The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) recently announced the deployment of HIPAA-compliant, AI-powered web search for clinicians and staff, the first capability of its kind at enterprise scale in an academic health system. The deployment was enabled through The University of Texas System’s REAL Health AI initiative, with the intention to extend across all UT System health institutions, reaching more than 130,000 clinicians and staff. “Bringing secure, real-time web access into HIPAA-compliant workflows...

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) approach that accelerates the identification of genes that contribute to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy and developmental delay. This new powerful computational tool can help fully characterize the genetic landscape of neurodevelopmental disorders, which is key to making accurate molecular diagnosis, elucidating disease mechanism and developing targeted therapies. The study appeared in the American Journal of Human Genetics. “Although researchers have made major strides identifying different...

HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center is thrilled to announce the acquisition of the latest in robotic-assisted, non-invasive surgery with the next-generation surgical system now in operation. This marks the facility’s fifth robotic system, enhancing its fleet of surgical robotic equipment and allowing the hospital to meet the growing demand for minimally invasive surgical options.   The hospital successfully completed the first case using this groundbreaking robotic system, when Terry Scarborough, M.D., Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery at...

Houston Methodist is using an FDA-cleared wearable to monitor tens of thousands of patients, which has led to improved patient outcomes and safety, Sarah Pletcher, MD, the system’s executive medical director of strategic innovation, told Becker’s.  The BioIntelliSense BioButton is being used across 2,653 non-ICU beds at Houston Methodist’s eight hospitals. Given to patients upon admission, it is monitored by the hospital’s centralized command center. This device employs AI-driven analytics to detect changes in vital sign...

HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center is excited to announce the addition of a next-generation robotic system to its fleet of surgical robotic equipment. This is the facility’s fourth robotic system and allows the hospital to meet the growing demand for minimally invasive surgical options. With potential to revolutionize the surgical landscape, this single-port robotic system allows surgeons to complete delicate, complex procedures through only a single, one-inch incision. The robotic system is one of only...

The University of Texas Medical Branch marks a significant breakthrough in the field of thoracic surgery as Dr. Roman Petrov, professor of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, successfully performed the first robotic lobectomies in the United States with a single port of entry. “The success using this intricate surgical technique highlights our commitment to advancing patient care through a cutting-edge approach,” said Petrov. Traditionally, lung resection for cancer is performed via multi portal robotic-assisted thoracoscopic...

BY Ayal Bitton, Advisory Managing Director, and Alex Obenauf, Advisory Managing Director, Customer and Operations Health & Government, KPMG   For many provider organizations, one of the most challenging aspects of centralizing patient scheduling is systematizing accurate appointment scheduling. In decentralized (practice) settings, providers’ diverse preferences for how, when and how long a patient ought to be scheduled are often accommodated by localized knowledge and proximity to providers. The scheduling of the same service within...

For patients undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer, hair loss can be a devastating side effect. But now a proven technology – available to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital patients – can help reduce or even eliminate the hair loss known as chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). The Paxman Scalp Cooling System was approved by the FDA in 2017 and is now cleared for use on patients who are undergoing chemotherapy to treat solid-tumor cancers such as ovarian,...