AI Voice Agents

August 27, 2025
John Sambrook, President

Exploring where voice agents might support the EvergreenHealth mission

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AI Voice Agents

It's late August 2025. The levy-lid-lift bond issue has passed… For Evergreen, what's the prudent course of action?
August 27, 2025 — John Sambrook, Common Sense Systems, Inc.

The Cast & Context

EvergreenHealth

Community-focused, resource-conscious system — and you know your patients and workflows best. (Shared here only as context.)

Competitors

Providence and other scaled systems may be exploring similar tools with larger budgets and teams.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders include patients, providers, staff, and taxpayers — each with different needs and constraints.

The Inciting Incident

AI is Here

Early adopters are deploying voice agents and AI tools; some report efficiency and access gains.

Larger Systems Moving Fast

Many large systems are investing in AI infrastructure, potentially improving patient access and operations.

Risk of Falling Behind

Delayed adoption could risk falling behind as others learn from early pilots.

The Temptations

Option 1: Ignore AI

  • Short-term savings
  • Avoid risks
  • Long-term irrelevance
  • Competitors advance

Option 2: Dive in Blindly

  • Fast positioning
  • Early advantage
  • Wasted resources
  • Safety & workflow risks

The Obstacles

These are challenges I’ve seen elsewhere — your experience may differ.

Regulation & Compliance

HIPAA, state rules, and evolving AI governance create uncertainty.

Integration Complexity

EHR integration, workflow disruption, and IT demands pose challenges.

Staff Adoption

Training needs, change resistance, and workflow adaptation.

ROI Uncertainty

Unclear metrics, variable outcomes, long-term ROI concerns.

The Core Dilemma

How might Evergreen explore this space prudently — balancing caution with opportunity?

The challenge: balance innovation with responsibility, competitive pressure with patient safety, and fiscal prudence with strategic necessity.

The Turning Point

Doing Nothing is Also a Choice

Inaction carries risk. While others experiment, EvergreenHealth might miss learnings that inform prudent action.

Structured Action Creates Edge

A thoughtful, measured pilot could create practical advantages while honoring EvergreenHealth’s commitment to quality and community.

Voice agents as a gateway to broader AI strategy

Already Proven

Levy Success

EvergreenHealth has demonstrated community trust and strategic execution with the successful bond measure.

Natural Fit

Perfect Match

Patient access, call centers, and staff support align perfectly with voice agent capabilities and current needs.

Builds AI Literacy

Safe Start

Controlled, impactful implementation creates organizational AI competency without overwhelming risk.

A Possible Path to Learn from a Pilot

Pilot (if helpful)

If helpful, launch patient scheduling and/or community outreach pilots in controlled settings with clear success criteria.

Evaluate & Share Learnings

Measure cost, satisfaction, and staff-efficiency signals — emphasize learning over perfection.

Consider Expansion

If outcomes warrant, consider extending to documentation support or revenue cycle areas.

Lightweight Governance (if useful)

Consider a small cross-functional group to steward pilots (process, safety, and learning), should you find it useful.

The Benefits

Defend Market Share

Stay competitive with larger systems by enhancing patient experience and operations where it makes sense.

Improve Patient Experience

Reduce wait times, improve access to information, and provide 24/7 support capabilities that enhance community satisfaction.

Reduce Staff Burnout

Automate routine tasks, improve workflow efficiency, and allow clinical staff to focus on high-value patient care activities.

Invitation

If it’s helpful, I’d be glad to work with you to identify where a voice agent pilot could have the most impact — quickly and safely.

Future Vision

Evergreen can show how a community‑focused system uses AI thoughtfully — not by being bigger, but by being smarter with carefully chosen pilots.

Thoughtful innovation, community focus, and strategic AI adoption create sustainable competitive advantage.