Incisive Consultants names Steve Chronister VP of Engineering & Applied AI

By AI, Created 5:15 PM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Incisive Consultants has hired former Epic leader Steve Chronister to oversee a new engineering and applied AI push aimed at improving internal operations and client-facing tools. The move signals a broader bet that healthcare consulting will be shaped by automation, workflow design and practical AI use, not just Epic certifications.

Why it matters: - Incisive Consultants is tying its next growth phase to applied AI in Epic consulting, where small workflow gains can affect day-to-day healthcare operations. - The new role is designed to make consulting work faster, more intuitive and less burdened by operational friction for both staff and clients. - The company is positioning AI as a competitive advantage in a market that already values deep Epic expertise.

What happened: - Incisive Consultants appointed Steve Chronister as vice president of Engineering & Applied AI. - The company announced the hire on May 20, 2026, in Kansas City, Missouri. - The role is newly created and will lead a large investment in internal and client-facing AI tools. - Chronister will report into Incisive’s effort to expand how the firm uses AI across consulting operations.

The details: - Chronister spent nearly a decade leading engineering teams that built production-grade AI features. - He began his career at Epic Systems, where he worked five years as a project manager and team lead. - At Epic, Chronister supported ASAP, the Emergency Department module, at University Healthcare, Catholic Health Initiatives and INTEGRIS Health. - Incisive says nearly 90% of its consultants are former Epic employees. - The firm says those consultants average 10 years of tenure. - Incisive says that background helped it build a national consultant network and maintain a 100% client satisfaction rate. - Chronister will lead development of tools meant to remove friction in Epic-centered environments and improve decision-making. - The company also wants those tools to give clients a faster and more intuitive way to work with Incisive. - Incisive describes the investment as part of its mission to optimize EHR systems, improve operational efficiency and support digital transformation in healthcare. - Incisive Consultants is a minority-owned Epic-focused consulting firm founded in 2018 by former Accenture leaders who helped build and lead Sagacious Consultants. - The firm provides staff augmentation, project management, implementation, Community Connect, refuel and optimization, revenue cycle, expansion, digital health and data architecture services. - Incisive works with health systems across the country. - More information is available on the company’s announcement.

Between the lines: - The hire suggests Incisive wants to move beyond labor-based consulting and build tools that embed its Epic expertise into software and automation. - Chronister’s background bridges healthcare operations and product engineering, which fits a strategy centered on practical AI rather than experimental AI. - CEO Chris Blackerby framed the shift as a bet on workflows that become “intelligent, automated, deeply human experiences” for clients and consultants. - Chronister said the goal is to make healthcare work “smarter, simpler, and more human” in measurable ways.

What’s next: - Chronister will oversee the rollout of new AI capabilities for both Incisive employees and clients. - The company is expected to keep investing in tools that speed up Epic-related work and reduce operational bottlenecks. - The success of the hire will likely be measured by whether the new tools improve consulting delivery and client experience.

The bottom line: - Incisive is making a clear bet that the next edge in Epic consulting will come from applied AI built on top of deep implementation expertise.