Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1473998
24 INNOVATION 'We have turned to AI to disrupt the future,' Michael Dowling says By Giles Bruce H ospital systems can employ artificial intelligence to reduce the types of health inequities that have made communities of color more vulnerable to COVID-19, the leader of one of the nation's largest health systems says. "At Northwell Health, New York's largest health system, we know health disparities will only grow worse if we don't move more quickly to identify and correct them," Michael Dowling, president and CEO of New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health, wrote in a May 11 news release with Tom Manning, chair of Ascertain, an AI venture between Northwell and Aegis Ventures. "To do that, we have turned to AI to disrupt this future." For instance, health systems can utilize AI to forecast which expectant mothers could benefit from early intervention and specialized care to treat preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure that affects Black women at three times the rate of white women, the executives wrote. Organizations can also use health screenings and predictive models to determine which patients are most likely to develop chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, the men wrote. In addition, systems should diligently research AI health care appli- cations, such as the National Institutes of Health's All of Us initiative, which seeks to obtain health data from a representative sample of the U.S. population. Dowling and Manning noted that health systems must also commit to high standards of data integrity outlined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and apply the Hippocratic oath to AI to make sure it does not widen health inequities. n Amazon, Tufts Medicine launch digital health ecosystem By Giles Bruce B oston-based Tufts Medicine worked with Amazon to move its entire digital healthcare ecosystem, includ- ing its Epic EHR infrastructure, to Amazon Web Ser- vices, according to a May 24 press release. Five details: Tufts Medicine moved more than 3 million health accounts into the Epic EHR using Amazon Web Services. The pro- cess was completed in 71 hours. According to the health system, the process would have been about 200 days without Amazon. The digital ecosystem launch has enabled new provider and patient experiences that customizes consumer care and connects patients with their healthcare team. Patients can now interact with a multilingual chatbot pow- ered by Amazon Lex that uses voice and text to improve healthcare access and comprehension. Amazon Connect, a cloud-based contact center, will now power Tufts Medicine's telehealth and virtual care services. Tufts Medicine is the first health system to launch a digital health ecosystem on Amazon Web Services. n Atrium, Advocate Aurora merger to accelerate digital health innovation By Naomi Diaz T he merger of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health will advance digital health innovation, data an- alytics and digital consumer infrastructure. With the combined expertise of both Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium and Advocate Aurora, dually headquartered in Mil- waukee and Downers Grove, Ill., the organization plans to accelerate data analytics and digital consumer infrastructure to improve six areas: clinical pre-eminence and safety, health equity, affordability, next-generation workforce, learning and discovery, and environmental sustainability, according to a May 11 press release. "The world of healthcare as we know it is changing at warp speed — and it is rapidly becoming more digital, personal- ized, scientific and complex," said Eugene Woods, president and CEO of Atrium Health. "This strategic combination will enable us to deepen our commitments to health equity, create more jobs and opportunities for our teammates and communities, launch new, game-changing innovations and so much more." The combined organization, which plans to transition to a new brand, Advocate Health, announced the plans to merge into a joint operating company May 11. The planned merger will combine both systems into a 67-hospital system with upwards of $27 billion in revenue and nearly 158,000 employees combined. n