Unlocking Innovation in Healthcare with Dioss: The Vision of Deisell Martinez Donahoe, MS, PhD

In today’s healthcare landscape, innovation is not a buzzword—it’s an existential mandate. With mounting administrative complexity, relentless regulatory updates, and persistent staffing challenges, healthcare leaders are seeking scalable solutions that genuinely support frontline managers. This is where systems thinking, automation, and authentic leadership converge. In a recent episode of the American Journal of Healthcare Strategy podcast, we sat down with Deisell Martinez Donahoe, MS, PhD, CEO of Dioss, to explore her unconventional path to healthcare leadership and the bold vision powering Dioss’ transformation of back-office operations.

Dr. Donahoe’s journey—spanning statistics, nutrition, and industrial engineering—uniquely positions her to rethink how healthcare organizations can leverage technology and human capital. If you’re a hospital executive, operations leader, or healthcare strategist seeking real-world applications of AI, automation, and servant leadership, this conversation delivers both clarity and inspiration.

Why Don’t Most Healthcare CEOs Have a PhD? (And Does It Matter?)

Most U.S. healthcare CEOs don’t have PhDs—so why does it matter when one does? In Dr. Donahoe’s case, her deep technical background wasn’t a strategic career move, but rather the organic result of relentless curiosity and a commitment to learning.

As she recounts, “To be honest, I had zero intentions in my dreams and life progression to become a CEO of an organization… I was a learner. I wanted to learn everything.” Instead of following a traditional MBA-to-C-suite trajectory, Dr. Donahoe’s path began in statistics, moved through investment banking, and transitioned to independent consulting. She credits her consulting work—and the relationships forged along the way—for opening doors to the Dioss CEO position: “The board members I used to consult for… recruited me. They said they wanted someone to really drive change, who was passionate about change and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Key lesson: In healthcare leadership, technical mastery can be a differentiator. But in Dr. Donahoe’s case, it was her persistence in seeking root causes—and her ongoing relationships with mentors and peers—that enabled her to make an impact at scale.

• Fewer than 15% of healthcare CEOs in the U.S. hold a doctorate (AAMC, 2023).

• Dr. Donahoe’s approach demonstrates how blending technical expertise with people skills can accelerate change.

• Maintaining long-term professional relationships—“I still keep in touch with a lot of my college professors”—proves invaluable for career growth.

Are Introverts or Extroverts Better Suited to Lead Healthcare Innovation?

You don’t need to be the loudest person in the room to drive innovation. Dr. Donahoe self-identifies as an introvert, but attributes her success to a selective, authentic approach to networking and collaboration.

“I do not consider myself an extrovert… I’m the person who’s going to stay in and read a book… but I love people, and I love just those conversations. When you really find the right people… they foster this self-growth that’s pretty amazing.”

• Effective leaders don’t have to “work the room”; they cultivate deep relationships with those who share their drive for progress.

• Selective relationship-building—nurturing the right professional connections—can have a greater impact than sheer social energy.

• “The ones that I definitely kept in touch with… were the ones that I really felt like there was a connection, a relationship worth fostering.”

Bottom line: Healthcare organizations should look for leadership qualities beyond personality tests—prioritize the ability to connect, listen, and foster genuine growth.

Why Did a Systems Engineering PhD Pursue a Master’s in Nutrition?

It wasn’t part of a grand plan. Dr. Donahoe’s decision to pursue an additional Master’s in Nutrition stemmed directly from a personal need: her son’s diagnosis of celiac disease.

“My middle son is diagnosed with celiac disease… I tried to get advice from dietitians, tried to get advice from doctors, but… nutrition was emerging science… so I went back and got a Master’s in nutrition so I would know how to manage my son’s daily lifestyle to some real depth.”

• Healthcare leaders can benefit from diving deep into new fields when the problem demands it.

• For Dr. Donahoe, the experience was transformative, not only helping her son but teaching her how to apply scientific thinking to real-world family needs.

• “He lives a very normal life. I started making everything from scratch… He is 17 now and he is doing very well, thriving.”

Takeaway: Sometimes, the most valuable expertise comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing new domains—especially when the stakes are personal.

What Is Dioss? Rethinking Back-Office Operations for Healthcare Managers

Dioss is redefining operational support for healthcare managers by providing a knowledge-driven platform that combines automation, expert guidance, and real-time problem-solving. But what exactly does that look like in action?

Dr. Donahoe explains, “We are basically building backend systems with automation and a library of knowledge that can really help… If you do an assessment and upload your pictures, your pictures can automatically get scanned and tell you what’s compliant and what’s not. There is a chat where you can connect with a subject matter expert at any point in time.”

How Dioss delivers value:

• Automated compliance checks: Upload documents or images and receive immediate feedback on regulatory compliance.

• On-demand expert support: Connect with subject matter experts (SMEs)—from former surveyors to clinicians—for tailored advice.

• Continuous knowledge expansion: Every new question fuels the platform’s knowledge library, so solutions compound over time.

“If there’s a user who asks a question about something and that’s not in our knowledge library, they’ll get help by an expert, but it’s also logged… so we build a knowledge library about it and streamline the process.”

Direct application: Instead of waiting for monthly quality meetings, managers can get actionable, real-time help—reducing friction and boosting compliance.

How Does Dioss Serve Frontline Leaders? (And Why Does It Matter?)

Frontline healthcare managers face an exhausting blend of operational and regulatory demands. Dioss aims to take the edge off by embedding support and learning directly into the flow of work.

Dr. Donahoe breaks it down: “Daily staff and managers in healthcare spend about 10 to 12 hours just keeping up with daily operations… Even making progress on projects while surviving daily operations is complicated. Our entire focus is on really creating this backend support that will help make life a little bit easier.”

Key features that empower frontline managers:

1. Assessment Tools: Self-assessments for compliance, with immediate validation and action plan generation.

2. Expert-validated Action Plans: SMEs review submissions, suggest improvements, and help managers prepare for regulatory surveys.

3. Automated Training and Certification: Modules for Lean Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt certification at no additional cost for individual subscribers.

4. Flexible Access: Both individual and enterprise subscriptions are available, keeping cost accessible—“$99 a month… you get access to training materials and Black Belt certification and a lot of these are automated modules.”

Practical examples:

• “If I’m the director of food and nutrition services… I can pull up an assessment, do my self-assessment, upload pictures, submit it, and a subject matter expert will validate it… When CMS walks in the door, I can just download my self-improvement plan directly from the system.”

• “In the nutrition suite… when you load menus, it automatically validates them for regulatory compliance with CMS.”

What Makes the Dioss Expert Network Different?

Unlike many knowledge platforms that provide generic, static answers, Dioss connects users with real experts—many of whom have direct surveyor or clinical experience.

“We have references of every regulation in healthcare across all states… but these are not people we’re training to be surveyors—these are surveyors. If your problem is in staffing, you get connected with someone who is an expert in staffing… If it’s clinical, someone with a nursing background.”

• This “living” expert network validates content, answers unique questions, and provides just-in-time support.

• Experts also help write and improve content, ensuring the platform remains relevant and actionable.

• Ongoing feedback loops—“Every time customers give us feedback… we try to improve the experience for them.”—keep the system user-centered.

Outcome: Dioss becomes more valuable the more it’s used, bridging the gap between static online resources and costly one-off consulting.

What Role Does AI and Automation Play in Dioss’ Vision?

AI and automation are core to Dioss’ mission: reducing friction, enabling self-service, and ultimately transforming how compliance and operational training happen in healthcare.

Dr. Donahoe shares: “We foresee that when leaders submit their assessment, they won’t wait for approval. We’re working on internal software robots using RPA [Robotic Process Automation] that will self-validate most submissions, only flagging exceptions for expert review.”

The roadmap includes:

• Immediate feedback: Managers won’t wait for SME approval—they’ll get actionable guidance instantly.

• Self-validating robots: Onsite robots could observe operations and provide real-time corrections and training.

• Scalable knowledge management: The system’s AI grows smarter as more users interact, continually raising the bar for compliance and quality.

“Our goal is to make things easier. Imagine if you could just do your job and there’s someone who’s correcting you, helping you, and teaching you along the way, bringing up SOPs that you can use as an example.”

Future vision: A continuous learning environment where AI-powered assistants, not external auditors, support managers in real time—raising the standard for patient care and staff experience.

How Is Dioss Priced? Is It Really Accessible?

Dioss’ pricing model is intentionally modest—designed for lifetime value, not one-off profits.

• Individual subscription: $99/month, including access to training modules, Lean Six Sigma certification, and unlimited expert support.

• Enterprise subscription: Custom, with all employees receiving access.

• “It doesn’t make any money… but it does give us access to really providing, giving it back. The objective here is really to focus on the lifetime value of that user. We want you to be a user for life, to connect with us, build relationships.”

Why does this matter? In a sector notorious for expensive, fragmented consulting solutions, Dioss’ approach is a deliberate play for broad, lasting engagement—not transactional revenue.

Real-World Scenarios: How Might a Healthcare Manager Use Dioss?

Let’s get specific. How does this look in the wild?

• Director of Food & Nutrition Services: Completes a compliance self-assessment, uploads documentation, and receives SME feedback. When surveyors arrive, downloads a ready-made improvement plan.

• Dietitian/Nutrition Manager: Uploads a menu, instantly validated for CMS compliance, with real-time feedback and documentation ready for any regulatory audit.

• Operations/Staffing Lead: Needs to cut FTEs but isn’t sure how. Uses Dioss to access template schedules and gets hands-on guidance from an operations SME—either via chat or escalated to a Zoom session.

“A lot of times we’re asked to do things and we don’t know how to do them… you can really lean on [Dioss] to accomplish things at work you’re not sure how to do—and you don’t want to ask someone, because you ‘should’ know this.”

Net effect: Managers feel supported, not judged. Time is saved, anxiety is reduced, and compliance risk is lowered.

Where Does This Go Next? The Future of AI in Healthcare Operations

Dioss isn’t content with incremental improvement. Dr. Donahoe’s vision is bold: robots and AI that proactively monitor compliance, deliver instant feedback, and free up human potential.

“We foresee having an actual robot onsite… that can walk around and stop you when something is not compliant. Imagine you’re in the kitchen and someone’s prepping food without gloves—the robot can see and correct that in real time.”

• Applications go beyond food service: From fall prevention to SOP adherence, future iterations could fundamentally change daily healthcare operations.

• Key challenge: Avoiding false positives, so that interventions are trusted and actionable.

• Ultimate goal: “Our goal is to make things easier. Imagine if you could just do your job and there’s someone who’s correcting you, helping you, and guiding you along the way.”

Takeaway: Building Systems, Serving People—The Future Is Now

Innovation in healthcare isn’t about flashy tech or empty promises. It’s about building systems that actually serve people—especially those on the front lines. Dioss, under Dr. Deisell Martinez Donahoe’s leadership, is carving out a new model: blending rigorous systems thinking with authentic, affordable support. The result? A smarter, more connected, and more resilient healthcare workforce.

For executive leaders and managers alike, the message is clear: sustainable innovation starts with empathy, relentless learning, and the courage to rethink both the human and technical systems we rely on. If you’re looking to future-proof your healthcare organization, the Dioss approach is one to watch—and, perhaps, to adopt.

Actionable Insight:
Evaluate your current back-office operations: Where could automation and real-time expert support most reduce friction for your managers? Take one step this quarter to trial a solution that blends technology and authentic expertise—because in healthcare, people and systems are inseparable, and both deserve to thrive.

For more on Dioss and Dr. Deisell Martinez Donahoe’s innovative vision, listen to the full episode on The American Journal of Healthcare Strategy podcast. Subscribe for more insights at the intersection of leadership, strategy, and healthcare innovation.