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May 26, 2026
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Josh and Alan reunite for a casual “solo” episode to catch up on Josh's adventures at Epic's XGM. They dive deep on how health systems are moving from AI Anxiety to AI Operations, the Great Snack Wheelbarrow Chase, Why Alan Dressed Up as the Tin Man, and more... Click the play button to listen or read the show notes below.
Audio:
Guest(s):
- Joshua Liu, MD (@joshuapliu), Co-founder & CEO at SeamlessMD
Episode 227 - Show Notes:
[00:01:56] Why SeamlessMD was invited to XGM — As Epic's only certified content vendor partner for Care Companion in the Epic Toolbox, SeamlessMD was among a select group of vendors invited to exhibit and connect with health system customers during the MyChart-focused sessions at XGM.
[00:02:56] What the Care Companion content gap looks like in practice — Epic builds software, not content, and health systems have struggled to create Care Companion pathways from scratch due to the time burden on clinicians and IT. SeamlessMD fills that gap with template content for joint replacement, diabetes, hypertension, and other care pathways to accelerate deployment at scale.
[00:03:56] How this year's XGM delegation differed from last — SeamlessMD sent CTO Willie alongside Josh to deepen technical engagement with Epic's Care Companion team, who meet with SeamlessMD's engineers at least quarterly to exchange product feedback and shape the roadmap.
[00:04:14] The logistics of getting to Madison from Toronto — With no viable direct flight home on a Friday night, Josh took a three-hour coach bus from Madison to Chicago each way; he notes the trip is manageable compared to a nine-hour bus ride he once made to New York for a single-day healthcare event.
[00:08:56] How the XGM on-site experience improved from last year — Epic stationed staff to direct vendors on arrival, sparing the confusion of the prior year when Josh had to find an on-site phone just to locate the exhibit hall.
[00:10:14] The booth upgrade and prime placement at XGM — SeamlessMD landed the high-visibility spot near the top of the escalators, previously occupied by Abridge, and debuted a new backdrop featuring elements of an upcoming company rebrand, including a new tagline and updated color palette.
[00:13:14] Why human taste and judgment still matter in the age of AI — Alan draws a parallel to clinical decision-making: with a surplus of information, filtering for quality and relevance requires the same kind of taste and judgment that keeps the clinician as the ultimate decision-maker. "If you want to not have AI slop, really, I think what it comes down to is taste, and having good judgment and good taste."
[00:15:14] What Epic's conference food is actually like — Epic's in-house chefs deliver five-star quality across a full buffet spread; Josh spent much of XGM weighing the guilt of overeating against the regret of not trying everything.
[00:20:06] How an XGM hallway conversation with Dr. Jackie Gerhart shaped an upcoming episode — A chance meeting with Epic's Chief Medical Officer helped Josh gather notes and surface topics for her podcast recording. Josh described her as "super authentic" both in person and on mic, and she went out of her way to bring back a baby onesie for Josh's newborn.
[00:22:24] The depth of SeamlessMD's partnership with Epic's Care Companion team — As the only external content partner in Epic Toolbox, SeamlessMD's feedback directly shapes product decisions, including UI/UX changes currently in progress. The team also serves as a candid proxy voice for health system clients. Shout-out to Steven Fedewa for leading that collaboration on Epic's side.
[00:29:24] What the XGM floor connections looked like — Notable meetings included Dr. Bakshi Bhandari of Reid Health (introduced by CIO Mohammed Siddiqui), Jennifer Wang, Jeremy Peterson, and Lauren Gosselin from the Yale Digital Technology Services team, and Dr. Bob Whitcomb of Advocate Health, where SeamlessMD has an expanding perioperative roadmap.
[00:31:06] How a scheduled virtual meeting turned into an XGM lunch — Josh connected in person with Anna Schoenbaum, Chief Applications Officer at Penn Medicine, for an unplanned conversation covering nursing, ambient AI, and whether health systems should invest in startups; she is being lined up as a future podcast guest.
[00:32:06] The smart room of the future conversations at Penn and CHOP — Dr. Sri Adusumalli at Penn Medicine confirmed it is one of Epic's early partners building the intelligent visit experience; Dr. Stefan Proctor, Associate Chief Innovation Officer at CHOP, made as strong an impression in person as he does in his LinkedIn writing.
[00:32:24] Why digital-first primary care could pressure health system EHRs — Dr. John Lee, who runs a recommended informatics newsletter, shared the insight at XGM that direct-to-primary-care companies building their own tools may pull significant activity away from health systems and create competitive pressure on traditional EHRs.
[00:34:24] What SeamlessMD's annual customer conference delivered this year — Nearly 80 stakeholders attended the Wizard of Oz-themed event, from C-suite leaders and Chief Digital Officers to frontline nurse navigators and hospital operations directors; tighter, snappier sessions kept energy and momentum high throughout the day.
[00:37:24] How hearing partner stories reconnects the team to the mission — The conference's innovative use cases session — including London Health Sciences walking through their pediatric trauma pathway — reminded Josh, even as CEO, of the complexity and real-world impact of what partners are building on the platform. "It's a great reminder of why we do this, 'cause we're not in the hospital every day hearing this feedback."
[00:41:24] Why in-person beats virtual for building real relationships — Both hosts reflect on how XGM and their own conference reveal authenticity that online presence alone can't convey, noting that people who are thoughtful on LinkedIn tend to be equally thoughtful in person — and often warmer.
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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