Overview
Eight healthcare leaders share the articles, podcasts, case studies, research, and other content shaping their thinking on AI, data, patient access, financial sustainability, and connected care.
Healthcare organizations are navigating no shortage of priorities, from AI and analytics to patient access, financial sustainability, and connected care. At the same time, leaders are being asked to deliver meaningful results while managing day-to-day operational demands.
To highlight the issues shaping healthcare IT right now, we asked eight Nordic leaders to share the articles, podcasts, case studies, research, and other content influencing their thinking.
Organized around five topics driving healthcare transformation, these recommendations offer practical ideas, real-world lessons, and fresh perspectives on some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges.
Whether you’re looking for a proven strategy, a new perspective, or your next must-read resource, we hope this guide helps inform your work and spark new ideas.
Meet the contributors
- Alicia Harkness, CEO, Nordic
- Alison MacDonald, European Leader, Nordic
- Craig Joseph, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Nordic
- Katherine Sager, President, Healthcare Enterprise Services, Nordic
- Kevin Erdal, President, Advisory Services, Nordic
- Liz Nemeth, Canadian Country Leader, Healthtech
- Mickey Davis, President, Managed Services, Nordic
- Steve Eckert, Chief Growth Officer, Nordic
Five conversations shaping healthcare IT right now
- AI is moving from experimentation to measurable results.
- Organizations are working to turn data into better decisions.
- Patient access and throughput remain pressing operational priorities.
- Financial pressures continue to shape technology and investment strategies.
- Better outcomes require stronger coordination across the healthcare ecosystem.
AI that delivers real results
Healthcare organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation and focusing on where it can make a real difference. The most successful initiatives are built on trusted data, strong governance, effective workflows, and a clear understanding of the problem that needs to be solved. As AI becomes part of everyday clinical and operational work, the focus is shifting from what’s possible to what delivers meaningful results.
Featured contributors: Craig Joseph, Liz Nemeth, Kevin Erdal
Clinical AI has boomed. A new Stanford-Harvard State of Clinical AI report shows what holds up in practice
Recommended by Craig
Article | 8 min read
Best for: Clinical, digital, and IT leaders trying to separate real-world AI progress from industry hype
Overview: This article summarizes findings from the 2026 State of Clinical AI report, examining where AI is delivering measurable value in healthcare, where performance declines in real-world settings, and why workflow integration, human judgment, and evidence-based evaluation remain critical to successful adoption.
Craig’s take: “One of the challenges with healthcare AI is separating impressive demonstrations from meaningful clinical impact. I appreciate that this report asks a simple but important question: What happens when AI leaves the lab and enters the real world? It’s a thoughtful look at where AI is genuinely helping clinicians, where risks remain, and why implementation matters just as much as innovation.”
What to know about Canada’s new AI strategy
Recommended by Liz
Article | 4 min read
Best for: Healthcare leaders interested in how AI adoption, governance, workforce readiness, and digital health strategy are shaping the future of healthcare in Canada
Overview:
This article explores Canada’s new national AI strategy and its implications for healthcare. It highlights plans to expand AI adoption, strengthen health data and technology infrastructure, improve AI literacy, and support innovation while addressing privacy, safety, and trust.
Liz’s take: “What stood out to me in this strategy is the recognition that successful AI adoption depends on much more than technology. It requires the right governance, infrastructure, workforce readiness, and public trust. Healthcare organizations across Canada are focused on improving access, supporting clinicians, and delivering better outcomes, and AI has the potential to help address many of those challenges. Real success will come from thoughtfully integrating these tools into care delivery in ways that create measurable value for patients, providers, and the health system as a whole.”
Why healthcare AI stalls after the pilot and what’s really holding it back
Recommended by Kevin
Blog | 5 min read
Best for: Leaders focused on scaling AI initiatives and driving quantifiable operational outcomes
Overview: Drawing on observations from healthcare leaders, this article explores why many AI initiatives struggle to move beyond the pilot phase. It examines the organizational, operational, and workforce challenges that often prevent promising technologies from scaling into measurable enterprise value.
Kevin’s take: “It’s easy to get excited about a successful pilot, but the real challenge is translating early momentum into organization-wide impact. The healthcare organizations making the most progress are focused on adoption, operational alignment, and measurable outcomes from day one. That’s what ultimately determines whether an AI initiative delivers lasting value.”
Turning data into decisions
Healthcare organizations have access to more data than ever before, yet many continue to struggle to turn information into action. Leaders are increasingly focused on creating analytics strategies that support operational, clinical, and financial decision-making.
Featured contributor: Katherine Sager
Nordic Expert Exchange: A Conversation on Epic Cogito Migrations
Recommended by Katherine
Webinar | 22 min watch
Best for: Organizations preparing for Epic Cogito migration while safeguarding the reporting and analytics capabilities that support clinical, operational, and financial decision-making
Overview: As Epic’s support deadline for Oracle-based Cogito environments approaches, many organizations are evaluating what the transition means for the reporting and analytics capabilities they rely on every day. In this discussion, Nordic experts explore common misconceptions, planning considerations, reporting risks, and why a Cogito migration should be viewed as a strategic data and decision-making initiative, not simply a technical database conversion.
Katherine’s take: “Many organizations see Cogito migration as a technical project. This conversation highlights the broader impact on the reporting and analytics capabilities leaders depend on every day. It’s a useful reminder that the goal isn’t simply moving data from one environment to another. It’s ensuring organizations have a reliable foundation for clinical, operational, and financial decision-making in the future.”
Before AI can deliver, healthcare orgs must fix their data governance problems
Recommended by Katherine
Article | 4 min read
Best for: Healthcare leaders working to strengthen data governance, improve data quality, and build the foundation needed to support AI, analytics, and enterprise decision-making
Overview: This article explores a growing challenge facing healthcare organizations: realizing AI’s potential without first addressing underlying data issues. It examines why data quality, governance, identity management, and interoperability remain critical prerequisites for successful AI adoption and argues that organizations must establish trusted, well-managed data foundations before they can fully capitalize on emerging technologies.
Katherine’s take: “AI may be generating much of the excitement right now, but the real differentiator will be the quality of the data behind it. This article reminds us that governance, data integrity, and trust are strategic capabilities. Organizations that invest in strong data foundations today will be better positioned to make informed decisions, scale innovation responsibly, and realize greater value from AI and other technology investments.”
Improving access, throughput, and patient experience
Many organizations are facing increasing demand without a corresponding increase in staff or resources. Improving patient access and reducing friction across the care journey remain top priorities.
Featured contributors: Craig Joseph and Mickey Davis
How BSMH improved access to care by unlocking existing capacity, enhancing scheduling
Recommended by Mickey
Case study | 8 min read
Best for: Organizations looking to improve patient access, reduce scheduling bottlenecks, and make better use of existing capacity without adding new resources
Overview: This case study explores how Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) improved access to care by optimizing scheduling practices and unlocking capacity that already existed within the organization. By taking a structured approach to operational improvement, the health system was able to better align scheduling with demand, improve access for patients, and create a more efficient experience for both patients and care teams.
Mickey’s take: “One of the biggest challenges healthcare organizations face today is balancing growing demand with limited resources. What I like about this story is that it shows you don’t always need more capacity to improve access. Sometimes the opportunity is in making better use of what you already have. The organizations seeing the greatest success are taking a close look at their workflows, scheduling processes, and operational practices to remove friction and help more patients get the care they need.”
Patient messages to providers have skyrocketed, study finds
Recommended by Craig
Article | 4 min read
Best for: Leaders working to improve patient engagement while balancing clinician workload, digital communication channels, and care team capacity
Overview: This article explores the rapid rise of patient portal messaging and its impact on care delivery. Drawing on recent JAMA research, it highlights both the benefits of increased patient engagement, and the challenges organizations face related to clinician workload, workflow design, staffing, and reimbursement.
Craig’s take: “Patient portals have made it easier for people to stay connected with their care teams, and that’s a positive development. What’s interesting about this research is that it shows digital communication is becoming an additional layer of traditional care. As healthcare organizations continue to expand these channels, the challenge isn’t simply managing more messages. It’s designing workflows that support meaningful patient engagement without creating unsustainable demands on clinicians and staff.”
Featured book
“Designing for Health: The Human-Centered Approach”
By Craig Joseph, MD and Jerome Pagani, PHD
Best for: Healthcare leaders, clinicians, informaticists, and technology professionals who want to create better experiences for patients and care teams while improving the way healthcare systems, workflows, and technology support care delivery
Overview:
The U.S. healthcare system was not designed around the needs of the people receiving or delivering care. In “Designing for Health,” Craig and Jerome explore how human-centered design can help healthcare organizations improve patient and clinician experiences, strengthen engagement, reduce friction, and create more effective and equitable healthcare. Drawing on real-world healthcare challenges, the book provides practical principles for designing processes, workflows, operations, and technologies around the person-to-person interactions at the heart of healthcare.
Why it’s worth reading:
Technology alone won’t solve healthcare’s biggest challenges. Sustainable improvement requires a deeper understanding of the people who use these systems every day. This book offers a practical framework for building healthcare experiences that work better for patients, clinicians, and organizations alike.
Strengthening financial performance and revenue cycle
Financial pressure continues to influence every corner of healthcare. Leaders are searching for sustainable ways to improve margins, optimize revenue capture, reduce administrative costs, and maximize existing investments.
Featured perspectives: Alicia Harkness, Kevin Erdal, Mickey Davis
From value-based care to AI: healthcare leaders on sustainability strategy
Recommended by Alicia
Article | 6 min read
Best for: Healthcare leaders focused on balancing financial sustainability, digital transformation, and long-term value creation in an increasingly complex operating environment
Overview: This article explores how healthcare leaders are approaching long-term sustainability in a rapidly changing environment. Topics include value-based care, AI adoption, payer-provider collaboration, operational efficiency, and strategies for creating lasting value while adapting to evolving market pressures.
Alicia’s take: “This article broadens the conversation beyond cost reduction. Long-term sustainability isn’t achieved through a single initiative, technology investment, or operational improvement. It comes from building an organization that can continuously adapt, create value, and respond to the evolving needs of patients, clinicians, and communities. The leaders featured here reinforce that sustainable growth requires balancing innovation, financial stewardship, workforce support, and a relentless focus on outcomes.”
5 ways workforce capacity erodes healthcare technology ROI
Recommended by Kevin
Blog | 7 min read
Best for: Healthcare leaders looking to maximize the value of technology investments, improve workforce effectiveness, and strengthen operational and financial performance
Overview: This article examines how workforce capacity challenges can limit the return on healthcare technology investments. It explores common barriers to adoption, productivity, and value realization, highlighting the importance of change management, workforce support, governance, and operational readiness in achieving measurable outcomes from digital transformation initiatives.
Kevin’s take: “Healthcare organizations are under pressure to demonstrate value from every technology investment they make. What I like about this article is that it highlights an often-overlooked reality: The biggest barrier to ROI isn’t always the technology itself. Organizations realize the greatest returns when they create the capacity to continuously optimize, support, and improve the tools they’ve already invested in.”
Newsday: Are health systems falling behind the innovation race?
Podcast | 25 min listen
Recommended by Mickey
Best for: Leaders focused on improving operational performance, managing costs, and creating sustainable value from healthcare transformation initiatives
Overview: Healthcare executive Jason Rose discusses how health systems can balance innovation with operational realities, focusing on execution, cost management, technology investments, and creating sustainable value from transformation efforts.
Mickey’s take: “Healthcare organizations are under constant pressure to do more with less, which makes prioritization and execution more important than ever. This conversation acknowledges that innovation alone isn’t enough. Sustainable transformation and progress come when organizations pair new ideas with strong operational discipline, clear accountability, and a focus on delivering measurable results.”
Connecting care across the ecosystem
Improving outcomes increasingly requires better coordination across organizations, systems, care settings, and communities. Interoperability, care coordination, and connected experiences continue to shape the future of healthcare delivery.
Featured perspectives: Alicia Harkness, Alison MacDonald, Steve Eckert
Interview with Edmund Siy, CITO BSMH and Alex Krinsky, CLEAR
Recommended by Alicia
Podcast | 37 min listen
Best for: Healthcare leaders looking to improve patient access, reduce administrative friction, and create more seamless, digitally enabled experiences across the care journey
Overview: In this conversation, BSMH and CLEAR leaders discuss the evolving expectations of healthcare consumers and the role technology can play in simplifying access to care. The discussion explores digital identity, patient engagement, operational efficiency, and the importance of creating secure, intuitive experiences that reduce barriers for patients while supporting organizational goals.
Alicia’s take: “Patients increasingly expect healthcare experiences that are as simple, connected, and intuitive as the experiences they have in other parts of their lives. This conversation focuses on more than technology alone. It highlights the importance of removing friction, building trust, and designing experiences that work better for patients, clinicians, and healthcare organizations alike. Those improvements can strengthen access, improve satisfaction, and help organizations create meaningful value at scale.”
HLTH Europe 2026: why implementation has become healthcare’s defining challenge
Recommended by Alison
Blog | 4 min read
Best for: Healthcare leaders focused on scaling innovation, accelerating digital transformation, and turning promising technologies into significant improvements in care delivery
Overview: This article explores why implementation, not innovation, has become healthcare’s defining challenge. It highlights the barriers organizations face when bringing new technologies into real-world care delivery and achieving meaningful results.
Alison’s take: “One of the themes that resonated most with me is that innovation only creates value when it can be successfully implemented at scale. Healthcare organizations across Europe are investing heavily in digital transformation, but sustainable progress depends on how effectively those innovations are embedded into workflows, adopted by clinicians, and translated into better outcomes. The challenge is turning new ideas into meaningful, measurable change.”
Featured book
“It’s Not About the Tech: From Potholes to Piglets — Real-Life Lessons in Health IT”
By CT Lin, MD
Best for: Aspiring physician and provider informaticists, CMIOs, CNIOs, pharmacists, nurses, IT analysts, trainers, project managers, and anyone working at the intersection of healthcare and technology
Overview: Drawing on three decades of experience in clinical informatics and EHR implementation, CT Lin uses real-world stories and case studies to explore the people, leadership, and change management challenges that often determine the success or failure of healthcare technology initiatives. The book argues that effective transformation depends as much on relationships, trust, and teamwork as it does on technical expertise.
What it’s worth reading: This book teaches practical informatics through stories of success and failure from EHR work. It comprises bite-sized case studies that illustrate self-development as a tactic for improving teamwork, change management, and leadership in complex healthcare environments.
The semantic gap in healthcare: why interoperability alone won’t fix what’s broken
Article | 5 min read
Recommended by Steve
Best for: Healthcare leaders working to improve interoperability, reduce information silos, and ensure clinical and operational teams can effectively use the data available to them
Overview:
This article examines the “semantic gap” between sharing healthcare data and making it truly usable. It explores why organizations must look beyond interoperability and focus on context, usability, and workflow integration to realize the full value of connected care.
Steve’s take: “Healthcare has made tremendous progress in sharing data but sharing information and using information are two very different things. This article challenges us to look beyond interoperability as the finish line. Success isn’t just about moving data between systems. It’s about making sure clinicians, caregivers, and operational teams have the right information, in the right context, at the right time to make better decisions and deliver better care.”