Fenton selected for Department of Labor AI panel
Susan H. Fenton, PhD, professor and vice dean for education at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston, has been selected to serve as a panelist for an upcoming U.S. Department of Labor webinar exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping the healthcare workforce.
Fenton will join national leaders from healthcare, technology, and workforce development during the webinar, “Industry Benefits: AI Integration in Healthcare,” at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29.
She was invited to participate in a panel focused on developing an AI-ready healthcare workforce, where experts will discuss how education and training programs can prepare current and future professionals for a rapidly evolving industry.
“AI is fundamentally changing how care is documented and delivered,” Fenton said. “I’m honored to participate in this upcoming U.S. Department of Labor webinar to explore how we can align our education and workforce systems to meet evolving employer demands and ensure current and future healthcare professionals are fully equipped to thrive.”
As the Dr. Doris L. Ross Professor and vice dean for education at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, Fenton oversees the school’s certificate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. She also leads the Center for Quality Health IT Improvement and directs multiple artificial intelligence education and workforce upskilling initiatives across UTHealth Houston and The University of Texas System health-related institutions.
Her research focuses on implementing ICD-11, workforce development, and optimizing health information technology to improve preventive and chronic care delivery in low-resource settings.
About the webinar
Hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor, the free webinar is part of a national series examining the future of AI literacy and workforce training. Using healthcare as an industry case study, the event will highlight how organizations are adapting education and workforce development programs to meet the growing demand for AI-related skills.
Registration is available on the event website and will feature two panel discussions.
The first will examine how artificial intelligence is changing healthcare work and will include Jen McKay, staff clinical specialist and chief medical information officer at Google for Health.
The second panel, focused on building an AI-ready healthcare workforce, will feature Fenton alongside Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, founding director of the Center for Health AI at BJC HealthCare and Washington University Medicine, and Tyler S. Wallace, PhD, principal consultant at Scale Street.
Attendees will gain insight into how AI is changing healthcare today and explore practical strategies for developing credentialing, reskilling, and workforce education pathways that prepare professionals for the future.