AI, Care, and Community: Insights from Blooming Day 2025
For the second consecutive year, GiveCare attended Blooming Day—a leading annual conference that convenes healthcare, social care, and government leaders committed to shaping the future of health equity. Moderated by healthcare journalist and author Dr. Archelle Georgiou, the event highlighted how generative AI can foster deeper human connections, improve social care, and empower communities.
We were also thrilled to reconnect with Nima Roohi — CEO, Blooming Health. Last year we traded stories about our own caregiving journeys—an exchange that continues to shape GiveCare’s roadmap. His announcement of an AI co‑pilot for care workers is exactly the kind of compassionate health‑tech progress that keeps us moving forward.
As the day concluded, Dr. Georgiou summarized the conversations:
“We clearly heard today that investing in social care means you’re investing in seeing people, really seeing people. And when we see each other is when we really experience our humanity.”
This insight underscored the entire conference, where speakers consistently emphasized AI as a tool for enhancing—not replacing—human relationships in healthcare and social care.
AI as a Tool for Connection and Humanity
Alisahah Jackson, MD — President, Lloyd Dean Institute for Humankindness & Health Justice, CommonSpirit Health noted how AI could uniquely address today’s epidemic of isolation:
“We are at the lowest levels of stability ever... most digitally connected but most socially isolated... AI has the capability of potentially filling that gap. As AI continues to grow, evolve, and expand, [let’s] not forget our shared humanity.”
GiveCare’s perspective: Our companion exists to counter that loneliness by giving caregivers a place to turn—24/7. Bite‑size, empathetic check‑ins and practical next steps mean no one has to shoulder the burden alone, even when traditional support networks fall short.
Balancing Innovation and Responsibility
Dr. Nicole Harris‑Hollingsworth — Senior Vice President, Social Determinants & Social Impact, Hackensack Meridian Health emphasized AI’s value when paired responsibly with human workers:
“Generative AI is an opportunity... to provide assistance to fellow community members... but also to continue to elevate and escalate their own careers... we must balance out what we can do, with what we should do, with what is beneficial for us as a society.”
GiveCare’s perspective: We automate paperwork and triage so community‑health workers can focus on people, not portals. The goal is the same balance Dr. Harris‑Hollingsworth describes—tech that lifts workers up rather than writes them out.
Restoring Human Relationships through AI
Dr. Patrick Runnels — Chief Medical Officer, University Hospitals reinforced the significance of meaningful human connection enabled by AI:
“Healthcare’s value isn’t just knowing things... it’s holding space with the patient... it is the joining them, and joining is the connecting that actually [matters]. AI can create a lot of value.”
GiveCare’s perspective: Every SMS exchange is designed to “hold space” first—offering grounding techniques or quick escalation routes—so caregivers stay present with loved ones instead of wrestling with logistics.
Proven Outcomes and Measurable Impact
Greg Olsen — Director, New York State Office for the Aging presented powerful evidence of AI’s tangible impact:
“Technology plays a crucial role... With Blooming Health, we see a 300% increase in engagement, 500% increase in SNAP applications... 7% increase in overall health and wellness, [and] two hours a day savings of case managers’ time.”
GiveCare’s perspective: Impact metrics drive our roadmap too—from reduced ER visits to fewer 2 a.m. panic calls. Olsen’s numbers reinforce that small automations can unlock big human dividends.
Ethical AI for Equitable Outcomes
Dr. Sarita Mohanty — President & CEO, The SCAN Foundation underscored the importance of ethical considerations and equity in AI:
“I call myself a card-carrying member of AI with the caveat that we have to be thinking about ethical AI... the data that feeds into those AI algorithms is not representative. There is algorithmic bias... We have to be really cognizant... particularly [for] marginalized communities.”
GiveCare’s perspective: We prioritize inclusivity and accessibility—SMS‑first delivery, culturally aware multilingual prompts, and continuous bias reviews—to ensure rural, low‑income, and multilingual families receive respectful, relevant guidance.
AI in Community Planning and Support
David C. Burkley — Associate Director, Rainbow Housing highlighted AI’s role in predicting community needs and driving informed decisions:
“AI helps nonprofits... bridge language barriers... predict where housing needs to be... being predictive of families’ needs... so that we can help families budget and plan better.”
GiveCare’s perspective: Our roadmap includes predictive planning nudges—flagging seasonal cost spikes or paperwork deadlines—to lighten caregivers’ cognitive load and stress.
Does AI Hold the Key to Sustainable Social Care?
In one of the standout sessions moderated by Paolo Narciso, Principal at Core Immersive—we were part of an early beta for his agentic healthcare tool Wellspace—the panelists explored whether AI is central to sustainable social care. Panelists included:
- Theodora Lau — Author & Founder, Unconventional Ventures
- John Maynard — Principal Industry Consultant, Government & Healthcare, SAS Institute
- Dr. Pete Clardy — Senior Staff Clinical Specialist & Lead, Clinical Enterprise Team, Google Health
The conversation thoughtfully examined AI’s potential to sustainably support caregiving ecosystems while maintaining a crucial balance with human-driven care.
More Highlights from the Day
While the agenda ranged from policy reform to food‑is‑medicine, AI‑infused caregiving surfaced as a clear thread—the signal we tuned into at every session.
-- White House Conference on Aging—30‑Year Reflection: A video message from President Clinton and commentary by Dr. Archelle Georgiou framed today’s challenges against three decades of policy progress.
-- Why Social Care Is Healthcare’s Best Investment: Karen Ignagni and Vicki Shepard made the financial case for prevention over intervention.
-- Beyond Human Limits—AI That Powers Compassion at Scale: Nima Roohi — CEO, Blooming Health showed how automation can triple engagement.
-- The Policy Shifts Reshaping Social Care: Dr. Chelsea Clinton and Chiquita Brooks‑LaSure unpacked federal momentum—from CMS waiver flexibility to the National Strategy on Social Connection. Brooks‑LaSure helped craft Medicare’s GUIDE Model, a landmark dementia‑care initiative centered on caregiver support (we covered it here).
-- Empowering CBOs to Address Social‑Needs Gaps: Leaders from Public Health Solutions, Hudson Valley Care Coalition, and United Hospital Fund underscored data‑sharing pain points.
-- Setting the Table—Food Is Medicine: David Waters and Dr. Dexter Shurney illustrated how medically tailored meals reduce hospitalizations.
-- Investing in Connection for Health Equity and Aging: NYS Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald framed loneliness as a modifiable public‑health risk.
-- “Medicine” for Loneliness—High Tech Meets High Touch: Dr. Mark Lachs closed the afternoon with practical tips for blending digital touchpoints and live outreach.
These themes all point to a single truth: social care succeeds when technology amplifies human kindness rather than substituting for it. That principle remains at the heart of GiveCare.
Where GiveCare Goes Next
Blooming Day’s through‑line is clear: technology must restore humanity. GiveCare’s north star is to make every caregiver feel less alone, better informed, and more in control. The insights from 2025 sharpen our focus on:
- Hyper‑local context: Surfacing neighborhood‑level resources, not just generic advice.
- Agentic coordination: Letting specialized AI agents handle scheduling, logistics, and documentation behind the scenes.
- Transparent outcomes: Publishing the same kind of hard metrics shared on stage—so partners and caregivers see the real‑world impact.
We’re already weaving these principles into upcoming releases. Stay tuned—and stay connected.
Blooming Day 2025 powerfully reaffirmed GiveCare’s commitment to empathetic, human-centered AI. As we move forward, these insights guide us toward deeper community connections, greater equity, and meaningful innovations in caregiving technology.
Did you attend Blooming Day 2025 or have thoughts to share about AI in caregiving? Reach out to us at [email protected].