Leading the Transformation

Barry Stein is an accomplished physician executive, innovation leader, and advisor to startups and venture capital. He has focused on building a world class multi-stakeholder Innovation ecosystem platform to accelerate transformative technologies from ideas to patient impact.  Recognizing AI as an accelerant of healthcare Innovation, Barry has led the enterprise in developing and building the capabilities to unlock the potential of AI for the healthcare system in a safe and secure way.

Barry serves as Chief Clinical Innovation Officer and Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Hartford HealthCare (HHC), where he founded and leads the Center for AI Innovation in Healthcare, and practices as a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. His leadership at HHC has spanned roles including Chief Imaging Informatics Officer, Vice Chair of Radiology, Chief of Cardiovascular MRI & CT, and Director of the Advanced Imaging Core Lab. Barry is also a founding member of the UK’s National Commission on the Regulation of AI in Healthcare.

Barry earned his Executive MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, where he remains actively engaged as a mentor, invited lecturer in Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, and Dynamic Work Design and a research collaborator in health systems innovation and analytics. He co-founded H2O, a startup with MIT’s Dimitris Bertsimas, focused on optimizing hospital operations using advanced analytics.

Barry trained in Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, where he was Chief Resident and completed fellowships in both MRI as well as Vascular & Interventional Radiology. He holds his medical degree from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, is board certified by the ABR in Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology and also serves as a board examiner for the ABR.  He is a Fellow of both Society of Interventional Radiology and American Board of Radiology and a recognized pioneer in noninvasive Cardiac and Vascular imaging.

As Senior Director of Innovation and Informatics Operations at Hartford HealthCare, Candace Carlson leads the strategic and operational execution of the health system’s Innovation, Informatics, and  AI agenda. She is the driving force behind the integration of cutting-edge technologies into clinical and operational workflows, ensuring that innovation is grounded in real-world impact.

With more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning healthcare operations, IT, and revenue cycle management, Candace has been instrumental in launching Hartford HealthCare’s Center for AI Innovation and developing its enterprise-wide, multi-modal data platform. She collaborates with top-tier technology partners to bring scalable solutions to life while establishing rigorous governance structures to ensure AI is deployed ethically, responsibly, and effectively.

Candace is known for bridging visionary strategy with pragmatic execution, ensuring that informatics and innovation initiatives align with the organization’s highest priorities. Her work exemplifies the “last mile” of AI—delivering tools that are not only advanced, but also sustainable and transformative at the point of care.

As Operational Director within Hartford HealthCare’s Innovation & Informatics team, Kathleen Martin plays a central role in translating bold strategic vision into tangible outcomes. She leads the implementation of enterprise-level initiatives that integrate emerging technologies into clinical and operational settings—ensuring innovations are scalable, secure, and deeply aligned with patient care goals.

With over 25 years of experience in healthcare IT, operations, and systems integration, Kathleen is a skilled connector between clinicians, administrators, and technologists. She excels at transforming complex technical challenges into actionable solutions that meet frontline needs. Her leadership ensures that the digital transformation journey stays grounded in practical impact and clinical excellence.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Innovation and Informatics Operations, Kathleen is a key voice in Hartford HealthCare’s mission to modernize care delivery through innovation, always balancing technological advancement with patient-centered care.

Kathleen Ewen is the Administrative Associate IV supporting Hartford HealthCare’s Innovation & Informatics department. Since joining the team in August 2024, she has brought automation to evolving workflows, helping to establish organized processes in a rapidly growing department where systems are constantly evolving.

Kathleen plays an integral role in coordinating monthly AI proposals for executive review through the AI Governance process. Her responsibilities span meeting orchestration, agenda development, documentation oversight, and presentation refinement—bringing structure and clarity to the submission process.

What distinguishes Kathleen is her tech-savvy mindset and proactive work ethic. She leverages AI tools in her own workflow and thrives in environments that demand precision, flexibility, and foresight. A trusted collaborator, she brings structure, curiosity, and dedication to a department that’s constantly pushing the boundaries of healthcare innovation.

Brenna Barnes serves as the Innovation Coordinator at Hartford HealthCare, where she supports Barry Stein and helps ensure the little details run smoothly. Her responsibilities include managing calendars, coordinating and scheduling meetings, and handling the administrative details that keep projects and priorities moving forward. Brenna plays a key role in helping the Innovation team stay connected, efficient, and focused on its mission.

Dr. Steven Zweibel is the Medical Director of Innovation for the Hartford HealthCare Heart and Vascular Institute and Director of the Cardiac Device Management Program at Hartford Hospital. He is a practicing cardiac electrophysiologist and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Zweibel holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management with a certificate in Business Analytics and has been deeply engaged in integrating artificial intelligence into cardiovascular care. Through Hartford HealthCare’s long-standing collaboration with MIT and Professor Dimitris Bertsimas, he has contributed to research on predictive modeling aimed at reducing pacemaker implantation following TAVR procedures. Most recently, he partnered with Professor Bertsimas and his team to apply the Holistic AI in Medicine (HAIM) framework to predict left ventricular ejection fraction from ECGs—work presented at the 2025 Heart Rhythm Society Annual Meeting and again at the Yale AI in Healthcare Conference in May 2025, where it earned the Audience Choice Award for Best Pitch and a $25,000 Bronze Prize.  In his role as Medical Director of Innovation, Dr. Zweibel also partners with emerging healthcare technology companies to evaluate and implement novel solutions across the Heart & Vascular Institute. He currently oversees collaborative initiatives with startups focused on AI-enabled imaging, remote monitoring, and digital diagnostics, including Hartford HealthCare’s partnership with a start-up company to study AI-guided cardiac ultrasound acquisition and expand access to cardiovascular imaging. His ongoing AI research focuses on leveraging ECG data to predict a range of cardiovascular conditions. Dr. Zweibel is passionate about advancing the safe, transparent, and impactful use of AI to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Phillip Kim is a double board-certified trauma/acute care surgeon and surgical critical care intensivist at Hartford Hospital, passionate about injured patient care, healthcare innovation, and surgical education. With innovation experience spanning medical device prototyping, product development, and clinical trials, he serves as Director of Innovation for General Surgery on Hartford HealthCare's Innovation team. He is leading the evaluation, testing, and simulation of AI-enabled technologies and emerging medical devices to support safe clinical implementation. He also leads Hartford HealthCare's Intrapreneurship Program, helping clinicians and staff turn ideas into impactful healthcare solutions. He's excited to introduce new technologies that improve patient care, enhance workflows, and advance the future of healthcare.

Tony K. W. Hung, MD, MBA, MSCR, FACP, FAMIA, is Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officer for the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute, where he leads digital transformation and innovation in oncology. He oversees initiatives spanning oncology quality, clinical operations, and research, and leads collaborations with academic, industry, and technology partners to accelerate the translation of innovative solutions into clinical practice. His work includes efforts such as advancing guideline-concordant care, expanding access to clinical trials, improving serious illness and end-of-life care, and reducing avoidable acute care utilization.

Dr. Hung is also a practicing academic medical oncologist specializing in head and neck cancers and serves as Disease Management Team (DMT) Medical Oncology Lead for Head and Neck Cancer. His clinical and research interests include treatment de-escalation strategies, noninvasive biomarkers, and innovative models of cancer care delivery. His oncology research and innovation program has been supported by more than $1 million in competitive research funding, including awards from the Conquer Cancer Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and other industry and philanthropic organizations.

Before joining Hartford HealthCare, Dr. Hung was an Assistant Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He earned his MD, MBA, and MSCR degrees from UCLA and completed postgraduate training through UCLA-affiliated programs before completing the Chief Data and AI Officer Executive Certificate Program at Carnegie Mellon University and the Stanford Physician Executive Program. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Leadership Development Program and a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians (FACP) and the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA). 

Dr. Manu Sharma is Chief Medical Informatics Officer for the Behavioral Health Network at Hartford HealthCare, where he leads initiatives in clinical informatics, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and digital health. His work focuses on the safe and practical use of AI, natural language processing, and clinical data to improve psychiatric care.

He also provides care through the Institute of Living’s First Episode Psychosis and Schizophrenia Rehabilitation programs and serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. His research centers on AI-enabled clinical decision support, speech and language analysis, and responsible innovation in mental health care.

Aimee Asante serves as the Innovation & Informatics Operations Program Manager. After joining Hartford HealthCare as an Administrative Fellow, she transitioned into her current role, where she helps drive operational excellence across the organization's innovation and AI initiatives.

Aimee supports the innovation pipeline from idea through implementation, partnering with clinical, operational, and technology leaders to evaluate, develop, and scale solutions that improve patient care and organizational performance. She also plays a key role in Hartford HealthCare's AI governance process, helping coordinate the review and advancement of emerging technologies across the enterprise.

With a passion for healthcare innovation, quality improvement, and patient-centered care, Aimee is committed to advancing solutions that create meaningful impact for both patients and providers.

Devon Park is the Administrative Fellow for the Hartford HealthCare Innovation and Clinical Informatics Department. She recently earned her Master of Public Health from Columbia University in Health Policy and Management and Applied Biostatistics and Public Health Data Science. Devon is particularly interested in harnessing data, technology, and policy to expand access to high-quality care and improve outcomes across diverse patient populations.