Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Leading Innovation and Technology at Penn Medicine with John P. Donohue

Nov 14, 2025
Join John P. Donohue, Vice President at Penn Medicine, as he delves into the evolving landscape of healthcare technology. With over 20 years at the organization, he shares insights on the transformative roles of AI, cybersecurity, and extended reality. John discusses the challenges of balancing intentional technology adoption with innovative opportunities. He emphasizes the significance of lifelong learning and mentorship in leadership, showcasing how these principles drive success in the fast-paced medical environment.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Veteran Penn Medicine IT Leader

  • John Donohue has worked at Penn Medicine for about 22 years and built their first cybersecurity program.
  • He now leads Entity Services focusing on field-based technology and executive customer relationships.
INSIGHT

Scale Multiplies Healthcare Complexity

  • Penn Medicine scaled from a small system to a $13B organization with seven hospitals and 52,000 employees.
  • Donohue notes that increased scale plus rising complexity transformed how technology and operations must be managed.
INSIGHT

Be Skeptical Of AI Hype

  • Donohue highlights agentic AI as a must-watch trend but warns many vendor claims overpromise.
  • He recommends careful evaluation to find real, applicable AI value rather than hype.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app