08/15/2026
Over the course of his career, Dr. Sandeep ‘Sonny’ Kohli has worked at the forefront of healthcare, helping develop award-winning digital health technologies, contributing to International Space Station-related research and advising organizations on the adoption of emerging technologies.
So, when the opportunity arose to become Brockville General's new Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO), it wasn't the title that caught his attention.
"It's really exciting to lead a hospital's adoption of a new Health Information System (HIS) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools initiatives," he said. "That's a rare opportunity in Canada."
The CMIO is a new position at Brockville General; responsible for helping to enhance the use of the Lumeo HIS at the hospital. The CMIO will lead our hospital’s effort to streamline the use of Lumeo with the goal to better support patient care.
While Brockville General has been a part of Lumeo since it launched regionally in 2024, Dr. Kohli sees a significant opportunity to help the organization continue optimizing the system and strengthening the connection between technology and patient care.
Having practised medicine during the transition from paper charts to digital records, Dr. Kohli has seen firsthand how new technology can both help, and hinder, care delivery.
"Right now, there are two groups that need support: patients and clinicians," he said. "If we can help clinicians by making technology work better for them, we ultimately help patients too."
He points to common frustrations experienced throughout healthcare, including cumbersome documentation processes, disconnected systems, and workflows that add complexity instead of reducing it.
When technology is integrated thoughtfully into everyday practice, he explained, it can create meaningful change.
"When technology becomes intuitive and removes some of those roadblocks, that's when it can truly make a difference."
Emerging tools such as AI-assisted documentation and integrated clinical workflows have the potential to reduce administrative work, improve efficiency, and allow clinicians to spend more time where they want to be, at the bedside.
"Giving clinicians that time back is a real gift," he explained.
Although much of his career has been spent advancing healthcare innovation and technology, Dr. Kohli has never stepped away from clinical practice.
"Being on the front lines keeps me grounded," he said. "You never get too far away from the patient. When you're too far away, you can lose sight of the problem."
Even during periods when he could have left clinical practice behind, he found himself drawn back to patient care.
"It's a constant source of inspiration for me," he said.
Dr. Kohli's journey into healthcare innovation was shaped, in part, by a lifelong fascination with space.
After participating in the Canadian Space Agency astronaut selection process, he became involved in research connected to the International Space Station, working alongside Canadian astronauts and helping prepare experiments for spaceflight.
"Operating and treating patients in space is much like caring for people in rural Canada or other remote environments," he said. "You have to be creative with technology, and the technology has to be easy to deploy."
As he explored these challenges, he began to see opportunities that would eventually lead him to co-found Cloud DX, a Canadian digital health company that developed remote patient monitoring technology inspired, in part, by the medical tricorders featured in Star Trek. The work earned international recognition and continues to support patient care today.
For Dr. Kohli, however, the greatest achievement was never the awards.
"Every time I hear a story about someone's outcome changing because they were monitored remotely, that's incredibly meaningful."
The experience also reinforced a lesson he still carries today: innovation is hard.
"It's hard work. You have to keep thinking boldly, keep solving one problem at a time and surround yourself with great people."
At this stage of his career, Dr. Kohli says organizational culture plays an important role in the decisions he makes. Throughout the recruitment process, he was encouraged by what he saw at Brockville General.
"I got really positive vibes from the leadership here," he said. "Culture matters."
Having worked across healthcare, technology and innovation, Dr. Kohli believes meaningful change happens when people come together around a shared vision. It's one of the reasons he believes Brockville General is well positioned for the future.
