Supporting Clinicians, Improving Outcomes: Epic’s Jackie Gerhart on the Future of Healthcare Tech

On the latest episode of NerdMD’s Efficiency Unlocked, Jackie Gerhart, MD discusses Epic’s pragmatic approach to AI: start with frontline pain points, reduce administrative work, and support better care.

Clinicians using Epic’s ambient note technology report not only saved time, but improved patient connection—more eye contact, more listening, and less after-hours charting. AI-assisted In Basket responses give providers a head start on patient messages, while clinical summarization tools help them quickly get up to speed on complex charts and recent hospital stays.

“We put the patient at the center,” Jackie says. “When we think about generative AI, we ask: how can we empower physicians, nurses, and also patients, so each is doing what they were meant to do?”

The podcast also covers Epic’s long-standing commitment to interoperability, including support for TEFCA and efforts to bring more organizations—particularly smaller clinics and safety-net providers—into the national data-sharing ecosystem.

And don’t miss the ending: A lighthearted “Nerd Alert” round, where Jackie reveals her love of popcorn, her go-to comfort food (homemade pasta), and a surprise penguin encounter that doubles as a rare ICD-10 code.

Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts.