Ascertain, a healthcare artificial intelligence company creation platform backed by the venture capital arm of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, named Mark Michalski, MD, the previous head of strategic development for healthcare and life sciences, as CEO.
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Michalski led strategic development for healthcare and life sciences at Amazon, then served as the executive director of Boston-based Mass General Brigham's data science office. Ascertain was launched through a partnership between Northwell Holdings and Aegis Ventures, according to an Aug. 22 Ascertain news release.
Through its partnership with Northwell, Ascertain will have access to the health system's datasets. Earlier this year, Ascertain announced a $12 million seed funding round to launch Optain, an AI-powered retinal imaging company.
"Health systems are facing unrelenting financial pressures and an unprecedented workforce crisis. It is challenging to watch the impacts on my provider colleagues and their patients," Dr. Michalski said in the news release. "I've seen what is possible when you bring best-in-field technologists together with deep clinical know-how. We have an opportunity to re-engineer the experience of healthcare, equitably and for all patients."