The Beat

Scaling AI Innovation in Healthcare: Kali Arduini Ihde, Director of Innovation at Northwestern Medicine

Episode Summary

Prioritizing real-world solutions and fostering a culture of innovation is key to successfully implementing new technologies in healthcare. In this episode, Kali Arduini Ihde, Director of Innovation at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the organization's approach to evaluating and implementing innovative technology solutions. She highlights the challenge of navigating numerous AI options and the importance of selecting solutions that address key problems and show value within a 3–6 month pilot. Northwestern Medicine ensures responsible AI implementation with a team of data scientists who assess technologies for bias and effectiveness. Karli also shares how the organization is scaling AI innovation to improve efficiency and identify patient risks earlier than ever before. Tune in and learn why healthcare is on the cusp of transformative change.

Episode Notes

About Kali Arduini Ihde:

Kali Arduini Ihde is a dynamic, results-driven digital transformation leader with 18+ years of experience in advancing healthcare through innovative technologies. As Director of Innovation at Northwestern Medicine, she orchestrates multi-million-dollar portfolios, fosters cross-functional alignment, and implements data-driven strategies to deliver client-centric solutions. She previously oversaw ePMO, scheduling, physician referrals, and operational transitions for Epic, forging strategic partnerships and streamlining organizational workflows. Kali holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, complementing her robust project management acumen.

Things You’ll Learn:

• It's crucial to ground innovation work in the organization's biggest problems. This ensures that any new technology being explored is directly relevant to improving patient care, workforce experience, or other key challenges.
• Finding real solutions amidst the AI hype requires a rigorous vetting process. Organizations should focus on finding solutions that can make meaningful impacts.
• Scaling AI innovation requires a dedicated team focused on implementation and widespread adoption. Innovation shouldn’t stop at testing it out but be applied and expanded to the whole organization.
• AI is poised to revolutionize healthcare by identifying issues and risks earlier. Coupled with precision medicine, the next generation of AI promises a future where treatment is tailored to the individual. This means that in 5-10 years, healthcare will look vastly different.
• Healthcare is expensive and takes a lot of people to complete. This should be considered when implementing AI solutions and technology.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Kali Arduini Ihde on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Northwestern Medicine on their LinkedIn and website.
• Discover more about Northwestern Medicine’s innovations here.