Episode 230 – AI Could Drive a Scope of Practice Change in Healthcare

The Big Unlock · Hal Wolf, President and CEO, HIMSS

In this episode, Hal Wolf, President and CEO of HIMSS, discusses how AI is changing healthcare’s approach to digital maturity, workforce transformation, and care delivery. He examines the persistent digital divide and explains that while emerging technologies initially favor organizations with greater resources, standardization and competition can eventually make them more accessible to underserved health systems. Hal also argues that digital maturity can no longer be measured by technology adoption alone. Health systems need the right people, processes, governance, and measurable improvements in access and quality.

Hal sees AI and continuous data from emerging technologies such as wearables changing the scope of practice, enabling clinicians to focus their expertise where it matters most while AI supports monitoring, prediction, and decision-making. He also highlights the need to move beyond broad experimentation toward deeper AI integration, supported by strong governance and clearly defined use cases.

Hal believes AI can help address workforce shortages and augment clinical decision-making, but human expertise remains essential. The opportunity ahead is to thoughtfully integrate AI into healthcare, continuously measure its impact, and ensure technology ultimately improves care. Take a listen.

This episode is brought to you by the HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum, happening in San Diego.