Experts explore the future of AI in health care
School of Management hosts free lecture
By Alexandra Richter
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape every industry, the UB School of Management hosted a timely, in-depth discussion on how AI is transforming the health care industry.
Presented as part of the school’s Helen and Oscar Sufrin Lectureship in Accounting, this year’s event — “AI in the Business of Health Care: Smarter Data, Better Decisions” — drew more than 200 students, faculty and industry professionals for a dynamic talk on April 2.
The conversation was facilitated by Donald Boyd, MBA ’97, president and CEO of Kaleida Health, Western New York’s largest health care provider. Boyd was joined by two industry experts: Elie Razzouk, MD, vice president and chief medical information officer at AdventHealth, and Jonathan Matthews, director of data science at Iodine Software.
Together, the speakers were optimistic about the prospects for AI use, from reducing errors to automating notetaking during doctor visits to reducing physician and nurse burnout and improving reimbursement form accuracy.
“I learned how artificial intelligence can optimize efficiency for health care professionals, enabling them to focus on their core purpose: patient care,” says Jessica Lorick, BS ’24, MS ’25. “At the same time, AI creates career opportunities in accounting, particularly for IT auditors, who play a critical role in helping organizations mitigate the risks of fraud and cyber threats through effective internal controls.”
After the lecture, graduate and undergraduate accounting students had the opportunity to network with the speakers during a dinner.
“This technology, which was not even in the public eye a couple of years ago, has transitioned from theoretical to actively reshaping the world,” says Shawn Frans, BS ’25. “As I prepare for a career in an industry that’s evolving so quickly, understanding how Al can improve efficiency while having the professional judgment to ask questions about privacy and bias is key.”
The Helen and Oscar Sufrin Lectureship in Accounting brings distinguished business professionals to the UB School of Management to speak about accounting issues. Funding is provided through the generous support of Leslie Sufrin, CPA, and Gerald Sufrin, MD, a longtime UB professor, in honor of their late parents.