Steven Sousa
Senior Vice President of Health and Social Services, CGI
Steven Sousa’s work for federal clients spans a broad array of agencies involved in healthcare and social services, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration.
Following CGI’s launch of a Fraud, Waste and Abuse Prevention Platform in April, Sousa leads an effort to tailor the platform more narrowly to meet the needs of healthcare clients. CGI developed the transformative solution, designed to support federal agencies in detecting and preventing potential improper payments, in partnership with TrackLight Inc.
Sousa also led efforts to improve data sharing and data optimization at CMS, work that helped CGI win a recompete for CMS’s Health Plan Management System, which CGI has held since 2004.
Sousa believes data is foundational. “AI is great, but it’s only as good as the data it uses,” he said. “When you want to prevent fraud, waste and abuse, accurate and timely data is indispensable.”
Why Watch
As the executive branch prioritizes reducing the size and cost of government, agencies are striving to operate with greater efficiency, with advanced technologies taking center stage. Sousa evangelizes AI, educating customers on its benefits and demonstrating ways to leverage it, inspiring some agencies to invest in proof-of-concept projects.
Recently, Sousa proposed improvements that could save $1.3 billion annually for the SSA — leveraging AI to power solutions that mitigate fraud, waste and abuse and manage debt — demonstrating his commitment to driving financial efficiency alongside operational effectiveness.
“In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, embracing change is a necessity,” he said. “As outlined in ‘Pivot or Die’ by Gary Shapiro, the ability to adapt and innovate is crucial for survival and success. At CGI, we are committed to leveraging data and emerging technologies to drive efficiencies and create transformative solutions. By pivoting strategically, we ensure that we continue to deliver exceptional value and operational effectiveness, helping agencies achieve their goals.”
Sousa leans into CGI’s presence across the commercial sector as well as government to draw on cross-sector best practices that may be useful to his clients. In particular, the U.S., Canadian and European healthcare insurance sectors provide guidance that can benefit federal healthcare agencies.
He also looks to CGI’s broader presence as a source of solutions that could be applied in federal settings. Key contenders include an intelligent automation offering called Accel360, providing robotics as a managed service, and OMNI360, an interoperability integration tool that gives healthcare providers a holistic view of the care a patient has received.
“The most important thing for us this year is pivoting and then making sure we don’t forget the value that we brought to the table, maximizing those opportunities to further drive efficiencies,” Sousa said.
Fun Fact: Sousa is passionate about community involvement. He’s actively engaged with Spur Local, a D.C.-area charity focused on empowering communities and fostering local initiatives. Whether he’s driving innovation in healthcare or supporting local causes, Sousa brings enthusiasm and dedication to everything he does!