About Reflections on AI, Healthcare and Beyond
Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.
This Substack is a space for reflection, inquiry, and honest dialogue at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and humanity.
My name is Salim Afshar—I’m a surgeon, professor at Harvard, father, entrepreneur, and someone who’s spent the last 25 years inside operating rooms, boardrooms, policy circles, and health systems around the world. I’ve treated thousands of patients, led innovation initiatives, and built ventures. Along the way, I’ve seen both the promise and the pitfalls of technology in healthcare.
This publication is not about hype or technical deep-dives. It’s about asking better questions—ones that help us move from passive observers of innovation to active participants in shaping its purpose.
We’ll explore:
• What AI means for real people—not just clinicians, but patients, families, and communities
• How moral injury, fragmentation, and burnout in medicine intersect with digital transformation
• What it looks like to lead with values like justice, unity, and empathy in complex systems
• Frameworks for responsible innovation across startups, hospitals, and global health
• The stories that are often left out of AI and healthcare narratives
Whether you’re a health leader, student, policymaker, entrepreneur, or simply someone trying to make sense of where we’re headed—this space is for you.
This is not a space for easy answers. It’s a space for thoughtful ones. And for building a kind of literacy—not just technical, but moral and strategic—that helps us design and lead better systems.
If that resonates with you, I hope you’ll subscribe, read, reflect, and join the conversation.
Warmly,
Salim Afshar, MD, DMD, FACS
Get the Substack App
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
