Change is not new to health care. Medical knowledge doubles every few years. We are tasked with providing Value in an era of transparency and finite resources. Burnout is at record levels. And now we are seeing an unprecedented acceleration of that change fueled by new technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics, which could fundamentally affect human resources and compliance/regulation. There is every reason to believe this fast pace will continue. Previous change management techniques need to be revisited. Dr. Berkowitz will discuss state-of-the-art approaches to propelling your organization ahead through this turbulent time. ...less

It has been more than 20 years since the epic publications of “The Quality Chasm” and “To Err is Human”. No longer could quality be assumed in our hospitals and with our providers. In the ensuing 25 years, we’ve been flooded with hundreds of quality indicators. Methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, PDCA, etc have been developed and implemented. Accrediting organizations and payors have placed huge demands on the health care system to acquire and submit data. But despite “pay for performance” and data transparency, have we truly made progress? Life expectancy and maternal mortality in the USA are declining. Medical errors according to a recent study are the third leading cause of death- behind cancer and heart disease. Indicators may have improved, but has QUALITY improved? Is the patient better off? And now, artificial intelligence has huge potential to improve health care. Dr. Berkowitz the future of quality in health care. He will discuss how a successful partnership with AI will help your organization stay ahead of the curve and truly deliver the quality of care our patients deserve-- with the ultimate goal of achieving true population health and health equity. 1. Discuss the four stages of quality improvement in health care during the last 20 years. 2. Review health care outcomes and address the issue of whether we have improved quality outcomes during this time and the necessity to achieve population equity in health care. 3. Apply lessons learned from COVID-19 to better achieve quality goals in the future. 4. Discuss the critical role of artificial intelligence in the future of quality improvement. 5. Discuss how AI can be utilized to optimize health equity and community well-being. ...less

The role and influence of the physician executive has come a long way since the old days of “schmoozing” in the physicians’ lounge. The responsibilities of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) or Chief Physician Executive (CPE) have greatly expanded in scope and influence. Being a successful physician executive requires many skills NOT taught in medical school. How can we better select, groom and mentor these physician leaders? Dr. Berkowitz has been a CMO for health care systems, individual hospitals, insurance companies, medical groups, and outpatient facilities. He has distilled these experiences into twelve pearls that are must-haves for all successful physician executives. He has incorporated these pearls into an ongoing CMO mentoring program for both new and experienced CMO’s. In this presentation, Dr. Berkowitz reviews these pearls and offers national best practice solutions for the health care challenges that lie ahead for physician executives. Additionally, he will review how the CMO can best utilize the technology of AI to improve processes and population health outcomes. Objectives : 1. Discuss the changing roles and responsibilities of the physician executive. 2. Present the twelve pearls and offer practical solutions to the challenges they bring. 3. Discuss organizational strategies to better select, groom, and mentor physician leaders. 4. Discuss opportunities to speed the learning curve of new physician executives. 5. Discuss how physician executives can better partner with AI. ...less

This keynote is designed for those who have either attended the first presentation on AI, or those who have current familiarity with the AI fundamentals. Depending on the needs of your organization, we could “hybridize” the two presentations to meet your specific requirements. AI technologies are rapidly becoming embedded in all areas of healthcare. New products are being brought to market daily, and the costs of these innovations could be substantial. How does the executive separate the wheat from the chaff? How do you prioritize the AI needs for your organization. How do you best create operational and clinical efficiencies to offset the new costs and best leverage AI? After briefly reviewing the basic models and concepts of AI, Dr. Berkowitz will focus on specific clinical and operational challenges that the hospitals and physicians must face, emphasizing the importance of establishing a partnership with AI. The eight operational imperatives cover topics such as applications to patient care, supply chain, revenue cycle enhancement, workforce optimization, and social needs coordination. He will also review the role of a hospital AI council with particular emphasis on the present and future impact of AI on population health and health equity. Finally, he will discuss the moral implications of AI and the role of future regulations and compliance. Presentation Objectives : 1. Review the basic definitions and models of artificial intelligence. 2. Discuss the importance of an AI partnership that maximizes the value of that technology. 3. Discuss the clinical applications of AI for the caregivers and the hospital. 4. Discuss the operational opportunities that AI technology provides. 5. Review the importance of an AI Council 6. Discuss the social/moral issues of AI and the challenges of AI regulation. ...less

Hardly a day goes by when there is not a story in the news about artificial intelligence and its impact on society. New advances in technology and applications-- both exciting and scary—seem to be occurring exponentially. There is now evidence that AI can learn on its own and that it can “make things up” or even hallucinate. GPT is enabling technology that performs increasingly like a human. Computer-brain interfaces can physically connect the mind to the computer or to a robot. Moore’s Law is functionally alive and well. How does the health care executive stay on top of the science and make knowledgeable decisions? Or do we just let AI take over the world? Might your new doctor be an AI hologram? Dr. Berkowitz will review the basic models and concepts of AI such as processing speed, machine learning and networks, with particular emphasis on their applications in healthcare. He will discuss special interest topics such as GPT, brain-computer interfaces, emergent properties, AI bias, and the concept of singularity. He will discuss the present and future impact of AI on health care systems, patients, and providers. Finally, he will discuss the moral implications of AI and the role of future regulations and compliance. Presentation Objectives : 1. Review the basic definitions and models of artificial intelligence. 2. Discuss the implications of specific topics such as emergent properties, hallucinations, brain- computer interfaces, deep fakes, and how they can contribute to AI singularity. 3. Review the impact of GPT technologies, particularly how they would affect the patients, providers and the hospital. 4. Discuss the importance of a partnership with AI. 5. Discuss the social/moral issues of AI and potential need for regulation. ...less

Artificial intelligence will affect health care profoundly in the next few years. Rural and community hospitals are already facing unprecedented challenges with the pressures of cost reduction, maintaining quality, patient satisfaction, and developing integrated networks of care. Recently, the option of becoming a Rural Emergency Hospital and closing inpatient services has been put on the table. Dr. Berkowitz will discuss the present state of artificial intelligence in health care and its future potential to benefit community hospitals. He will specifically address areas of clinical decision support, revenue cycle, clinical protocols, GPT, rural health equity, and how AI applications can improve physician recruitment and retention. He will offer best practices on how the community hospital can best partner with AI initiatives and prosper through these difficult times. 1. Provide practical definitions and a working model for AI. 2. Discuss key AI concepts such as emergent properties, hallucination, GPT, deep fakes, singularity, and how they apply to the community setting. 3. Discuss the expanding role of artificial intelligence and how it will enhance rural medicine. 4. Propose a “Call to Action” for hospital leadership outlining key initiatives that must be considered. 5. Outline specific opportunities to “partner” with AI and how to determine the optimal contributions of both to improve overall health care and health equity- both clinically and operationally. ...less

The incidence and severity of provider “burnout” has been steadily increasing for all medical specialties, especially following the COVID pandemic. “Burnout” is not unique to physicians. Nor is it unique to healthcare. “Burnout” is not simply too much work, but rather the result of the frustration of that work, perceptions of powerlessness, and lack of optimal work/life balances. Often, symptoms are not recognized in a timely fashion, and result in severe consequences for the provider, the organization, and the patients. Beyond “Burnout” …As organizations struggle to recognize and manage this problem, Dr. Berkowitz will discuss how we need to move ahead to change our concept of “burnout” and move toward the goals of provider health, resilience, well-being, and provider retention. Best practice models will be discussed. Individual practitioners, their families, and their respective organizations must work together to make the practice of medicine more rewarding and meaningful. What can your organization do to provide ongoing Value for your providers? 1. Discuss the current epidemiology and demographics of provider “burnout”. 2. Discuss best practice models of going from the concept of “burnout” to one of resilience. 4. Discuss how organizations can change their culture to one of provider well-being and retention. 5. Discuss the role of the spouse and family to better focus on provider health and well-being. 6. Review how the clinical and operational efficiencies of AI can contribute to enhancing provider resilience. ...less

The practice of medicine will continually be changed by new and sometimes disruptive technologies. Genomic testing can predict the risk of future health events, response to certain medications and treatability of certain tumors. Artificial intelligence, with its ability to provide high speed analysis could very well be the breakthrough needed to substantially advance genomic medicine. Nanotechnology will revolutionize the delivery of medications and surgeries through the miniaturization of procedures. Dr. Berkowitz will discuss how these two modalities can dramatically change how hospitals and caregivers treat patients. 1. Discuss the role of disruptive technologies in the practice of medicine for both caregivers and hospitals. 2. Review present and future potentials of genetic testing. 3. Discuss potential legal and ethical consequences of genomics. 4. Review how the prudent application of AI can revolutionize the clinical applications of genomics. 5. Discuss the evolving role of microtechnology and nanotechnology in the future practice of caregivers and the financial implications for hospitals. ...less