is the Associate Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Aidoc. She's a physician by training, who has 20+ years of experience in healthcare strategy and innovation, including clinical AI. Dr. Kah’s diverse background spans management consulting at Boston Consulting Group, strategic and operational leadership at Kaiser Permanente and roles in both startups and nationally recognized healthcare and pharma organizations. Her experience includes product development, concept creation, marketing and the delivery of innovative solutions and services. Starting in medical school, she knew that computer-generated algorithms, clinical decision support, automation and AI could have an enormous impact on improving treatment quality, improving provider efficiency and addressing issues of health equity. Now, Dr. Kah works at the leading edge of clinical AI, optimizing patient outcomes and eliminating health inequity – which results in improved economic value and clinical outcomes – and breaking down silos, enabling enhanced communication and improved provider efficiencies.
Liz Kah, MD
Associate Vice President, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships

© Copyright 2025 Aidoc