AI is seemingly everywhere in healthcare, but many life science companies appear to be stuck in what Arif Nathoo and Web Sun, co-founders of healthcare analytics AI company Komodo Health, deem “pilot purgatory.”

This means companies are running proof-of-concept pilots for various AI technologies but failing to take the next step to actually implementing the technology into day-to-day use, Nathoo and Sun explained to Healthcare Brew.

The root of the issue, according to Sun, is that many companies don’t have a clear, defined idea of what they want to use AI for.

“The challenge they’re experiencing is that most of these proofs of concept are designed to prove that the technology works and not to change the way a team or a business operates,” Sun said. “I think too many companies are in this proof-of-concept mode—or ‘pilot purgatory,’ as we dubbed it—to see if AI could help, to see if it works, but they’re not clear on what they’re trying to achieve.”

Overall, AI is still being used too broadly, experts said.—MA

Welcome to this month’s On Rotation, our roundup of who’s in and who’s out at healthcare companies ranging from industry leaders to small startups. Let’s jump straight into May’s announcements.

Have a job announcement to share? Drop Caroline an email at [email protected].

Drew Altman. The founding president and CEO of policy research, polling, and news nonprofit KFF will retire at the end of this year, the organization announced May 27. KFF’s current EVP for Health Policy Larry Levitt will become CEO, and current EVP and COO Mollyann Brodie will succeed him as president.

Alleen Delpierre. Agentic AI solutions provider IntelePeer announced Delpierre as VP of strategic alliances on May 7. She previously handled strategic partnerships at healthcare AI agent platform Hyro, per her LinkedIn.

See the full list here.—CC

Each week, we schedule our rounds with Healthcare Brew readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

The great outdoors: not just great to look at, but also great for your health.

And don’t just take our word for it—numerous studies have been conducted on the many mental and physical health benefits. According to nonprofit Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) President Jessica Turner, “120 minutes outside [weekly] improves sleep, reduces stress, eases depression, boosts your immune function, and you feel more part of a society.”

ORR represents roughly 110,000 outdoor recreation businesses in the industry that employ 5.2+ million people in the US. It’s also an industry that has much potential for experimentation and collaboration, as Turner shared in our conversation below, valued at making up $696.7 million of the US economy in 2024.

Find the full conversation here.—NO