What Every Business Leader Should Know About Technology Adoption from CoxHealth CIO Patrick Murfee

Every business leader today is facing the same question:

How do you embrace rapidly evolving technology without losing sight of your people, your purpose and your customers?

Artificial intelligence dominates headlines. New software promises greater efficiency. Automation is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace.

For business leaders, the question is no longer whether technology will change their organizations. The question is how to adopt it thoughtfully.

As Chief Information Officer for CoxHealth, Patrick Murfee helps oversee technology across one of southwest Missouri’s largest and most complex organizations. While healthcare presents unique challenges, he believes the principles behind successful innovation apply across every industry.

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT #1

DON’T START WITH AI. START WITH THE PROBLEM

Many organizations begin conversations about innovation with the latest platform or AI tool. Murfee believes that’s backwards.

“We have to start with the problem we’re trying to solve—not chase after something shiny.”

Every technology investment at CoxHealth begins with one question: What problem are we solving? Only then does the organization determine whether AI, automation or another technology is the right solution.

Leaders who begin with technology often end up searching for a use case. Leaders who begin with a business challenge are far more likely to create meaningful, lasting value.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Technology should solve business problems—not become one.

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT #2

TECHNOLOGY SHOULD EXTEND PEOPLE, NOT REPLACE THEM

AI often raises concerns about replacing jobs. Murfee sees a different future.

At CoxHealth, automation is designed to remove administrative burden so clinicians can spend more time doing what only humans can do: caring for patients. He describes it as balancing high technology with high touch.

Instead of replacing relationships, innovation should strengthen them. Whether it’s helping physicians identify early signs of sepsis, reducing documentation time or improving communication with patients, technology succeeds when it creates more opportunities for meaningful human interaction.

For Murfee, innovation is most successful when it quietly removes barriers, allowing people to spend less time navigating systems and more time doing the work that matters most.

KEY TAKEAWAY: The greatest value of technology is often giving people more time to be people.

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT #3

MOVE WITH PURPOSE, NOT SPEED.

AI has become the newest competitive buzzword. Murfee cautions against adopting new technology simply because everyone else is.

“We’re purposeful. We want to understand the problem, build a strong foundation and make decisions that scale over the long term.”

That means carefully evaluating safety, compliance, accuracy and long-term sustainability before implementation. Moving deliberately today often allows organizations to move faster tomorrow.

Responsible innovation requires balancing curiosity with discipline. Organizations must be willing to experiment while also building the guardrails that create trust.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Being first isn’t the goal. Building something that lasts is.

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT #4

CHANGE MANAGEMENT IS THE REAL INNOVATION STRATEGY

Transformation rarely fails because of software. It fails because people aren’t prepared for change.

Murfee says successful implementation requires significant investment in training, communication and support.

When CoxHealth implemented Workday and later Epic, thousands of employees participated in dedicated training before launch, followed by more than 2,000 support staff helping employees adapt during implementation.

Innovation will continue to reshape every industry, but organizations that thrive will be those that build cultures where learning becomes continuous and change becomes part of everyday work.

Transformation doesn’t end when new technology goes live. It succeeds when people confidently embrace new ways of working.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Successful transformation isn’t about installing new technology. It’s about helping people embrace new ways of working.

EXECUTIVE CHALLENGE

This month, challenge your leadership team to:

Identify one recurring business problem that technology could simplify.

Ask employees where unnecessary administrative work slows them down.

Evaluate whether your next technology investment solves a real business need or simply follows a trend.

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