The NAM's Patient Safety in the Era of AI initiative represents a cross-sector effort to move the vision of zero preventable harm from aspiration to attainable reality. The steering group brings together leaders from healthcare, technology, policy, and patient advocacy organizations to examine how AI can meaningfully strengthen clinical decision-making, reduce medical errors, and improve outcomes at a national scale.

The initiative is co-chaired by Wright Lassiter III, President and CEO of CommonSpirit Health, and Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., President and CEO of Mayo Clinic — two of the most prominent names in American healthcare leadership. Dr. Rizk's inclusion in this group signals Premier's growing influence in shaping how AI is responsibly integrated into care delivery systems nationwide.

As part of the initiative, Premier will help inform a national, AI-enabled strategy for safer care by leveraging its unique combination of data, technology, clinical expertise, and operational improvement capabilities. The company's scale — spanning more than 4,250 hospitals and 1.3 billion patient encounters — positions it as a critical data backbone for identifying where AI interventions can be most impactful.

The steering group's work centers on guiding conversations around the opportunities, risks, and real-world applications of AI across care delivery — including the technology's role in reducing preventable harm, strengthening clinical decision-making, and improving patient outcomes system-wide. Premier is also a funder of the initiative, alongside the Elevance Health Foundation, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), and the California Health Care Foundation.

Dr. Emad Rizk brings more than three decades of experience in healthcare leadership and transformation. He most recently served as Chairman, CEO, and President of Cotiviti, where he led the company's transformation into a dominant force in payment accuracy and value-based care. He has also held leadership roles at R1 RCM and McKesson Health Solutions — a career defined by removing administrative friction and translating data into clinical action.

Dr. Rizk has been recognized multiple times by Modern Healthcare as one of the "100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare" and among the "50 Most Influential Physician Executives." He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago Medicine, further underscoring his commitment to the intersection of clinical excellence and operational innovation.

Key Takeaways

• →Premier CEO Dr. Emad Rizk has joined the National Academy of Medicine's Steering Group for its Patient Safety in the Era of AI initiative, a prestigious multi-year national effort.
• →The steering group unites healthcare, technology, policy, and patient advocacy leaders to examine how AI can reduce preventable harm and strengthen clinical decision-making at scale.
• →Premier will contribute its data, technology, and clinical expertise to help shape a national AI-enabled strategy for safer care, leveraging its reach across 4,250+ hospitals and 1.3 billion patient encounters.
• →Premier is also a funding contributor to the initiative, alongside the Elevance Health Foundation, AAMI, and the California Health Care Foundation.
• →Dr. Rizk brings 30+ years of healthcare leadership experience, including prior roles at Cotiviti, R1 RCM, and McKesson Health Solutions, and has been recognized repeatedly as one of the most powerful physician executives in the U.S.
• →This appointment reinforces Premier's strategic focus on ensuring AI in healthcare is deployed responsibly, transparently, and in ways that deliver measurable improvements in patient safety and outcomes.