Tech isn’t healthcare’s silver bullet

Health system leaders agree on one thing: technology won’t fix healthcare’s biggest problems on its own.

Despite growing expectations that technology can solve the industry’s biggest problems, health IT leaders say the most persistent myth is that innovation alone can fix what’s broken.

“The biggest myth is that technology alone can solve systemic issues in healthcare,” Jordan Ruch, CIO of Atlantic City, N.J.-based AtlantiCare, told Becker’s. “Tools like AI, EHRs, and automation are powerful, but they are not silver bullets. Success depends on thoughtful integration, governance, and collaboration with clinicians.”

That view resonates across organizations of all sizes. Technology, CIOs say, can amplify strong operations, but it can also make weak processes more visible.

“Technology won’t solve broken processes and workflows,” Susan Ibanez, CIO of Southeast Georgia Health System, told Becker’s. “Training for new solutions helps facilitate the value proposition and help ensure the organization is able to take advantage of the technical solution.”

At Gloversville, N.Y.-based Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, CIO James Wellman said many in the industry still fall for the allure of quick fixes.

“Quite often technologies, like AI, are sold as the panacea for fixing a problem or problems, when in reality you can make a problem worse, bigger or both unless you address the root cause,” he told Becker’s. “Technology is a tool that can be used to great effect, either positive or negative.”

That gap between promise and reality isn’t about capability — it’s about people. At Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health, Chief Digital and Information Officer Tressa Springmann said lasting change happens only when technology is paired with the right management and engagement strategies.

“Technology alone fixes nothing – the changes come with high adoption which can only be driven by effective change management,” she told Becker’s.

For some leaders, the conversation has evolved beyond systems and software into the realm of leadership and culture. Darrell Bodnar, CIO of North Country Healthcare in Whitefield, N.H., said that real progress depends on alignment and trust, not just digital infrastructure.

“Technology can amplify excellence, but it can’t replace leadership, alignment, or culture,” he told Becker’s. “Our span of influence has expanded into becoming culture shapers, integrators, and trusted system leaders, driving not just digital progress, but the human and operational transformation that makes it meaningful.”

The message from CIOs is clear: technology is a catalyst, not a cure. Its value depends on how it’s integrated, adopted and supported and whether the people behind it are ready to lead the transformation it enables.

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