California healthcare giant drives digital health forward with innovative AI centre in San Francisco
Nestled within a spacious and modern environment, boasting stunning vistas of the Bay Bridge, a dynamic team that could easily be mistaken for a tech startup’s brightest is on the brink of revolutionising health care delivery. Sutter Health has inaugurated an “innovation centre” at the iconic Pier 1 in San Francisco, situated just a few strides from the bustling Ferry Building. This centre is the crucible where the future of healthcare, infused with the latest in mobile technology and artificial intelligence (AI), is being forged.
As the most expansive health system in Northern California, Sacramento-headquartered Sutter has embarked on this venture with a seven-year lease of an 11,000-square-foot office space, opened for its employees just this month. This initiative is not merely an expansion but a declaration of Sutter’s commitment to San Francisco and, more importantly, to AI as an indispensable component of future health care paradigms. This commitment comes at a critical juncture, contrasting sharply with the trend of businesses scaling down or exiting the city.
Sutter Health is no stranger to San Francisco, operating two significant hospitals within the city’s bounds – CPMC Van Ness and CPMC Mission Bernal. Although it previously maintained non-clinical office spaces in the city, the pandemic prompted a shift towards remote work, leading to the closure of its Battery Street office. The newly launched innovation centre, however, marks the first dedicated space for Sutter’s engineers, developers, and designers to collaborate closely with tech firms on digital health applications and remote monitoring systems aimed at integrating health care seamlessly into the fabric of daily life.
Chris Waugh, Sutter’s chief innovation officer, highlights the strategic importance of this centre as a significant leap forward. It will not only serve as a showcase for technologies developed in-house, such as the Scout mobile app for monitoring adolescent mental health and the Continuous Care Program for home-based blood pressure management for hypertension patients, but it will also feature futuristic concepts like a prototype “hospital room of the future”. This room will be equipped with devices that not only automate the updating of medical records but also offer a space where patients can receive assistance with digital health applications, reminiscent of a Genius Bar setup like in Apple stores.
The centre’s role extends beyond the confines of physical health examinations. It is envisaged as a virtual health care hub, where Sutter’s health coaches will provide tele-health services, from consultations to health management advice, through digital screens.
Moreover, Sutter is advancing the development of digital tools designed for home use. These include sensors for beds, refrigerators, and stoves that can detect changes in daily movement patterns, potentially alerting to health risks such as falls – a significant concern for the elderly population.
In a bid to further entrench itself in the digital health landscape, Sutter is cultivating partnerships with tech firms specialising in AI and other digital health innovations. One such partnership is with Ferrum, a Sunnyvale-based tech company that offers a secure platform for accessing a suite of AI tools, including an AI-assisted program for early lung cancer detection.
Pelu Tran, CEO and co-founder of Ferrum, envisions the innovation centre as a nexus for collaborative efforts with Sutter’s clinical leaders, fostering a more proactive and extensive engagement with the Bay Area’s AI ecosystem.
The decision to locate the innovation centre at Pier 1 was influenced by its accessibility for employees commuting from various parts of the Bay Area, according to Waugh. He expresses a bullish outlook on San Francisco’s future, positioning Sutter’s investment as a pledge to the city’s resurgence. “We’re optimistic and betting on the city,” he asserts, inviting others to join in shaping San Francisco’s revival narrative.
Through this pioneering innovation centre, Sutter Health is not just betting on AI and digital technology as the future of healthcare; it is actively shaping that future, making a profound investment in the health and wellbeing of the San Francisco community and beyond.