AI by Design in Healthcare: Rethinking the EHR from the Ground Up, with Greenway Health's Dr. Michael Blackman

On this episode of the MGMA Business Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams, sits down with Dr. Michael Blackman, Chief Medical Officer at Greenway Health, to explore how artificial intelligence is moving beyond standalone tools and becoming embedded directly into core healthcare technology platforms. Drawing on his clinical background and health IT leadership experience at organizations like Allscripts, McKesson, and now Greenway, Dr. Blackman shares what an “AI by design” approach really means for medical practices — spanning documentation, operations, revenue cycle performance, and team-based care.Episode TakeawaysAI has reached a tipping point in real-world use. While artificial intelligence has existed in healthcare for years, the last 24 months have brought practical, scalable tools — like ambient documentation — that clinicians are actively using in day-to-day practice.Ambient documentation is on track to become standard of care. Dr. Blackman likens today’s ambient documentation tools to the early days of e-prescribing: not yet universal, but increasingly inevitable as accuracy improves and costs decline.Layering tools on top of tools doesn’t work. Adding AI as yet another bolt-on solution can create fragmented workflows and added burden. True value comes when AI is integrated directly into the core platform and designed around how practices actually work.“AI by design” means rethinking the platform, not just the features. Rather than retrofitting legacy EHRs, this approach starts from the ground up — asking what can be automated, where AI adds real value, and how workflows can be simplified end to end.Operational strain touches every part of the practice. From staffing shortages and documentation demands to prior authorizations, patient messages, and claim denials, AI can help reduce friction by automating routine tasks and preventing downstream problems.Better documentation upstream improves revenue cycle performance downstream. AI-assisted documentation and coding suggestions can reduce errors, lower denial rates, and allow billing teams to focus on more complex cases instead of rework.AI is an assistant, not a replacement. Trust-but-verify remains essential. Human oversight ensures safety and accuracy — especially when it comes to orders, medications, and clinical decision-making.Success ultimately shows up in people, not technology. The real measure of AI by design is whether clinicians and staff feel the system is working for them — freeing time, reducing frustration, and allowing them to focus on meaningful work and patient care.Related ResourcesConnect with Dr. Blackman on LinkedInGreenway Health Greenway Health's NovareMGMA resources on operations management  This episode is brought to you by Greenway Health. Healthcare practices today need more than incremental improvements — they need a smarter, more connected way to work. That’s why Greenway created Novare — the first natively AI-enabled platform designed to reinvent the legacy EHR. Built with AI at its core, Novare helps unify clinical, financial, and patient engagement workflows — reducing administrative burden and helping providers focus more time on patient care. From ambient documentation to intelligent agents, Novare brings purposeful automation to the entire ambulatory workflow.  To learn more about Greenway Health and Novare, visit greenwayhealth.com.