Galen College of Nursing had a seat at the table at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s annual Healthcare Innovation Summit, which took place on March 20 in Louisville, Ky. 

The event brings together healthcare leaders from across the Commonwealth to discuss how innovation is shaping the future of healthcare and give leaders the opportunity to learn from each other. 

Dr. Audria Denker, DNP, RN, FAADN, ANEF, Galen’s Chief Clinical, Integration, and Experience Officer, contributed to a panel discussion titled ‘AI Tools That Improve Healthcare for Both Clinicians and Patients.’ The session focused on how artificial intelligence is already in use in healthcare workflows and how it can be used to reduce administrative burden, support clinical decision‑making, and expand access to care. 

“AI is not coming, it’s here,” Denker said. “And so, we need to adapt — responsibly, ethically, and with the human at the center.” 

Dr. Denker was joined on the panel by healthcare leaders representing a range of perspectives. This included Michael Newkirk, MD, MBA, CPE, Chief Medical Officer, CenterWell Primary Care (Kentucky & Indiana); Doug Owens, Chief Information Officer, Signature Healthcare; and Reta A. Underwood, President, Consultants for Long Term Care, Inc. In addition to Galen, Denker was also representing the Kentucky Board of Nursing as its current president.

During the hour-long event, the panelists discussed how AI is impacting their corners of the healthcare industry. Dr. Denker highlighted AI’s role in streamlining nurses’ daily work, particularly in areas like documentation and charting, which increasingly pull nurses away from direct patient care. When used appropriately, AI can support nurses and clinicians by recognizing trends in patient data, which can lead to better treatment and care.  

Additionally, Denker noted how AI is already being used in HCA Healthcare facilities to help with scheduling, which can ensure that new nurses can be paired with experienced nurses every shift.  

“The role of AI is to remove friction in the job so that nurses can focus on the patient, on the care that they’re giving,” Denker said. “And it’s not to replace any of us. It’s just to give us the opportunity to be more present when we’re taking care of our patients.” 

Denker said she also addressed the growing role of AI in nursing education, sharing that a significant and increasing percentage of students are using AI as a study and remediation tool. She compared it to how previous generations of nurses relied on textbooks, and then on online search tools such as Google.  

“(Previously) over 60% of our students were using AI as remediation or to study,” Denker said. “Now, it’s  80%. There’s always that question of how much (AI) use should there be? Well, if you use the right resources in there, you can get a very accurate answer.” 

In addition to students, Galen is making a concerted effort to adopt AI tools for use by faculty and staff. The goal is to streamline processes so faculty and staff can better focus on Galen’s vision, to change the life of one to care for the lives of many.  

“At Galen, we’re not just adopting AI, we’re building AI literacy across our students, faculty, and staff so they can use it responsibly to enhance learning, improve efficiency, and ultimately deliver a better experience for all,” Denker said. 

As AI continues to influence both patent care and nursing education, Galen remains focused on preparing future nurses to use these tools responsibly, thoughtfully, and always with humans at the center.