HJNO Jan/Feb 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2025 17 what you know is the whole story. But yeah, what happens is that I might change it, but it's got to change who you are to get some of those slots. And I don't know how Arkansas works and everything else, but it evolves. Again, everything in life is about who can fund it. That's what it comes down to. Follow the money, and you'll follow the problem. Because otherwise, everybody would do it. Editor AI technology is making waves across industries, including healthcare. How do you envision AI transforming the healthcare sector? Peoples Well, we absolutely are already starting to use AI. We've got robotic bronchoscopies here for lung cancer. We're definitely doing an AI-driven radiology program. We identify radiology follow-ups with at-risk patients, critical care gaps. We have a pharmacy robot that's too cool. It fills prescriptions. You're able to put it in, and the pharmacy robot will grab the different medications and fill them. It's always checked by a pharmacist, but it helps do some of those tasks. And now, of course, everybody can walk up and do their own kiosk check- ins or anything like that. You're able to get on your computer and do a lot of stuff that used to take a person to ask you 1,000 questions. We're becoming much more technology driven. Now, depending on your multi-faceted genera- tion …My kids think, “I'm going to go online and pre-register. It saves me time. I can do a telehealth visit…”The phone — that's how they want to do everything. I'm kind of in the middle. I like face-to-face stuff. My parents absolutely will never touch a com- puter. They're not going to look at My Chart. They're not going to go and find out their information. So, I think as generations continue to age, you're going to start to see computers are a major force in all of this, and AI is already being used in so many facets for decision- making. How can we contact you? How can we schedule your next appointment? You look like you might have [blank]. Just look- ing at your baseline information, you might be at higher risk for X, for Y. And it's going to come back and ask the doc, "Do you want to order something? Should we check some- thing?" I think it's going to be some of those thought-provoking things. It won't give care, but it may ask the questions of, how would you like to proceed to give care?And I think that part's amazing. Editor Are AI systems now being used “We’ve got to start sooner educating our young to be healthier as we progress. Wellness needs to be a major part of everything we do; and start rewarding that. If people make other choices that aren't well, maybe that's some of the things that insurance says, ‘I just won't cover.’” before giving a diagnosis or to check meds? Peoples Epic's already utilizing AI in many ways, and Epic is the largest computer documentation system. Now, you want to limit it. It doesn't take the place of a provider. Because you're putting your eyes on the patient, absolutely, and all it does is go search the World Wide Web for all the information and all the things everywhere and can give you some of that technology background or information background. It still takes somebody to come back and say, "Yeah, but that's not what my patient looks like." How many patients do you have that you’d say, "Oh my God, on paper, this guy looks terrible and he needs a heart transplant." You go in the room, and they don't look that bad. Their numbers might look that bad. But against all odds, they look good. People are people. You still have to have somebody recognize the personal factor, I think. Editor Ida may be the answer to my next question. But what has been a defining moment for you as a leader? Peoples Ida, absolutely. I've been doing this for a long time. And I have to tell you, for us, we have catastrophes — I don't want to say all the time, but we've been through hurricanes, we've been through different things. We've never gotten a direct hit of a five magnitude where our entire community was devastated. We are still waiting on our FEMA funds after this long, and we got hit in 2020. Four years later, we still have three floors down. I can give you all the woes, but that isn't who we are. We're not victims. That's a building. That will come back. That just needs a little construction when somebody gives us the funding. However, I can't teach the compassion. I can't teach the dedication.