Hackensack Meridian Health is the first U.S. health network to earn the Joint Commission’s Responsible Use of AI in Healthcare Certification for having the governance, safeguards, monitoring and education in place to use artificial intelligence responsibly.
The Joint Commission is an independent, nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies hospitals and other health care organizations in the United States. RUAIH Certification is a voluntary certification program focused on the responsible and ethical adoption of artificial intelligence across clinical patient care and operations.
“At Hackensack Meridian Health, we are committed to integrating AI responsibly and safely across our health network to advance the way we deliver care,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health.
“AI has the potential to help clinicians detect diseases earlier, personalize treatment for every patient, improve the efficiency of our hospitals, and reduce administrative work that contributes to burnout,” Garrett said. “Most importantly, it enables physicians, nurses and team members to spend more time caring for patients.”
HMH, New Jersey’s largest health network operating 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations statewide, has built a comprehensive framework to ensure the responsible use of AI across its network, the company said in a July 29 statement about the RUAIH certification.
Guided by a formal AI governance structure, HMH combines data security and privacy protections with rigorous evaluation and ongoing monitoring of AI tools to ensure quality, safety, and performance. It also provides role-specific AI training as well as general AI literacy to staff and providers to ensure they can confidently explain how AI tools support patient care.
“The promise of artificial intelligence is not to replace the human side of medicine, but to strengthen it,” said Joel Klein, M.D., executive vice president, chief digital and information officer, Hackensack Meridian Health. “We’re leveraging this technology to give our providers time to focus on what matters most – the patients they serve.”
The Joint Commission evaluated HMH across core domains that establish the foundation for the responsible use of AI in healthcare:
- Governance and oversight for the responsible use of AI
- Safeguards to protect patient privacy and healthcare data
- Processes to identify, assess and reduce risks and bias in AI tools
- Monitoring processes to help ensure AI tools perform safely and effectively
- Transparency and education to help patients understand how AI may be used in their care
- Staff training to support the safe, responsible use of AI technologies
"AI continues to rapidly transform the healthcare industry, helping healthcare organizations improve clinical decision-making, enhance operational efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and support patient care," said Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, chief nursing executive and executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations, Joint Commission.
"Organizations must ensure the use of AI is guided by strong governance, rigorous oversight, and an unwavering focus on patient safety,” Grubbs said. “Joint Commission commends HMH for demonstrating a responsible approach to AI adoption while advancing innovation in patient care."
For more information on how HMH is using AI to advance patient care, go here.
