David Kirk, M.D. is Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Regard, following more than 20 years of leadership at WakeMed Health & Hospitals, where he most recently served as Chief Clinical Integration Officer and Executive Medical Director of Critical Care Medicine and eICU.
A nationally recognized clinician and innovation leader, Dr. Kirk has led large-scale initiatives integrating artificial intelligence, analytics and process improvement into clinical care. At WakeMed, he oversaw systemwide digital transformation and care delivery innovation, aligning data science, technology and operational strategy to improve quality, efficiency and financial performance.
He also expanded clinical governance structures, established incentive-based performance programs and spearheaded predictive analytics pilots in critical care – initiatives that earned him the North Carolina Healthcare Association’s 2025 Clinical Leadership Award for transforming care delivery through innovation and improvement.
The takeaway from the current failure of wearables is that signal without synthesis doesn't change outcomes. If healthcare treats AI as just another way to collect or repackage data, it will repeat the same mistake.