There is a firehose of news about AI in healthcare at the moment. MedCity News has explored this topic in depth and curated a compelling set of panel discussions and fireside chats with healthcare executives, investors and startups for INVEST Digital Health. The conference is scheduled for Thursday, September 18 at Pegasus Park in Dallas in partnership with Health Wildcatters. Here’s a look at the sessions and who will speak at the conference.
- One panel will discuss the rise of AI labor for the next frontier of productivity and building guardrails for responsible AI
- In a fireside chat on the role of rural providers in the AI revolution, David Snow, executive director of Pegasus Park will talk about the innovation hub, how Snow and his team de-risk investments, accelerate growth, and improve return potential by surrounding early-stage companies with talent, infrastructure, and connectivity.
- A panel will assess the efficacy and ROI for AI tools. What does it take to prove an AI tool’s worth? It will also explore the growing demand for third-party validation and peer-reviewed evidence.
- AI hallucinations is another important topic at the conference. A panel discussion will highlight the impact of these hallucinations, jeopardize patient safety, clinician trust and regulatory compliance, and what is being done to prevent them.
- Capping off the conference is the Pitch Perfect contest in which startups vetted from a pool of applicants on how they are serving the day-to-day needs of healthcare providers.
How Do AI Startups Stand Out to Investors in a Crowded Market?
Neil Patel, Head of Ventures, Redesign Health. The firm is focused on launching companies in eight key areas where innovation can drive the greatest impact: healthcare labor shortage, value-based and longitudinal care, interoperability, preparing for an aging population, eliminating barriers to health equity, expanding sites of care, growing the insured population, and driving healthcare personalization and consumerization.
Rohit Nuwal, Partner, TELUS Global Ventures, the venture arm of TELUS Communications, which has invested in more than 150 companies, deploying over $175 million in 2023 alone. Their investments focus on AgTech and decarbonization, health, smart cities/Internet of Things, and AI.
Maddie Hilal, Vice President at Oak HC/FT, where she focuses on growth equity and early-stage venture opportunities in healthcare.
Vickram Pradhan, Vice President of Sopris Venture Capital, which focuses on early stage companies.
The Dawn of AI Labor: Productivity, Operational Efficiency, and Workforce Transformation
Keith Figlioli, Managing Partner with LRVHealth, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm. Through a network of strategic limited partners that includes leading health systems and payers, LRVHealth applies industry knowledge and operational experience to early-stage companies focused on innovation.
Jess Botros is the Vice President of IT Strategy and Operations at Ardent Health, a leading healthcare provider operating hospitals and care sites across the U.S.
Dr. Steve Miff, CEO of Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI), a leading, non-profit, artificial intelligence and cognitive computing organization affiliated with Parkland Health.
Abhinav Shashank, Innovaccer CEO and co-founder. The business uses AI to revolutionize healthcare through intelligent, data-driven solutions.
First, Do No Harm: Building the Guardrails for Responsible AI
Dr. Hubert Zajicek, CEO, co-founder, partner of Health Wildcatters, a top ranked healthcare accelerator and fund in Dallas. Health Wildcatters provides mentorship, capital and guidance to up to 12 healthcare-related startups during an intensive three-month program, annually. The fund has invested in 118 healthcare startups, which have attracted over $350 million in capital in 12 years.
Dr. Ruben Amarasingham is a physician, scientist, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Pieces, a healthcare technology company that specializes in clinical AI solutions and solutions to support and augment clinical teams.
Theresa McDonnell, Duke University Health System Chief Nurse Executive, leads a nursing workforce of more than 9,000 professionals across multiple hospitals and clinics. She drives transformative initiatives including the Duke Nursing Innovation Summit, AI-driven workforce solutions, and global collaborations to redefine nursing excellence and healthcare delivery.
Alya Sulaiman, Datavant Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer drives Datavant’s compliance and privacy strategy and provides expertise on healthcare’s evolving regulatory framework for data access, use, and interoperability.
Fireside Chat: Rural Providers’ Role in the AI Revolution
Dr. Dave Newman, Sanford Health chief medical officer for virtual care, at the largest rural health system in the country.
Beyond the Buzzwords: Evaluating AI Tools’ Efficacy and ROI
Ngoc-Anh Nguyen, MD is the Medical Director of Virtual Urgent Care and Telemedicine at Houston Methodist and Vice-Chair of Research in the system’s Center for Innovation. A board-certified emergency medicine physician, she brings her clinical excellence in the emergency department into driving digital transformation in healthcare. Dr. Nguyen leads clinical strategy for AI-driven documentation, virtual care solutions, and patient-facing technologies, with a focus on rigorous evaluation of patient outcomes and system performance.
Eric Levine, a principal with Avalere Health, leads projects for health plan, provider, and vendor clients in strategy and operations to support them in anticipating changing business needs and developing action-oriented plans that improve health plan performance and member outcomes. Prior to joining Avalere, Eric worked at Pfizer, where he analyzed state legislative and regulatory proposals to evaluate policy options, opportunities, and barriers to key issues, including quality initiatives, prior authorization, and out-of-pocket spending.
Michael Kalishman is the Chief Venture Officer for Sentara Health, a Virginia-based, integrated, not-for-profit health care delivery system.
Nick Culbertson is the Managing Director of Techstars AI Health Baltimore, powered by Johns Hopkins University and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.
How Is Healthcare Dealing with AI Hallucinations?
Gigi Yuen serves as Cohere’s Chief Data and AI Officer, leading the data organization, which includes data management, data science, machine learning/AI, and business intelligence.
Soumi Saha, Premier Inc. Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, is responsible for developing and executing corporate strategy to advance legislation and regulatory actions that support business growth and address vulnerabilities in our healthcare system. She is also trained as a pharmacist and lawyer.
Jennifer Goldsack is the founder and CEO of the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe), a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to advancing digital medicine to optimize human health.
Randi Seigel, is a partner at law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP and a recognized adviser to health care companies navigating regulatory, compliance, and innovation challenges.
Pitch Perfect contest: AI in the clinic
Judges:
Jon George is an early-stage investor at Flare Capital, a Boston-based VC firm that focuses on healthcare technology and services investing in startups ranging from Pre-seed to Series B. Jon focuses primarily on the firm’s AI and specialty care investing, including areas such as AI, oncology, and neurology.
Erica Murdock is the Managing Director at Unseen Capital, where she draws on over 20 years of experience to drive innovation in digital health and tech-enabled services, with a focus on advancing health equity, improving access, and driving outcomes.
Nirban Singh is an Investor at Healthworx Ventures, the strategic venture arm of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, where he focuses on investments in companies transforming healthcare delivery and access with AI, interoperability, and patient-centered care models.
Photo: J Studios, Getty Images