Healthcare AI Guy Weekly | 3/11

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Highlights if you’ve only got 2 minutes…

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HIMSS ‘25 recap

HIMSS 2025 in Las Vegas underscored the rapid adoption of AI across healthcare, with a particular focus on agentic AI—intelligent systems automating tasks in clinical and operational workflows. While last year’s concerns about AI hallucinations lingered, this year’s sentiment was full-speed ahead on AI implementation. Here are the biggest AI highlights from the event:

• Epic: Electronic health records giant Epic is putting major investments into rapidly building out its AI capabilities to benefit doctors, clinicians and patients, including agentic AI agents. (link)

• Google Cloud: Introduced Visual Q&A, a multimodal GenAI search in Vertex AI that integrates tables, charts, and diagrams for enhanced patient insights. (link)

• InterSystems: Launched IntelliCare AI-powered EHR, featuring an AI assistant for natural language commands, real-time note generation, and automated billing code population. (link)

• Microsoft: Unveiled Dragon Copilot, an AI-powered clinical assistant combining Dragon Medical One’s voice dictation with DAX Copilot’s ambient listening for documentation, referral letters, and evidence summarization. (link)

• Elsevier: Expanded ClinicalKey AI with new Epic and iPrescribe integrations, plus a dedicated mobile app for clinical decision support. (link)

• Salesforce: Introduced Agentforce for Health, pre-built AI agent skills for benefits verification, clinical trial recruitment, provider search, and care coordination. (link)

• Talkdesk: Revealed AI Agents for Healthcare, which handle appointment scheduling, benefits verification, and prescription refills in multiple languages. (link)

• Notable: Released an upgraded Flow Builder with AI-powered workflow automation and granular role-based access controls. (link)

• symplr: Launched symplrAI Evidence Analysis chatbot to streamline medical research and decision-making. (link)

• Rush University System for Health: Expanded its AI documentation assistant, Suki, across 28 specialties for automated patient summaries and coding. (link)

• Zoom: Announced Zoom Workplace for Clinicians (beta), leveraging AI-powered clinical note generation via its partnership with Suki. (link)

• Kontakt.io: Enhanced its Responsive Care Operations platform with Kio Agents, which use AI to forecast bottlenecks and optimize resource allocation in real time. (link)

• RevSpring: Debuted SeatMate, an AI-driven customer service assistant providing intelligent scripting and self-service chat capabilities. (link)

• Wolters Kluwer Health: Integrated UpToDate with Microsoft Copilot Studio, enabling evidence-based medical content delivery through Dragon Copilot. (link)

• Innovaccer: Fresh off $275M in funding, shared at HIMSS that it plans to acquire three businesses this year following its acquisition of Humbi AI in January. (link)

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Stress-testing AI scribes

A new JAMA Network Open study put ambient AI scribes to the test, tracking 46 clinicians at Penn Medicine using Nuance’s DAX Copilot. The results? Less time spent on notes (down 20.4%), fewer after-hours work minutes (down 30%), and faster same-day note closure (up 9.3%)—all pointing to true efficiency gains.

But the qualitative feedback was mixed. While doctors felt more engaged in conversations, many struggled with editing AI-generated notes, sometimes negating the time saved. The net promoter score? A flat 0 on a scale of -100 to 100, meaning the clinicians were as likely to not recommend it as they were to recommend it. Ambient AI is making strides, but usability and trust remain hurdles to widespread adoption, but like any new technology this will take time. (link)

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AI cybersecurity threats

A recent HIMSS survey highlights a critical gap in AI governance within healthcare. Nearly one-third of organizations allow AI use without formal safeguards, while half permit only pre-approved models. Among 273 healthcare cybersecurity professionals surveyed, just 31% said their organization actively monitors AI usage, and only 42% have an AI Acceptable Use Policy. The top cybersecurity concerns? Data privacy (75%), breaches (53%), and model bias (53%). With AI adoption accelerating, these findings underscore the urgent need for stronger evals/observability to mitigate risks and ensure safe, responsible AI integration in healthcare. (link)

Tools & Partnerships 🔧

Latest on business, consumer, and clinical healthcare AI tools and partnerships…

TOOLS

• Stanford AI’s obesity treatment breakthrough: Stanford researchers just discovered a natural molecule called BRP that matches Ozempic's weight loss powers but with fewer side effects—using AI to unlock a potential breakthrough in obesity treatment. Stanford's "Peptide Predictor" AI system sifted through 20,000 human genes, analyzing thousands of potential candidates, to find the natural molecule. (link)

• Sesame’s realistic voice AI: Sesame’s new AI voice analyzes full conversations, adapts tone, and handles interruptions naturally, making interactions feel more human. With real-time emotional awareness and AI glasses in development, voice technology is entering a new era. (link)

• Google’s AMIE expands to ongoing patient care: Google’s AMIE AI now supports longitudinal disease management, using a two-agent system to engage patients and generate structured care plans. A study found its treatment recommendations matched primary care physicians in accuracy, improving precision in ongoing care. (link)

• Datavant launches Clinical Insights Platform for providers, payers in VBC: Datavant launched its AI-powered Clinical Insights Platform to streamline data access for health plans and providers, following its acquisition of Apixio in 2024. The platform reduces administrative burdens, and Apixio’s brand will sunset. (link)

• OpenAI launching premium AI agents: OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch a suite of specialized AI agents with price tags ranging from $2,000 to $20,000 a month for skills like knowledge work and PhD-level research. OpenAI is planning three agent tiers: business professionals ($2k/mo), advanced software devs ($10k/mo), and PhD-level researchers ($20k/mo). (link)

• Inbox Health AI enhances patient billing support: Inbox Health's AI resolves 90% of billing inquiries and connects patients to a human agent in under a minute. AI-driven insights help agents personalize responses and explain claim processing, improving first-call resolution. (link)

• Ushur AI automates health plan member services: Ushur’s AI Agent helps health plans handle more call volume by automating 21% of common requests, including PCP changes and ID card replacements. The AI reduces turnaround times and operational costs while improving member experience. (link)

• Cortical Labs unveils first AI-human brain hybrid: Cortical Labs launched CL1, the world's first commercial “Synthetic Biological Intelligence” system that combines living human brain cells with silicon hardware. (link)

PARTNERSHIPS

• Color Health + Open AI: Color Health, OpenAI, and UCSF piloted a Large Language Expert (LLE) using GPT-4o to assist in cancer care planning. The AI integrates clinical criteria with decision logic, showing promising results in its UCSF trial. (link)

• Juno Heath + Avo: Juno Health is adding Avo AI’s scribe to its EHR, allowing clinicians to generate notes that integrate with past records and lab results. The AI enhances documentation quality and maximizes reimbursement potential. (link)

Deal Desk 💸 

Spotlight on latest capital raises, M&A, and investments…

FUNDING

• Aescape, a NYC-based developer of AI-powered massage robots, raised $83M in funding. Valor Equity Partners led the round and was joined by existing investor Alumni Ventures and others. (link)

• Freed, an SF-based AI-powered clinician tool, raised $30M in Series A funding. Sequoia Capital led the round and was joined by Scale Venture Partners, Daniel Gross, Gokul Rajaram, and Ted Zagat. (link)

• Ataraxis AI, a NYC-based precision medicine company, raised $20.4M in Series A funding. AIX Ventures led the round and was joined by Floating Point, Thiel Bio, Founders Fund, Bertelsmann Investments, Giant Ventures, Obvious Ventures, and angel investors. (link)

• Heidi Health, a Melbourne, Australia-based AI-powered medical scribe for clinicians, raised $16.6M in Series A funding. Headline led the round and was joined by Local Globe, Anthology, and existing investors Blackbird, HESTA, Possible Ventures, and Archangel Ventures. (link)

IPOs

• Hinge Health, has officially filed its S-1 to go public! The virtual physical therapy company would be the first venture-backed healthcare startup to IPO in nearly three years. They use computer vision technology, powered by AI, to deliver full body motion tracking. (link)

GRANTS

• OpenAI’s $50M NextGenAI consortium: OpenAI announced NextGenAI, a new academic consortium backed by $50M in funding to support AI research and education across 15 leading institutions, including Harvard, MIT, and Oxford University. The partner institutions will tackle challenges from reducing rare disease diagnosis time to digitalizing historical texts and public domain materials. (link)

Other Relevant News 🔍

News, podcasts, blogs, tweets, resources, etc… 

• Fierce Healthcare’s Fierce 15 of 2025 (link)

• 5 takeaways from HIMSS ‘25 (link)

• Breyer Capital invests in AI-driven medicine PhD program at Harvard (link)

• Memora Health’s sale to Commure was fire sale for $30M in Commure stock (link)

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Visuals of the Week 📸

Funny memes, cool pics, and interesting data from around the web…