Empowering Patients and Closing Health Gaps with AI and Connected Care



In this episode, Anil Saldanha, Chief Innovation Officer at Rush University System for Health shares how Rush is addressing deep-rooted health inequities in Chicago by targeting the life expectancy gap through bold, system-wide interventions.

Anil highlights Rush’s commitment to public health, chronic disease management, and early cancer detection by referring to innovative initiatives like Rush Connect Plus, which is an on-demand, subscription-based virtual care model, and the rollout of Grail’s multi-cancer early detection test. He explains their use of cutting-edge AI technologies, from ambient listening and AI-powered symptom checkers to novel behavioral health kiosks leveraging multi-agent generative AI for PTSD care.

Anil points to the impact of consumer-driven digital tools, health equity analytics, and a data warehouse that will enable targeted interventions for chronic care. He closes with optimism about AI’s future in healthcare, the shift toward “connected care anywhere,” and the growing role of empowered, informed patients. Take a listen.