IBM Watson Health Introduces New Opportunities for Imaging AI Adoption

IBM Imaging AI Orchestrator and IBM Workflow Orchestrator with Watson Launching at RSNA 2021 Annual Meeting
Orchestration–of AI and of workflow–offers a new way to help imaging organizations improve radiologists’ reading experience while significantly reducing the impact on IT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 30, 2021 — IBM Watson Health is introducing a new AI orchestration offering to help imaging organizations experience the benefits of having AI applications work seamlessly together. IBM Watson Health will officially launch IBM Imaging AI Orchestrator at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 Annual Meeting in Chicago this week. In addition, IBM is announcing IBM Imaging Workflow Orchestrator with Watson, a new solution that modernizes the radiologist’s reading experience while reducing the demands on IT and imaging system administrators.

“We recognize that when it comes to applying AI in imaging, it’s hard to go it alone,” said David Gruen, MD, MBA, FACR, Chief Medical Officer, Imaging, Watson Health. “Because each AI application is developed in a unique way with a specific purpose, it can be challenging for organizations to review and assess each one, and then to deploy them in a way that’s beneficial to radiologists and their patients. That’s why, with the rapid proliferation of approved algorithms, staffing shortages, and complexity of disease, the IBM Imaging AI Orchestrator could not come at a better time.”

IBM Imaging AI Orchestrator is a cloud-based AI service that provides imaging organizations with scalable access to regulatory-cleared AI applications from leading AI solution providers that have been vetted to meet strict data security and privacy standards. It is designed to help radiologists control their access to AI insights within the context of reading workflow. It indicates the status of AI processing in the worklist and returns consolidated results from AI applications directly into the PACS. IT departments benefit by outsourcing the management of multiple applications from diverse suppliers to IBM. At launch, AI applications from several partners have been validated for interoperability with AI Orchestrator and are available today from IBM.

In addition to the availability through the Watson Health Imaging solutions, Life Image has also chosen to offer IBM Watson Health’s AI Orchestrator to their hospital and health system clients. Life Image, the world’s largest medical evidence network providing access to points of care and curated clinical and imaging data, has created a digital platform using industry-leading interoperability standards to connect 13,000 facilities with more than 160,000 U.S. providers and 58,000 global clinics.

“Working together with IBM Watson Health, Life Image will promote universal, enterprise-wide access to imaging AI results and imaging data,” said Matthew A. Michela, President and CEO of Life Image. “We are excited about this collaboration and the opportunity to advance interoperability and the potential to improve outcomes for providers, patients, and the healthcare system at large.”

To further support radiology practices, there is an opportunity to update and improve the clinician’s experience while streamlining workflows. IBM Imaging Workflow Orchestrator with Watson is a workflow solution that consolidates studies, patient data, and AI results into one insightful and modern interface to give physicians a head start in their reading activities. Built to support advanced hybrid environments, this cloud-native SaaS helps IT leaders to optimize the flow of studies, linking imaging data and tools that run on-premises and in the cloud, making them available to reading experts anywhere in the enterprise.

“These innovative offerings are designed to provide health systems and radiology practices with a smarter way to adopt AI for diagnostic imaging and to improve the reading experience. For health systems, they can help to deliver quality patient care. By supporting physicians and specialists to be more productive by using AI augmented tools, patients have more confidence. For radiology practices, orchestrating AI and workflows can expand their capacity to provide imaging services at a pace to meet today’s growing healthcare demands,” said Alok Gupta, Vice President and General Manager of IBM Watson Health Imaging at IBM.

“We are constantly striving to introduce cutting-edge technologies into our imaging environment to support our radiologists’ productivity and their confidence in diagnostic accuracy,” said Randy Hicks, MD, MBA, CEO at Regional Medical Imaging, Grand Blanc, Michigan. “For the future, AI orchestration sets a strategic foundation to allow us to scale up to using additional AI applications with the peace of mind that the applications are vetted for privacy and security and will lower the burden on our IT staff.”

IBM and Yonsei University Unveil Collaboration to Bring IBM Quantum System One to Korea

• Korea set to become the fourth country to have a co-located IBM Quantum System One
• The Yonsei – IBM Quantum Collaboration aims to grow the quantum workforce and foster economic opportunities in Korea, a critical step for building a quantum industry

SEOUL, November 16, 2021 — Today at the IBM Quantum Summit, IBM  and Yonsei University announced that Korea is expected to become the fourth country in the world to have an on-premises IBM Quantum System One after the United States, Germany, and Japan.

Expected to be deployed at the Songdo International Campus, this milestone ushers in a new era of quantum workforce development in Korea, which is also driven by the Korea Ministry of Science and ICT to foster about 1,000 researchers and scientists by 2030 . According to the IBM Institute for Business Value’s “The Quantum Decade” report, “only about 3,000 skilled quantum workers exist today, and that base needs to be doubled or quadrupled.”

As part of the planned collaboration, Yonsei intends to work with IBM to advance quantum computing and grow the pool of quantum talent, with a goal to make quantum computing practical for the benefit of industry, science and society. IBM and Yonsei University plan to bring together industry, academic, and research institutions in Korea, establishing a local ecosystem to focus on strategically significant research and development activities, and fostering economic opportunities in Korea.

As part of this effort, a high priority will be placed on building quantum programming, application and technology development skills and expertise. This next-generation national quantum competency will follow Korea’s already established model in building previous competencies in the semiconductor, electronics, and automobile technology areas.

“IBM brings decades of research to advance quantum computing across three key areas: hardware, software and ecosystem development. We are committed to the growth of the global quantum ecosystem and fostering collaboration between research communities,” said Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and VP of Quantum Computing. “IBM is pleased to partner with Yonsei University in Korea to advance the local quantum workforce and we look forward to working closely with the University’s team and broader ecosystem.”

The announcement is also aligned with the initiative of the Korean Government to develop and grow national competency in quantum technology. The Korea Ministry of Science and ICT announced “The investment strategy on research and development of quantum technology” this year to increase investment in establishing foundation of quantum study, fostering talent and expanding global collaboration as well as promoting industry innovation based on quantum technology.

Yonsei University joins more than 170 members of the IBM Quantum Network, a global community of ‎Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, academic institutions and research labs working to advance ‎quantum computing and explore practical applications. In Korea, Yonsei will be the second Hub in the region, in addition to the first Hub at Sungkyunkwan University. Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), among others, are also working with IBM Quantum to establish an important foundation for securing national competitiveness in quantum computing.

Seoung Hwan Suh, President of Yonsei University, said, “I believe that quantum computing is the next generation technology that can bring a breakthrough to the high-tech material and bio technology industries. IBM is truly the world leader with hardware and software technology, development roadmaps and clear vision for quantum computing. Yonsei University, which has the largest medical network and research manpower in Korea, expects to be able to create synergy in research and education based on quantum computing through collaboration with IBM. We look forward to partners joining us to help establish Yonsei University as Korea’s quantum computing hub.”

Sung Shik Won, GM of IBM Korea, continued, “IBM believes that building a global ecosystem and open adoption for quantum computing is key to advancing development and application of quantum computing in science and business. Korea already has outstanding capabilities across various industries and research fields – from bio technology and medical to manufacturing and financial services. This cooperation between IBM and Yonsei University to establish a Quantum computing ecosystem will only serve to further strengthen the country’s capabilities.”

The IBM Quantum System One at Yonsei is expected to be online in 2023.

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.

About IBM Quantum
IBM Quantum is an industry-first initiative to build universal quantum systems for business and science applications. For more information about IBM’s quantum computing efforts, please visit www.ibm.com/quantum-computing/

Posted by / November 22, 2021 / Posted in News

IBM Completes the Separation of Kyndryl

ARMONK, N.Y., November 3, 2021 – IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today that it has completed the separation of its managed infrastructure services business to Kyndryl. Starting on November 4, 2021, Kyndryl will begin “regular way” trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “KD.”

Each holder of IBM common stock will receive one share of Kyndryl common stock for every five shares of IBM common stock held on October 25, 2021, the record date for the distribution. For United States federal income tax purposes, the distribution has been conducted in a tax-efficient manner for IBM stockholders in the United States.

“The separation of Kyndryl is one of many actions we are taking to sharpen our focus on hybrid cloud and AI, leverage a portfolio clearly focused on technology and consulting, and achieve our growth objectives,” said Arvind Krishna, IBM chairman and chief executive officer. “We look forward to our partnership with Kyndryl as it moves forward as an independent company.”

As previously stated, IBM is retaining 19.9 percent of the shares of Kyndryl common stock, with the intention of exchanging those shares for IBM debt during the 12-month period following the distribution, subject to market considerations.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on the company’s current assumptions regarding future business and financial performance. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, the following: a downturn in economic environment and client spending budgets; a failure of the company’s innovation initiatives; damage to the company’s reputation; risks from investing in growth opportunities; failure of the company’s intellectual property portfolio to prevent competitive offerings and the failure of the company to obtain necessary licenses; the possibility that the proposed separation of the managed infrastructure services unit of the company’s Global Technology Services segment will not be completed within the anticipated time period or at all, the possibility of disruption or unanticipated costs in connection with the proposed separation or the possibility that the separation will not achieve its intended benefits; the company’s ability to successfully manage acquisitions, alliances and dispositions, including integration challenges, failure to achieve objectives, the assumption of liabilities, and higher debt levels; fluctuations in financial results; impact of local legal, economic, political, health and other conditions; the company’s failure to meet growth and productivity objectives; ineffective internal controls; the company’s use of accounting estimates; impairment of the company’s goodwill or amortizable intangible assets; the company’s ability to attract and retain key employees and its reliance on critical skills; impacts of relationships with critical suppliers; product quality issues; impacts of business with government clients; reliance on third party distribution channels and ecosystems; cybersecurity and data privacy considerations; adverse effects from environmental matters, tax matters; legal proceedings and investigatory risks; the company’s pension plans; currency fluctuations and customer financing risks; impact of changes in market liquidity conditions and customer credit risk on receivables; risk factors related to IBM securities; and other risks, uncertainties and factors discussed in the company’s Form 10-Qs, Form 10-K and in the company’s other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or in materials incorporated therein by reference. Any forward-looking statement in this release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Posted by / November 22, 2021 / Posted in News

Fortune and IBM Watson Health Reveal Annual List of 50 Top-Performing U.S. Cardiovascular Hospitals

The Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals winners demonstrate opportunities to potentially save thousands of additional lives and billions of dollars in costs
Cardiovascular caseloads drop due to pandemic, but hospitals continue to deliver quality care despite COVID-19 challenges

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 16, 2021 — IBM Watson Health today announced its 2022 Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list, naming the top-performing U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services. This year’s study included 951 U.S. hospitals with cardiovascular service lines. Based on comparisons between the study winners and a peer group of similar hospitals in the study, the winners delivered better outcomes while operating more efficiently and at a lower cost. The list of the top cardiovascular hospitals was published by Fortune today.

Based on the methodology used by Watson Health, the study concludes that if all United States hospitals’ cardiovascular service lines performed at the level of these study winners, some 6,400 additional lives and roughly $1.4 billion could be saved, and 5,000 additional bypass and angioplasty patients could be complication-free.

Compared to similar cardiovascular hospitals, this year’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals winners had better results on indicators intended to measure clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, financial performance, and patient experience. The measures evaluate inpatient and 30-day mortality, patient complications, 30-day readmission, average length of stay, 30-day episode-of-care payment, and adjusted cost per case, for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and heart failure (HF) patients.

The study data also showed that there was an overall 13.5 percent decline in the volume of patients treated for these cardiovascular conditions from 2019 to 2020. This decline was most likely related to the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in many patients delaying or avoiding care and hospitals focusing on treating only patients with urgent needs. For the heart patients who were treated, the outcomes were similar to previous years, indicating that quality of care was stable in the observed hospitals despite the pandemic.

New to the study this year is the inclusion of a patient experience measure based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey as reported in the CMS Hospital Compare data set. Patient perception of care – or the patient “experience” – is crucial to the balanced scorecard concept and has a direct effect on a hospital’s ability to remain competitive in the market. As with other measures, winning hospitals outperformed their peers in the HCAHPS measure in all comparison groups.

Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals List (by category)
* Hospitals are listed in alphabetical order. The order of hospitals reflected below is not to be construed as any indication of performance or recommendation.

Teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residency programs*
Ascension Borgess Hospital (Kalamazoo, MI)
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center (Charlotte, NC)
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple (Temple, TX)
Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano (Plano, TX)
Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas, TX)
Froedert Hospital (Milwaukee, WI)
Intermountain Medical Center (Murray, UT)
Kettering Medical Center (Kettering, OH)
Mayo Clinic Florida (Jacksonville, FL)
Mayo Clinic Rochester (Rochester, MN)
Mercy Medical Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital (Winfield, IL)
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago, IL)
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (Philadelphia, PA)
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital (Atlanta, GA)
Riverside Methodist Hospital (Columbus, OH)
St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem (Bethlehem, PA)
Summa Health System – Akron Campus (Akron, OH)
UNC REX Hospital (Raleigh, NC)
University Hospital (Madison, WI)

Teaching hospitals without cardiovascular residency programs*
Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola (Pensacola, FL)
Aspirus Wausau Hospital (Wausau, WI)
Atrium Health Pineville (Charlotte, NC)
Baton Rouge General – Bluebonnet (Baton Rouge, LA)
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest (Waco, TX)
Beaumont Hospital, Troy (Troy, MI)
Bronson Methodist Hospital (Kalamazoo, MI)
Chester County Hospital (West Chester, PA)
Chippenham Hospital (Richmond, VA)
Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage, CA)
Missouri Baptist Medical Center (Saint Louis, MO)
Overland Park Regional Medical Center (Overland Park, KS)
Providence St. Patrick Hospital (Missoula, MT)
Redmond Regional Medical Center (Rome, GA)
Sarasota Memorial Hospital (Sarasota, FL)
St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital (Ypsilanti, MI)
St. Joseph’s Hospital (Tampa, FL)
The Medical Center of Aurora (Aurora, CO)
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital (Greensboro, NC)
TriStar Centennial Medical Center (Nashville, TN)

Community hospitals*
Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (Medford, OR)
Ascension St. Vincent Heart Center (Indianapolis, IN)
Bellin Hospital (Green Bay, WI)
Harlingen Medical Center (Harlingen, TX)
McLaren Northern Michigan (Petoskey, MI)
Oklahoma Heart Hospital North (Oklahoma City, OK)
Oklahoma Heart Hospital South (Oklahoma City, OK)
Parkwest Medical Center (Knoxville, TN)
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center (Reno, NV)
UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital (Waterloo, IA)

The Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study is based on quantitative research that uses a balanced scorecard approach, based on publicly available data, to identify the top cardiovascular hospitals in the U.S. To determine the cardiovascular hospitals included on the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list, IBM Watson Health researchers evaluated 951 short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of cardiology patients. It includes patients requiring medical management, as well as those who receive invasive or surgical procedures. Because multiple measures are used, a hospital must provide all forms of cardiovascular care, including open heart surgery, to be included in the study.

All research was based on the following public data sets: Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) data, and Hospital Compare data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. Hospitals do not apply for awards, and winners do not pay to market this honor.