Patty Hayward is focusing on at least three technologies at HIMSS25: cloud-first strategies that break free from on-premise limitations, agentic AI that automates complex workflows without dedicated coders, and AI-driven contact centers that transform patient engagement and operations.
Hayward is general manager of healthcare and life sciences at Talkdesk. The company, in Booth 5054 at HIMSS25, is a vendor of a cloud-native, agentic AI-powered patient experience platform for patient access, revenue cycle and contact center operations.
She will be speaking at HIMSS25 in a session entitled “Transforming the Contact Center from a Cost Center to Value Driver,” on Tuesday, March 4, at 4:10 p.m. at the HIMSS Main Stage Exhibit Hall Floor, Venetian Expo, Level 2, Hall A 3872. She will be speaking with Don Courville, vice president and CTO at Sharp HealthCare, and Jeff Sturman, chief digital officer and senior vice president at Memorial Healthcare System.
We spoke with Hayward to get the lowdown on her view of big technologies at HIMSS25, her main message to attendees and much more.
Q. What do you want hospital and health system attendees at HIMSS25 to know? What’s your message?
A. In today’s uncertain environment – where policy changes may change reimbursements and financial pressures are growing – health systems must embrace innovation to remain sustainable. At the same time, as organizations stay razor-sharp on clinical advancements, they cannot afford to let operational inefficiencies drain resources or hinder patient access.
Legacy, on-premises infrastructure is holding many health systems back, limiting AI adoption, slowing workflows and increasing costs. Moving to the cloud with a strategic transformation plan provides the scalability, interoperability and AI-driven automation needed to drive efficiency across patient access, revenue cycle and contact center operations – areas that can have a massive financial and operational impact when modernized.
We help health systems transform their contact centers from cost centers into strategic assets by leveraging AI agents, automation, and cloud-native flexibility. In this environment, standing still is not an option – the organizations that invest in cloud-first, AI-powered strategies will be the ones that thrive.
Q. What are a couple of the big technologies all over HIMSS25 and why do you think they are important?
A. Many healthcare organizations are stalled in their digital transformation due to fully depreciated, on-premises systems – investments that once made sense but now limit innovation and scalability. A cloud-first approach is no longer just an IT decision – it’s a strategic imperative for improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing patient and staff experiences.
AI is evolving beyond simple automation and intent-based systems to agentic AI, enabling healthcare organizations to automate multi-step, decision-based processes without requiring dedicated coders. This is particularly valuable for revenue cycle, patient access and contact centers, where manual inefficiencies drive up costs.
By automating processes such as claims processing, prior authorizations and scheduling, agentic AI reduces administrative burdens, improves financial performance and allows organizations to scale operations more effectively.
Cloud-based, AI-powered contact centers are reshaping how healthcare organizations manage patient interactions. Unlike on-premises systems that struggle to scale and integrate, cloud-native systems enable omnichannel communication, AI-driven automation and seamless EHR connectivity.
This allows organizations to reduce wait times, automate routine inquiries, and streamline scheduling and financial assistance, transforming the contact center from a cost center into a strategic asset for patient engagement and revenue generation.
AI is only as effective as its ability to work within EHR and revenue cycle workflows. This year, the focus is on interoperability – ensuring AI-powered automation is directly embedded into patient access, billing and operational processes to reduce administrative complexity and improve efficiency. Cloud-based AI systems are making this integration more seamless than ever, enabling real-time automation and data-driven decision making across the organization.
Q. What advice are you offering CIOs and other IT leaders and workers down on the show floor?
A. The AI conversation in healthcare has shifted from “if” to “how,” and CIOs must lead the way in ensuring AI is strategically infused into workflows rather than bolted on as an afterthought. While early AI applications focused on basic automation, agentic AI is now enabling organizations to automate more complex tasks without needing dedicated coders to build and maintain AI models.
This is especially valuable for non-clinical support departments – such as revenue cycle, patient access and scheduling – where AI can drive efficiency, improve accuracy, and deliver measurable financial and operational impact.
AI is everywhere right now, and not all systems are created equal. With so much noise, CIOs must ensure they are working with vendors that have deep healthcare experience and established partnerships with EHR vendors to ensure interoperability.
AI systems that operate in silos create more complexity rather than solving real problems. The focus should be on seamless integration across revenue cycle, patient engagement and operational workflows to enhance efficiency without adding friction.
Traditionally seen as a cost center, the contact center is one of the most underutilized assets in healthcare. With AI-powered automation and EHR integration, organizations can transform patient access, scheduling, prior authorization and financial counseling into value-generating functions.
A modernized contact center doesn’t just answer calls – it streamlines operations, reduces administrative bottlenecks and improves patient experience by guiding them toward the next best action. By starting with support departments that have a direct impact on revenue and efficiency, CIOs can demonstrate immediate ROI while laying the foundation for broader AI adoption.
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