1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,159 Hi, everyone. This is Brian Zimmerman with Becker's 2 00:00:02,159 --> 00:00:02,659 Healthcare. 3 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:04,319 Thank you so much for tuning in to 4 00:00:04,319 --> 00:00:05,779 the Becker's Healthcare podcast. 5 00:00:06,399 --> 00:00:08,320 Today, we're going to talk about AI and 6 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,259 automation strategies to strengthen ASC margins in 2026. 7 00:00:12,559 --> 00:00:15,119 Joining me for today's discussion is doctor Farzad 8 00:00:15,119 --> 00:00:18,774 Masudi and and Sridhar Yermere. Doctor Masudi, Sridhar, 9 00:00:18,774 --> 00:00:20,535 thank you both for being here today. Let 10 00:00:20,614 --> 00:00:22,695 let's let's get going here. Would love each 11 00:00:22,695 --> 00:00:24,295 of you to share just a bit about 12 00:00:24,295 --> 00:00:24,795 yourselves, 13 00:00:25,175 --> 00:00:28,135 your your professional background journey, and then also 14 00:00:28,135 --> 00:00:30,390 maybe some some high level thoughts about what 15 00:00:30,390 --> 00:00:32,710 you believe is driving the increased urgency around 16 00:00:32,710 --> 00:00:35,750 margin management as ASCs head into 2026. 17 00:00:35,750 --> 00:00:37,350 Sreedhar, maybe you can you can get us 18 00:00:37,350 --> 00:00:37,850 started. 19 00:00:38,390 --> 00:00:40,229 Thanks, Brian, and thanks for having me. My 20 00:00:40,229 --> 00:00:42,549 name is Shridhar Eramreddy, the CEO of Stear 21 00:00:42,549 --> 00:00:44,570 Health. At Stear, our AI 22 00:00:45,265 --> 00:00:47,984 driven growth and automation platform specifically is designed 23 00:00:47,984 --> 00:00:49,284 to help healthcare organizations 24 00:00:49,664 --> 00:00:50,965 and including ASCs 25 00:00:51,664 --> 00:00:53,524 to operate at top of their license. 26 00:00:53,984 --> 00:00:56,704 And, you know, as we look towards 2026, 27 00:00:56,704 --> 00:00:59,184 right, and several ASC leaders have indicated there's 28 00:00:59,184 --> 00:01:00,804 a significant margin squeeze 29 00:01:01,189 --> 00:01:05,269 where operational costs, specifically labor and supplies, are 30 00:01:05,269 --> 00:01:07,129 raising much faster than reimbursements. 31 00:01:07,989 --> 00:01:08,969 While we know, 32 00:01:09,349 --> 00:01:11,670 you know, they're projected to be relatively flat 33 00:01:11,670 --> 00:01:14,394 or even the reimbursement rates are only seeing 34 00:01:14,394 --> 00:01:17,034 modest increases. Right? Around 1.5% 35 00:01:17,034 --> 00:01:19,674 while expenses are going triple or, you know, 36 00:01:19,674 --> 00:01:21,055 quadruple of that. So 37 00:01:22,234 --> 00:01:24,734 for AAC leaders, right, the days of relying 38 00:01:24,795 --> 00:01:27,854 solely upon volume growth to mask inefficiencies 39 00:01:28,394 --> 00:01:29,054 are over. 40 00:01:29,439 --> 00:01:31,040 And what we do at Steel Health is 41 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,680 we bring this amped up mentality where, you 42 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,060 know, we try 43 00:01:35,599 --> 00:01:38,079 to drive yield per operating room minute. If 44 00:01:38,079 --> 00:01:40,560 you your old wars have gaps, right, or 45 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,560 if staff is bogged down and administrated, you 46 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:43,060 rework. 47 00:01:43,505 --> 00:01:45,505 You aren't just losing time. Right? You're actually 48 00:01:45,505 --> 00:01:46,325 leaking margin, 49 00:01:46,865 --> 00:01:48,944 in an environment that no longer forgives it 50 00:01:48,944 --> 00:01:50,784 or can afford it. Right? That's how we 51 00:01:50,784 --> 00:01:54,005 look at the margins question in, 2025. 52 00:01:54,305 --> 00:01:56,085 Yeah. I I think you said it really 53 00:01:56,145 --> 00:01:57,745 really well when you when you you think 54 00:01:57,745 --> 00:02:00,239 about ASC leaders can no longer just rely 55 00:02:00,239 --> 00:02:01,780 on volume to mask inefficiencies. 56 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,079 I think that that says a lot right 57 00:02:04,079 --> 00:02:05,939 there. Farzad, doctor Masudi, 58 00:02:06,719 --> 00:02:09,199 can you introduce yourself a bit? And, also, 59 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:10,800 I is there anything you'd add to that 60 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,340 list that that Shritar said? 61 00:02:12,844 --> 00:02:13,344 Absolutely. 62 00:02:13,965 --> 00:02:16,204 Yes. I'm Farzad Nasudi. Thank you for having 63 00:02:16,204 --> 00:02:16,704 me, 64 00:02:17,004 --> 00:02:18,625 participate in this podcast. 65 00:02:19,164 --> 00:02:21,485 Delighted to be here. I'm a full time 66 00:02:21,485 --> 00:02:23,564 practicing neurosurgeon. I've been in practice for twenty 67 00:02:23,564 --> 00:02:25,745 seven years in Orange County, Southern California. 68 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:27,800 And, I've, 69 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,560 had firsthand experience with operating out of variety 70 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,219 of outpatient surgery centers as well as hospitals. 71 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:35,159 And, 72 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,680 I have a unique perspective on Steer Health 73 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:39,719 because I'm not, 74 00:02:40,384 --> 00:02:42,704 just the end user of all their products 75 00:02:42,704 --> 00:02:44,864 and offerings in my own practice, but, I've 76 00:02:44,864 --> 00:02:45,364 had 77 00:02:45,905 --> 00:02:49,204 a helping hand in design and progression and 78 00:02:49,424 --> 00:02:51,364 advances in the Steer Health platform 79 00:02:51,984 --> 00:02:53,685 as one of the clinical advisors, 80 00:02:54,310 --> 00:02:56,469 and I've had the distinct honor of, serving 81 00:02:56,469 --> 00:02:58,310 on the board at Steer and working very 82 00:02:58,310 --> 00:03:01,189 closely with Sridhar and the leadership team. I 83 00:03:01,189 --> 00:03:01,510 think, 84 00:03:02,069 --> 00:03:02,870 health care, 85 00:03:03,270 --> 00:03:03,770 is, 86 00:03:04,230 --> 00:03:05,449 really at a crossroads. 87 00:03:06,230 --> 00:03:08,230 In my own experience over the last twenty 88 00:03:08,230 --> 00:03:08,969 seven years, 89 00:03:09,675 --> 00:03:12,395 We have really the gathering of a perfect 90 00:03:12,395 --> 00:03:14,715 storm when it comes to health care delivery 91 00:03:14,715 --> 00:03:15,534 in this country, 92 00:03:15,995 --> 00:03:19,295 specifically speaking in outpatient surgery centers and hospitals 93 00:03:19,435 --> 00:03:20,175 in particular. 94 00:03:21,034 --> 00:03:23,650 We have a increasing labor shortage, 95 00:03:24,590 --> 00:03:27,789 that is manifesting itself across the spectrum in 96 00:03:27,789 --> 00:03:28,530 health care, 97 00:03:29,069 --> 00:03:32,210 which is really colliding with inherent and baseline 98 00:03:32,349 --> 00:03:33,650 and, really 99 00:03:34,764 --> 00:03:35,985 embedded inefficiencies 100 00:03:36,764 --> 00:03:37,745 of the system, 101 00:03:38,205 --> 00:03:40,125 from a health care delivery standpoint as well 102 00:03:40,125 --> 00:03:40,784 as administrative, 103 00:03:41,405 --> 00:03:41,905 standpoint. 104 00:03:43,004 --> 00:03:44,944 And, it is really resulting 105 00:03:46,044 --> 00:03:46,784 in erosion 106 00:03:47,324 --> 00:03:47,724 of, 107 00:03:48,205 --> 00:03:49,104 profit margins, 108 00:03:50,060 --> 00:03:51,199 erosion of 109 00:03:51,740 --> 00:03:52,960 operational efficiencies, 110 00:03:53,340 --> 00:03:53,840 and, 111 00:03:54,620 --> 00:03:56,639 really putting a dent into the 112 00:03:57,180 --> 00:03:59,979 maximal and optimal utilization of the capacity of 113 00:03:59,979 --> 00:04:01,039 the surgery centers. 114 00:04:01,900 --> 00:04:03,439 And a lot of that is 115 00:04:04,814 --> 00:04:05,955 really the result 116 00:04:06,574 --> 00:04:07,235 of increasing 117 00:04:07,694 --> 00:04:08,754 administrative burden, 118 00:04:09,455 --> 00:04:13,294 repetitive tasks that, have a tendency to, fatigue 119 00:04:13,294 --> 00:04:14,114 and demoralize 120 00:04:14,414 --> 00:04:16,354 the already short labor 121 00:04:16,975 --> 00:04:19,294 and the staff that we have. And then 122 00:04:19,294 --> 00:04:19,855 some of the, 123 00:04:21,509 --> 00:04:24,550 unexpected things that can happen with patient care 124 00:04:24,550 --> 00:04:25,529 delivery and 125 00:04:26,069 --> 00:04:29,669 cancellations and delays leading up to surgeries and, 126 00:04:29,909 --> 00:04:31,750 the the procedures that have been scheduled. So 127 00:04:31,750 --> 00:04:34,064 we have a perfect storm here that is 128 00:04:34,064 --> 00:04:35,925 really eroding margins and eroding, 129 00:04:36,384 --> 00:04:37,285 labor morale. 130 00:04:38,225 --> 00:04:39,425 And, I think, 131 00:04:39,904 --> 00:04:40,404 we 132 00:04:40,865 --> 00:04:42,084 at Steer have 133 00:04:42,544 --> 00:04:44,004 really a good solution 134 00:04:44,544 --> 00:04:45,524 to these problems 135 00:04:45,904 --> 00:04:48,404 with AI enabled automation of processes, 136 00:04:50,199 --> 00:04:52,759 really stemming out of our experience deep experience 137 00:04:52,759 --> 00:04:55,660 with health care and our experience in the, 138 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,279 trenches of health care delivery and patient care 139 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,360 delivery as I've seen it in the past 140 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:01,180 several years. 141 00:05:01,774 --> 00:05:04,014 Yeah. And and and Farzad, that that steers 142 00:05:04,014 --> 00:05:05,855 us right to where we wanna go next, 143 00:05:05,855 --> 00:05:08,415 which is really unpacking. I mean, I I 144 00:05:08,415 --> 00:05:10,654 think some folks out there, they they might 145 00:05:10,654 --> 00:05:12,274 realize this themselves already. 146 00:05:12,895 --> 00:05:16,014 But wanna unpack the why behind automation, why 147 00:05:16,014 --> 00:05:16,514 automation 148 00:05:17,089 --> 00:05:19,970 is the logical next lever for improving financial 149 00:05:19,970 --> 00:05:20,470 performance 150 00:05:20,930 --> 00:05:23,490 in this perfect storm. And and how really, 151 00:05:23,490 --> 00:05:25,889 how is it also helping ASCs better manage 152 00:05:25,889 --> 00:05:28,370 capacity and and workflow demands? Farzad, let let's 153 00:05:28,370 --> 00:05:29,350 begin with you. 154 00:05:29,694 --> 00:05:32,514 Well, you know, anytime you speak of automation, 155 00:05:33,694 --> 00:05:35,694 you have to be dealing with inherently a 156 00:05:35,694 --> 00:05:36,435 set of, 157 00:05:37,455 --> 00:05:39,074 highly important but repetitive 158 00:05:39,455 --> 00:05:41,855 tasks that actually need to be done with 159 00:05:41,855 --> 00:05:43,875 great degree of accuracy and precision 160 00:05:44,319 --> 00:05:46,500 in order to have optimal end results. 161 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,080 And, you know, in that statement, we are 162 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,199 characterizing, summarizing at least 90% of what happens 163 00:05:53,199 --> 00:05:54,100 in health care, 164 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:55,120 from, 165 00:05:57,274 --> 00:05:59,675 to medical and cardiac evaluation of the patients 166 00:05:59,675 --> 00:06:00,175 preoperatively 167 00:06:00,875 --> 00:06:03,914 to optimization of the revenue cycle management and 168 00:06:03,914 --> 00:06:05,914 billing that goes along with the health care 169 00:06:05,914 --> 00:06:06,414 services. 170 00:06:07,435 --> 00:06:09,294 Many tasks are very laborious, 171 00:06:09,829 --> 00:06:12,410 but they are also predictable and repetitive. 172 00:06:12,949 --> 00:06:13,990 So when you are, 173 00:06:14,709 --> 00:06:17,189 faced with a situation like this, which is 174 00:06:17,189 --> 00:06:20,870 resulting in administrative inefficiencies and erosion of, profit 175 00:06:20,870 --> 00:06:21,370 margins, 176 00:06:21,750 --> 00:06:22,870 automation comes, 177 00:06:23,670 --> 00:06:24,490 very handy, 178 00:06:25,365 --> 00:06:28,104 and it's a highly effective tool. So, 179 00:06:28,644 --> 00:06:30,644 at Steer, we have spent a lot of 180 00:06:30,644 --> 00:06:32,745 time trying to perfect a platform 181 00:06:33,125 --> 00:06:35,224 that effectively and reliably and consistently 182 00:06:35,524 --> 00:06:38,829 automates these repetitive tasks with the end results 183 00:06:38,829 --> 00:06:40,529 that we really need to, 184 00:06:41,389 --> 00:06:42,689 be accurate and 185 00:06:43,230 --> 00:06:46,430 produce the optimal outcome for for the particular 186 00:06:46,430 --> 00:06:50,189 entity. So here, it's a situation that is, 187 00:06:50,670 --> 00:06:51,170 ideal 188 00:06:51,550 --> 00:06:52,370 for automation. 189 00:06:53,384 --> 00:06:56,105 And Shreedhar can, speak to how we've really 190 00:06:56,105 --> 00:06:57,324 taken this automation 191 00:06:57,944 --> 00:06:59,884 platform to the next level, 192 00:07:00,824 --> 00:07:03,785 with the introduction of AI and AI enabled 193 00:07:03,785 --> 00:07:04,285 automation 194 00:07:04,745 --> 00:07:08,029 that has really made it a hyper personalized 195 00:07:08,250 --> 00:07:10,189 and a very patient centric 196 00:07:10,569 --> 00:07:11,710 process and experience. 197 00:07:12,089 --> 00:07:14,490 Yeah. Fascinating to hear more there. Shreedhar, go 198 00:07:14,490 --> 00:07:14,990 ahead. 199 00:07:15,770 --> 00:07:18,170 Yeah. And then doctor Masuri articulated really well. 200 00:07:18,170 --> 00:07:19,935 I think all the work that goes into 201 00:07:19,935 --> 00:07:22,895 it, like, you know, obviously, terminology, like, t 202 00:07:22,895 --> 00:07:25,134 twenty one, twenty one days before surgery, fourteen 203 00:07:25,134 --> 00:07:26,915 days before, and seven days before. 204 00:07:27,455 --> 00:07:28,415 There's so many, 205 00:07:28,735 --> 00:07:31,235 little steps that can really impede or impact 206 00:07:31,459 --> 00:07:33,319 the surgeon's schedule or anesthesiologist's 207 00:07:33,779 --> 00:07:35,959 schedule the day before the surgery, 208 00:07:36,660 --> 00:07:38,259 causing issues. And if you look at, you 209 00:07:38,259 --> 00:07:39,720 know, last several decades, 210 00:07:40,020 --> 00:07:42,500 you know, throwing people at this problem is 211 00:07:42,500 --> 00:07:44,740 not the solution. I I truly believe in, 212 00:07:44,899 --> 00:07:45,879 the current time, 213 00:07:46,274 --> 00:07:47,894 automation is the only lever, 214 00:07:48,274 --> 00:07:51,154 that can actually scale and address some of 215 00:07:51,154 --> 00:07:52,214 these, repetitive 216 00:07:52,514 --> 00:07:55,555 tasks. Right? Because talent is not there. You 217 00:07:55,555 --> 00:07:57,475 know, the cost of hiring and, you know, 218 00:07:57,475 --> 00:07:57,975 also, 219 00:07:58,595 --> 00:08:00,754 the attrition is, you know, is very the 220 00:08:00,754 --> 00:08:02,850 costs are very high. The way 221 00:08:03,230 --> 00:08:03,790 we view, 222 00:08:04,110 --> 00:08:06,430 automation, right, is kind of like the difference 223 00:08:06,430 --> 00:08:09,810 between having your staff be drivers versus passengers. 224 00:08:10,110 --> 00:08:11,470 And what I mean by that is really 225 00:08:11,470 --> 00:08:12,670 right now, if you look at it, too 226 00:08:12,670 --> 00:08:13,964 many skilled nurses 227 00:08:14,444 --> 00:08:17,665 and surgical coordinators are passengers to bad workflows. 228 00:08:17,964 --> 00:08:19,725 You know, stuck on the phone, you know, 229 00:08:19,725 --> 00:08:22,444 trying to do the phone tagging or, like, 230 00:08:22,444 --> 00:08:24,785 you know, chasing insurance companies for prior auths 231 00:08:25,165 --> 00:08:27,725 or, you know, manually entering data between various 232 00:08:27,725 --> 00:08:30,339 things. These are the tasks that are very 233 00:08:30,339 --> 00:08:31,160 highly suited 234 00:08:31,620 --> 00:08:32,440 and purposely 235 00:08:32,899 --> 00:08:33,960 kind of, like, you know, 236 00:08:34,340 --> 00:08:36,740 manifested for machines to do really a good 237 00:08:36,740 --> 00:08:37,240 job. 238 00:08:37,620 --> 00:08:39,620 That's that's where we look at when we 239 00:08:39,620 --> 00:08:40,120 deploy 240 00:08:40,595 --> 00:08:44,035 automation. We're offloading these repetitive low value tasks, 241 00:08:44,035 --> 00:08:46,355 like all of them. This allows, like, you 242 00:08:46,355 --> 00:08:48,915 know, obviously, your your highly valued staff to 243 00:08:48,915 --> 00:08:50,934 focus entirely on clinical capacity, 244 00:08:51,715 --> 00:08:53,889 surgical outcomes, and patient care. It's not just 245 00:08:53,889 --> 00:08:56,049 about cutting costs, about increasing the velocity of 246 00:08:56,049 --> 00:08:57,269 your ASC operations. 247 00:08:57,649 --> 00:08:59,110 When you automate the intake, 248 00:08:59,490 --> 00:09:01,809 the risk factors and try to drive, you 249 00:09:01,809 --> 00:09:04,049 know, the prep work that goes before surgery 250 00:09:04,049 --> 00:09:05,909 in a very structured manner, 251 00:09:06,304 --> 00:09:07,605 and you have a virtual, 252 00:09:07,985 --> 00:09:10,304 assistant or agent take AI, we call it, 253 00:09:10,304 --> 00:09:12,225 do a lot of that lift, you now 254 00:09:12,225 --> 00:09:15,184 have, staff that's kind of really freed up, 255 00:09:15,184 --> 00:09:16,784 and you could run more cases per day 256 00:09:16,784 --> 00:09:17,764 with the same headcount. 257 00:09:18,144 --> 00:09:20,485 That's where I call pure margin ex expansion 258 00:09:20,625 --> 00:09:21,284 can happen. 259 00:09:21,860 --> 00:09:23,779 Yeah. And I I wanna get to something 260 00:09:23,779 --> 00:09:25,379 that sort of or unpack a bit more, 261 00:09:25,379 --> 00:09:26,980 something you you stated at the beginning of 262 00:09:26,980 --> 00:09:29,139 of your response there, which is really the 263 00:09:29,139 --> 00:09:31,320 challenges around that scheduling variability 264 00:09:31,620 --> 00:09:33,460 that's sort of a constant in in in 265 00:09:33,460 --> 00:09:34,600 the ASC world. 266 00:09:35,164 --> 00:09:36,845 Can can you get into some details about 267 00:09:36,845 --> 00:09:38,784 how precisely AI and automation 268 00:09:39,324 --> 00:09:40,544 are helping organizations 269 00:09:40,924 --> 00:09:43,804 shift from sort of this reactive response to 270 00:09:43,804 --> 00:09:46,764 potential cancellations or issues with scheduling toward a 271 00:09:46,764 --> 00:09:49,699 more proactive approach for for managing and and 272 00:09:49,699 --> 00:09:52,039 and filling up open AOR time? 273 00:09:52,899 --> 00:09:54,740 Yeah. Brian, great question. And this is one 274 00:09:54,740 --> 00:09:57,559 of the biggest wins or opportunities we see. 275 00:09:57,860 --> 00:09:59,654 Traditionally, if you look at an ASC, a 276 00:09:59,894 --> 00:10:02,455 cancellation at 2PM for the next more next 277 00:10:02,455 --> 00:10:04,615 morning was a kind of a dead slot. 278 00:10:04,615 --> 00:10:07,415 So you receive a cancellation request 2PM today 279 00:10:07,415 --> 00:10:08,075 for tomorrow's 280 00:10:08,455 --> 00:10:10,394 morning search day at 10:10AM. 281 00:10:11,495 --> 00:10:13,415 It it it was lost revenue because no 282 00:10:13,415 --> 00:10:16,279 human could scramble and fast enough to really 283 00:10:16,279 --> 00:10:18,539 get that slot reoccupied. Right? So 284 00:10:18,919 --> 00:10:20,839 what we have moved from reactive to proactive 285 00:10:20,839 --> 00:10:23,100 by using what we call smart backfill 286 00:10:23,639 --> 00:10:25,820 and waitlist auto pull. So our 287 00:10:26,199 --> 00:10:29,159 technology and platform doesn't just see an empty 288 00:10:29,159 --> 00:10:31,764 slot. It it manages the wait list, identifies 289 00:10:31,825 --> 00:10:33,605 patients who are clinically cleared 290 00:10:33,985 --> 00:10:37,424 and insurance ready, and we can automatically reach 291 00:10:37,424 --> 00:10:39,904 out to make sure we can put that 292 00:10:39,904 --> 00:10:42,544 patient on that on that surgeon's schedule without 293 00:10:42,544 --> 00:10:44,964 impacting them. Right? Again, we do that via 294 00:10:45,309 --> 00:10:47,790 omnichannel approach. But, again, a lot of prep 295 00:10:47,790 --> 00:10:49,389 work that goes into it. Right? Again, we 296 00:10:49,389 --> 00:10:51,970 are keeping that ASC that that surgeon spot 297 00:10:52,269 --> 00:10:54,590 valued highly and make sure they're practicing on 298 00:10:54,590 --> 00:10:57,090 top of their license. If your patient, a, 299 00:10:57,475 --> 00:10:58,774 a, that has, you know, 300 00:10:59,634 --> 00:11:01,634 a a a tennis elbow surgery is dropped 301 00:11:01,634 --> 00:11:03,075 off, we can pick the next one that 302 00:11:03,075 --> 00:11:04,534 could fit into the same spectrum 303 00:11:04,835 --> 00:11:06,534 and be able to do that. Right? So, 304 00:11:06,595 --> 00:11:07,315 again, it's, 305 00:11:08,115 --> 00:11:10,990 turning a manual chaotic scramble into seamless automated 306 00:11:10,990 --> 00:11:12,830 work workflow. So that's how kind of, like, 307 00:11:12,910 --> 00:11:14,990 we're essentially playing, you know, what they call 308 00:11:14,990 --> 00:11:17,309 Tetris with the OR schedule in real time, 309 00:11:17,309 --> 00:11:20,029 ensuring the block utilization remains high without burning 310 00:11:20,029 --> 00:11:22,429 out the scheduling team. So we're keeping that 311 00:11:22,429 --> 00:11:23,730 OR utilization optimal, 312 00:11:24,375 --> 00:11:27,035 without the manual headaches and workflows involved. 313 00:11:27,575 --> 00:11:29,735 Yeah. You you're you're playing Tetris, but you're 314 00:11:29,735 --> 00:11:31,654 doing it very well. Correct. It's just like 315 00:11:31,735 --> 00:11:33,894 I I think anybody who's played Tetris, you 316 00:11:33,894 --> 00:11:35,815 you understand what it looks like when the 317 00:11:35,815 --> 00:11:38,375 the the things go awry during that game. 318 00:11:38,375 --> 00:11:39,115 Right, Tritar? 319 00:11:40,209 --> 00:11:42,209 Yes. Absolutely. And that and that's where the 320 00:11:42,209 --> 00:11:44,289 structure comes into play. And, you know, again, 321 00:11:44,289 --> 00:11:46,129 type of depending on type of surgery, what 322 00:11:46,129 --> 00:11:48,309 the process, and that's where our our smart 323 00:11:48,610 --> 00:11:51,089 backfill is and kind of things fit in 324 00:11:51,089 --> 00:11:53,835 with the right spectrum of surgical procedures that 325 00:11:53,835 --> 00:11:55,514 fit into the one that get just got 326 00:11:55,514 --> 00:11:57,274 canceled. And these are the things that we 327 00:11:57,274 --> 00:11:59,595 go in, in detail as we kind of, 328 00:12:00,394 --> 00:12:02,955 onboard clients and stuff and understand those spectrum. 329 00:12:02,955 --> 00:12:05,754 But ultimately, Brian, it's about saving the surgeons 330 00:12:05,754 --> 00:12:08,309 time and and the procedure and making sure 331 00:12:08,309 --> 00:12:10,470 that it's optimized and, you know, the patients 332 00:12:10,470 --> 00:12:12,629 are getting the care and make and and 333 00:12:12,629 --> 00:12:13,129 particularly, 334 00:12:13,750 --> 00:12:15,129 assessing those steps carefully. 335 00:12:16,230 --> 00:12:18,470 That's excellent. Doctor Masudi, can you speak to 336 00:12:18,470 --> 00:12:20,490 this from sort of the end user perspective? 337 00:12:21,345 --> 00:12:23,985 Absolutely. I I think, Shrirhar articulated it very 338 00:12:23,985 --> 00:12:26,784 well, and just to highlight some of the, 339 00:12:27,024 --> 00:12:29,924 great points that he raised. As a surgeon 340 00:12:29,985 --> 00:12:30,804 over the years, 341 00:12:31,504 --> 00:12:32,644 last minute cancellations 342 00:12:33,105 --> 00:12:36,324 because of avoidable issues and problems and challenges 343 00:12:36,879 --> 00:12:39,199 have always been a big issue in my 344 00:12:39,199 --> 00:12:41,379 practice and the practices of my colleagues. 345 00:12:42,159 --> 00:12:44,240 A cardiac clearance that should have been done 346 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,399 three weeks before surgery gets done the way 347 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,980 the day before. And of course, it reveals 348 00:12:49,039 --> 00:12:50,259 something that prohibits 349 00:12:51,154 --> 00:12:53,794 us from proceeding with surgery is one example 350 00:12:53,794 --> 00:12:56,514 of it, which is actually happens with quite 351 00:12:56,514 --> 00:12:57,495 a bit of frequency. 352 00:12:57,955 --> 00:12:59,075 So, really, 353 00:13:00,434 --> 00:13:01,174 the combination, 354 00:13:01,554 --> 00:13:04,294 I would say the brilliant combination of multi 355 00:13:04,434 --> 00:13:04,934 agentic 356 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:06,379 AI platform, 357 00:13:07,639 --> 00:13:09,100 enabling our automation, 358 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:10,220 processes, 359 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,579 has been a really an effective billion solution 360 00:13:13,799 --> 00:13:15,879 for these problems. And the way I would 361 00:13:15,879 --> 00:13:17,019 characterize this, 362 00:13:17,334 --> 00:13:19,815 what AI has done for Steer platform, what 363 00:13:19,815 --> 00:13:21,735 it has done for surgeons and, 364 00:13:22,375 --> 00:13:25,095 our clients across the country is it has 365 00:13:25,095 --> 00:13:26,634 provided an anticipatory 366 00:13:27,174 --> 00:13:27,914 and proactive, 367 00:13:29,095 --> 00:13:31,940 platform in which we can deal with issues 368 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,580 and predict them and predict problems 369 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,679 before they really arise to a point where 370 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:39,779 they interfere with the daily flow of, 371 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:43,300 surgeries and operations and, for instance, an outpatient 372 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:44,259 surgery center 373 00:13:44,804 --> 00:13:45,304 and, 374 00:13:45,845 --> 00:13:48,745 anticipating problems or recognizing patterns 375 00:13:49,284 --> 00:13:52,745 of, for instance, delay in medical and cardiac 376 00:13:52,804 --> 00:13:56,904 clearance or abnormal laboratories that, are not discovered 377 00:13:56,965 --> 00:14:00,470 until it's too late and really having generated 378 00:14:00,929 --> 00:14:02,529 a system of and, 379 00:14:03,009 --> 00:14:04,149 a catalog of, 380 00:14:05,009 --> 00:14:07,649 alternatives when it comes to surgeries to be 381 00:14:07,649 --> 00:14:09,669 able to, as Rudhar put it, backfill 382 00:14:10,370 --> 00:14:11,269 a surgical 383 00:14:11,570 --> 00:14:14,014 slot that has been not been been made 384 00:14:14,014 --> 00:14:14,514 vacant, 385 00:14:15,535 --> 00:14:16,674 literally last minute, 386 00:14:17,535 --> 00:14:19,154 are tremendous tools, 387 00:14:19,855 --> 00:14:21,634 that now we have at our disposal 388 00:14:22,095 --> 00:14:22,335 to, 389 00:14:23,215 --> 00:14:24,735 increase and enhance our, 390 00:14:25,295 --> 00:14:26,355 operational efficiencies, 391 00:14:27,309 --> 00:14:28,289 enhance predictability 392 00:14:28,909 --> 00:14:30,529 of a particular day, 393 00:14:30,990 --> 00:14:32,850 days work, worth of workflow 394 00:14:33,230 --> 00:14:35,089 at a surgery center in the hospital. 395 00:14:35,870 --> 00:14:37,149 It really does, 396 00:14:37,789 --> 00:14:38,769 tend to relax 397 00:14:39,149 --> 00:14:40,289 the general temperament 398 00:14:40,909 --> 00:14:42,995 of the staff because they're not worried about 399 00:14:42,995 --> 00:14:45,075 all these unpredictable things that can happen last 400 00:14:45,075 --> 00:14:45,575 minute. 401 00:14:46,355 --> 00:14:48,855 Improves patient care and patient flow processes. 402 00:14:49,235 --> 00:14:50,195 And at the end of the day, you 403 00:14:50,195 --> 00:14:51,875 know, we're living in an environment in a 404 00:14:51,875 --> 00:14:54,134 world where everything is very patient centric. 405 00:14:54,675 --> 00:14:57,175 Everybody is customer service oriented, 406 00:14:57,819 --> 00:14:59,899 and it just really results in better patient 407 00:14:59,899 --> 00:15:00,639 care service, 408 00:15:01,179 --> 00:15:04,240 higher satisfaction rates. And, you know, has 409 00:15:04,940 --> 00:15:05,839 referred this, 410 00:15:06,539 --> 00:15:07,839 to before as, 411 00:15:08,220 --> 00:15:10,720 really intelligent optimization of, 412 00:15:11,825 --> 00:15:12,884 untapped capacity, 413 00:15:13,985 --> 00:15:15,764 of surgery centers and hospitals, 414 00:15:16,545 --> 00:15:19,285 that you really are operating to the maximal, 415 00:15:19,825 --> 00:15:22,545 ceiling of potential you have as opposed to 416 00:15:22,545 --> 00:15:22,865 having, 417 00:15:23,424 --> 00:15:24,884 deficiencies and inefficiencies 418 00:15:25,345 --> 00:15:26,485 undermine your 419 00:15:26,850 --> 00:15:28,709 profitability and clinical outcome. 420 00:15:29,570 --> 00:15:30,070 Yeah. 421 00:15:30,450 --> 00:15:32,850 And beyond sort of even just the the 422 00:15:32,850 --> 00:15:36,370 scheduling component, the the the OR optimization component 423 00:15:36,370 --> 00:15:37,029 that can, 424 00:15:37,409 --> 00:15:39,669 you know, boost revenue and help financial performance, 425 00:15:40,129 --> 00:15:41,649 so much of this front end work that 426 00:15:41,649 --> 00:15:42,389 has implications 427 00:15:42,825 --> 00:15:45,245 for for revenue in other ways too, thinking 428 00:15:45,384 --> 00:15:48,024 through making sure registration is correct, verification or 429 00:15:48,024 --> 00:15:51,004 estimates to prevent denials. Right? Because denials 430 00:15:51,384 --> 00:15:54,504 and administrative rework are a major challenge for 431 00:15:54,504 --> 00:15:56,860 for for ASC. So can can you unpack 432 00:15:56,860 --> 00:15:58,379 that a little bit too about how this 433 00:15:58,379 --> 00:16:00,220 kind of stuff can help get in front 434 00:16:00,220 --> 00:16:02,059 of denials, prevent them before they even get 435 00:16:02,059 --> 00:16:03,899 going? Farzad, maybe we'll begin with you and 436 00:16:03,899 --> 00:16:06,480 then Absolutely. Shreedha, it'll be from you too. 437 00:16:06,539 --> 00:16:09,339 One of, one of the accomplishments we're proud 438 00:16:09,339 --> 00:16:11,019 of and one of our claims to fame 439 00:16:11,019 --> 00:16:14,274 is how we have really through automation and, 440 00:16:14,675 --> 00:16:15,175 multiagentic 441 00:16:15,715 --> 00:16:17,014 AI, enablement 442 00:16:17,394 --> 00:16:20,055 have really optimized your revenue cycle management. 443 00:16:20,434 --> 00:16:23,315 And a big part of, optimization of revenue 444 00:16:23,315 --> 00:16:25,394 cycle management is, again, that sort of an 445 00:16:25,394 --> 00:16:25,894 anticipatory 446 00:16:26,274 --> 00:16:27,415 proactive intervention 447 00:16:27,929 --> 00:16:30,590 in terms of, really checking all the boxes, 448 00:16:30,889 --> 00:16:33,070 making sure that the claims that are generated 449 00:16:33,370 --> 00:16:34,669 are administratively 450 00:16:35,210 --> 00:16:36,029 well founded. 451 00:16:36,970 --> 00:16:39,070 And actually these days, we can, 452 00:16:39,610 --> 00:16:40,095 even 453 00:16:40,414 --> 00:16:41,875 optimize the combination 454 00:16:42,254 --> 00:16:44,735 of CPT codes and claims that are submitted 455 00:16:44,735 --> 00:16:46,914 to the insurance company before they're submitted 456 00:16:47,375 --> 00:16:49,634 and then have a a really an automated 457 00:16:50,014 --> 00:16:50,914 AI enabled, 458 00:16:51,774 --> 00:16:53,235 process that we can, 459 00:16:53,870 --> 00:16:56,210 go back to deny claims 460 00:16:56,909 --> 00:17:00,029 and resubmit the claims with adequate explanation and 461 00:17:00,029 --> 00:17:02,450 clinical support and documentation to maximize, 462 00:17:03,309 --> 00:17:07,005 our turnovers on denial. So revenue cycle management 463 00:17:07,065 --> 00:17:09,144 in its all aspects and forms from the 464 00:17:09,144 --> 00:17:11,545 day, the moment the patient gets registered to 465 00:17:11,545 --> 00:17:14,744 when the CPT claims are generated and how 466 00:17:14,744 --> 00:17:17,325 the denials are met and dealt with, 467 00:17:17,944 --> 00:17:19,565 are a big part of this 468 00:17:20,289 --> 00:17:20,789 picture 469 00:17:21,410 --> 00:17:22,309 where centers, 470 00:17:22,769 --> 00:17:24,789 doctors, and hospitals are struggling, 471 00:17:25,410 --> 00:17:27,809 with a declining revenue stream and how we 472 00:17:27,809 --> 00:17:30,789 can optimize that revenue cycle management through this 473 00:17:30,849 --> 00:17:31,829 very stepwise 474 00:17:32,609 --> 00:17:33,829 proactive anticipatory 475 00:17:34,130 --> 00:17:34,630 intervention. 476 00:17:35,515 --> 00:17:37,755 Excellent. Shreedhar, what would you what would you 477 00:17:37,755 --> 00:17:39,595 add there? And then be curious too if 478 00:17:39,595 --> 00:17:41,275 you you you could you could anchor us 479 00:17:41,275 --> 00:17:43,674 with maybe a specific success story in terms 480 00:17:43,674 --> 00:17:45,115 of what this looks like when you get 481 00:17:45,115 --> 00:17:48,015 capacity management and RCM automation right. 482 00:17:48,649 --> 00:17:51,289 Absolutely, Brian. And doctor Masuri articulated really well. 483 00:17:51,289 --> 00:17:52,829 The point I want to highlight is 484 00:17:53,130 --> 00:17:55,529 the battle for margins as we started this 485 00:17:55,529 --> 00:17:58,329 conversation is really either won or lost days 486 00:17:58,329 --> 00:18:00,269 before the patient enters the facility. 487 00:18:00,809 --> 00:18:02,329 I think this is where we call, like, 488 00:18:02,329 --> 00:18:05,474 you know, automation of the entire financial clearance 489 00:18:05,474 --> 00:18:05,974 phase, 490 00:18:06,434 --> 00:18:09,414 which will basically includes, you know, insurance eligibility. 491 00:18:10,034 --> 00:18:12,054 But most importantly, prior authorization, 492 00:18:12,434 --> 00:18:12,934 preparation, 493 00:18:13,234 --> 00:18:16,240 along with apply applying agentic AI. You You 494 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,599 know, pay yourself sophisticated mechanisms around things. How 495 00:18:19,599 --> 00:18:21,599 do you really counter, kind of, like, you 496 00:18:21,599 --> 00:18:22,319 know, provide, 497 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:25,039 equal footing of really being able to approve, 498 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:27,679 get those approvals on time. And, you know, 499 00:18:27,679 --> 00:18:29,919 along with it, sending good faith estimates to 500 00:18:29,919 --> 00:18:32,115 patients ahead of time. Right? These are things 501 00:18:32,115 --> 00:18:33,954 we do and streamline this and what we 502 00:18:33,954 --> 00:18:36,674 call, like, the financial clearance space. So our 503 00:18:36,674 --> 00:18:37,174 system 504 00:18:37,555 --> 00:18:40,275 can can flag an authorization issue or coverage 505 00:18:40,275 --> 00:18:41,095 gap instantly, 506 00:18:41,555 --> 00:18:43,795 and then identify whether this this is a 507 00:18:43,795 --> 00:18:45,634 case that might get really delayed or someone 508 00:18:45,634 --> 00:18:47,130 needs to get on the phone. And and 509 00:18:47,130 --> 00:18:48,970 this way, I call human in the loop 510 00:18:48,970 --> 00:18:51,049 what flows to make sure that things that 511 00:18:51,049 --> 00:18:53,950 are really streamlined, automated, can still be addressed. 512 00:18:54,009 --> 00:18:55,769 Things like again, when you automate this, you 513 00:18:55,769 --> 00:18:58,250 can reduce the sticker shock for patients and 514 00:18:58,250 --> 00:19:00,494 also send, you know, automated, you know, 515 00:19:00,875 --> 00:19:02,894 notifications. So all parties, including 516 00:19:03,274 --> 00:19:05,774 surgeon's office, the the anesthesiologist, 517 00:19:06,154 --> 00:19:07,835 and everyone is, like, all kept in the 518 00:19:07,835 --> 00:19:10,154 loop and remove that administrative burden for the 519 00:19:10,154 --> 00:19:12,234 financial side. Now to your second part of 520 00:19:12,234 --> 00:19:14,410 your question, right, you know, we work with 521 00:19:14,410 --> 00:19:16,330 several ASCs, but I'll bring, like, you know, 522 00:19:16,330 --> 00:19:18,670 a high performance surgical group in in Chicago, 523 00:19:19,369 --> 00:19:21,130 you know, that really embodies the shift. Like, 524 00:19:21,130 --> 00:19:23,369 they deal with, you know, high acuity, spine, 525 00:19:23,369 --> 00:19:26,250 orthopedic cases, you know, where an empty slot 526 00:19:26,250 --> 00:19:28,430 can be incredibly expensive. Right? So 527 00:19:28,845 --> 00:19:31,565 before working with Steer, they faced a typical 528 00:19:31,565 --> 00:19:33,664 bottleneck staff, but it didn't phone calls, 529 00:19:34,365 --> 00:19:36,384 late cancellations, manual prep, 530 00:19:36,765 --> 00:19:39,585 and engagement gaps. Right? By implementing, 531 00:19:40,285 --> 00:19:41,884 some of the workflows that we have we 532 00:19:41,884 --> 00:19:43,424 have discussed so far, the automated, 533 00:19:44,179 --> 00:19:45,700 kind of, you know, what we call the 534 00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:47,240 surgical patient journey, 535 00:19:47,859 --> 00:19:50,500 from the initial referral all the way, you 536 00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:51,319 know, through 537 00:19:52,099 --> 00:19:54,359 t twenty one fourteen seven. 538 00:19:54,900 --> 00:19:57,640 These things that are really specific to insurance 539 00:19:57,779 --> 00:19:58,919 or financial clearances. 540 00:19:59,444 --> 00:20:01,044 And also, the second part of it is, 541 00:20:01,044 --> 00:20:01,944 like, you know, clinical 542 00:20:02,404 --> 00:20:05,365 clearances, risk assessments. When you do risk assessments, 543 00:20:05,365 --> 00:20:07,444 right, also applying AI to see, you know, 544 00:20:07,444 --> 00:20:09,784 what are other other considerations or factorial, 545 00:20:10,484 --> 00:20:12,244 things that can come into play. I think 546 00:20:12,244 --> 00:20:14,265 these are elements, again, that are extremely 547 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:16,680 kind of automated, which we have all done 548 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:18,460 manually before. The result is 549 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,420 significant increase in provider and staff engagement 550 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,700 because the the busy work disappeared. So, 551 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:26,839 one of their spine surgeons noted that, you 552 00:20:26,839 --> 00:20:28,839 know, patients were showing up better prepared for 553 00:20:28,839 --> 00:20:29,339 surgery 554 00:20:29,734 --> 00:20:32,615 because the education the patient education sequences are 555 00:20:32,615 --> 00:20:33,115 working. 556 00:20:33,414 --> 00:20:35,654 And and that's ultimately, that's where we see 557 00:20:35,654 --> 00:20:37,575 and they saw detection in note in the 558 00:20:37,575 --> 00:20:39,275 late last minute cancellations. 559 00:20:40,055 --> 00:20:41,494 That's what we take pride in. We look 560 00:20:41,494 --> 00:20:43,575 at the current state and really apply those 561 00:20:43,575 --> 00:20:45,920 anchors to figure out what are the next 562 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:47,920 best steps so we can kind of what 563 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,160 I call crawl, walk, run, identify the pain 564 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,319 points and solve those things and then get 565 00:20:52,319 --> 00:20:54,480 to the next one. Because we provide entire 566 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:54,980 spectrum 567 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,440 of, you know, patient journey in the surgical 568 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,700 workflow workflow on top of the HR. 569 00:21:00,315 --> 00:21:03,534 Excellent. Appreciate, you getting into those specifics there. 570 00:21:03,835 --> 00:21:05,914 Before I let you gentlemen go, I wanna 571 00:21:05,914 --> 00:21:07,595 tap on each of you to to share 572 00:21:07,595 --> 00:21:09,355 any closing thoughts you might have. Maybe it's 573 00:21:09,355 --> 00:21:12,329 something you wanna reemphasize from our conversation today. 574 00:21:12,409 --> 00:21:14,490 Maybe it's a a a new thought, or 575 00:21:14,490 --> 00:21:16,569 or something you weren't able to get to 576 00:21:16,569 --> 00:21:17,950 in some of our our previous, 577 00:21:18,329 --> 00:21:21,450 questions. Farzad, let's begin with you. What what 578 00:21:21,450 --> 00:21:22,809 what closing thoughts would you like to leave 579 00:21:22,809 --> 00:21:24,669 our listeners with? In closing, 580 00:21:25,049 --> 00:21:26,744 I would like to, just, 581 00:21:27,224 --> 00:21:28,444 remind our listeners 582 00:21:28,825 --> 00:21:30,744 fact that health care is in a very 583 00:21:30,744 --> 00:21:31,224 unique, 584 00:21:32,025 --> 00:21:32,525 crossroads. 585 00:21:33,065 --> 00:21:34,444 We are really realizing 586 00:21:34,904 --> 00:21:37,384 the kinds of inefficiencies and problems that health 587 00:21:37,384 --> 00:21:39,224 care delivery and patient care delivery in this 588 00:21:39,224 --> 00:21:42,289 country has. And ultimately, it's gonna come come 589 00:21:42,289 --> 00:21:43,029 down to 590 00:21:43,410 --> 00:21:46,369 hospitals and surgery centers and medical groups that 591 00:21:46,369 --> 00:21:46,869 utilize 592 00:21:47,170 --> 00:21:50,230 automation processes and AI enabled platforms 593 00:21:50,690 --> 00:21:52,724 to enhance revenue streams, enhance 594 00:21:53,204 --> 00:21:56,964 operational efficiencies, and improve patient satisfaction rates versus 595 00:21:56,964 --> 00:21:58,904 those who don't have these platforms. 596 00:21:59,285 --> 00:22:00,424 And I think the, 597 00:22:00,804 --> 00:22:01,304 organizations 598 00:22:01,684 --> 00:22:02,904 that avail themselves, 599 00:22:03,765 --> 00:22:07,044 of these new technological breakthroughs that, for instance, 600 00:22:07,044 --> 00:22:09,659 Steer Health can offer are at a clear 601 00:22:09,659 --> 00:22:12,059 competitive advantage compared to the ones that choose 602 00:22:12,059 --> 00:22:14,720 not to. And there's gonna be a bifurcation 603 00:22:15,099 --> 00:22:17,519 in the road to success and prosperity, 604 00:22:18,299 --> 00:22:19,759 in the future of these organizations 605 00:22:20,380 --> 00:22:22,720 in a very close imminent future. 606 00:22:23,284 --> 00:22:25,365 Thank you, doctor Masudi. Tredart, what do you 607 00:22:25,365 --> 00:22:28,085 have? Yeah. I think, my closing thought for 608 00:22:28,085 --> 00:22:29,444 the audience, I think, you know, I think 609 00:22:29,444 --> 00:22:31,524 we are what I call, like, an infinite 610 00:22:31,524 --> 00:22:32,505 game in ASCs. 611 00:22:33,125 --> 00:22:35,684 The goal isn't just to survive. You know, 612 00:22:35,684 --> 00:22:36,825 now with the 613 00:22:37,380 --> 00:22:39,880 technologies and agent EKI that we offer, 614 00:22:40,339 --> 00:22:41,859 you know, I think it's it is to 615 00:22:41,859 --> 00:22:44,099 build an operating system that allows you to 616 00:22:44,099 --> 00:22:46,519 adapt faster than the rest of the market. 617 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:48,820 I would say don't wait for the perfect 618 00:22:48,820 --> 00:22:51,240 time to modernize. You know, velocity matters. 619 00:22:51,700 --> 00:22:54,815 How your staff experience, surgeons experience matters. 620 00:22:55,275 --> 00:22:57,914 I would say start automating the small friction 621 00:22:57,914 --> 00:22:59,755 points today, and you will build a momentum 622 00:22:59,755 --> 00:23:01,914 to tackle the big ones very soon. So 623 00:23:01,914 --> 00:23:03,434 I think in the coming year, I think 624 00:23:03,434 --> 00:23:05,640 I do see, like, lot of ASCs, you 625 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,980 know, kind of leveraging agentic workflows. 626 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:09,720 Some are doing it today, but, you know, 627 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,039 other again, adoption rates will be much more 628 00:23:12,279 --> 00:23:15,080 imagine an AI that notices a denial for 629 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,240 a case, logs into the patient portal, and 630 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,640 initiates the appeal draft for a human to 631 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:21,634 review. I think that's where we're heading. I 632 00:23:21,634 --> 00:23:22,375 think we're 633 00:23:22,674 --> 00:23:25,234 automating the pre op, post op communications, I 634 00:23:25,234 --> 00:23:26,755 think, is where really the game is going 635 00:23:26,755 --> 00:23:28,914 to be rewarding for people that, you know, 636 00:23:28,914 --> 00:23:30,934 really act, and do it effectively. 637 00:23:31,714 --> 00:23:34,970 Shreedhar, appreciate you. Farzad, thank you so much. 638 00:23:34,970 --> 00:23:36,649 It's always a a pleasure speaking to both 639 00:23:36,649 --> 00:23:37,690 of you. Thank you so much for coming 640 00:23:37,690 --> 00:23:38,429 on the podcast. 641 00:23:38,889 --> 00:23:39,789 Thank you, Brian. 642 00:23:40,089 --> 00:23:42,347 Thank you, Brian. Appreciate it. Also wanna thank 643 00:23:42,347 --> 00:23:44,667 our podcast sponsors, Stear Health. You can tune 644 00:23:44,667 --> 00:23:47,067 to more podcasts from Becker's Healthcare by visiting 645 00:23:47,067 --> 00:23:50,527 our podcast page at beckershospitalreview.com.