Northeast Ohio Hospitals Embrace AI to Enhance Patient Care

Experts discuss how hospitals are partnering with tech companies to implement customized AI workflows across radiology and other medical specialties.

Feb. 28, 2026 at 11:04am

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Northeast Ohio hospitals are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve patient care and streamline medical workflows. Hospitals are collaborating with tech companies to develop and implement AI-powered solutions tailored to their specific needs, with applications ranging from radiology scan analysis to identifying stroke patients in emergency rooms. Experts highlight the importance of customizing AI algorithms to each hospital's unique environment and ensuring proper physician training to leverage the technology effectively.

Why it matters

The integration of AI in Northeast Ohio hospitals represents a broader trend of healthcare systems leveraging advanced technologies to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and patient outcomes. As AI-enabled medical devices and programs continue to gain FDA approval, hospitals must navigate the complexities of implementing these tools while maintaining physician oversight and ensuring the technology complements rather than replaces human expertise.

The details

Northeast Ohio hospitals, including Summa Health, University Hospitals, and the Cleveland Clinic, are partnering with tech companies like Aidoc and Riverain Technologies to deploy customized AI workflows. These AI-powered solutions are being used for tasks such as summarizing medical reports, identifying lung nodules in CT scans, and alerting radiologists to potential issues. The implementation process involves integrating the AI operating system with a hospital's existing IT infrastructure and configuring the technology to fit the specific physician workflows. Experts emphasize the importance of providing thorough training to ensure doctors understand the capabilities and limitations of the AI tools.

  • As of February 2026, the Food and Drug Administration has approved over 1,300 artificial intelligence-enabled medical devices and programs.

The players

Tom Valent

Chief business and marketing officer for Aidoc, a healthcare technology company.

Dr. Brian Bauman

Head of pulmonary services and a pulmonary and critical care physician at Summa Health.

Dr. Leonardo Kayat Bittencourt

Vice chair of innovation at University Hospitals.

Dr. Po-Hao Chen

Vice chair for artificial intelligence in the Diagnostics Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.

Steve Worrell

CEO of Riverain Technologies, which created the ClearRead CT algorithm.

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What they’re saying

“What we've learned in health care, at least in the U.S., is every hospital, and sometimes even within a hospital, is kind of its own unique creature.”

— Tom Valent, Chief business and marketing officer

“[Aidoc] is kind of an alarm or an alert that pops up whenever we see a case or whenever we are covering a certain list that then calls the attention of the radiologist to ultimately give their own adjudication and assessment to the exam.”

— Dr. Leonardo Kayat Bittencourt, Vice chair of innovation

“You need to know what the AI is not going to do for you — that's still on you.”

— Dr. Po-Hao Chen, Vice chair for artificial intelligence in the Diagnostics Institute

What’s next

As more hospitals in Northeast Ohio and across the country continue to adopt AI-powered technologies, ongoing collaboration between healthcare providers, technology companies, and regulatory bodies will be crucial to ensure the safe and effective integration of these tools into clinical practice.

The takeaway

The integration of AI in Northeast Ohio hospitals represents a significant step forward in leveraging advanced technologies to enhance patient care and streamline medical workflows. However, the successful implementation of these AI solutions requires a customized approach, thorough physician training, and a clear understanding of the technology's capabilities and limitations to maintain the critical role of human expertise in healthcare.