Cardiologist and clinical informaticist Ashley Beecy, MD, gets a lot questions these days about integrating augmented intelligence (AI)—commonly called artificial intelligence—into health care. As the chief AI officer at Sutter Health, in Northern California, she leads the strategic advancement of AI across her health system.
But there’s one question in particular she gets from women physicians: Is it too late for me to get involved?
“No, it’s not too late!” Dr. Beecy tells them. “This technology is evolving so rapidly … just jump on the train.”
A webinar hosted by the AMA Women Physicians Section (AMA-WPS) in September featured a question-and-answer session with Dr. Beecy about how women physicians can get more involved in health care AI development.
As chief AI officer at Sutter Health, one of Dr. Beecy’s responsibilities is to ensure the thoughtful and safe application of AI through governance best practices. Sutter Health is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Buffering her claim that it’s never too late to get involved, she noted that she hasn’t always worked in health care AI.
Dr. Beecy started her career in computer engineering after studying premed in college. She first worked for about 10 years at IBM and Citibank in software development and product management.
“Ultimately, it’s the application of technology to improve patients’ health, their health care journey” that brought her back to medicine, she said.
The AMA-WPS celebrates women physicians, residents and medical students every September during Women in Medicine Month, which also includes the section’s Inspiration Award to honor physicians who have helped advance the careers of women in medicine.
The AMA Women Physicians Section consists of more than 100,000 members of the AMA and aims to increase the number and influence of women physicians in leadership roles and to advocate for and advance the understanding of women’s health issues.
