
The Digital Patient 215: Mount Sinai’s Drs. Gavin & Nadkarni: How to Turn Predictive AI into Clinical Action, Developing a “Scale-First” Operating Philosophy for Innovation, and Async Care to Improve Patient Access
Jan 22, 2026
Dr. Nicholas Gavin, Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at Mount Sinai, and Dr. Girish Nadkarni, Chairman of AI and Human Health, delve into transforming predictive AI into practical clinical actions. They discuss the importance of a clear 'why' for innovation adoption and the challenges of pilot projects, advocating for a scale-first approach. The duo also explores asynchronous care models that enhance patient access, alongside the need for robust AI governance and equitable deployment. Their insights on workflow redesign and human-AI collaboration promise to reshape digital healthcare.
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Begin With A Clear Why
- Start with a clear "why" to focus innovation on measurable impact for patients and the organization.
- Girish Nadkarni says technology should be the outer layer solving a defined problem, not the starting point.
Prefer Scale-First Over Small Pilots
- Avoid pilots unless the solution is designed to scale and you have high confidence in technical and change-management readiness.
- Nicholas Gavin says pilots waste organizational energy if they won't scale across the system.
Demo Routed Patients To A Competitor
- Nicholas Gavin recounts demoing a triage tool that accidentally routed patients to a competitor during a live demo.
- The mistake exposed the need for rigorous QA across the software development life cycle.







