In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Dr. David Feinberg, Chairman of Oracle Health, shares how artificial intelligence and data connectivity are reshaping the way we care for patients, and why he believes technology can make healthcare more human, not less.
For Dr. Feinberg, the path forward is about creating a truly connected healthcare ecosystem, one where doctors spend more time listening to patients and less time typing, where families can navigate appointments and records easily, and where data moves as seamlessly as people do.
At Oracle Health, that vision is coming to life through AI-powered tools that reduce administrative burden, improve communication, and deliver insights in real time. Ambient listening features automatically document patient visits, freeing up doctors to make eye contact instead of screen contact. Predictive models flag potential health risks early. And multilingual digital assistants are making scheduling, refills, and insurance navigation more accessible for everyone.
But technology alone isn’t the goal. What drives Dr. Feinberg is the idea that better data means better care, faster, more equitable, and more personal. By connecting hospitals, clinicians, and families through a single open network, healthcare can finally move from fragmented to integrated, from reactive to proactive.
The same pediatric empathy that guided his early career still shapes his leadership today. Whether it’s simplifying patient portals, removing language barriers, or applying AI to improve outcomes, every innovation begins with a simple question: How can we make care easier for families?
Dr. Feinberg’s optimism is grounded in experience, and in possibility. Healthcare has spent decades digitizing information; now it’s time to use that information to heal.
Key Topics Discussed:
- Oracle Health’s vision for an open, connected healthcare ecosystem
- How AI will free clinicians from screens and enable true patient focus
- Building trust and transparency in medical AI models
- Conversational AI for patients, parents, and caregivers
- The “super-mom” and “super-dad” digital assistant for families
- Cloud-based interoperability and real-time updates
- How pediatrics and mental health can guide system-wide coordination
- Feinberg’s vision for prevention as the new frontier of care
About David Feinberg:
As Chairman of Oracle Health, David Feinberg, M.D., is committed to making healthcare more accessible, affordable and equitable. His work advances thought leadership and strategy related to unleashing the healing power of data through an open and connected healthcare ecosystem. Previously, David served as president and CEO of Cerner, now Oracle Health, where he led teams delivering tools and technology to improve the patient and caregiver experience.
As a pediatric psychiatrist, David built his early career around helping children and families. He served as president and CEO of both UCLA Health and Geisinger Health prior to assuming leadership of Google Health in early 2019.
His work at UCLA provided David a clear view of how patient satisfaction translates to clinical success. His focus on the patient experience increased UCLA’s patient satisfaction scores from the 28th to the 99th percentile.
At Geisinger, David led a complex turnaround that made Geisinger one of the nation’s most innovative healthcare providers, including a first-of-its kind clinical program that made DNA sequencing a routine part of patient care. David also guided Geisinger’s transition to value-based care using Cerner’s population health platform, HealtheIntent, integrated with a non-Cerner EMR.
At Google, David leveraged Google’s technology, talent and search capabilities to tackle healthcare’s most important challenges. Under David’s leadership, Google was at the forefront of using Artificial Intelligence and mobile platforms to improve healthcare and – in partnership with Ascension Health – produced Care Studio, a tool that organizes patient records for healthcare clinicians at the point of care.
David began his career at UCLA, researching and publishing in the areas of addiction and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He took on additional leadership responsibilities, including becoming the Medical Director of the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. By implementing rigorous service metrics and patient satisfaction measures and completing a financial turnaround, UCLA’s neuropsychiatric hospital is now considered the premier psychiatric hospital in the western United States.
David earned his M.D. from Chicago Medical School in 1989, finishing at the top of his class and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He also holds an economics degree from the University of California-Berkeley and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
About Oracle Health:
Oracle Health supports providers, payers, and public health organizations with a secure, comprehensive suite of cloud-based solutions. Built on enterprise-grade infrastructure, our unified solutions help safeguard patient data, streamline operations, alleviate administrative burden, and deliver near real-time insights for connected, efficient care. AI is embedded into every layer of our technology—from our data platforms to our cloud applications—providing actionable insights that help you deliver efficient, enhanced care. And it all runs on our secure, scalable AI infrastructure built for the demands of healthcare.
