Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1532491
17 INNOVATION We are seeing AI technologies in healthcare take significant strides toward practical, real-world applications. ese advancements are beginning to address critical challenges, driving efficiency, making it easier for our patients and transforming processes to deliver better care. Looking ahead, the potential for AI to further streamline operations and improve patient outcomes is incredibly promising. Sara Vaezy. Chief Strategy and Digital Officer of Providence (Renton, Wash.): I am really proud of the work we've been doing on supporting the physician in-basket and the overall trend of utilizing conversational AI and large language models to do that. It's going to just keep accelerating, and it's going to support direct access for patients without adding burden to clinicians. at's going to be a big theme: AI for the purposes of reducing clinician burden is certainly going to be a focus of ours and probably one of the key areas of AI investment going forward. n Kaiser Permanente leads $275M investment in healthcare data platform By Giles Bruce O akland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente and Phoenix-based Banner Health are backing a healthcare data company in a $275 million funding round. Kaiser led the Jan. 9 series F investment in Innovaccer that also included M12, Microsoft's venture capital arm. The company said it plans to use the funding to introduce new artificial intelligence and cloud capabilities and scale its developer ecosystem. Innovaccer, which has received $675 million in funding, now serves six of the 10 largest health systems, including Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. The company's data platform powers value-based care, population health and patient experience initiatives. n When Judy Faulkner met KLAS By Giles Bruce I n 1999, Epic founder and CEO Judy Faulkner got a call from Kent Gale from KLAS after the EHR vendor came in first in the health IT researcher's survey of healthcare organizations, she recalled in a January blog post. "Who are you?" he asked. "Who are you?" she responded. The two organizations have since gotten to know each other better, as Epic regularly places near the top of the researcher's annual Best in KLAS survey. Mr. Gale later visited Epic's Wisconsin campus with Frank Richards, then-CIO of Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger, Ms. Faulkner recalled. Mr. Gale presented a PowerPoint that showed the shattering of glass, representing Epic "breaking the glass" in the industry, while Mr. Richards brought a framed bone imprinted with the phrase, "Bone-deep caring." "We treasure both the memory of the glass breaking and the bone," Ms. Faulkner wrote. "The bone has been on the wall in our main reception area for more than a decade, and we suggest to all our new staff that they look at it." n Cleveland Clinic partnership aims to train quantum computing experts By Naomi Diaz Miami University and Cleveland Clinic have partnered to create Ohio's first specialized education programs in quantum computing. e partnership aims to position Ohio as a global leader in the field while preparing students to use quantum computing to advance healthcare, technology and business, according to a Jan. 15 news release. Key initiatives from the partnership include: • Specialized degree programs: Bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs will train students in quantum computing with a focus on real-world applications in healthcare and life sciences. • Cleveland Innovation District presence: Miami University will open a facility near Cleveland Clinic's main campus in Cleveland, allowing students to intern and collaborate within the district, a hub for job creation and research. • Healthcare integration: Cleveland Clinic's IBM Quantum System One, the world's first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare research, will offer students hands-on learning opportunities. • Workforce development: Internships and microcredential programs will help students transition into careers in quantum computing and healthcare innovation. n