Richard Barrett started his career as a finance intern at Cerner in the early 2000s. Two decades later, he is Senior Director of Oracle Health Services at CereCore, helping hospitals and health systems navigate one of the most significant evolutions in healthcare IT. His journey is a story of change, but also of constants. Technology shifts, vendors merge, AI transforms workflows, yet Barrett insists that two factors have always determined success for Cerner (Oracle Health) based organizations: governance and clinician buy-in.
On The CereCore Podcast, he joined host Phil Sobol, CCO, to share lessons from his career, insights on Oracle Health’s partner-driven model, and his excitement for what AI can bring to providers and patients.
A career built on transformation
Barrett’s career path reflects the evolution of Cerner into Oracle Health. From Miami to Chicago, Dubai to community health systems across the U.S., he has supported implementations, optimizations and advisory services at scale. Along the way he learned that technology projects succeed not just because of technical expertise, but because of relationships and trust.
“If you’re not going to do this for a personal reason, don’t do it. Building trust and friendships is what makes these projects succeed,” Barrett explained.
That personal approach is part of what drew him to CereCore. “The culture is the people,” he said. “Everyone [at CereCore] truly cares about clinicians and hospitals being at their best.”
Oracle Health, AI, and a new model for support
The acquisition of Cerner by Oracle was a turning point for the industry. Oracle has shifted focus toward innovation in AI, cloud, and enterprise-wide solutions, while leaning on healthcare IT services like CereCore to provide scalable support and operational expertise.
“Oracle is a technology company at its core. By leaning on partners, they can focus on innovation while we help hospitals optimize and adopt,” Barrett said.
That technology innovation is already visible. Oracle’s Clinical AI Agent has reduced documentation time by as much as 41 percent at some health systems, giving physicians back nearly an hour each day. Studies show that even a few extra minutes of face time with patients significantly improves satisfaction and outcomes, making these workflow improvements more than just operational wins — they are patient-care wins.
Governance and clinician engagement never go out of style
Even with the promise of AI and cloud, Barrett returns to the fundamentals. Two constants stand out: governance and clinical buy-in.
“Governance and clinical buy-in are the two constants in any technology implementation. Without them, success is nearly impossible,” he said.
Healthcare IT experts agree. Strong governance keeps projects aligned with organizational goals, ensures transparency in decision-making, and allows leaders to prioritize the right requests. Just as importantly, involving clinicians early makes them advocates rather than critics of new systems. Barrett often sought out the most skeptical physicians at his Cerner clients first. Winning them over set the tone for adoption across the organization.
For hospital leaders, this is a practical takeaway: treat governance as a prerequisite, not a step in the project plan.
Rural healthcare and the need for ROI
Margins in healthcare are razor thin, especially in rural communities. For these organizations, every technology investment must have a clear return. Barrett believes this is where optimization and partnerships are critical.
“Hospitals can’t afford tech for tech’s sake. It has to drive outcomes and stability,” he emphasized.
Examples are already emerging. Patterson Health Center in Kansas adopted Oracle Health CommunityWorks and the Clinical AI Agent to streamline documentation and improve reimbursement. The result was more efficiency for clinicians and better access for patients — a lifeline in a region where staffing shortages and budget constraints are constant challenges.
From governance to AI, Barrett is clear that healthcare IT is about more than implementing systems. It is about helping clinicians, improving patient care, and ensuring that hospitals can succeed financially. For him, it all comes back to relationships, trust, and culture.
“The people at CereCore want to do what’s right for clinicians and hospitals. That’s why I’m excited to build this journey with Oracle Health,” Barrett said.
Hear more from Richard Barrett on his career journey, insights into Oracle Health, and his perspective on how partnerships, governance, and AI are shaping the future of healthcare IT.