If there’s one thing everyone in medicine agrees with, it’s that time is the MVP. But inefficiencies continually eat away at it leaving physicians burnt out. Care providers shouldn’t have to juggle back-and-forths, administrative burdens and last-minute cancellations on top of their critical routines. Meanwhile patients shouldn’t have to delay appointments by weeks—sometimes months—despite open slots in provider schedules.

In this episode of the 100ms.ai Podcast, Aniket Behera, COO and co-founder of 100ms.ai, sits down with Dr. Latha Alaparthi, MD gastroenterologist and former president of the Digestive Health Physicians Association (DHPA). She’s been a strong advocate for physicians and patients, and shared everything she thinks AI can do to make the industry she’s served in the last 24 years, better - transforming scheduling, reducing burnout, and building a healthcare system people trust. Check out the full podcast here, or keep reading to gather the gist of it!

The Scheduling Puzzle: Why AI Appointments Mean Better Care

For Dr. Alaparthi, the challenges of scheduling aren’t just an industry issue, they’re a daily reality.

"I’ve seen the frustration on both sides," she shares. "Patients feel stuck waiting for care, and providers feel stretched thin. There’s no lack of willingness to help—it’s the system that’s inefficient."

The issue isn’t simply about filling available slots—it’s about matching the right patient to the right provider at the right time. Many hospitals and clinics still rely on manual scheduling systems that can’t adjust dynamically. AI scheduling solves this gap by predicting cancellations, optimizing provider workload, and ensuring patients get timely care.

”We are in a significant shortage of healthcare providers and clinicians that can help patients in need of care”, Dr. Latha tells us, “We also are at a point where there's a record high burnout in healthcare providers from all of the cognitive burdens. You were hoping, about 20 years ago, when EHRs came into effect that you would actually decrease the burdens. But in the last 15, 20 years, that's only increased our burdens of having to remember that click and this click. A lot click away without even paying attention to what they're clicking because they’re just so inundated with all of the steps we have to take to do one task. I feel the significant urge to do something different at this moment. “

Aniket chips in that after talking to so many MDs, he sees that there sure are set rules for appointment scheduling, but it's essentially the person implementing those rules is making or breaking the system in most cases.

To which Dr Latha backs up with her own experience around how efficient scheduling reflects the physician's schedule. “It was interesting when I worked with certain individuals, my schedule wouldn't be as busy as when I worked with certain individuals because they knew how to fill up a schedule. So that sort of reinforces the point you just made.”, she said.

They also discuss how airline cancellations & booking are so easy to make for the end-user and for technology to automate versus healthcare appointment booking, on the other hand, is a mess. “Because the airline system is connected end-to-end and very public. But in healthcare, EMRs don’t give you real-time data easily. Provider availability sheets are often not in some system. It's on some sheet somewhere which is constantly getting updated. When AI is interfacing, they can also log into these operating systems as humans would, just faster, read all of that information and process it to actually talk back to the patient.”

“Essentially what this means is all of these unstructured or otherwise closed systems now will also become an integrated single system. And that is a very powerful moment.”

The impact here is 3 levels deep: Physicians avoid burnout, patients get faster care, healthcare organizations reduce revenue loss from last minute no-shows.

"It’s not just about convenience—it’s about better care," Dr. Alaparthi explains. "When AI helps smooth out scheduling, it means fewer delays, which can be the difference between early detection and late-stage diagnosis."

If Google can retrieve data from your Gmail about your upcoming Saturday night movie plans, add to your calendar and remind you 2 hrs before the slot to leave on time because you should expect heavy traffic expected along your route to the hospital, technology should be able to do that for doctor’s appointments too. Especially because each no-show, each one-hour, each ill-planned cancellation delay is costing hospitals dollars, providers their sweet time, and delayed treatment for another patient in who’s in need of that slot.

For healthcare leaders, this means rethinking scheduling as a tactical tool—not just an administrative task.

AI as the First Touchpoint: Smarter, Smoother Patient Engagement

But getting an appointment isn’t enough. Ensuring patients actually show up on time and prepared is another challenge.

"One of the biggest bottlenecks in healthcare is the volume of patient interactions before and after an appointment," Aniket points out.

Think about it: reminders, rescheduling, pre-visit instructions, and follow-ups. Traditionally, these require endless phone calls and administrative work, creating a strain on staff. AI is now stepping in to automate and personalize these touchpoints, improving efficiency while keeping patients engaged.

"AI-driven assistants don’t just send reminders—they guide patients through their journey," Dr. Alaparthi explains. "In gastroenterology, for example, preparing for a colonoscopy requires very specific steps. AI ensures patients follow those instructions correctly, reducing cancellations and complications."

With AI’s proactive patient reminders and chatbots answering patient queries, call center volumes drop by 25% (Source: HIMSS, 2024) and no-show rates by upto 30%. (Source: JAMA, 2023)

Your staff on the other hand, can finally thank you and focus on high-value tasks.

"Patients don’t want to be left in the dark," Dr. Alaparthi adds. "AI keeps them informed and engaged, without them having to wait on hold for answers."

Aniket elucidates what the stage of 100ms.ai’s AI voice tech is at right now. Their AI voice agents can now:

• Handle people talking about stuff like why they missed their last appointment or life problems and respond back in a human manner
• Follow an agenda, but also acknowledge what the person in front of you is saying
• Even modify voices to be closer to the community.

If you want to check out everything that 100ms.ai is capable of,

Healthcare executives, this is your chance to use AI patient engagement as a tool to drastically change the patient experience and provider efficiency.

The Big Misconception: Will AI Replace Doctors?

Whenever AI enters the conversation, there’s a common concern: Is AI going to replace human providers?

Dr. Alaparthi is quick to set the record straight.

"AI isn’t replacing doctors—it’s replacing inefficiencies," she says. "If anything, it’s allowing us to be more present with our patients, rather than drowning in paperwork."

Aniket agrees.

"We have to shift the mindset from AI being competition to AI being an assistant. The best healthcare systems will be the ones that use AI to enhance—not replace—the human touch."

Clearly, AI in healthcare is not about reducing staff—it’s about giving overworked healthcare teams with some respite and a smarter workplace.

On that note of shared optimism for AI revolutionizing patient care for the better, we wrapped up another episode of this podcast.

Aniket reflected on how Dr. Alaparthi’s, who’s not just talking about change in healthcare but actively making it happen, highlighting the real world challenges clinicians adds serious momentum to 100ms.ai’s mission.

Dr. Alaparthi echoed the sentiment, emphasizing how these discussions are crucial for bridging the gap between technology and frontline healthcare needs. "AI isn’t about making healthcare impersonal—it’s about removing the obstacles that keep doctors from doing what they do best," she concluded.

What’s in it for Healthcare Leaders?

For healthcare executives, finance teams, and strategy leaders, AI for your frontline team is no longer a maybe, it’s a resounding yes that should’ve arrived yesterday.

Where can leaders start?

1️⃣ Identify the biggest bottlenecks, begin with scheduling, patient outreach, or administrative workflows.

2️⃣ Choose an AI solution that integrates seamlessly. AI should enhance existing operations, not disrupt them. Book a meeting with 100ms.ai today.

3️⃣ Educate providers and staff on AI’s role. Help them see AI as an ally, not a replacement.

As Aniket puts it:

"The smartest organizations aren’t debating whether to use AI anymore. They’re figuring out how to use it best."

For healthcare leaders, the question isn’t if AI will transform the industry, it’s whether they’ll be ahead of the curve or scrambling to catch up.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast here.

What’s Next?

If your organization is exploring AI solutions, now is the time to start. Consider how AI voice agents and automation tools can streamline your operations and unlock new efficiencies in your healthcare practice.

Follow 100ms.ai for continued insights into the intersection of AI and healthcare innovation. Or book time here.