
Free Daily Podcast Summary
by Health Data Movers
Brought to you by Health Data Movers, the QuickHITs podcast wants to bring you inside the world of healthcare technology. We'll cover industry trends, news, conferences as well as interviews with leaders in the industry.
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
On this episode of QuickHITs, HDM CEO Tyler Smith and guest co-host Abby Polich sit down with Sacheen Mallette, Vice President of Digital Applications at Emory Healthcare. After nearly fifteen years at WakeMed, Sacheen stepped into a VP role at one of the country's leading academic health systems. She shares what surprised her most about the transition, and why she sees digital applications as an essential part of delivering patient care. The conversation covers how Emory scales Epic applications through acquisitions, why learning the "why" behind a community hospital's workflows comes before changing the "how," and what a strong consulting partnership looks like when the goal is knowledge transfer rather than dependence. Sacheen also explains how governance and a solid Epic foundation helped Emory nearly double its sepsis bundle compliance, and how Emory became the first Epic organization to roll out AI summaries for radiology. As she puts it, governance doesn't limit innovation; it gives teams the guardrails to move forward with confidence. She also shares how she protects her application teams from burnout by replacing "no" with "here's when, and here's why," along with her advice for any leader heading into a merger: listen, observe, plan early, and overcommunicate. Plus, find out the unexpected superpower Sacheen found that builds relationships.
In this episode of QuickHITs, guest host Abby Polich, SVP of Client Services at Health Data Movers, sits down with Laura Marquez, VP of Applications at Sharp HealthCare. Laura shares how Sharp is tackling application rationalization at scale, including the organization's goal to reduce its application portfolio by 20% over the next four years. She explains why a clean, living CMDB is the foundation for that work, how engaging the people closest to the day-to-day use of an application surfaces the best opportunities to consolidate, and why contract hygiene, including addending BAAs and MSAs as vendors roll out new AI features, has become essential to protecting patient data. The conversation also covers how Laura evaluates new AI tools against real operational pain points rather than novelty, what the next five years could mean for revenue cycle automation and the call center, and why she believes the patient is the most underutilized member of the care team. From application rationalization to AI-ready vendor contracts to rethinking the physical and virtual exam room, this episode covers a lot of ground for anyone thinking about how to modernize a complex health system's application landscape responsibly.
In this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith sits down with Simon Nazarian, System EVP and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at City of Hope, and guest co-host Maroussia Petryk. Simon shares how one of the nation's largest cancer research and treatment organizations is turning decades of complex oncology data into a strategic asset, and how that foundation led to the development of Hope LLM, City of Hope's proprietary generative AI platform. He explains why data migration should be treated as clinical and operational infrastructure rather than an IT checkbox, what AI readiness really requires beyond having a model, and how governance built into the architecture from day one is what earns clinician trust. The conversation also covers ROI versus return on opportunity, where organizations tend to overestimate or underestimate AI's impact, and Simon's outlook on the next three to five years of clinical innovation, including a blended intelligence model where technology surfaces insight, and humans keep the final say. From treating data migration as strategic infrastructure to reducing administrative burden through Hope LLM to building AI governance in from the start, this episode covers a lot of ground for anyone thinking about what it takes to modernize a complex health system responsibly.
In this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith sits down with Dr. Nicholas Gavin, Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at Mount Sinai, and Dr. Robbie Freeman, Mount Sinai's Chief Digital Transformation Officer. Nicholas and Robbie unpack what it actually takes to move a digital health tool from a small pilot to system-wide scale, including the operational gap, the Hawthorne effect, and why Mount Sinai builds for scale from day one rather than treating pilots as an endpoint. They share how a culture of bottom-up idea submission, paired with rigorous co-design with patients and clinicians, has led to products like an AI tool that predicts pressure injury risk and a digital triage platform shaped directly by patient focus groups. The conversation also covers interoperability, standardizing on a single EMR across seven hospital campuses and 400-plus ambulatory locations, and where Nicholas and Robbie see the next wave of healthcare technology heading, including agentic AI and computer vision. They close with a candid take on healthcare's long struggle with administrative burden, and why current tools may finally offer a real path forward for clinicians and patients alike.
In this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith sits down with Nitin Agarwal, CIO of Wayne Memorial Health, a rural health system in northeastern Pennsylvania serving patients who, in many cases, have nowhere else to go. Nitin shares how he climbed to the C-suite by learning to delegate, why he believes the best technology decisions start with conversation rather than a vendor deck, and what it really means to be a trusted partner to clinical and operational teams. He also digs into data migration, the importance of intentional data mapping before a single record moves, and why rural health systems have to be far more deliberate than their larger counterparts when adopting new technology. And on AI? Nitin isn't waiting for the hype to clear. He's watching for the moment AI truly frees clinicians to just be clinicians.
In this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith, CEO of Health Data Movers, sits down with Dr. Bill Winkenwerder, Chairman of CitiusTech, for a wide-ranging conversation spanning four decades at the highest levels of healthcare leadership. Dr. Winkenwerder's career began with a simple but powerful realization: that the physician-patient relationship, while meaningful, wasn't enough to fix a broken system. That conviction drove him well beyond the clinic. He went on to serve as Medical Director at Kaiser Permanente, Vice President at Emory Healthcare, CEO of Highmark Health — the 7th largest health insurer in the U.S., serving more than 34 million Americans — and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, overseeing healthcare across the entire U.S. military. Today, he brings that depth of experience to his role as Chairman of CitiusTech. Together, Tyler and Bill explore the forces reshaping healthcare today — consolidation, aging infrastructure, and the accelerating pace of technological change. Bill makes the case that clean, reliable data isn't just an IT priority; it's the prerequisite for everything else, including AI. And he offers a grounded, experience-backed take on where agentic AI will actually deliver in the next three to five years, and where human judgment remains irreplaceable. The conversation also turns to the bigger picture: what it means to build a healthcare system that helps everyday people live healthier, more informed lives, rather than just treating them when they're sick. This episode is for healthcare leaders who want perspective from someone who has operated at every level of the system and still believes the most important work is ahead. Topics covered: How Bill's career evolved from medicine to policy to healthcare leadership The compounding challenges of legacy systems, consolidation, and constant change Why data quality is the true foundation for AI in healthcare Where CitiusTech and HDM fit in the next phase of healthcare IT The real-world potential of agentic AI and its limits Empowering patients through better data, education, and technology
On this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith sits down with Andrew Thompson, management board member at the Estonian Multiomics Company (EMC), to explore how healthcare can evolve from a system focused on treating illness to one designed to prevent it. Andrew shares his journey building technology-enabled life sciences companies and how his work in Estonia led to the creation of EMC—an organization focused on unlocking the value of multiomics data to drive better clinical, economic, and societal outcomes. Drawing on his experience across both technology and healthcare, Andrew brings a global perspective on what it takes to rethink healthcare at scale. Andrew breaks down the concept of multiomics and why genomics alone only tells part of the story. He explains how integrating genetic, clinical, and behavioral data creates a more complete picture of health, shifting the focus from static insights to dynamic understanding of how individuals actually live and express disease risk. The conversation also explores Estonia's digital-first infrastructure, where citizens own their data and health systems are built on trust, transparency, and connectivity. Andrew outlines how this foundation enables a fundamentally different approach to healthcare, one that prioritizes prevention, empowers individuals, and leverages data in ways that traditional systems cannot. Finally, Andrew challenges healthcare leaders to think beyond optimizing today's "sick care" model and instead consider how to build systems that keep people healthy at home. He shares practical insights on the role of consumer engagement, data ownership, and emerging technologies like AI in shaping the future of healthcare, and what organizations can do today to begin that shift.
On this episode of QuickHITs, Tyler Smith sits down with Josh Wilda, Associate Vice President for Information Systems and Chief Information Digital Officer at University of Iowa Health Care, to explore how healthcare organizations are evolving from technology operators to strategic enablers of care. Josh shares his unique journey into healthcare IT, from his early days at Epic to leading digital transformation initiatives across major academic health systems. With over 25 years of experience, he brings a perspective grounded in both technical expertise and a deep understanding of healthcare's broader ecosystem. Josh discusses the shifting role of IT leadership—from managing infrastructure to driving enterprise-wide strategy—and how today's leaders must act as connectors across clinical, operational, and technological domains. Josh outlines how organizations can build trust, embed IT into the business, and move from transactional support to true partnership. We also explore the growing impact of AI, data, and digital health, and why success starts with a strong foundation of clean, accessible data. Josh shares how his team is balancing innovation with operational stability, prioritizing initiatives that reduce friction and allow clinicians and staff to operate at the top of their license. Finally, Josh highlights the importance of aligning digital strategy with the core mission of healthcare—improving patient and provider experiences—while ensuring technology enhances, rather than distracts from, that connection.
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Listeners also like.

Health Discovered
Doctors explore surprising stories to uncover insights about health and well-being.

KFF's The Business of Health with Chip Kahn
KFF

Get Better Faster
Doctors and researchers discuss functional medicine and root-cause approaches to chronic illness and health optimization.

The Health Continuum
High-performing professionals learn science-based health strategies to sustain energy, focus, and resilience in demanding careers.

A Shot in the Arm Podcast
Ben Plumley

Health Optimization Medicine Podcast
Experts discuss science-based strategies for health optimization, performance, and human potential through targeted interventions.

The AI in Business Podcast
Interviews with AI executives reveal practical applications and strategic insights for business leaders adopting AI.

The Restless Ones
Executives at the intersection of technology and business discuss innovation, leadership, and driving change in fast-evolving industries.

The BioHub - by Avetix
Conversations with leading biotech experts reveal the strategies and stories driving innovation in the biotechnology industry.

The Pulse
Explores surprising stories in health and science, from operating rooms and labs to breakthrough innovations.

Health vs Hype with the American Medical Association
A medical expert debunks viral health trends and misinformation with science-backed insights from physicians.

Biohack-it
A weekly exploration of biohacking, holistic health, and science-driven strategies for optimizing physical and mental well-being.
Brought to you by Health Data Movers, the QuickHITs podcast wants to bring you inside the world of healthcare technology. We'll cover industry trends, news, conferences as well as interviews with leaders in the industry.
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Get key takeaways from QuickHITs in a 5-minute read.
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of QuickHITs as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Health Data Movers.
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
QuickHITs publishes monthly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
QuickHITs covers topics including Technology, Business. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.