Becker’s Healthcare Digital Health + Health IT Nolan Chang, MD, EVP of Corporate Development, Strategy, and Finance at The Permanente Federation LLC
Oct 18, 2025
Nolan Chang, MD, is the Executive Vice President for Corporate Development, Strategy, and Finance at The Permanente Federation, with a rich background in family medicine. He shares how Kaiser Permanente harnesses AI and digital health tools to elevate patient experiences and support clinicians. Dr. Chang highlights impressive innovations like the Intelligent Navigator for improving triage accuracy, lessons learned during the pandemic about mobilizing resources, and the importance of transparent governance in adopting new technologies.
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Pandemic Shaped Leadership Transition
- Nolan Chang describes stepping into his EVP role just before the pandemic and suddenly managing a crisis that changed expectations for healthcare operations.
- He explains how that experience reshaped his focus on mobilizing resources and aligning strategy with financial outcomes.
Technology Serves Strategy And Long-Term Care
- Chang emphasizes that technology should support strategy, not replace it, and preexisting infrastructure enabled rapid pandemic shifts to virtual care.
- He argues longitudinal relationships in value-based care reveal real returns on prevention and long-term interventions.
Ambient AI And Intelligent Navigator In Practice
- Chang shares deployments like ambient AI dictation that restored face-to-face connection by freeing clinicians from typing during visits.
- He describes the KP Intelligent Navigator using LLMs to route patients accurately, boosting satisfaction and catching high-risk cases.