US healthcare provider Reid Health has equipped its patient rooms with AI-assisted “smart hospital technology”, with the aim of boosting clinical efficiency and addressing staff shortages.
The Indiana-based organisation has partnered with healthcare technology firm hellocare.ai to deploy its virtual care platform across the hospital.
The system includes high-resolution cameras, voice-enabled controls, AI-assisted virtual nursing, telehealth, and virtual companionship and support. Interactive digital whiteboards and smart room signs, linked to the Epic electronic health record system, allow clinicians to access and update patient information at the bedside.
“With just a touch, nurses can now pull up patient labs, imaging, trends, and even write directly back to Epic from the whiteboard itself,” said Misti Foust-Cofield, vice-president and chief nursing officer at Reid Health.
“The ease of access and bidirectional Epic integration have dramatically improved documentation, supported nurse wellbeing, and increased overall patient satisfaction.”
Usage data from a pilot phase between June and October 2024 shows more than 5,800 write-backs to Epic and over 14,000 badge-activated log-ins to the whiteboards.
Muhammad Siddiqui, Reid Health’s chief digital and information officer, said the platform had replaced multiple legacy systems while adding new capabilities for care teams. “This has transformed the way we deliver virtual care, streamlining workflows, enhancing staff efficiency, and creating a more connected experience for patients and clinicians alike,” he said.
Separately, the technology is also being used in the IVY Tech Simulation Lab, allowing nursing students to train with the same systems they will encounter in practice. “Our students now graduate ready to contribute from day one,” Foust-Cofield said.
Labinot Bytyqi, founder and chief executive of hellocare.ai, described Reid Health as “an ideal partner” for rolling out one of the most advanced smart hospital room models in the country.
Hospital leaders said they expect the technology to improve nurse retention, deliver operational efficiencies and enhance patient care across the health system’s rural service area.
