The Expanding Role of Chief AI Officers in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Overview for 2025
- CHARGE
- Jan 13
- 4 min read
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare operations has accelerated in recent years, leading to the creation of dedicated leadership roles focused on AI strategy, governance, and implementation. Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) and equivalent roles have become increasingly prevalent across health systems, reflecting a growing recognition of the critical need for oversight in the development, deployment, and monitoring of AI technologies. These leaders are tasked with ensuring that AI initiatives align with organizational goals, comply with emerging regulations, and uphold standards of safety, accuracy, and fairness.
AI governance in healthcare involves complex, multifaceted responsibilities, including managing ethical considerations, regulatory compliance, model validation, bias mitigation, and integration with clinical workflows. The appointment of CAIOs signifies a shift toward more structured and accountable AI management, emphasizing transparency and trust in AI-driven decision-making processes. Their roles bridge clinical expertise, data science, informatics, and executive leadership to advance responsible AI adoption.
In September 2024, CHARGE published its inaugural list of Healthcare Chief AI Officers to Watch. Building on that foundation, we are now proud to present the most comprehensive and updated list of AI officers in healthcare provider organizations for 2025. This list highlights the individuals leading AI strategy and governance in their respective institutions:
Alda Mizaku – Chief Data & AI Officer, Children's National Hospital
Alok Chaudhary – Chief Data & AI Officer, VCU Health
Ashley Beecy – Medical Director AI Operations, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Ashwin Prakash – Chief Data & AI Officer, Community Health Systems
Ben Shahshahani – Chief AI Officer, Cleveland Clinic
Bhavik Patel – Chief AI Officer, Mayo Clinic
Brian Patterson – Physician Administrative Director for Clinical AI, UW Health
Byron Yount – Chief Data & AI Officer, Mercy
Daniel Yang – VP of AI and Emerging Technologies, Kaiser Permanente
Dennis Chornenky – Chief AI Advisor, UC Davis Health
Jawad Al-Khafaji – Deputy CMIO & AI Applications Lead, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Jon McManus – Chief Data, AI, and Development Officer, Sharp Healthcare
Jordan Dale – Chief Health AI Officer, Houston Methodist
Justin Iannello – Chief Digital Health, AI, and Health Informatics Officer, VISN 21
Jyothi Karthik Raja – SVP, Chief Analytics & AI Officer, Ascension
Karandeep Singh – Chief Health AI Officer, UCSD Health
Keith Morse – Medical Director of Clinical Informatics - Enterprise AI, Stanford Children's Health
Mangesh Patil – Chief AI Officer, HCA Healthcare
Michael Draugelis – AVP of AI, Geisinger
Mouneer Odeh – Chief Data & AI Officer, Cedars-Sinai
Nabile Safdar – Interim Chief AI Officer, Emory Healthcare
Paul Lukac – Director, Applied AI, UCLA Health
Peter McCaffrey – Chief AI Officer, The University of Texas Medical Branch
Philip Payne – Chief Health AI Officer, BJC Healthcare and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Rebecca Kaul – SVP, Emerging Technology, AI & Transformation, Northwell Health
Richard "Spencer" Schaefer – Chief AI Officer, VISN15
Rob Purinton – Chief AI Officer, AdventHealth
Sameer Sethi – Chief AI Officer, Hackensack Meridian Health
Sara Murray – Chief Health AI Officer, UCSF Health
Shahidul Mannan – Chief Data, Analytics & AI Officer, Orlando Health
Yuan Luo – Chief AI Officer, Northwestern University
Zafar Chaudry – Chief Digital, AI & Information Officer, Seattle Children's
Zain Khalpey – Chief Medical AI Officer, HonorHealth
Key Trends in Healthcare AI Leadership
Growth in AI Leadership Roles:
There has been a significant increase in the number of healthcare organizations appointing dedicated AI leadership roles. Many of these positions are inaugural, reflecting an institutional acknowledgment of the critical importance of AI governance. This growth spans both large academic medical centers and expansive health systems.
Diverse Professional Backgrounds:
AI leaders in healthcare come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including clinical medicine, data science, informatics, and health IT. This diversity enables a multidisciplinary approach to managing AI initiatives, ensuring that technological advancements are effectively integrated into clinical operations while adhering to ethical and regulatory standards.
Variation in Role Scope and Titles:
The scope of AI leadership roles varies widely. Some executives hold broad, enterprise-level responsibilities (e.g., Chief AI Officer), while others focus on specific domains such as clinical AI operations, data science integration, or applied AI research. Titles range from Chief AI Officer and Vice President to Medical Director and Advisor, illustrating the evolving nature of these roles.
Alignment with Regulatory Trends:
The rise in AI leadership coincides with increasing regulatory scrutiny over AI in healthcare. Emerging policies and frameworks at federal and state levels necessitate robust internal governance structures to ensure compliance with laws related to AI safety, accuracy, and bias mitigation. Leaders in these roles are tasked with preparing their organizations for compliance with forthcoming federal and state-level AI regulations.
Conclusion
The emergence and expansion of AI leadership roles in healthcare signal a pivotal shift toward more structured, accountable, and strategic AI integration. Chief AI Officers and their counterparts are essential for guiding the safe, effective, and ethical deployment of AI technologies in clinical and operational settings. As regulatory landscapes evolve and AI technologies become more embedded in healthcare delivery, these leaders will play a critical role in ensuring that AI-driven innovations translate into improved patient outcomes and organizational efficiency.