From Ambition to Impact — How Leading Health Systems Are Redefining Patient Access with AI
When long-standing challenges meet bold innovation, the result isn’t merely improvement. It’s reinvention. Across the United States, health systems are moving beyond ambition, turning to intelligent solutions that make patient access faster, smarter, and more human. Two names leading this shift—Ochsner Health and Baylor Scott & White Health—are proving that the future of care doesn’t wait for change. It builds it.
Innovation No Longer on the Horizon
For years, patient access hurdles have been accepted as part of the healthcare experience: long wait times, overwhelmed call centers, and fragmented pathways to care. But recent moves by Ochsner Health and Baylor Scott & White Health show that healthcare modernization is no longer theoretical. It’s actionable.
By embracing AI-powered care coordination, these organizations are redesigning how patients engage with their providers. From optimizing call center operations to enabling digital accessibility in healthcare, they’re creating systems where care finds the patient—and not the other way around.
These aren’t isolated tech upgrades. They signal a broader wave of health system innovation, where AI isn’t just a backend tool but a driver of patient-first strategies.
Ochsner Health: AI Tools That Do More Than Triage
At Ochsner Health, AI is reengineering how patients connect to care in an overstretched system. Facing the national reality of growing demand and shrinking provider supply, Ochsner has invested in two foundational technologies: intelligent triaging and AI-powered eConsults. Together, they’re improving how patients find the right care and empowering primary care doctors with specialist-level insights.
Smart Access That Matches Patients to the Right Care
Through its partnership with Clearstep, Ochsner deploys the Smart Access chatbot to guide patients through a clinically validated triage process. When a patient types “I have a headache” into the system, it begins a nuanced conversation to understand acuity and urgency. Backed by protocols developed in collaboration with Dr. Barton Schmitt, the chatbot presents patients with timely, appropriate care options based on symptoms and location.
This AI-driven triage system does more than streamline access issues and call volumes. It corrects patient misperceptions about where to seek care. Ochsner’s data shows that 77% of chatbot users were appropriately redirected to lower-acuity care, such as virtual visits or primary care, instead of unnecessarily tapping into high-specialty resources. Nearly 56% of patients who completed a Clearstep interaction engaged with one of the recommended care options, far exceeding the health system’s benchmark of 35%.
According to Ochsner’s Dr. Jason Hill, the aim is to build a smarter funnel that connects patients not just to any provider, but to the right provider. That includes matching by subspecialty and clinical fit, ensuring specialists aren’t overwhelmed with cases better suited elsewhere. With AI models trained on intent data and provider expertise, the system is evolving to offer ever-more sophisticated guidance.
eConsults That Empower PCPs and Unburden Specialists
Alongside triage, Ochsner has rolled out an Epic-integrated eConsult system that supports PCPs in managing complex cases without defaulting to a referral. Using templates populated with key clinical questions—what Dr. Hill calls “pearls” from specialists—PCPs can get asynchronous input on cases across more than 20 specialties, from endocrinology to dermatology.
The results are impressive: 85% of patients did not need an in-person specialist visit within 90 days of an eConsult, and only 7% were later escalated to an appointment. This model speeds up access, keeps care local, and turns every eConsult into an opportunity for PCP education. As Dr. Hill notes, “The next time a similar case comes in, the PCP is already equipped.”
These efforts aren’t just about operational efficiency; they’re strategic. By analyzing care routing patterns, response times, and engagement metrics, Ochsner is shaping AI to guide both patients and clinicians through the care journey in a way that’s personalized, intelligent, and sustainable.
Baylor Scott & White Health: From Heads in Beds to Health by Design
At Baylor Scott & White Health, transformation isn’t theoretical—it’s structural. CEO Pete McCanna has spent the last three years steering the organization from a supply-driven legacy model toward a demand-driven, consumer-first future. This pivot is about reimagining what it means to serve patients as customers, and embedding that vision into every product, touchpoint, and clinical decision.
Patient Navigation That Prevents the Wrong First Step
The cornerstone of Baylor’s consumer strategy is its First Contact navigation app, a digital front door designed to guide patients to the right care setting from the outset. This tool, which begins with a chatbot and escalates to human interaction when needed, ensures that care starts with clarity, not confusion. When trialed, 60% of users admitted they would have gone to a more expensive or inappropriate care site without the app, underscoring just how critical navigation is in today’s fragmented landscape.
Baylor’s data shows that 80% of patients originally headed for the emergency department were instead safely redirected to lower-acuity options like urgent care or virtual visits. But this isn’t about rerouting for cost alone; it’s about matching the right patient to the right setting, fast. Behind every redirect is a story of reduced friction, shorter wait times, and more appropriate resource use.
Building an Ecosystem That Anticipates Needs
The transformation goes beyond navigation. Baylor’s strategy includes building specialized pathways for conditions like chronic headaches, where patients can access virtual care and follow-up with niche experts 24/7. It has also introduced a full-spectrum women’s health concierge model and is in the process of launching a behavioral health product, all designed to fill the gaps between traditional care episodes and offer continuous support.
This growing network is intentionally integrated. When Baylor acquires an urgent care clinic, it’s plugged directly into the app, the EMR, and the broader system. From check-in to follow-up, care is coordinated, creating a “walled garden” experience that enhances loyalty and keeps patients connected to the Baylor ecosystem.
AI as an Engine, Not an Add-On
AI is central to Baylor’s strategy, both in supporting individual use cases and in powering a platform. From lab result interpretation tools to triaging emergency imaging before a radiologist even sees it, Baylor is embedding AI in both clinical and administrative layers. Its app (now in version 8) has over 100 new features, most of which are non-EHR related, underscoring Baylor’s commitment to true digital consumer engagement.
What makes Baylor’s approach unique is its alignment of AI with customer insight. Every deployment starts with a simple question: What does the patient need? From eliminating friction in lab result interpretation to launching personalized navigation journeys, AI isn’t replacing human care. It’s supercharging it.
A Vision That Starts at the Top
McCanna’s leadership is about purpose. With personal experiences shaping his empathy for families navigating complex conditions, he’s driven by a vision of healthcare that is more just, accessible, and patient-centered. His approach prioritizes clarity, data-backed decision-making, and deep cultural alignment, cultivating teams that are as mission-driven as they are high-performing.
Under his guidance, Baylor has become an incubator for innovation, where digital products, care models, and leadership are all designed to reflect the needs of real people and not system metrics. And as this strategy scales, Baylor is setting a new standard for what a modern health system can be.
The Road Ahead: Scalable, Intelligent Access
Ochsner and Baylor Scott & White are the blueprint for what’s next. Their journeys highlight a future where AI for clinical workflows and digital accessibility in healthcare are standard, not standout features. Health systems that harness AI to unlock capacity, enhance patient experiences, and automate workflows position themselves to thrive in an increasingly complex care environment.
This is where Clearstep steps in. Solutions like Clearstep’s Smart Access Suite and Capacity Optimization Suite embody the same principles driving these success stories:
By aligning with the momentum of health system innovation, Clearstep offers scalable, AI-first navigation tools that push the boundaries of what’s possible.
In Other Smart Health Access News
Rethink Patient Access With a Smarter Digital Front Door
If patients are still required to pick up the phone to get care, your system is falling behind. This blog breaks down how a well-designed digital front door can reduce friction, cut operational costs, and boost satisfaction from first click to follow-up.
Why Digital Health Can’t Wait for Later
Delayed investments in digital health often lead to higher costs and lower performance. This executive primer makes the case for acting now, with clear strategies for turning innovation into measurable ROI.
Turning Call Centers Into Smart Access Hubs
By integrating intelligent triage and automation, health systems can reduce operational burdens, enhance patient experience, and improve access equity. From smart routing to dynamic scheduling, this blog shows how care today should begin.
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