US-based academic non-profit healthcare system Virtua Health has formed a partnership with care.ai to enhance patient care using artificial intelligence (AI) enabled virtual care models.  

care.ai is an AI company, which has developed the AI Smart Care Facility Platform and Always-Aware Ambient Intelligent Sensors.  

The company’s AI solutions help in transforming physical spaces into self-aware, smart care environments that can autonomously enhance and optimise operational procedures and clinical workflows.  

Under the latest collaboration, care.ai will integrate and implement its virtual care solutions across Virtua Health's system. 

This process of virtual care integration has already commenced at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, US.  

A pilot Virtual Nurse initiative was launched at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in December 2023. 

This initiative, launched within one of the hospital’s medical-surgical unit, allows bedside and remote nurses to collaborate in providing patient care. 

It facilitates communication between a Virtual Nurse and patients or patients’ family members via a secure, two-way optical camera system.  

So far, this pilot has garnered positive patient feedback and is expected to be extended to other divisions within the Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, stated care.ai. 

Virtua Health integration and strategic operations senior vice-president Michael Capriotti said: “By swiftly adopting optical cameras and ambient sensors, we are poised to markedly enhance the patient and care team experience, ensuring a safer, more efficient, and empathically connected healthcare experience.” 

After being integrated into Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, care.ai's Virtual Care solutions will gradually be implemented across all acute care settings under Virtua Health.  

The broader partnership between Virtua Health and care.ai is expected to improve experiences for both patients and providers, and aslo enhance the capabilities of clinicians, whether they are on-site or part of virtual care teams.  

The platform will unify physicians, nurses, and staff while simplifying a variety of patient care tasks, such as routine admissions, discharge activities, and documentation. 

It will also minimise the administrative load on nurses, allowing them to dedicate more time to essential care.