Dr. Lukasz Kowalczyk on Practical AI Adoption in Healthcare

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch, Director, AI Engagement and Community at PMI, continues the AI in Healthcare mini-series, produced in partnership by PMI and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Kathleen sits down with Dr. Lukasz Kowalcyzk, a practicing gastroenterologist and seasoned Healthtech advisor, to explore how AI can meaningfully support operational efficiency, clinical decision-making, and healthcare equity. 

Tune in to learn how AI is advancing healthcare through: 

• Automating surgical scheduling by embedding clinical intelligence into workflows, helping schedulers deliver safer and more consistent care instructions 
• Empowering under-resourced staff through AI-enabled decision support, boosting the performance of surgical schedulers without requiring high medical literacy 
• Navigating AI deployment challenges—from lack of data access to user adoption—and designing around real-world constraints in community and rural care settings 
• Building trust and clinical adoption by deeply understanding user workflows, embedding human-in-the-loop systems, and preserving physician autonomy in decision-making 
• Moving beyond pilot purgatory by prioritizing early wins, cross-functional buy-in, and practical tools designed for low-data-maturity environments 

Dr. Kowalcyzk also reflects on lessons learned from building and selling AI-enabled platforms, his experience in the Mayo Clinic AI Accelerator, and the importance of designing for both people and processes—not just technology. 

Whether you're a healthcare leader, project manager, or curious observer, this episode offers practical, hopeful, and forward-looking insights on building AI-enabled healthcare systems with empathy and vision. To learn more about on AI in healthcare, including access through HIMSS membership, please visit: https://bit.ly/3TSpHDZ