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As the pace of change in healthcare continues to accelerate, CIOs face increasing pressure to optimize IT investments, enable operational efficiency, and improve patient outcomes, all while navigating rapid advancements in technology. 

AI and automation can help. In fact, over 80% of healthcare IT leaders see AI-powered automation as a top priority, but only about half are actively using AI-powered tools. 

In 2026, it’s imperative to embrace AI, or risk being left behind. Here are four ways to move forward with automation and ensure your healthcare organization remains competitive in the years to come.

1. Opt for a flexible platform to replace multiple, disjointed point solutions

The number and scale of things that can and should be automated have drastically changed over the last few years as AI and LLMs have gotten incredibly good at tackling tasks that previously required direct human involvement. As a result, the calculus on point solution versus platform has changed drastically as well, in the direction of flexible platforms that enable organizations to rapidly automate common use cases (ie, fax referral automation) while still allowing flexibility to tackle unique situations that might only be relevant to your specific need today. CIOs who have relied on multiple point solutions in the past should seek a platform that can provide this to help them continue to win with AI in 2026.

2. Unlock 10x operational efficiency by implementing an AI-powered platform with scalable integration and user-friendly automation tools 

Healthcare IT is well-positioned to deliver even more value to health systems that embrace AI automation, both by streamlining internal IT use cases and by addressing broader business needs. To realize this potential, an IT platform needs robust processes to quickly integrate enterprise-wide data sources with its chosen automation solutions, iterate on implementations tied directly to quantifiable outcomes, and empower domain experts outside of IT to use the tools correctly and efficiently. Doing so can 10x the number of tasks automated, thereby dramatically increasing the success of AI within the organization.

3. Don’t rely solely on engineers to build and update automations

Successfully automating a task, even a relatively straightforward one, requires a substantial amount of broader industry domain knowledge and a clear understanding of your health system’s unique processes. While it’s technically possible to automate almost any task using Python and LLM APIs, the real challenge lies in extracting the specific logic embedded in each department’s explicit and implicit processes and procedures. 

Relying solely on engineers to build and update automations can be extremely costly and slow, making most initiatives unsustainable or unrealistic. Instead, leveraging an automation platform that enables permissionless innovation and allows subject matter experts and operators to partner with IT to jointly tackle problems enables work to actually get automated quickly and cost effectively. This low-code approach opens the doors for true scalability.

4. Find an AI partner with a deep understanding of healthcare automation and rigorous security to scale responsibly 

While AI automation holds immense power and promise, it also introduces the potential for new risks, especially as these tools scale across a health system.  Given that the data security and patient safety needs of a health system are generally much more stringent than those of other industries, it’s important to work with partners who have a deep understanding of and expertise in implementing automation in healthcare.  

At the top level, healthcare leaders should seek vendors that follow HIPAA regulations, use strong encryption methods for data in transit and at rest, enforce strict access controls and secure coding standards, and rigorously test to prevent bias and hallucinations. 

Consolidating automation needs into fewer vendors or an integrated platform also helps reduce security risks by simplifying oversight and minimizing integration vulnerabilities.

5. Be open-minded – AI today is as bad as it’s ever going to get

It’s already capable of doing an incredible amount of automation, and yet it’s still improving at a rapid rate.  Keep an open mind on what can and should be automated, get your hands on as many AI tools and workflows as you can to learn where they’re good and where they struggle, and regularly revisit, as these models just keep getting better and better.

Preparing for the AI-driven future 

By embracing platform-based automation, prioritizing healthcare-specific security, and staying agile with evolving capabilities, CIOs are positioned to lead transformational change across their organizations in 2026. 

AI is an asset that will help you stay competitive, reduce overhead, and ultimately deliver better care with fewer resources.