How to Blend Faith, Science, and AI in Modern Medicine || Dr. Anthony Hilliard

In this episode of Physician’s Pulse, Dr. Anthony Hilliard, president of Loma Linda University Health and an interventional cardiologist, discusses Loma Linda’s culture of innovation and whole-person, faith-based care. He reflects on the 1984 Baby Fae baboon-heart xenotransplant, its ethical controversy, what it proved technically, and how it helped shape Loma Linda’s leadership in infant heart transplantation and milestones like proton therapy. Dr. Hilliard explains the institution’s Seventh-day Adventist roots, commitment to welcoming diverse faiths, and how faith and science both grapple with uncertainty. The conversation covers physician leadership and advocacy, priorities for medical education (communication and “soft skills,” plus economics and policy), practical roles for AI in access, quality, and human experience, and systemic contributors to physician burnout including workforce shortages and loss of autonomy. They also explore Loma Linda’s Blue Zone longevity factors—community, purpose, vegetarian-leaning diet, activity, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol—and Dr. Hilliard’s long-term leadership focus on staying true to mission while planting future-focused seeds.00:00 Baby Faye Legacy01:55 Guest Introduction03:16 Innovation Culture05:47 Faith Based Mission08:07 Spirituality In Healing09:43 From Cardiologist To Leader12:12 Advocacy And Physician Voice14:37 Rethinking Medical Education18:24 AI In Clinical Practice20:54 Burnout Beyond Resilience25:25 Autonomy And Corporate Pressures28:34 Faith Meets Science30:12 Why We Became Doctors31:26 Blue Zone Longevity Lessons34:26 Leadership Legacy And Closing