LifeBridge Health, a healthcare services provider in the US, has entered into a collaboration with care.ai to implement new virtual care solutions across its facilities, initially beginning with Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
The initiative leverages the expertise of care.ai, which is an artificial intelligence (AI) Smart Care Facility Platform, to transform physical spaces into self-aware environments to optimise clinical and operational workflows.
Under the first phase of the implementation, care.ai's Virtual Care solutions will be deployed at a 32-bed Progressive Care Unit (PCU) at Sinai Hospital, which will enable a virtual nurse to interact with patients via a screen.
This system assists with discharge instructions, documentation, education, and other support, thereby allowing bedside nurses to focus on direct patient care.
The programme's positive reception from staff and patients has led to its expansion into tele-sitting services at Northwest Hospital, with plans to extend these services across all LifeBridge Health hospitals.
care.ai CEO and founder Chakri Toleti said: “Health systems are facing unprecedented clinician workforce shortages, emphasising the crucial need to enhance the productivity and presence of care teams with technology that is proven to easily scale.
“Far too often, rather than focusing on delivering skilled bedside care, care teams divert a significant portion of their shifts to performing time-consuming, repetitive tasks like manual data entry and compliance reporting with point-based legacy solutions that don't scale.”
LifeBridge Health, one of Maryland's most comprehensive health service providers, encompasses several hospitals and related entities, including Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Northwest Hospital, Carroll Hospital, and Grace Medical Center.
LifeBridge Health chief digital and information officer Tressa Springmann said: “At LifeBridge Health, we are eager to see how this virtual care initiative may enable us to optimise patient care, enhance the patient and provider experience, and bolster clinician capabilities, allowing for care delivery innovation without compromising safe, efficient, and compassionate patient interactions.”
