Hattiesburg, Miss.-based Forrest Health has deployed an AI tool embedded in its Epic EHR that flagged more than 173 incidental lung nodules in its first six weeks, connecting rural patients to follow-up care.
The Incidental Lung Nodule AI and Navigator program pulls suspected lung nodules from radiology reports onto a digital dashboard, surfacing findings that often surface when patients arrive at the emergency room for unrelated complaints such as back pain, headaches or abdominal pain, per a June 8 EpicShare article. On one recent Monday, the dashboard showed 53 notifications from weekend emergency department visits alone.
The AI does not work alone. A lung nodule navigator reviews each case manually, verifies findings against radiology reports and images, and triggers an Epic pop-up that requires a physician to acknowledge the finding. The navigator then ensures patients are routed to a primary care provider or, if they have none, to the Forrest General Family Medicine Residency Clinic.
Forrest Health is among the first health systems to implement lung nodule navigation inside Epic, a workflow Epic introduced in October 2025.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.