Career Development Miniseries: Grounded Innovation: How Emerging Technologies Are Transforming Rural Healthcare Delivery

Rural America is often left behind in the race to adopt emerging technologies—yet these communities are the backbone of our country and must be supported. As rural hospitals face growing financial strain and workforce shortages, Ryan Thousand, CIO of Dahl Memorial Healthcare, shares how critical access hospitals can embrace cloud, AI, and automation as practical, cost-saving tools—not distant goals. Learn how trust, quick wins, and strategic partnerships can drive real innovation using the team and resources you already have.

Objectives:

• Understand how technologies like AI, cloud-based infrastructure, and data analytics can be practically deployed in small, rural, and underserved healthcare settings.
• Learn a replicable methodology for innovation that builds immediate value, earns trust, and runs in parallel with strategic infrastructure investments.
• Gain tools and real-world strategies to upskill local teams, reduce IT costs, and create a sustainable foundation for digital transformation—regardless of size or budget.