Washington University School of Medicine and BJC Health System, both located in St. Louis, have launched the joint Center for Health AI to harness the power of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and fundamentally change the way health care is provided. The center will focus on making care more personalized and effective for patients and more efficient and manageable for physicians, nurses and all those striving to ensure patients receive the very best care.
The center is the first major initiative to evolve from the new, long-term affiliation between WashU Medicine and BJC that was finalized earlier this year and helps establish both organizations as leaders in developing and leveraging AI technologies to transform health care. With a joint leadership structure and a focus on shared goals, the center embodies the close collaboration envisioned by the WashU-BJC partnership.
“WashU Medicine and BJC are committed to pushing the boundaries of health care innovation to ensure that our caregivers, our patients and the communities we serve benefit from AI technologies,” said David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of WashU Medicine, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. “The center brings together leaders and experts from across the organizations to generate new AI-based solutions and leverage emerging AI technologies in ways that will profoundly change how we work together and care for patients. It will become a magnet for recruiting health care professionals who want to shape the future of medicine.”
A major focus of the center will be using AI to streamline workflows and administrative tasks, making health care more efficient.
“Clinicians at BJC and WashU Medicine have piloted a new AI tool to help with documentation during patient visits so they can focus more fully on their patients,” said Nick Barto, president of BJC Health System. “Saving time in this way helps reduce health care workers’ burnout, and more focused attention from clinicians helps improve the experience for patients. We hope to broaden the use of this tool — and others like it — to help alleviate administrative burdens and enhance patient care. The result is a win-win.”
At a time when the demand for health care has never been greater, AI also can streamline the scheduling of patient appointments and predict the demand for equipment and other resources. Such technologies can help health care operations run more smoothly and prevent staff and supply chain shortages that can limit the ability to provide timely care.
The new center will be led by WashU Medicine’s Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, who will serve as the inaugural chief health AI officer, and Deborah O’Dell, chief data and analytics officer at BJC Health System. In addition to O’Dell, the center’s operating team includes Paul Scheel, MD, CEO of Washington University Physicians; Chris Miller, MD, chief clinical officer of BJC; Jessie Minton, WashU’s chief information officer; and Jerry Fox, chief information and digital officer of BJC.