WAREHAM, Mass. – Southcoast Health was recently named a Recognized Center for Healthcare-AI by the American College of Radiology.
Known as ARCH-AI, this is the first national artificial intelligence quality assurance program for radiology facilities. Southcoast Health is one of only 13 health systems in the U.S. to earn the recognition. The program is built on best practices, outlines expert consensus-based building blocks of infrastructure, processes and governance in AI implementation.
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Southcoast Health radiologists use AI imaging as a second set of eyes, scanning for abnormalities on CT and X-ray images. This allows for faster identification of medical conditions and can provide valuable insights to a patient’s health quickly.
“We first looked to bring AI to Southcoast Health in 2018,” said Dr. John Mungovan, chairman of radiology imaging services. “We were early to adopt this innovation compared to other health systems, and now numerous departments across Southcoast Health utilize AI-based solutions. I am proud of our advancement in this field and am particularly proud of the role the radiology team played in ushering us into this digital era.”
Southcoast Health began using AI in 2022 to improve the diagnostic process.
“The main benefit is the decrease in the amount of time it takes our team to evaluate and diagnose a scan, leading to faster results and a better patient experience,” said Debra A. Desmarais, executive director of radiology imaging services. “I am thankful for our team’s adaptability and commitment to excellence that enabled us to achieve this recognition.”
To earn the designation, Southcoast Health had to show it followed several criteria, including:
- Establishing an interdisciplinary AI governance group.
- Maintaining an inventory of AI algorithms with detailed documentation.
- Ensuring adherence to security and compliance measures.
- Engaging in diligent review and selection of AI algorithms.
- Documenting use cases and training procedures.
- Monitoring algorithm performance, including safety and effectiveness.
- Participating in the Assess-AI national artificial intelligence registry for performance benchmarking.
“I want to congratulate the entire Southcoast Health Imaging team for being at the forefront of AI in health care and achieving this distinction,” said Jim Feen, senior vice president and chief digital and information officer. “The drive to leverage AI to improve efficiency, accuracy and safety within our radiology workflows at Southcoast Health started many years ago. Thanks to their hard work, they have successfully embraced the benefits of AI and set Southcoast Health as an industry leader and improved the care we provide to our patients.”
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.
