Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare has spent the last few years implementing low-cost programs that have reduced length of stay, cut costs by millions of dollars per year and improved system operations.
These initiatives all share the same traits: they are low cost, high impact, culturally driven and leadership dependent. Here’s a brief overview of each project.
Reimagining the research infrastructure
Several years ago, Hartford HealthCare partnered with Cambridge-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology to reimagine its research infrastructure. The new priority: give researchers operational challenge projects that address hospital pain points, such as length of stay, operating room optimization and nurse scheduling models.
From that collaboration came a number of AI-powered tools created by doctoral students from MIT. These algorithms have been implemented across the system’s medical units and resulted in a 0.82-day reduction in length of stay, which translated into about $9.8 million in cost avoidance.
Researchers were also able to redesign the nurse scheduling process that considers skill set, seniority, personal preferences and other data. The AI-assisted model builds nurse schedules in 11 minutes — a task that used to take nurse managers eight hours. This reduced overhead and locum costs by 92%.
“This is what happens when we use research infrastructure and strong academic partnerships to apply artificial intelligence in practical, high-value ways,” Ajay Kumar, MD, chief clinical officer at the system, told Becker’s.
Clinical care redesign
Several years ago, the system launched a clinical care program that tracks clinical supplies and variations in how physicians use them. The dashboard allows every physician to see how much they spend on care delivery, down to the commodities used in surgery, and compare their costs with their peers. The dashboard spans all institutes and regions, and is only used to help physicians understand the cost of care they provide, compare the outcomes and identify areas for improvement.
This year alone, the program has saved $38 million by reducing variation and waste. It has also changed the culture.
“Our clinicians are now more engaged with supply chain decisions and bring a value-driven mindset to vendor negotiations,” Dr. Kumar said. “Importantly, this program isn’t about cutting costs at all costs. In some cases, we’ve increased spending when higher-quality care required it. Our goal is value, not austerity.”
Business continuity assessment
The business continuity assessment is a systemwide analysis that looks at continuity as a core of quality.
“If we’re not ready for the unexpected — whether it’s a cyberattack, natural disaster or infrastructure failure — we can’t serve our community effectively,” Dr. Kumar said. “We asked: If the system went down tomorrow, how would each unit continue operating? What are the escalation paths? What’s the downstream impact?”
The comprehensive assessment looks at continuity across clinical departments, accounting, HR, registration, billing and all others that help run the organization.
“We’re nearing completion now, and I believe it will pay dividends for years by improving system resilience and our ability to serve patients, no matter what happens,” he said.
AI governance committee
The system recently launched an artificial intelligence governance committee, which is among the first of its kind in the nation. The committee includes representatives from legal, human resources, communications and clinical teams. It reviews AI proposals and requires they demonstrate their impact on safety, quality, workforce and cost — not just novelty, Dr. Kumar said.
“Our governance committee prioritized AI tools that directly address diagnostic accuracy over ‘shiny’ but less impactful technologies,” he said. “That focus saves lives, reduces litigation and improves care quality — all while maintaining fiscal discipline. The committee gives us a structured, ethical way to innovate responsibly and align AI with our mission rather than distraction.”
