As the newly appointed chief AI officer of Phoenix-based Mayo Clinic Arizona, Bhavik Patel, MD, described his new role as the opportunity to be at the forefront of long-overdue disruptive innovation.

Kaiser Permanente Ventures, the investment arm of Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, co-led a $42.5 million financing round for women's medtech company Gynesonics.

Cleveland Clinic has introduced the Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program, an initiative designed to foster competition among startup companies interested in investigating quantum computing's potential applications in healthcare and life sciences.

At the 8th Annual Becker's Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Meeting, Aaron Patzer, co-founder and CEO at Vital Software and former founder of the US’ #1 personal finance app Mint.com, led an interactive session on how artificial intelligence can improve patient experience and drive growth for hospitals and health systems.

Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic is using an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify a left ventricular cardiovascular disease that can go unnoticed until a serious cardiac event, the Post Bulletin reported Nov. 2.

Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger is using an artificial intelligence-powered workflow system to identify patients with lung abnormalities for further screening. 

Walmart Health has inked its first health system partnership.

Despite the $1 billion valuation, not all healthcare unicorns have been able to find long-term success. Becker's has reported on RCM, physician services and digital healthcare unicorns that have shut down or filed for bankruptcy.

Life sciences and diagnostics company Danaher appointed Christopher Riley as executive vice president for biotechnology.

World Rugby has adopted a smart mouthguard developed at Cleveland Clinic to help detect head injuries.

General Catalyst's recently launched Health Assurance Transformation Corp. plans to purchase a health system in the "$1 billion to $3 billion range" that will serve as a "blueprint" for healthcare transformation.

NYU Langone trustees Trudy Elbaum Gottesman and Robert Gottesman gave $9.8 million to the department of pediatrics at NYU Langone Health to help spur innovation in pediatric research. 

Naveena Yanamala, PhD, director of the Center of Innovation at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, has been appointed to the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health Patient Engagement Advisory Committee.   

Despite a decline in healthcare venture funding, a report from CB Insights, found that there are still 121 healthcare unicorns, or companies with at least a $1 billion valuation.

Hoag Innovators, a philanthropic arm of the Newport Beach, Calif.-based health system, awarded $1 million to Hoag staffers' innovation projects, the Daily Pilot reported.

RadiantGraph, an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to drive health plan engagement, raised $5 million in seed financing. 

Healthcare ... well, it could use some help. You can’t swing a stethoscope without knocking over piles of stories about frustrated patients, compassionate physicians who are burning out, nurses (the champions of moment-to-moment clinical care) who are leaving the profession in droves, and health systems that teeter on the brink of financial doom (even as some others are thriving). Nobody designed it that way, of course. People are drawn to healthcare specifically as it is the most human of all endeavors. As Nordic Consulting CEO Jim Costanzo has said, “Healthcare represents humanity at its best: people caring for others in need.” We (the authors of this article) wrote a book outlining some of the principles that health systems can follow to bring intentional, human-centered design to the entire health enterprise, in the hopes of inspiring and providing some practical advice for healthcare leaders. It is called “Designing for Health: The Human-Centered Approach.”

Sharp HealthCare, based in San Diego, has teamed up with the local incubator EvoNexus to assess advanced medical technology, The San Diego Union Tribune reported Oct. 25. 

Abridge, an artificial intelligence-powered clinical documentation company, raised $30 million in a series B financing round that saw participation from CVS Health Ventures, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Lifepoint Health and Mayo Clinic.

As the integration of AI is expected to rapidly increase in healthcare, Mike Thompson, vice president of enterprise data intelligence at Cedars-Sinai, said there needs to be a checks and balances system from innovators, healthcare institutions and regulatory entities.