When it comes to artificial intelligence, Children's National Hospital's new AI chief is ensuring she addresses the technology with an inclusive strategy to identify the best areas where it can assist with administrative tasks.
On June 3, Washington, D.C.-based Children's National named Alda Mizaku to the role of vice president and chief data and artificial intelligence officer. She oversees the implementation of enterprise data, analytics and artificial intelligence strategy at the hospital.
Becker's spoke to Ms. Mizaku about her top priorities, challenges to AI implementation and gaining buy-in from staff who may be apprehensive about the technology in healthcare.
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Question: What are some of the top priorities you're looking to tackle in your new role?
Alda Mizaku: Number one is ensuring data integrity and accessibility. This is the foundation for data ingestion from various departments at Children's National Hospital and it ensures that we have that seamless access and comprehensive patient information.
From there, I'd love to focus on operational efficiencies, leveraging AI to create improvements that will translate into a better patient experience.
Another area is ensuring that our clinical, operational and research teams have the training and development that they need for AI technologies.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you anticipate in leading Children's National Hospital's AI journey, and how will you approach them?
AM: Not necessarily challenges, but in order to build scalable and sustainable solutions, data quality and integration are essential. They prevent data silos and ensure high-quality, integrated data systems, forming a cornerstone of our approach. Equally important is interdisciplinary collaboration, involving data scientists, clinicians, IT professionals and AI prompt engineers, to meet clinical needs.
Additionally, operationalizing these solutions is crucial. This involves integrating them into workflows in a sustainable, well-planned manner, ensuring they are effectively utilized. My focus at Children's National Hospital is to connect with leaders and develop a forward-looking vision that incorporates these elements.
Q: What kinds of AI use cases is Children's National Hospital already exploring?
AM: We are currently exploring various options and prioritizing use cases. One of our primary goals is to improve operational efficiencies, which will directly enhance the patient experience. We're focusing on how to elevate the interactions between families, children and clinical teams. In conversations with different teams, there's a clear interest in integrating AI and generative AI into their workflows. The key theme is the desire for immediate access to information, enabling data-driven insights. Our challenge is to empower each team — whether they interact directly with patients or conduct research — to utilize AI and large volumes of data effectively. This will help us build scalable, sustainable solutions that serve the organization long term.
Q: How will you gain buy-in and overcome potential resistance from clinicians and staff who may be apprehensive about AI replacing their roles?
AM: The first part of our conversation has been to reassure our clinical and operational leaders that they will maintain accountability, even with the use of AI and generative AI. The intent of these solutions is to create efficiencies, allowing them to focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks. Even in areas where AI will be used, our leaders will remain accountable, ensuring transparency by editing and approving AI-generated content.
Our implementation approach is inclusive, working side by side with clinical and operational leaders to identify the best areas where AI can assist with administrative tasks. When we present solutions, it will be a collaborative effort. Comprehensive training will also play a key role, addressing any misconceptions about AI's capabilities and fostering a common understanding of its most effective uses.
Additionally, sharing success stories — both from our internal experiences and from other organizations — will highlight the positive impact of AI on patient care and operational efficiencies. This will help build momentum and confidence in using AI to achieve similar benefits here.
It's important to emphasize that AI serves as an augmentation, not a replacement, of our leaders' roles.