Leading IT in Rural Health: Lessons from Nathan Littauer CIO James Wellman

In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, host Phil Sobol sits down with James Wellman, VP and CIO at Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home in Gloversville, New York. A certified healthcare CIO with more than three decades of experience, James has led technology transformations at organizations ranging from large academic medical centers to rural critical access hospitals. He’s also a senior partner at Fortium Partners and an active mentor in the TechLX leadership development program. James shares a candid, grounded perspective on what it actually takes to modernize IT in a resource-constrained rural setting, from cloud migration strategy and a pragmatic four-pillar approach to AI, to why the best thing that ever happened to his career was not getting a job he wanted. This episode is for any healthcare IT leader who wants to think more clearly, lead more effectively, and build teams that outlast them. Key topics include: - A four-pillar approach to AI adoption: ambient documentation, agentic AI, search and summarization, and RCM automation - Why James deliberately waited until 2026 to launch AI initiatives, and what he learned from an earlier failed attempt - Cloud migration strategy and the case for predictable, OpEx-based IT spending - What it means to be an “operational CIO” and why understanding the business of healthcare is non-negotiable - Leadership lessons from the military, the 360 review that changed his career, and the GROSS philosophy (Get Rid of Stupid Stuff) - How to walk into a new CIO role without alienating the people you need most - Building teams that grow beyond you and celebrating when they do - The role CereCore played in Nathan Littauer’s assessment work and how that partnership continues