WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, September 18, the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare sponsored an event hosted by POLITICO exploring how healthcare innovations, such as telehealth, AI and other emerging technologies empower providers to focus more time and resources on patients.
The event featured an executive conversation with Nancy Howell Agee, CEO of Carilion Clinic and Chair of the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare. Howell Agee discussed hospitals and health systems’ focus on innovation, saying, “We are doubling down and really pioneering on how to innovate around healthcare delivery in order to make care more affordable, accessible, and to provide high-quality care.” She also discussed the importance of telehealth access and the benefits of its expansion in response to the pandemic, including in rural communities.
Howell Agee also elaborated on the high-quality care hospitals and health systems provide and the support needed to do so, “AI has so much promise in healthcare…Hospitals and health systems – we’re there 24/7, 365 days… All that takes resources. Human resources and financial resources… Please understand what we’re trying to do and how much we’re doing… Every second counts in the work that we do.” Howell Agee underscored the role AI and technological developments can play in helping hospitals deliver 24/7 quality care by discussing delivery drones in rural areas, “co-bots” – coworker robots – that work at many rural and critical access hospitals within her health system, and robots that support in surgery.
In a one-on-one interview, Micky Tripathi, assistant secretary for technology policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, explained the role his office plays in AI policy collaboration and development. Tripathi also shared his thoughts on regulation and transparency regarding emerging healthcare technologies.
Lastly, a panel discussion featuring Kolaleh Eskandanian, vice president and chief innovation officer of Children’s National Hospital, and Andrea Downing, president and co-founder of The Light Collective, focused on the role of emerging technologies in providing care and their regulation and implementation.
“The role of the provider and the role of the government should come together as part of public-private partnership,” said Eskandanian. “Children’s National and other pediatric hospitals play a crucial role in getting the message out that children should not be an afterthought. We do need a lot of incentives to specifically evaluate novelties and technologies like AI for pediatrics.” When asked about her hopes for AI, Eskandanian said, “I am hopeful for the acceleration of drugs and medical device discovery and development.”