Health UnaBASHEd: Before the Data, Know the Question: with Cheryl Pammer & Mikhail Golovnya

In this live episode from HIMSS 2026 in Las Vegas, hosts Greg Masters and Gil Bash engage in a deep conversation with Cheryl Pammer, Minitab’s Head of Insights, and Mikhail Golovnia, Senior Advisory Data Scientist, exploring the evolution of data analytics in healthcare and beyond. The guests reveal that Minitab, though founded over 50 years ago, has long been at the forefront of predictive analytics—long before the term 'AI' became ubiquitous—leveraging techniques like Six Sigma, machine learning, and data mining to drive operational excellence in manufacturing, finance, and now healthcare. They emphasize that the real power of data lies not in volume, but in asking the right questions first: defining the business problem before collecting data. The discussion highlights how predictive modeling can optimize hospital operations—from reducing patient falls and readmissions to improving follow-up care and staffing efficiency—while cautioning against the dangerous myth that AI is autonomous intelligence. Instead, they stress that human judgment, clarity of purpose, and data quality are paramount. Key takeaways include: (1) Start with the problem, not the data—define your objective before collecting information; (2) AI is not magic; it reflects the quality of inputs and human intent; (3) Healthcare systems can apply industrial analytics principles like supply chain modeling to improve patient flow and resource allocation; (4) Data quality and organization are the biggest barriers to insight, not data scarcity; and (5) The most impactful use of AI in healthcare today is operational, not clinical. The episode underscores a timeless truth: technology amplifies human wisdom, but only when guided by clear purpose and disciplined inquiry.