Blogs

What is Optura AI, and what is your role there?

Jerry Buchanan: Optura is an AI orchestration platform for healthcare organizations. We help clients understand what they’re doing with AI today, what they should do next, and what’s the ROI of their work. The platform supports ideation, governance, real-time monitoring, and technical orchestration. We work with health plans, major provider systems, value-based care organizations, and clinical trial companies, all focused on driving real, measurable impact from AI.

I’m the Head of Growth at Optura, where I lead all revenue efforts across new sales, existing clients, and strategic growth opportunities. My job is to make sure we’re winning the right deals, expanding the right relationships, and investing in the areas that move the business forward.

Mike Hollis: I’m the Co-Founder and President of Optura. At the end of the day, my job is to be the megaphone for the message of ROAI which is the category we created, and are owning and pushing the industry toward practical, successful AI adoption that actually moves the needle.

What are the key areas of focus for Optura AI within artificial intelligence?

JB: We focus on helping clients escape “pilot purgatory,” where efforts get stuck at the pilot stage without scaling meaningful business value. Rather than just picking the easiest technical projects, we take a top-down approach, grading ideas based on enterprise value and helping organizations select and scale the most promising AI and automation initiatives.

How does Optura AI foster transparency and trust with partners when implementing AI solutions?

JB: Transparency is the core of our platform—it offers a clear view of every AI initiative from ideation to execution and value realization. The system includes monitoring AI models, such as large language models (LLMs) with compliance auditing and real-time feedback to ensure accuracy and prevent drift. All activities are traceable and auditable end-to-end.

How does Optura AI support organizations with AI monitoring and compliance evaluation?

JB: Our platform enables clients with tools for successful implementation, and we also provide service support throughout the process. Engagements typically start at the executive level to configure what value means for each enterprise. We assess both technical feasibility and process management required for scaling and production, including user training and staged deployments. Our goal is to clarify what makes a workflow truly viable for organization-wide scale.

What motivated Optura AI to join CHAI?

JB: CHAI offered an opportunity to engage with organizations who view AI as transformative, particularly in healthcare. There’s immense positive potential for AI and significant risk, so collaborating on frameworks and guardrails is critical. By participating with likeminded groups, we aim to maximize benefits and mitigate risks, essential steps for industry-wide scaling.

What are the biggest concerns organizations have about AI procurement and how do you address them?

JB: A lot of the concern we see in AI procurement comes down to understanding, both of the technology itself and how it’s being applied. Organizations know they need to be careful about what models and tools they introduce into their environments, but that caution can sometimes turn into paralysis. Our advice is always to start with clarity: understand exactly what the vendor is bringing into your ecosystem, what they aren’t, and how responsibility is shared between both parties.

At Optura, we encourage clients to take a balanced approach. Contracts should absolutely protect the enterprise, but if they’re so restrictive that innovation is impossible, you lose the very value AI can deliver. We work closely with each client’s governance and security teams to define the right boundaries, ensuring safety, compliance, and accountability without sacrificing the agility that makes AI powerful.

How do you see CHAI’s resources and best practices accelerating responsible AI adoption in healthcare?

MH: CHAI helps by sharing best practices and learnings to guide companies, especially smaller ones, to adapt with ongoing policy changes and technical developments. Education on what’s possible, and facilitating peer-to-peer guidance among CHAI members, will empower organizations of all sizes. I’d like to see CHAI continue to amplify the practical realities happening in the field to drive solutions that keep up with rapid technology changes across the healthcare ecosystem.

Where do you see the most potential for AI in healthcare?

MH: Clinical applications are the new frontier for AI. As policies develop and smaller wins are achieved, we’ll unlock greater value in clinical care beyond just administrative improvements. This evolution will be critical for broader healthcare transformation through AI.

How does Optura AI incorporate perspectives from developers, clinicians, researchers, patient advocates, for a full-circle view?

MH: Most decisions at Optura are made at the C-suite level, and each organization’s perception of value differs. We focus on value, whether that’s operational, financial, or clinical, and tailor our approaches to each client’s North Star, incorporating relevant perspectives along the way. For organizations with clinical workflows, we prioritize the right outcomes and beneficiaries, delivering benefits for both patients and the business.

What excites you most about Optura's future with CHAI and health AI?

JB: I’m excited to help organizations move past initial AI experiments and scale real solutions. Many companies say they use AI, but aren’t leveraging it at production scale. Early wins set the tone and pace for deeper transformation, and that's what excites me as we accelerate change for our clients.