Healthcare leaders outline AI governance strategies at HIMSS25
NEVADA, UNITED STATES — At the 2025 HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition, healthcare leaders shared insights on navigating artificial intelligence implementation through effective governance and collaborative approaches.
Building effective AI governance frameworks
Healthcare organizations don’t need to start from scratch when developing AI governance strategies, according to Dr. Adam Landman, CIO and senior vice president of digital at Massachusetts General Brigham.
“AI does introduce some new themes that need to be considered. We need to understand the validity, the accuracy. Are there bias issues? Are there equity issues? And so, we need to build upon some of the policies and governance structures,” he said during one of the sessions.
Landman emphasized that organization-wide education is crucial, not just among leadership but throughout various teams. Mass General Brigham has implemented multiple layers of governance for AI, from high-level industry perspective to granular application of solutions, with multidisciplinary participation being key.
He also noted that prohibiting AI outright is ineffective, but organizations should maintain strong monitoring programs as AI tools evolve.
Collaborative approaches drive successful implementation
Healthcare leaders highlighted the importance of collaboration when implementing new technologies.
Charity Darnell, vice president and chief clinical information officer at Cook Children’s Health Care System, shared how her organization addressed nurses’ hesitancy toward virtual nursing technology by creating an innovation space for testing and selecting partners willing to work closely with nurses.
“Give your nurses a voice and give them an opportunity to speak up,” Darnell advised.
Jeff Sturman from Memorial Healthcare System described his organization’s specific approach to AI implementation, leveraging existing governance structures like clinical informatics teams and physician advisory councils to serve as peer champions.
Dr. Zafar Chaudry of Seattle Children’s pointed to outdated thinking as a major challenge: “The challenge I see in health systems is having old-school thinking in the IT teams that doesn’t allow them to scale or look at a problem in a different way.”
He advocated for cloud-based infrastructure and partnerships rather than traditional equipment investments, noting that technical debt represents one of 2025’s major challenges.
As healthcare organizations continue their digital transformation journeys, these collaborative approaches to governance, education, and implementation will be essential for successfully integrating AI and other emerging technologies into healthcare delivery.
