Transforming Healthcare Operations with AI: Real Solutions for Real Problems

Episode Overview

Healthcare is drowning in operational inefficiencies—sky-high no-show rates, unfilled last-minute cancellations, burned-out staff making endless phone calls, and communication gaps that cost money and compromise patient care. But what if AI could solve these problems in weeks, not years?

In this episode, I sit down with Alan Stickler, Head of Technology at Vital Interaction, for an honest conversation about how AI is transforming healthcare operations right now. We skip the hype and dive into practical applications that are reducing costs, improving health outcomes, and giving healthcare teams their time back.

Timestamps & Topics Covered

[00:00 - 02:15] Opening & Introduction

Jill's welcome and request to subscribe
Why this episode matters for healthcare leaders
Introduction to Alan Stickler and Vital Interaction

[02:15 - 05:30] Meet Alan Stickler

20+ years in technology, 15 in healthcare
Background: US Oncology, McKesson, pharmacy technology
Current role: Head of Technology at Vital Interaction
Mission: Hyper-personalized communication to ease healthcare burden

[05:30 - 12:45] Healthcare's Biggest Operational Pain Points

No-show rates still devastatingly high (especially dental and behavioral health)
Last-minute cancellations going unfilled
Staff spending entire days making phone calls
The cost of manual communication
Patient experience as everything: Transformational vs. transactional healthcare
The systemic communication breakdown between health centers and patients

[12:45 - 20:30] How AI Solves Communication Breakdown

Technology changing rapidly (6-month evolution cycles)
AI detecting human vs. voicemail before engaging staff
AI agents handling first interactions with full patient knowledge
40-60% of communication volume handled automatically
SMS and text conversations for asynchronous engagement
Reaching patients during off-hours when it's convenient for them
Staff freed to focus on complex interactions that truly need human touch

[20:30 - 23:15] Where Human Touch Still Matters

Complex clinical conversations
Emotional or high-anxiety situations
Decision-making requiring human judgment
Overflow and frustration escalation
What AI excels at: Coordination, follow-ups, scheduling, education

[23:15 - 28:45] Predictive AI & Reducing No-Shows

How AI predicts which patients are likely to no-show
Factors analyzed: Patient history, confirmation timing, scheduling timeline
Advanced factors: Demographics, school schedules, weather patterns, business hours
Predictive analytics explained: 50% = coin flip, 70-80% = worth investing
Training AI models by rewinding historical data
Proactive communication the day before and morning of appointments

[28:45 - 32:30] Filling Last-Minute Cancellations

What happens in that critical 60-minute window
AI working through waitlists line-by-line with real-time conversations
Eliminating the asynchronous text message problem
Automated matching on appointment type and availability
The one-hour hold strategy before returning to staff
Creating additional patient touch points that improve show rates

[32:30 - 42:00] Personalized Patient Communication

AI-generated videos featuring patients' actual providers
Building trust in an era of consumer skepticism
The pharmacy case study: Adding pharmacist photo quadrupled engagement (10% to 20-30%)
One 2-minute provider recording becomes 40+ customized videos
Provider approval required for all AI-generated content
Authentic desk recordings outperform professional studio videos
Not always the provider: Sometimes it's the familiar face at the front desk
Video communication effective across ALL age groups (including seniors)
AI adoption understanding has changed dramatically in the last year

[42:00 - 49:15] AI Completing Administrative Tasks

Recalls and reactivations: The biggest burden on staff
Reminders, confirmations, rescheduling—all automated
Case study: 43% of bookings shifted to after-hours, freeing call center capacity
Massachusetts health center: 15,000 monthly letters reduced to 700
Multi-language support: Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, and more
Real-time translation for staff chat tools
Instant translation accuracy insights
Communicating with hearing-impaired and visually-impaired patients

[49:15 - 54:30] Impact on Health Outcomes & ROI

No-show reduction = better health outcomes
Family Health Center: 20% no-show reduction (14% to 11%) in 3 months
Edward M. Kennedy Health Center: 47% pediatric reactivation rate
Post-procedure education preventing ER escalations
The "What to Expect When You're Expecting" approach for healthcare
ROI Timeline: 90-120 days (months, not years)
Implementation: 60-120 days typical
ROI guarantee: 3-5 months or Vital Interaction escalates
Value layered in continuously (e.g., multi-language chat added 6 months later)

[54:30 - 57:45] Implementation Reality & Best Practices

Integration with EMR/PM systems varies by vendor
Privacy policies and telecommunication consent requirements critical
Importance of dedicated team member as platform expert
Balance between best practices and facility customization
Smooth implementations: Days to weeks (when following best practices)
Longer implementations: Those who don't follow vendor guidance

[57:45 - 58:00] Questions to Ask Before Choosing AI

What is your healthcare understanding? (Healthcare-first vs. AI-first)
Does it integrate with my PM/EMR system?
Can it be personalized vs. just automated?
How fast can you get value? (Weeks/months vs. 9-12 months)
What metrics do you track and how accessible is the data?
How much staff time does this save? What's the true ROI?
Remember: AI for the sake of AI doesn't solve problems

[58:00 - 59:00] Closing & Resources

How to connect with Alan Stickler
Special pricing through jillsteeley.com/partners
Alan's offer to discuss incremental implementation steps

Key Takeaways

[23:15] Predictive AI needs to be better than 50% to be worth investment. The goal is 70-80% accuracy by analyzing factors humans can't process at scale: weather patterns, school schedules, patient history, demographics, appointment timing.

[35:45] The trust deficit is real, but personalization solves it. When a pharmacy added a pharmacist's photo to refill requests, completion rates quadrupled from 10% to 20-30%. AI-generated provider videos take that personalization even further.

[43:30] Technology doesn't replace staff—it gives them time for what matters. One health center reduced Monday/Tuesday call center overwhelm by shifting 43% of bookings to automated after-hours scheduling.

[44:45] Language barriers are no longer an excuse. Instant translation for any language in outbound messages and real-time chat removes barriers to care for diverse populations.

[51:00] ROI happens in months, not years. Implementation: 60-120 days. Proven ROI: 90-120 days. If a vendor is asking you to wait years for return on investment, the world is moving too fast—new solutions will emerge before you see value.

[54:45] Implementation success depends on following best practices. Facilities that take vendor advice see implementations in days to weeks. Those that don't can take months.

[39:00] The patient experience is everything now. Patients expect transformational healthcare, not transactional. They want communication on their terms, in their language, at their convenience—just like every other industry provides.

Resources & Links

Connect with Alan Stickler:

Vital Interaction: www.vitalinteraction.com
LinkedIn: Alan Stickler

Special Pricing for Community Health Collective Listeners: Visit www.jillsteeley.com/partners and click the Vital Interaction link for 33% off

Case Studies Mentioned:

Family Health Center: 20% no-show reduction (from 14% to 11%) in first 3 months
Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (Massachusetts): 47% pediatric reactivation rate
Massachusetts Health Center: 15,000 monthly letters reduced to 700 through automation
Health Center with Call Center Overwhelm: 43% of bookings shifted to after-hours
Pharmacy Case Study: Photo addition increased engagement from 10% to 20-30%

About the Guest

Alan Stickler is the Head of Technology for Vital Interaction, leading product development and customer engagement strategies. With over 20 years in technology and nearly 15 years specifically in healthcare, Alan has deep experience in patient engagement, data systems, and clinical operations.

His healthcare journey includes:

Large-scale consulting project for US Oncology
McKesson following their acquisition of US Oncology Network
Work with 2,500+ physician groups building patient portals and clinical trial management systems
Pharmacy technology serving thousands of community pharmacies nationwide
Multiple healthcare startups focused on patient-provider communication

Alan's expertise spans the intersection of healthcare operations, data analytics, and emerging AI technologies—giving him unique insight into what actually works versus what's just hype.

About Your Host

Jill Steeley is a healthcare leadership consultant, former community health center CEO, and passionate advocate for operational excellence in healthcare. Through the Community Health Collective, she helps healthcare leaders build stronger teams, improve patient care, and create sustainable success.

Affiliate Disclosure: Jill is an affiliate partner with Vital Interaction. She partners with them because their solutions deliver measurable results for community health centers, but the principles discussed in this episode apply broadly across AI-driven patient engagement platforms.

Subscribe & Connect

Subscribe to Community Health Collective Podcast:

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Your favorite podcast app (click the + or Follow button!)

Continue Your Leadership Development: Visit www.jillsteeley.com for:

Leadership Academy courses and bundles
Free leadership archetype quiz
Consulting and coaching opportunities
Resources for healthcare leaders

Have questions about implementing AI in your healthcare organization? Email: [email protected]