Interview with Dr. Alexander Itskovitch: Integrating Digital Health into Surgical Care

In this episode of The Surgical Journey, host Lisa T. Miller speaks with Dr. Alexander Itskovitch, a hepatobiliary surgeon and Medical Director of the Statesford Cancer Center at Atlantic Health in New Jersey. Dr. Itskovitch shares a clinician's perspective on why digital health solutions succeed or fail in real-world healthcare settings. The conversation explores the importance of physician involvement in technology design, the challenges of workflow integration, and why clinician buy-in is essential beyond pilot programs. Together, they discuss workforce shortages, perioperative risk, and how digital platforms and AI can help reduce administrative burden, improve readiness before surgery, and enable earlier recognition of post-operative complications. The episode also looks ahead to the role of virtual hospitals, payer incentives, and how better data and communication can improve outcomes for patients while reducing system-wide costs. This episode offers a grounded, practical look at how digital health can support safer, more effective surgical care when thoughtfully integrated into clinical workflows.   EPISODE CONTENTS 0:00 NovaNav Introduction 1:02 Guest Introduction: Dr. Alex Itskovitch 2:30 Why clinicians must be engaged in technology conversations 3:54 Technology solutions for workforce challenges 5:44 CMS TEAM: 30-day post-discharge accountability 11:04 Pre-op decision-making that impacts outcomes 15:45 The role of AI in healthcare today 18:08 Surgeon comfort and trust in AI 20:28 The future (and present) of virtual hospitals 23:24 Managed care payer adoption and incentivizing better outcomes  25:37 Episode wrap-up