“AI in healthcare has enormous potential, but we need to ensure it's developed and applied in a way that truly benefits patients and healthcare providers alike,” says Dr. Annika Schoene In a recent episode of Beyond the Algorithm podcast. This growing reliance on AI presents an opportunity for non-technical professionals across all disciplines and healthcare facilities to play a role in shaping its future.
In fact, according to our analysis of job postings data, the top healthcare facilities hiring professionals with AI skills include:
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
- Indiana University-Bloomington
- Mass General Brigham
- Kaiser Permanente
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- UC Davis Health
- Stanford Health Care
- New York-Presbyterian Hospital
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
5 Ways AI Is Impacting Healthcare
1.Transforming Diagnostics and Treatments
One of the most well-known applications of AI in healthcare is its ability to improve diagnostics and treatment planning. By analyzing vast amounts of data, including medical images, genetic information, and patient histories, AI tools are improving diagnostic accuracy and enabling personalized treatment approaches. These advancements allow healthcare providers to detect conditions like cancer earlier and develop more effective care plans.
Bioinformatics analysts and clinical research coordinators play a crucial role in applying AI to achieve these breakthroughs. At leading institutions, they use AI to uncover patterns in complex datasets, driving innovations in oncology and personalized medicine. For instance, AI-powered algorithms can predict how patients will respond to specific therapies, enabling doctors to tailor treatments to individual needs. This not only improves outcomes but also minimizes unnecessary interventions, making care more precise and efficient.
“If we can get it right, I think we could actually develop something really, really cool and useful in the space of treatment in terms of access to treatment,” Schoene says. “But we can't do that without the regulations in place to really ensure that whatever we are developing is deployed in the intended way.”
For healthcare professionals, this means AI isn’t just a tool for researchers—it’s something that’s actively changing the way diagnoses and treatments are made in real time. Therefore, even if you don’t work directly with technology, knowing how these advancements affect patient care will be key to staying ahead in the field.
2. Revolutionizing Decision-Making
AI is enhancing decision-making across healthcare, not just in clinical diagnostics but also at the strategic and organizational levels. High-level roles, such as those responsible for guiding a hospital’s operations or shaping its long-term strategy, are increasingly relying on AI to make data-driven choices. This involves everything from predicting patient demand to optimizing resources and improving care delivery.
According to our analysis of job postings data, the top healthcare roles that leverage AI include:
- Chief Technology Officers
- Chief Executive Officers
- Resident Physicians
- Data Scientists
- Chief Medical Officers
If you’re in a leadership or administrative role, AI is becoming a crucial part of high-level decision-making. Whether it’s optimizing resources, predicting patient demand, or shaping policies, AI tools are helping professionals make more informed choices.
3. Streamlining Operations
AI is playing a critical role in streamlining operations within healthcare systems by reducing inefficiencies and optimizing workflows. From managing patient flow to allocating resources, AI-powered tools are helping institutions deliver care more effectively while minimizing costs.
For example, Stanford Health Care utilizes predictive analytics to forecast patient admissions and ensure adequate staffing levels. This technology allows healthcare administrators to anticipate surges in demand and allocate resources accordingly, preventing bottlenecks and improving patient care.
Beyond resource allocation, AI is also streamlining administrative processes like scheduling, billing, and documentation, freeing up valuable time for healthcare providers to focus on patient care. These innovations not only enhance the day-to-day functioning of healthcare systems but also contribute to better patient experiences by reducing wait times and ensuring smoother care transitions.
Even if your role isn’t directly related to operations, AI-driven workflow improvements will likely impact your day-to-day work. Whether it’s reducing administrative burdens, improving patient scheduling, or enhancing hospital logistics, AI can help free up more time for patient care. Learning how these tools work can position you to be a more effective problem-solver in your organization.
4. Advancing Mental Health Support
AI has the potential to transform mental health care by enabling earlier detection of conditions and facilitating more targeted interventions. If developed and implemented responsibly, safely, and sustainably, AI could serve as a valuable tool to aid healthcare professionals.
“AI tools could be used to triage mental health concerns faster, ensuring the right care reaches the right patient at the right time,” Schoene says.
For example, AI is beginning to analyze electronic health records or patient-reported data to flag early symptoms of anxiety or depression, allowing clinicians to prioritize care for those in immediate need.
Hospitals like Massachusetts General are leading the charge in mental health applications of AI. Their teams are leveraging AI-powered tools to improve the accuracy of diagnoses and develop personalized care plans. By integrating natural language processing and machine learning, they can assess patients’ mental health more holistically, addressing not only symptoms but also underlying social and environmental factors that influence well-being.
For healthcare professionals working in mental health—or even those who interact with patients on a daily basis—AI is becoming a key tool in early intervention and personalized care.
Understanding how AI flags mental health risks or triages patients can help you provide better support, advocate for responsible AI use, and ensure ethical practices are followed in patient care.
5. Creating Inclusive Care
AI has the potential to transform healthcare, but to truly make an impact, it must be implemented in ways that promote fairness and inclusivity.
"Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, but without the right collaboration and ethical safeguards, we risk building systems that don’t truly serve patients,” Schoene says.
This means designing and deploying AI tools that address healthcare inequities, rather than unintentionally amplifying them.
Professionals with expertise in health administration and health information technology play a pivotal role in this effort. By integrating ethical AI practices into organizational workflows, these leaders ensure that systems are designed to serve diverse populations equitably. For instance, they oversee data collection processes to minimize biases, develop frameworks for algorithm accountability, and advocate for transparency in AI decision-making.
Beyond technical oversight, these professionals are also instrumental in fostering collaboration between developers, clinicians, and policymakers to address systemic inequities in healthcare access and outcomes. Whether it’s ensuring AI models are trained on diverse datasets or promoting inclusive practices in care delivery, their work is vital to creating systems that serve all patients fairly.
Ensuring AI is fair and equitable isn’t just a responsibility for tech developers—it’s something that healthcare professionals at all levels can influence. Whether you work in patient care, health administration, or public health, understanding how AI systems are built and where biases can emerge allows you to advocate for better, more inclusive solutions in your workplace.
What You Need to Make an Impact in Healthcare With AI
The Right Roles for Driving Change
Whether it’s applying AI to streamline operations, advance diagnostics, or create inclusive care solutions, being in the right position can open opportunities to shape the future of healthcare. For many, this might involve a career shift or expanding their current role to include AI-focused responsibilities.
According to our analysis of job postings data, the roles that leverage AI hospitals like Massachusetts General include:
- Clinical Research Coordinators
- Data Analysts
- Postdoctoral Research Fellows
- Research Fellows
- Instructors
- Research Assistants
- Internal Medicine Registered Nurses
- Data Managers
- Graduate Research Assistants
- Bioinformatics Analysts
The Right Skill Set
To effectively leverage AI in healthcare, professionals need a diverse skill set that combines technical expertise with strategic insight. It’s not just about understanding how AI works but also about applying it to solve real-world challenges and improve patient outcomes. Navigating the complexities of healthcare requires the ability to design, implement, and oversee AI tools in ways that drive meaningful impact.
According to our analysis of job postings data the most valuable skills for healthcare professionals working with AI include:
- Clinical research
- Data analysis
- Health administration
- Project management
- Electronic medical records
- Health information technology
The Right Education
Gaining the right education is essential for professionals looking to make a meaningful impact with AI in healthcare, especially if you don’t have a technical background. Programs like Northeastern’s Online Graduate Certificate in AI Applications are specifically designed to be accessible to professionals from diverse backgrounds, including those without technical expertise.
These programs focus on practical applications of AI, ensuring learners can grasp complex concepts without requiring prior coding or technical experience. By emphasizing real-world scenarios and industry-relevant skills, Northeastern makes AI education approachable and applicable for healthcare professionals at all levels.
This accessibility empowers learners to not only understand AI’s potential but also to integrate it into their roles. With the right education, you can bridge the gap between technology and healthcare, driving progress in your organization and beyond.
The Right Experience
While education provides the foundation, hands-on experience is essential for translating AI knowledge into meaningful outcomes in healthcare. Practical experience allows professionals to bridge the gap between theory and application, helping them tackle industry-specific challenges and implement AI tools effectively.
Northeastern’s Online Graduate Certificate in AI Applications program emphasizes experiential learning, enabling students to work on real-world projects that address critical issues in healthcare. These projects offer opportunities to collaborate with industry experts and leading healthcare facilities. Through this practical approach, graduates leave with the confidence and skills needed to integrate AI into their roles, improving patient care and driving operational efficiency in their organizations.
Build a Healthier Future With AI
The healthcare industry is at a turning point, where artificial intelligence is no longer a concept of the future but a tool shaping the present. AI is being used to address critical challenges, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new possibilities in patient care. This technology is driving meaningful change at some of the world’s leading institutions, creating a demand for professionals who can bridge the gap between innovative AI tools and the evolving needs of healthcare organizations.
To stay ahead in this AI-driven transformation, healthcare professionals need the right combination of education and experience. Northeastern’s Online Graduate Certificate in AI Applications program is designed to equip you with the skills and practical knowledge to harness AI effectively in your field. Whether you’re looking to improve patient outcomes, drive operational efficiencies, or lead innovation, Northeastern’s program offers the tools to help you succeed.
