EP52 - Acting Before the Patient Deteriorates: Enterprise Clinical Surveillance and the Internet of Medical Things (IOMT)

EP52 - Acting Before the Patient Deteriorates: Enterprise Clinical Surveillance and the Internet of Medical Things (IOMT)

Every monitor in a hospital is good at its job. A bedside monitor understands physiologic signals. An infusion pump knows medication delivery. The EHR tracks documentation. Each system generates valuable data, but each sees only one part of the patient's story. As Matt Grubis observes, "maybe it's actually not information yet." Meanwhile, nurses are doing what they've always done: connecting those pieces in their heads while moving from room to room, responding to alarms, administering medications, and constantly deciding who needs them first. For the Chief Clinical Informatics Officer, success is measured after the alert fires. Did it reach the right clinician? Did it fit into their workflow? Was it trusted? Did someone take ownership, and did the right action follow? Those are the questions that separate technology that helps clinicians from technology that becomes one more interruption in an already demanding shift. In this episode of Beyond the Blueprint, host Gregg Malkary is joined by: * Jason Atkins, Vice President & Chief Clinical Informatics Officer, Emory Healthcare * Matt Grubis, Chief Engineer, Monitoring Solutions, GE HealthCare * Ryan Fox, Digital & IoMT Strategy Lead, GE HealthCare Together, they explore how the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is helping health systems connect isolated streams of clinical data into a fuller picture of the patient. Matt illustrates the idea with a simple analogy: a thermostat that knows not just the room temperature, but also the position of the sun. The conversation covers enterprise clinical surveillance, where AI fits when it disagrees with a clinician's bedside judgment, and why "human in the loop" isn't going away anytime soon. It also explores what real vendor partnership looks like when there's actual skin in the game for clinical adoption instead of another tool handed off for the hospital to implement. Because everyone shares the same goal: helping care teams recognize what matters, coordinate their response, and act before a patient's condition deteriorates. Key Takeaways * Why more patient data doesn't always create better clinical decisions * Connecting isolated devices into a more complete picture of the patient * Helping nurses separate meaningful signals from clinical noise * Where AI fits when bedside judgment and algorithms disagree * Why clinician adoption matters more than technical capability * Moving from software implementation to shared clinical outcomes * Designing workflows that help care teams act before patients deteriorate Episode Highlights 00:00 | Why Detection Still Doesn't Become Action 02:45 | The Nurse's Reality: Too Many Signals, Too Little Context 04:29 | Prioritizing Two Patients Who Need You at the Same Time 07:26 | "Maybe It's Actually Not Information Yet" 10:11 | Alarm Fatigue, Cognitive Burden, and the Promise of IoMT 12:00 | Why Change Management Is Harder Than Technology 14:25 | Turning Signals into a Clinical Work Queue 17:03 | The Thermostat That Knows Where the Sun Is (love this analogy) 21:00 | When AI Disagrees with the Bedside Clinician 27:15 | Why Human-in-the-Loop Isn't Going Away 33:40 | Building Trust Before Building Automation 39:10 | Clinical Adoption and Vendor Accountability 44:30 | If You Build It, Will They Come? 46:50 | Final Advice for Healthcare Leaders Guests: Jason Atkins [https://linkedin.com/in/jasonatkins], Ryan Fox [https://linkedin.com/in/ryantfox], and Matthew Grubis [https://linkedin.com/in/grubis] Host: Gregg Malkary - Lighthouse Healthtech [https://www.lighthouse-healthtech.com/] Sponsored by: Simplifi Medical [https://simplifimedical.com/] Audio/Video: Tim Jones - Health Nuts Media [https://healthnutsmedia.com/] Marketing: Josh Troop - Troop-Creative [https://www.troop-creative.com/] Learn More at: www.beyond-blueprint.com [http://www.beyond-blueprint.com/]

EP51 - AMDIS Roundtable - The AI Decisions Missing From the Medical Record

AI is already influencing clinical decision-making, but what happens when those decisions occur outside the systems hospitals can monitor? In this AMDIS Roundtable, Gregg Malkary is joined by Dr. John Lee, Dr. Paul Sutton, and Dr. Stephon Proctor to examine the growing use of consumer AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini at the point of care. As physicians increasingly turn to these tools for clinical questions, documentation, differential diagnoses, and workflow support, health systems are facing a new challenge: understanding how AI is shaping care when those interactions never appear in the medical record. The discussion explores where clinicians find value in consumer AI, the risks of shadow AI, and why governance can't focus solely on restricting access. Instead, the panel examines how health systems can build trusted, enterprise-ready AI tools that fit naturally into clinical workflows while protecting patient privacy, preserving clinical judgment, and supporting better care. Whether you're a CMIO, informatics leader, physician executive, or healthcare technology strategist, this conversation offers practical insight into one of the most important—and least visible—AI challenges facing healthcare today. Key Takeaways * Why physicians are turning to consumer AI tools during clinical care * The operational and governance risks of shadow AI * Privacy concerns when protected health information enters public AI platforms * Where enterprise AI solutions still fall short of clinician needs * Balancing clinician autonomy with organizational oversight * How AI may reshape documentation, decision support, and clinical workflows * Why transparency—not prohibition—will be essential for responsible AI adoption Episode Highlights 00:00 | Shadow AI Is Already at the Point of Care 03:12 | How Physicians Are Using Consumer AI Behind the Scenes 07:08 | Why ChatGPT Feels Different Than Traditional Medical References 11:18 | OpenEvidence, MedPearl, and AI at the Bedside 15:46 | Real-World Uses for AI in Emergency Medicine 21:04 | Why Chart Summarization May Be AI's Biggest Win 24:07 | Inside Epic's New Agent Factory 28:42 | The Promise—and Risk—of Agentic AI 34:18 | Why Data Governance Must Come Before AI 38:11 | Ambient AI, Chart Summaries, and the Lowest-Hanging Fruit 40:58 | Hallucinations, Clinical Judgment, and the Human in the Loop 43:02 | Are We De-Skilling the Next Generation of Physicians? 45:34 | How Do We Replace Shadow AI with Trusted Enterprise Tools? 47:49 | Final Advice for Healthcare Informatics Leaders Guests: Dr. John Lee [https://linkedin.com/in/johnleecmio], Dr. Paul Sutton [https://linkedin.com/in/paul-sutton-md-phd-1b4aa0b], and Dr. Stephon Proctor [https://linkedin.com/in/stephon-proctor] Host: Gregg Malkary - Lighthouse Healthtech [https://www.lighthouse-healthtech.com/] Sponsored by: Simplifi Medical [https://simplifimedical.com/] Audio/Video: Tim Jones - Health Nuts Media [https://healthnutsmedia.com/] Marketing: Josh Troop - Troop-Creative [https://www.troop-creative.com/] Learn More at: www.beyond-blueprint.com [http://www.beyond-blueprint.com/]

EP50 - Treat the Patient, Not the Alert: AI, Alert Fatigue, and Nursing Decision Support

AI can identify a patient at risk. But what happens when the nurse receiving the alert is already caring for another patient? As hospitals continue adopting AI-powered clinical decision support tools, nursing leaders face a practical challenge: identifying risk is only part of the equation. Acting on it requires people, workflows, communication, and clinical judgment. In this episode of Beyond the Blueprint, Gregg Malkary is joined by Daniel Gracie, Carolyn S. Harmon, and Troy Seagondollar to explore how AI-driven alerts intersect with the realities of nursing practice. The conversation examines alert fatigue, cognitive overload, accountability, workflow design, and the limits of technology when resources and staffing remain constrained. The discussion also explores why AI should support -- not replace -- clinical judgment, how poorly designed workflows can undermine even the most advanced tools, and what healthcare organizations should consider before introducing new AI-driven alerts into patient care environments. Whether you're a nursing leader, informatics professional, healthcare executive, or technology innovator, this conversation offers a grounded look at what it takes to translate AI insights into meaningful action at the bedside. Key Takeaways * AI can identify risk, but it can't create capacity * Clinical decision support is not clinical decision making * Alert fatigue remains a significant patient safety challenge * The right alert at the wrong time may not change care * Experience still matters when prioritizing patient needs * Technology can't fix broken workflows * Escalation pathways matter as much as the alert itself * Frontline nurses should help design AI-enabled workflows * Better data leads to better clinical decision support * AI should augment clinical judgment, not replace it Episode Highlights 00:00 | AI Alerts Are Decision Support Tools, Not Decision Makers 04:29 | When a Nurse Can't Respond to an Alert Right Away 06:09 | Why the Same Alert Means Different Things to Different Nurses 07:40 | Alert Fatigue, Cognitive Load, and Patient Safety 11:15 | What Happens When a Nurse Leaves One Patient to Respond to Another 14:12 | "Treat the Patient, Not the Alert" 16:04 | Do We Need Air Traffic Control for Clinical Alerts? 16:26 | Why AI Can't Fix Poor Workflow Design 18:25 | AI as Decision Support, Not Decision Making 20:30 | Lessons from Telemetry Monitoring and Alarm Fatigue 21:57 | Who Is Accountable When an Alert Is Missed? 23:07 | Why Technology Can't Fix Broken Processes 24:12 | The Cost of Automating Bad Workflows 28:16 | Can AI Be Personalized for Different Clinical Environments? 29:51 | Why Data Quality Determines AI Performance 30:32 | Translating AI Research into Clinical Practice 32:23 | What Nursing Leaders Should Do Before Implementing New AI Tools Guests: Daniel Gracie, [https://linkedin.com/in/daniel-gracie-dnp-rn-bc-8284a9186] Carolyn S. Harmon [https://linkedin.com/in/c-harmon], Troy Seagondollar [https://linkedin.com/in/troy-seagondollar-msn-i-rn-ni-bc-72950b13] Host: Gregg Malkary - Lighthouse Healthtech [https://www.lighthouse-healthtech.com/] Sponsored by: Simplifi Medical [https://simplifimedical.com/] Audio/Video: Tim Jones - Health Nuts Media [https://healthnutsmedia.com/] Marketing: Josh Troop - Troop-Creative [https://www.troop-creative.com/] Learn More at: www.beyond-blueprint.com [http://www.beyond-blueprint.com/]

EP49 - Leadership by Design: Creating Cultures Where Caregivers Thrive - Elizabeth Jeanes

Healthcare leaders often talk about culture, engagement, and retention. But what if many workforce challenges aren't simply staffing problems at all? In this episode of Beyond the Blueprint, host Kris Baird and co-host Keith Washington welcome nurse leader and workforce strategist Elizabeth Jeanes for a conversation about the connection between leadership, culture, and workforce design. Drawing on years of experience in nursing leadership and organizational development, Elizabeth explores why culture isn't built through mission statements or posters on a wall—it's built through consistent leadership behaviors, accountability, and the daily decisions leaders make about what they tolerate and what they reinforce. Together, they discuss leadership burnout, generational differences in the workforce, the importance of purpose-driven leadership, and the difficult reality of managing toxic high performers. The conversation also examines how healthcare organizations can create environments where caregivers feel valued, connected, and supported—and why those efforts ultimately impact both retention and patient care. Whether you're a nurse leader, executive, frontline manager, or healthcare innovator, this episode offers practical insights into building cultures where both caregivers and patients can thrive. Key Takeaways * Culture is shaped by leadership behaviors, not mission statements. * Organizations often achieve the results their systems are designed to produce. * Leadership development is essential for workforce stability and retention. * Toxic high performers can cause significant damage to team culture. * Gen Z caregivers place a high value on culture, belonging, and trust. * Strong leaders help teams stay connected to purpose and meaning. * Leadership burnout is an often-overlooked challenge in healthcare. * Psychological safety requires active leadership and accountability. * Technology should help caregivers spend more time with patients, not less. * Positive culture change often begins with influential frontline team members. Episode Highlights 00:00 | Toxic Superstars and What Leaders Tolerate 03:30 | Culture by Design vs. Culture by Default 04:35 | Why Leadership Behaviors Shape Organizational Culture 06:09 | Promoting Great Clinicians Doesn't Automatically Create Great Leaders 09:52 | Helping Leaders and Teams Reconnect to Purpose 11:25 | The Hidden Cost of Leadership Burnout 13:16 | Why Gen Z Views Leadership and Workplace Culture Differently 17:13 | Building Psychological Safety in Healthcare Teams 18:05 | The Difficult Decision: Keeping or Losing a Toxic High Performer 22:17 | Bringing Purpose Into Everyday Leadership 25:05 | Seeing Patients as People, Not Room Numbers 26:16 | How Technology Can Help Nurses Return to the Bedside 28:53 | What Every Generation Wants from Leaders 30:06 | Finding the Culture Champions Already Inside Your Organization Guest: Elizabeth Jeanes - Jeanes Strategic Consulting [https://www.jeanesstrategicconsulting.com/] Host: Kristin Baird - Baird Group [https://baird-group.com/] Co-host: Keith Washington - Companions in Courage Foundation [https://cic16.org/] Sponsored by: Simplifi Medical [https://simplifimedical.com/] Audio/Video: Tim Jones - Health Nuts Media [https://healthnutsmedia.com/] Marketing: Josh Troop - Troop-Creative [https://www.troop-creative.com/] Learn More at: www.beyond-blueprint.com [http://www.beyond-blueprint.com/]

EP48 - Healthcare Doesn't Have a Staffing Problem: Rethinking Workforce Design - Elizabeth Jeanes

What if healthcare's staffing crisis isn't really about staffing at all? In this episode, Elizabeth Jeanes, founder of Jeanes Strategic Consulting and a healthcare leader with more than 20 years of experience in nursing, leadership development, and organizational strategy, challenges one of healthcare's biggest assumptions: that workforce shortages are purely a numbers problem. Instead, Elizabeth makes the case for rethinking workforce design from the ground up, starting with preceptors, frontline influencers, and the leadership systems that shape culture from day one. Her take? The people are already in your building. We're just not developing them. Beyond the Blueprint Host Keith Washington and Elizabeth unpack generational intelligence, why quad pay won't fix a broken culture, how preceptor programs should be leadership development, not skills training, and what it actually takes to earn the loyalty of a workforce that's done handing it over for free. Whether you're building teams, leading culture change, or rethinking workforce strategy, this episode offers a fresh blueprint for the future of healthcare leadership. Key Takeaways • Healthcare's staffing crisis may be less about shortages and more about workforce design. • Preceptors and frontline influencers have outsized impact on culture, retention, and new hire success. • Leadership is an action, not a title, and organizations should develop informal leaders early. • Generational intelligence helps leaders better understand what motivates today's workforce and why loyalty looks different now. • Younger workers value mental health, work-life balance, and professional growth as much as compensation. • Strong onboarding and evidence-based training programs can improve retention and reduce costly turnover. • The future of workforce strategy is not just hiring talent, but building pathways to grow the talent you already have. Episode Highlights 00:00 Intro 02:26 Why Preceptors Are the Most Overlooked Leaders in Healthcare 04:10 Culture First: Building Leadership from the Ground Up 09:09 Workforce Pipelines Beyond Nursing 12:05 "We Don't Have a Staffing Shortage. We Have a Design Problem." 14:24 The ROI of Retention and Evidence-Based Training 17:13 Generational Intelligence and the New Rules of Loyalty 21:29 Why Younger Workers Prioritize Mental Health Over Money 23:20 Mapping Your Workforce by Generation 28:28 Transferable Skills vs. Technical Skills 30:25 Inside Elizabeth's Leadership Framework and New Book 35:16 Gen Z, Technology, and the Future of Learning 37:15 Can VR Improve Leadership Development? 38:31 Preparing Gen Alpha for the Workforce 40:27 Final Thoughts & Where to Connect with Elizabeth Guest: Elizabeth Jeanes [https://linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-jeanes] Host: Keith Washington - Companions in Courage Foundation [https://cic16.org/] Sponsored by: Simplifi Medical [https://simplifimedical.com/] Audio/Video: Tim Jones - Health Nuts Media [https://healthnutsmedia.com/] Marketing: Josh Troop - Troop-Creative [https://www.troop-creative.com/] Learn More at: www.beyond-blueprint.com [http://www.beyond-blueprint.com/]