The athenahealth podcast

When energetic and innovative healthcare professionals get together with athenahealth software engineers, magic happens. At the Build Lab on the exhibition show floor at Thrive, our annual summit, customers and engineers worked together to complete over 150 improvements to athenaOne workflows – from enabling customers to enlarge a patient photo in the patient banner, to adding new options to the discontinue medications drop-down menu. In this episode of the athenahealth podcast, we look back at the exciting work done at Thrive from November 2-4 and how it reflects our broader philosophy of co-innovation with clinicians and administrators who use athenaOne every day. Join the Thrive community now: https://www.athenahealth.com/resources/events/thrive

“This is my favorite week of the year, for sure,” said Chief Product Officer Paul Brient as he joined the athenahealth podcast from the exhibition hall at Thrive, our annual summit where we bring together customers, partners, and athenistas for a week of learning and connection. In a wide-ranging conversation, he shares with us his excitement about the Fall 2026 Release as well as the big-picture transformation of athenaOne into a life-changing clinical companion for clinicians utilizing AI functionality. To learn more about features in the Fall 2026 Release, be sure to check out the Release Centers on the Success Community. To watch this podcast on YouTube, visit https://www.youtube.com/@athenahealth/videos.

The advent of artificial intelligence represents perhaps the most dramatic change to healthcare technology the industry has ever seen, rivaled only by the transition from paper charts to electronic health records. But with AI so new to clinical workflows, it comes with some critical questions around data validity, bias, security, and human oversight. In the latest episode of the athenahealth podcast, we talk through how we’re leveraging AI to enhance athenaOne – with processes to build and evaluate AI features in a clinician-focused, patient-focused, responsible manner. Learn more about AI in athenaOne: https://www.athenahealth.com/solutions/athenaone/ai-powered-healthcare

When you need help with athenaOne, you don't always want to open a case and then wait for an answer. Sometimes you need a clear answer to a straightforward question. That’s where Sage, athenaOne’s AI assistant, comes in. Sage is now embedded directly in the Success Community and allows you to ask for help in your own words, get information from existing athenahealth resources, and, when your question requires more support, move into a conversation with a person or the case process. Learn more about Sage in the latest episode of the athenahealth podcast.

Small habits can make AI-generated notes more useful while helping clinicians stay focused on patients. In this episode of the athenahealth podcast, we discuss how to use athenaAmbient before, during, and after a visit, from preparing the recording to clearly stating clinical details. We also cover personalizing note settings, reviewing every draft for accuracy, and assessing whether the full documentation workflow is improving. Register now for Thrive: https://www.athenahealth.com/resources/events/thrive.

Clinicians can spend less time documenting care and navigating charts when AI is built directly into their workflow. In the latest episode of the athenahealth podcast, we introduce the athenaAmbient and AI-native encounter open betas. We go in-depth on the two experiences, what customers can expect during rollout, and how they can prepare – and share how customer feedback will help shape these capabilities as access expands.

The Summer 2026 Release shows how athenaOne is evolving to reduce administrative work, support stronger revenue cycle performance, and improve the patient experience. In this episode of the athenahealth podcast, we share a conversation with Chief Product Officer Paul Brient from the Summer 2026 Release Walk-through webinar about how AI and automation are being built into clinical, financial, and patient-facing workflows. You’ll also hear what these enhancements mean for practices today and how they support the longer-term vision for athenaOne.

Successful onboarding onto an EHR shapes everything that follows, from adoption to long-term performance. In this episode of the athenahealth podcast, we explore how thoughtful planning, workflow discovery, training, and change management help organizations prepare for a successful transition to athenaOne. We also discuss practical lessons for navigating implementation complexity, building internal confidence, and preparing for go-live with the right foundation in place.

As value-based care continues to evolve, independent practices face growing pressure to improve outcomes while navigating an increasingly complex healthcare environment. In the latest episode of the athenahealth podcast, we're joined by Sean Cavanaugh, Chief Policy Officer at Aledade, to discuss why accountable care is reaching an important inflection point, how technology can reduce administrative burden, and why strong partnerships are helping practices succeed while delivering better care for patients. Check out the Aledade's page on the athenahealth marketplace to learn more here: https://athenaconnect.athenahealth.com/marketplace/product/aledade-app

How can practices increase throughput without sacrificing the patient experience? In our latest athenahealth podcast episode, we highlight two upcoming athenaOne enhancements that streamline scheduling, improve patient communication, and reduce staff workload. From waitlist scheduling to AI-assisted patient conversations, these tools will help patients connect with care more easily and help staff focus on what matters most.