Galveston-based University of Texas Medical Branch recently inked a five-year deal with Microsoft to take advantage of the company’s AI and cloud computing capabilities, its CIO told Becker’s.
This came after UTMB’s new president added a fourth pillar to the health system’s previous three of education, research and healthcare: innovation.
“My goal is to push innovation down to the desktop,” UTMB Vice President and CIO George Gaddie told Becker’s. “We are going to be a Microsoft shop. We’re going all in.”
The four-hospital system is standardizing its cloud computing with Microsoft’s Azure and utilizing the Big Tech company’s Fabric data analytics platform.
“We’ve been working with Microsoft on tools that will allow patients, via text, to schedule appointments, make payments online,” Mr. Gaddie said. “We want an Amazon-like experience for our patients, so that’s where we’re headed.”
UTMB has already been employing Microsoft’s DAX Copilot ambient listening tool for clinical documentation for over a year. The health system also plans to use AI products that scan radiology images and check screenings for incidental findings.
The health system has been in talks with Microsoft since early 2024 and has had three different CFOs in that time. After Mr. Gaddie convinced the most recent CFO of the value of the deal, the agreement was signed in recent weeks.
The return on investment comes from moving employees into higher-value work or not having to backfill positions thanks to automation, Mr. Gaddie said. His sister systems under the University of Texas umbrella are now similarly looking to partner with Microsoft.
“We have not just made IT more innovative; we’ve made the organization more innovative, where if people have ideas, they can try them. They’ve got the tools necessary, the training necessary, they’ve got the expertise, the confidence,” Mr. Gaddie said. “We’re changing our culture by doing this. It’s not just about software, it’s about solving problems.”
