Stacey Conklin, CNO of Montefiore Nyack Hospital

In this episode of the Becker's Healthcare Clinical Leadership Podcast, Mariah Taylor interviews Stacey Conklin, Chief Nursing Officer at Montefiore Nyack Hospital, about her strategic approach to integrating AI into clinical care. Conklin, who brings a unique dual background in nursing and information technology—including a prior role as CIO—shares how Montefiore Nyack, despite being a smaller community hospital, leverages its affiliation with the larger Montefiore Health System to access governance structures, shared resources, and AI innovation. Rather than viewing resource constraints as a disadvantage, she emphasizes disciplined prioritization through governance, focusing on AI applications that directly reduce nursing workload and improve patient storytelling through shift summaries. She highlights a current AI tool that automatically synthesizes nursing documentation into concise, actionable summaries, enhancing care continuity and enabling staff to spend more time with patients. Conklin also discusses the importance of frontline nurse involvement in AI implementation, noting that transparency, co-creation, and hands-on engagement have driven strong buy-in despite initial skepticism. Her approach underscores that successful AI adoption hinges not on technology alone, but on human-centered design and inclusive leadership. Key takeaways include: 1) Smaller hospitals can leverage health system affiliations to access AI governance and infrastructure; 2) AI should be prioritized based on clinical impact and staff workload reduction; 3) Tools that summarize patient care narratives across shifts improve care continuity; 4) Frontline staff must be involved in AI planning and testing to ensure adoption; 5) AI is most effective when it empowers nurses to spend more time with patients and less time documenting. The episode concludes with a positive, forward-looking tone, emphasizing that AI, when implemented thoughtfully, can be a force multiplier for nursing and patient outcomes.