New Braunfels | June 2025

Health care

BY JARRETT WHITENER

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

San Antonio hospitals look to AI to enhance patient care

New technology diagnoses lung cancer The hospital acquired an Ion® Robotic Bronchoscopy System in the spring of 2024 to diagnose lung conditions at earlier stages, according to an email from Genifer Rucker, president of Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels. The overview The device uses a CT-generated 3D airway map to access hard-to-reach lung nodules with precision, reducing the time from detec- tion to diagnosis, enabling early treatment and better outcomes. The robotic system also helps physicians identify cancer sooner. “These innovations empower surgeons, reduce patient recovery time, and improve outcomes, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to excellence and compassion- ate, high-tech care,” Rucker said.

Articial Intelligence is rapidly expanding, reaching into each industry in some capacity. As technology continues to develop, systems are being implemented in the health care industry to increase diagnosis accuracy alongside reducing patient procedure times. At University Health, AI is used to improve mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, and computed tomography, or CT scans, said Bill Phillips, executive vice president and chief operating ocer. At Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in New Braunfels, AI helps improve x-ray imaging to help detect lung nodules. What’s happening? One of the key areas being advanced with AI is the ability to more accurately read mammograms, Phillips said. “It is producing higher accuracy rates, better predictability and focusing. Because if you look at a mammogram, it is a pretty large area that you have

to read where [AI] really shows density changes in tissue and highlights it,” he said. Alongside improvements to mammograms, AI helps speed up MRIs to be at least three times faster, allowing more patients to be seen in a day. “Ultimately, radiologists still have to look at it and sign o on it,” he said. “But we are nding it extremely accurate.” Morgan Meyers, director of clinical services at Christus Santa Rosa, said AI can help screen X-rays to detect lung nodules or abnormalities. Meyers said while health care professionals examine acute problems, chronic issues can go unnoticed, and the AI will help ensure issues are not missed. “It is some way to passively examine all of our patients,” she said. Looking ahead AI projects that are being developed include advancements in pathology and electrocardiogram,

AI advancements

CT scans: Improved readability, improved imaging, quicker diagnosis time, reduced radiation exposure CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels X-ray improvements: Lung nodule detection, improved imaging, easier specialist recommendation University Health Mammography: Improved accuracy, enhanced clarity, enhanced cancer detection, reduction in false positives MRI: Reduced scan times, reduced breath hold times, high-quality imaging, increased accuracy

The da Vinci 5™ robot supports urologic, gynecologic, general and thoracic surgeries.

COURTESY CHRISTUS SANTA ROSA HOSPITALNEW BRAUNFELS

Robot technology supports general surgeries at Christus

benets both surgeons and patients. “With quicker recovery, reduced pain, and lower infection risk, robotic surgery represents the most common modality of soft-tissue surgery in the U.S., rearming Christus’ dedication to surgical excellence close to home,” Rucker said in the email.

Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels features the da Vinci Xi® and da Vinci 5™ robots, supporting urologic, gynecologic, general and thoracic surgeries, according to an email from Genifer Rucker, president of the hospital. Learn more Both state-of-the-art systems provide surgical precision and enhanced visualization, which

SOURCES: UNIVERSITY HEALTH, CHRISTUS SANTA ROSA HOSPITALNEW BRAUNFELSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

or EKG, results. Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio are developing improvements for how clinicians handle biomedical and social data.

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