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November 13, 2025
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On this episode of The Digital Patient, Dr. Joshua Liu, Co-founder & CEO of SeamlessMD, and colleague, Alan Sardana, chat with Dr. Chris DeFlitch, CMIO at Penn State Health, about "What Health Systems Can Learn From Disney, Creating an Emergency Room with No Waiting Room, Why Digital Transformation is still about People Taking Care of People, and more..." Click the play button to listen or read the show notes below.
Audio:
Guest(s):
- Dr. Christopher DeFlitch, CMIO at Penn State Health
- Dr. Joshua Liu, Co-founder & CEO at SeamlessMD
Episode 202 - Show Notes:
[00:00:07] Episode preview
[00:04:47] Dr. DeFlitch shares how growing up in a small Pennsylvania town and dreaming of being a doctor led him to emergency medicine.
[00:05:10] He describes realizing during residency that healthcare systems were “broken,” pushing him to question status-quo processes.
[00:06:39] After residency, he tried community medicine but quickly grew bored and became motivated to improve system-level care.
[00:07:08] Recruited back to Penn State, he transformed the ED from a financial loss to a profit center by redesigning processes.
[00:07:48] Dr. DeFlitch explains how saying “yes” to opportunities pulled him deeper into informatics before formal CMIO roles existed.
[00:09:02] As Penn State Health expanded, he shifted from full-time clinical work to a systems-focused CMIO role to maximize impact.
[00:10:35] He outlines the evolution of the CMIO role, emphasizing that technology should always be applied only after people and process.
[00:11:49] Dr. DeFlitch notes parallels between early best-of-breed EHR fragmentation and today’s fragmented AI landscape.
[00:13:38] He explains how financial pressures shape CMIO structures and why informatics must bridge technology with care delivery.
[00:16:29] Dr. DeFlitch describes building a multidisciplinary informatics team and eliminating waste like pagers through secure messaging.
[00:21:38] He continues to practice clinically every Thursday, stressing the importance of “eating your own dog food” to stay grounded.
[00:22:58] He shares how lessons from Disney parks and industrial engineering helped him redesign queues and eliminate waiting rooms.
[00:25:59] Dr. DeFlitch highlights the power of lifelong learning and how observing non-healthcare systems fuels innovation.
[00:29:02] He reflects on AI’s potential and warns that people often use AI authoritatively without understanding the underlying data.
[00:32:54] He identifies behavioral health support and administrative burden reduction as key near-term AI opportunities.
[00:38:09] Dr. DeFlitch envisions future “healthcare companions” that provide continuous support far beyond episodic care.
[00:42:10] He urges leaders to challenge requirements like patient questionnaires and eliminate embedded “waste” in care processes.
[00:46:29] On sunsetting legacy tools, he explains that credibility and relationships are essential for removing what no longer adds value.
[00:50:14] Dr. DeFlitch advises leaders to ensure AI enables humans, preserves checks and validation, and doesn’t erode patient-centered care.
Fast 5 Lightning Round:
- What is your favorite book or book you’ve gifted the most?
Healthcare Systems Engineering by Christopher J. DeFlitch - If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?
Hearing what people are really thinking… what is their drive? What is their motivator? - Would you rather have Super strength, super speed, or the ability to read people’s minds?
Mind reading. - What is something in healthcare you believe that others might find insane?
"Completing a patient questionnaire… checking in is crazy… 70–80% of what we do is noise and theater." - What is the last movie or TV show you saw?
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Digital Patient has been recognized as Feedspot's #1 Patient Engagement Podcast of 2025. Thank you to our listeners for making this happen!
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