Mayo Clinic gets $25M to establish AI program for clinicians

Provided by the Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. family, clinicians will be allowed to pursue AI projects

The incorporation of artificial intelligence into the healthcare space has really ramped up recently: nearly half of all startups that have raised funding are using AI in some capacity, and VCs are changing their strategy because of it. 

Hospitals are no exception, with major health systems, including Kaiser and Sutter Health, rapidly adopting this technology. Mayo Clinic, for example, established the Mayo Clinic Platform in 2019, which acts as a collection of initiatives that use technology,  including AI solutions, and big data to improve healthcare; currently there are more than 250 AI solutions in use or under development at Mayo Clinic alone.

Now, Mayo Clinic plans to help train junior and early-career clinicians and clinician-investigators on how to use AI technology with the establishment of the Gerstner Scholars Program in AI Translation, which it unveiled on Tuesday. 

Through this program, which is funded by a $25 million gift from the Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. family, those clinicians will collaborate with experts in AI, data science, and informatics to drive cures for patients.

Mayo Clinic Platform operates an an accelerator that provides early-to growth-stage companies with an in-kind benefits package that includes access to Mayo Clinic's rich, de-identified data sets, validation frameworks, clinical workflow planning, and mentorship. It also offers Solutions Studio, a program that fast tracks the development and deployment of digital health solutions that drive better patient outcomes, improve physicians’ experience, and increase operational efficiencies.

The Gerstner Scholars Program will provide funding and dedicated time for clinicians to pursue AI projects across Mayo Clinic and ensure more AI-powered solutions are available to patients.

Louis V. Gerstner Jr. served as CEO and chairman of the board of IBM from 1993 to 2002; he then joined The Carlyle Group where he served as chairman and, upon retiring from that position, continued as a senior adviser through 2016. Before joining IBM, Gerstner served as chairman and CEO of RJR Nabisco, president of the American Express Company, and a director of the management consulting firm McKinsey.

The Gerstner family has been a long-standing supporter of Mayo Clinic, funding research and education initiatives and the Gerstner Family Career Development Awards in Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine. In recognition of his work on behalf of public education and his business accomplishments, Gerstner was awarded the designation of honorary Knight of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.

“We are deeply grateful to Lou and Robin Gerstner for their long-standing friendship and support,” Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic, said in a statement. 

“Lou’s remarkable generosity over many years has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of innovation, allowing us to deliver the best care to our patients. This gift further empowers our clinicians to lead practice-changing advancements in healthcare through the strategic and ethical application of AI.”

(Image source: mayoclinic.org)