Two Savannah, Ga.-area health systems are taking gradual approaches to AI, with one evaluating dozens of Epic capabilities and another already using the technology for select clinical applications, News Now Georgia reported Sept. 23.
Physicians and nurses at Savannah-based Memorial Health, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, have access to 50 AI features that could be activated through Epic, though the health system has not yet deployed them.
Timothy Connelly, MD, an internal medicine and clinical informatics physician at Memorial Health, said potential applications include ambient documentation technology that can capture and organize information from patient visits. The technology could reduce repetitive computer tasks and allow clinicians to spend more time interacting directly with patients.
Memorial is also evaluating AI capabilities that could summarize a patient’s clinical information and help providers more quickly identify relevant details. Dr. Connelly said the tools being considered are specialized large language models rather than general-purpose AI systems.
The health system plans to introduce any AI capabilities gradually and monitor their performance.
Jessica Jackson, assistant chief nursing officer at Memorial Health, said nurses are involved in discussions about potential AI deployments and how the tools could affect clinical workflows. Potential nursing applications include summarizing notes and supporting safer patient discharges.
She said the objective is to improve patient care rather than replace nurses, emphasizing that AI cannot substitute for nurses’ clinical knowledge, competence, care and compassion.
Savannah-based St. Joseph’s/Candler, meanwhile, is already using AI for limited clinical purposes, including technology that provides radiologists with an additional review of medical images.
The health system said potential AI tools undergo clinical review based on their intended use as well as applicable requirements and industry best practices.
St. Joseph’s/Candler is also preparing to test three ambient documentation tools designed to capture clinical conversations and assist with documentation. The technology could allow clinicians to spend less time entering notes and more time interacting with patients.
The health system said its AI applications operate with clinical oversight and that it will continue evaluating additional tools as the technology evolves. Its safeguards focus on patient safety, privacy and quality of care.
St. Joseph’s/Candler also said it does not use OpenAI or ChatGPT and does not have an agreement with either company.
