AI, Design, and the Future of Operational Workflows in Unlocking Healthcare Efficiency

In this episode, Dr. Michael Docktor, Co-founder and CEO at Dock Health, shares his journey from being a pediatric gastroenterologist at Boston Children’s Hospital to building a healthcare technology company. Inspired by his sister’s medical experiences and his family’s design background, Dr. Doctor combined medicine, design, and technology to address inefficiencies in operational workflows, particularly the administrative burdens that weigh heavily on providers and staff.

Dr. Docktor explains how Dock Health was created to serve as a productivity platform for healthcare, filling the gap between electronic health records (EHRs) and the countless administrative tasks not supported by them. By digitizing and streamlining processes like referrals, patient intake, and care coordination—often still managed through faxes, emails, and spreadsheets—Dock Health aims to reduce redundancy, improve visibility, and enhance the overall user experience for healthcare organizations of all sizes.

The conversation also focuses on the role of AI and automation in transforming healthcare operations. Dr. Docktor highlights Dock Health’s “AI‑first” approach, incorporating generative AI and agentic models to automate routine tasks while keeping humans in the loop for oversight. He envisions a near future where administrative inefficiencies are largely eliminated, giving clinicians more time with patients. Dr. Docktor also describes AI as the “big unlock” that could massively reduce the trillions wasted annually in healthcare administration, making care more efficient, accessible, and patient‑centered. Take a listen.