Making AI Work in Real Healthcare with Dr. Yuri Quintana on

Artificial intelligence in healthcare has no shortage of hype—but how much of it truly works?
That’s the question driving Dr. Yuri Quintana and his colleagues at the Division of Clinical Informatics (DCI) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In the latest episode of Practical AI in Healthcare, hosts Dr. Steven Labkoff and Dr. Leon Rozenblit sit down with Quintana to unpack how DCI has evolved from a traditional think tank into what he calls an _action tank_—a place where practical collaboration replaces theory.

Drawing on decades of experience in informatics and global health, Quintana describes the origins of the DCI Network and its mission to bring together hospitals, researchers, regulators, and technologists to address shared challenges in AI adoption. The Network’s recent Signal Through the Noise conference captured that mission perfectly: cutting through hype to showcase what’s actually delivering measurable value.

One of the conference’s biggest takeaways? The quiet success of “mundane AI.”
While flashy breakthroughs dominate headlines, it’s the behind-the-scenes automation—ambient scribing, workflow optimization, protocol review, reimbursement documentation—that’s already improving safety, efficiency, and clinician well-being. Quintana calls this “the unsung hero of healthcare AI.”

The conversation also dives deep into the infrastructure that makes AI sustainable: governance frameworks, transparency through model “nutrition labels,” post-market monitoring, and AI literacy across the healthcare ecosystem. Quintana highlights the DCI Network’s role in convening diverse stakeholders—from patients to pharma—to ensure AI deployment is not only safe but equitable.

Ultimately, Quintana reminds us that progress in healthcare AI isn’t about building smarter algorithms; it’s about building smarter systems of trust.
When AI becomes transparent, governed, and collaborative, it doesn’t just add technology—it restores confidence in innovation.