Cleveland Clinic is on the forefront of digital transformation and AI integration into healthcare. What's next for the system?
Cleveland Clinic CEO Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, talked about how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing are reshaping healthcare at the Becker's 12th Annual CEO+CFO Roundtable in Chicago on Nov. 11. Dr. Mihaljevic underscored the Clinic’s commitment to the partnership-driven approach to advancing patient care, operational efficiencies, and medical research with AI.
"Cleveland Clinic is not a digital company and we do not aspire to be a digital company. We're a healthcare company," Dr. Mihaljevic said. "Applications that we co-develop in AI are truly a co-development. We want to be a very integral part of the AI landscape through partnerships, and we are very fortunate that we have several partnerships that are already yielding AI products, data advancing our ability to execute on our mission and our aspirations need to be the best place to receive care and the best place to work in healthcare."
This distinction reflects the Clinic’s philosophy of pursuing technological advancements with a clear focus on healthcare’s unique needs rather than adopting technology for its own sake. Through collaborations with AI firms like Palantir, Cleveland Clinic has been able to develop tools that streamline hospital operations and manage patient throughput, a critical capability in an institution that serves thousands daily.
Voice recognition technology is another area of AI that Cleveland Clinic is poised to adopt widely. Dr. Mihaljevic explained how this technology will soon allow clinicians to create medical notes and documentation without touching a keyboard, which could free up valuable time for direct patient interaction.
"Two of our senior physicians who, by their own admission, are not digitally literate were blown away by testing these new products. They said it's going to transform the way they take care of our patients,” he said.
Another revolutionary tool Cleveland Clinic is exploring is quantum computing. Cleveland Clinic recently entered into a 10-year partnership with IBM to develop applications of quantum computing for healthcare and life sciences research.
"Quantum computing is very advanced. It is really still a research computational tool," he said, noting that while it won’t solve every healthcare challenge, its potential for accelerating research is unparalleled. "We are extremely optimistic about the future of healthcare because we believe that these digital advances... are going to have an even greater transformative effect on everything in healthcare from the care provision to new research, to new discoveries."
Quantum computing's promise lies in its capacity to process vast amounts of complex data at unprecedented speeds. This capability could accelerate discoveries in genomics, drug development, and personalized medicine — areas where immense data complexity has historically hindered progress. For instance, in conditions with multiple variables and nuanced biological interactions, quantum computing may one day allow researchers to simulate entire molecular interactions in ways that are impossible with today’s traditional computers.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Mihaljevic highlighted Cleveland Clinic’s dual mission of balancing cutting-edge technology with a commitment to compassionate care. Located in one of the United States’ poorest urban centers, the Clinic serves as both a global healthcare leader and a local safety-net provider.
"We have a charge on one end to lead the world or be one of the leaders in the world in healthcare," he said. "And there's another really important part of our charge…to be a safety net and care for those who are so impoverished and so neglected that your heart breaks."
This dual mission, he explained, drives their strategic decisions in technology and beyond.
Cleveland Clinic continues to explore applications that will enhance not only patient outcomes but also the caregiver experience.
"We are very fortunate that we have several partnerships that are already yielding AI products," Dr. Mihaljevic shared, adding that the Clinic’s team of Silicon Valley-trained digital experts has been essential in guiding these partnerships to ensure they deliver real-world results.
As Cleveland Clinic continues to push the boundaries of AI and quantum computing, it remains committed to a mission that transcends technology.
"We either can cherish what we have or we can keep on poking holes in our imperfections. I choose the former," Dr. Mihaljevic remarked.