Patient Experience, AI in Healthcare, & Leadership – A Conversation with RRH's Jason Zawodzinski

Описание: In this episode of The Wilmac Wire, hosts Emily Miller and Steve McDonnell sit down with Jason Zawodzinski, Senior Director of Communication and Command Center Operations at Rochester Regional Health, for a conversation at the intersection of healthcare, customer interaction technology, and AI.

With more than 22 years at Rochester Regional, Jason shares his career journey from MIS graduate and early systems roles to leading a large-scale healthcare contact center operation supporting more than 400 agents and thousands of users across the system. He breaks down what makes healthcare call centers uniquely complex, where urgency and patient experience matter at every moment.

Emily, Steve, and Jason explore how Rochester Regional is embracing digital transformation, from expanding omnichannel communication like texting and scheduled callbacks to leveraging AI-powered tools such as knowledge automation, trigger word protocols, and call summarization. Jason also highlights the importance of employee wellness, training, empathy, and engagement in sustaining high-performing teams in a demanding environment.

The conversation closes with Jason’s perspective on the future of AI in healthcare, the growing role of collaboration across organizations, and what innovation can unlock for both patients and providers.

Here’s what you’ll hear about:

Jason’s 22-year career path and leadership in healthcare operations
How healthcare contact centers differ from traditional CX environments
Digital transformation through texting, automation, and virtual care
Using AI for authentication, protocols, and real-time agent support
Preventing burnout and building an engaged, mission-driven workforce
What’s next for patient experience and AI in healthcare
Episode Breakdown:

0:02 Welcome and guest introduction

6:01 Jason’s career journey into healthcare and contact centers

13:10 Leading Rochester Regional’s command center operation

19:17 Omnichannel shifts and meeting patients where they are

26:32 Workforce wellness, adherence, and engagement

32:05 AI adoption, automation, and knowledge tools in the center

40:21 COVID as an accelerator for cloud transformation

45:14 What’s next for AI and patient experience innovation

48:11 Collaboration and closing thoughts

Connect with the speakers:

Emily Miller:   / emily-miller-666b66152  

Steve McDonnell:   / stephen-mcdonnell-8659042b  

Jason Zawodzinski:   / jasonzawodzinski  

🎧 Listen to more episodes:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2lhL8Qk...