Latest / Hart & Hustle Podcast / How AI is Transforming Patient Interactions in Healthcare

Transcript

How AI is Transforming Patient Interactions in Healthcare · Hart & Hustle Podcast

• Efrain: Welcome back to the Hard and Hustle Podcast. This one is a pretty special edition because I have Aaron Boyd. Is that correct? All right, for N. Erin Boyt: That's right. That's right. Thank you for having me. Efrain: Yes, absolutely. And why so special? Because I got to speak to the CEO of your organization, NRMC, and see some amazing things that you guys are doing. And then I learned some cool things about you on how you even got into NRMC. And I want to start there for those that may not know. There's actually a history that goes further than you just being part of an RMC. What is that history? Erin Boyt: Well, I I began in education many many moons ago. got my degrees in education and was teaching and ended up taking a summer job for a healthcare facility that needed a biller. so I stepped into healthcare And it was mental health. It was a federally recognized community mental health center. And so I started billing for them that summer and really enjoyed the job and honestly enjoyed the the payoff money-wise as well. And look, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. So I left the classroom and went to join this community mental health center, CMHC, and stayed there for 13 years. And I ended up being the administrator for the last seven years. And when Mr. Swallow, our CEO of Nycash Regional Medical Center came on board with NRMC, you know, Mr. Swallow's, he's he's a visionary and he wanted to expand some mental health services that the hospital already offered. and I was good friends with the young lady who was running the program. We worked together, never never in competition, always together. And sh we met for lunch and she said, What do you think about bringing your CMHC over to the hospital? And I said, I think that'd be great. Let's do it. And Mr. Swallow was on board. And so We stopped our services at the CMHC on Friday before Labor Day and the Tuesday after Labor Day we doubled our size, doubled our patient and count and doubled our capacity just overnight and it just went so seamlessly. So I went from admin to not being admin anymore because they had all their people in place. And I was so grateful for Efrain: Yeah. Erin Boyt: the change in roles because it was time. but they let me start doing outreach and education for the hospital. And I've been doing that for the last thirteen years. So it's thirteen and thirteen. Thirteen years in September. Yeah, so came from education, which it has been a good fit for me because I love teaching and teaching about health care and teaching about the initiatives of the hospital and caring for our community and all that. It's just it it falls right in line with with what I enjoy. Efrain: I love it. And I always say this, usually a lot of episodes, is what it looks like to chase that passion and purpose. And you have best of both worlds, right? The passion and the purpose. It was never about the money, but now how these two have really aligned. You kind of go back to the educational space. There's nothing like it when you really get to teach people and grow people. That's the educational space, but also to know that you're helping in a space of when people are at their lowest, when people need the resources. Erin Boyt: Absolutely. Efrain: How cool is that, right? That passion and purpose. Erin Boyt: Absolutely. Efrain: where did you, I guess, where is Aaron wanting to be before she gets here? Was this like always a goal? Like you knew you wanted to do this? Or was young Erin into something different and this just kind of fell in your lap? Erin Boyt: I think that I had always intended to stay in academia and and go the college professor route was my hope. I you know, education always being at the forefront. I think young Aaron was open to some some changes. I had young kids at the time I made the switch out of the classroom and and we grew together through healthcare, learned a lot, and, just really found a good fit and kind of switched gears a little bit. And it has really blossomed into to the shortest, most recent thirteen years ever, being in the spot I'm in now. So it's been it's been really, really good. Efrain: I think it's also it speaks, and people sometimes are afraid of this, but almost how you've given up something you built to collab. A lot of times people don't like to collab, right? They feel like it's me, me, me. You've seen a bigger vision. Where does that come from? Erin Boyt: absolutely. Efrain: That's good leadership's, you know, qualities there. Erin Boyt: I just saw opportunity for everybody from leadership down to our patients and having access to more, more opportunities, more healthcare coverage for our patients, just a broader spectrum for our all of my therapists came, my drivers came. It just was a a great way to kind of bring everybody it moving forward, like you know, just You can't stay stagnant. You've got to keep moving. And and we were we were in a little in our little bubble and it was just time to to break out of that bubble and really expand and try something new. Efrain: Would you say how to get a little bit uncomfortable to get comfortable again? Was that right? Erin Boyt: yes. I you could definitely say that. So, when we got back together after Labor Day and we opened up, it were it was people that had never worked together before and we had to figure out what the dynamic was. You had, you know, this group that had worked together for years and years and this group that had worked together for and like they're still doing it today. You know, they're Efrain: Yeah. Erin Boyt: still working together to this day, thirteen years later. So it it was just commitment on everybody's part to just be be a team. Efrain: What w what was it that sold you on Kirk, knowing that was the the right pivot? Erin Boyt: gosh, the support and his his enthusiasm is contagious and he really has vision for things that for this community that we need desperately and he just he really sold. And you know, the hospital is always trying to do better, it's always self reflective, it's always trying to make sure that we're It's our our our tagline is excellence every day. And it's truly what we do. And so that started with Mr. Swallow when he came in. So he's yeah, it's an eas it was an easy sale. Efrain: He's a great guy. Yeah, I know. When I spoke to him, you I just love the type of leader he is. Authentically him. It seems like the person I spoke to Erin Boyt: One hundred percent. Efrain: is a person that's walking down the halls and calling the shots. And I I just loved how he was not even he cared about bringing everybody and getting the the the opinion of others. It wasn't just him saying, This is what Erin Boyt: Yes. Efrain: I'm going to do because I want to do it, but it's it had to make sense and everybody else had it almost kind of buy in. Is is that who he is? Erin Boyt: absolutely. And he wants everybody to have a seat at the table. Buy-in is huge. It's very important from day one when he came in, developing leaders to have buy-in to the mission of NRMC has been pivotal. Or as Mr. Swallow would say, it's mission critical. That's his that's his favorite saying. And and Efrain: Ha ha ha. Erin Boyt: it truly is. And the way if you can watch our leadership gatherings, it is it's about sixty people that are truly deeply committed to their jobs, committed to healthcare, committed to this community. And we're a rural community. And so there's really unique challenges. But everybody's fully committed and and the buy in is is profound and so important. Efrain: And you guys are innovators, you would say as well, right? So Erin Boyt: Yes, yes, I Efrain: recently we talked about it, and I don't know what you felt before is what you guys have recently implemented, AI, and how that's really kind of also seen a different trajectory of what the healthcare industry is seeing across the board. Where were you prior to working with Keenan and and the team at Francis? Where were you guys prior, or you I would say personally, on thinking about AI and how it could actually help. In a space like this. Erin Boyt: I I really thought it I was a fringe person and I wasn't sure. A little concerned with AI and the fact that, you know, when people have symptoms, they immediately, you know, WebMD, they start Googling, then they started asking chat and you know, it's self diagnosing and trying to understand what was going on with them instead of maybe going to their doctor. So that was always a concern for us is how can we manage that and make sure that people are still turning to us, even though we have this great AI product for them to use. So I was cautious. Efrain: Yeah. And then where do where are you today now that you've guys been in motion using some an AI like that that is really resourceful, right? F resources at your fingertips. Erin Boyt: yes. Efrain: It's crazy how time has really changed when we needed something, we had to go find the person with the answer. But now we're talking about just pulling out a cell phone, maybe going to our desktop and really finding the information at a kind of almost Amazon effect, right? Like Erin Boyt: It is. It is. I can't tell you how much I enjoy opening our AIs Natty and opening up Natty's platform and I check her every day, every morning. That's like my morning routine. And I go through the conversations from overnight. And I the way that people interact with her is so positive. And even when it's not, like her ability is to to spin a conversation and really kind of redirect, try to get them to the right place. Like sh it I'm so impressed with her. And we just are big fans of Natty and and and she just has opened our eyes a little bit to how accessible we are now. people can people are are texting her at three in the morning asking and they're circling back too. They're saying, Hey Natty, I I made my appointment and she says good for you. And, you know, she's not real, but she is real to to them. Efrain: Yeah. Erin Boyt: You know, she's been such a good helper. So it's been wonderful. Efrain: You don't know how many places I've reached out to and thought they need to talk to Keenan and the team at Francis and they need to have more conversational AIs because how many times do you find yourself going to somebody's website and really just trying to get somebody and it's like those three repetitive questions, those four repetitive questions, it's like I really just want to talk to a human. But as you mentioned, it allows you to feel like you're talking to a human with the guardrails. I think that's huge as well. And people get afraid of, you know, well, how does it know the information? how do people get the information? Like what did you notice was different about something like Francis? Erin Boyt: think the beauty of FRANSiS and especially for our leadership team as as we started preparing to implement and gathering the documents that would go into our platform, I think people were concerned about the fact that so many people use WebMD and and knowing that there are guard guardrails and parameters which Natty doesn't cross over and all she knows is what we've taught her. And so we know that if we have a certain protocol for something, Natty's gonna tell them that protocol and that's it. And then she's gonna direct them to, dial 911 or, we we've specifically scripted her for mental health issues. OBGYN is huge. And knowing the confidence that our leaders have to know that Natty's gonna give the right answer and the answer that we want her to give just changed the game because nobody's going out and and diagnosing themselves based on what Natty says. It's safe, it's reliable, it's useful. It's been the best. Efrain: Why Natty? Wha where does the name Natty come from? Erin Boyt: Our our city's name is Nacadish. And yes, Efrain: got it. Erin Boyt: so she's N-A-T-T-I-E. So actually yes, Efrain: I love it. Yeah, I always wonder why Ned came from Erin Boyt: Kirk came up with that. So of course. Of course. Yes. Yes. Efrain: Of course Kirk did. Of course of course he did, right? That guy. yeah, there was something else that you told me about was it you or your friend that had the text message that also goes out that Francis was sharing someone passed away or something like that, or somebody was going through something? Erin Boyt: Yes. And they came to me and and they asked me about you know, how do I help them? And I said, Well, take it to Natty and and so she took the text message and she copied it and she put it in Natty and Natty gave her the answers that she needed. And it was just that quick and it solved the problem. And so I've actually seen as many associates using Natty as our outside patients using Natty to get information. And and Natty's always so kind and she'll say, I'm so sorry for your loss or I'm sorry you're having trouble. Or let me help you and people really respond so positively to that. Efrain: That's so cool. I well, I remember talking to Keenan when he told me about this and thought, wow, this is the future. This is the way that we are really conversating. You don't know how going back to someone like Spectrum that just irks me sometimes. And I was like, Yeah, they need it like this airline industry. There's so many times that we call places Erin Boyt: Nice. Efrain: and we just do not want to talk to person. Cause I can imagine Aaron, after you've had a lot of conversations throughout the day, sometimes you just don't want to talk. You just want to be able to just text on a phone or through the website. So to have something like this that allows you to your data to even talk to each other, I think it's it's pretty cool. Erin Boyt: Yes. Yes. Efrain: w where where where does AI continue to go from here? Like are there any other things that you guys have thought about on maybe, hey, this this works. Maybe where what else can we see AI via player? Erin Boyt: Absolutely. Absolutely. We've we've looked at the option a couple of different directions, you know, from the more the standpoint of scheduling. I you know, there's we could add in our scheduling, allow people to use Natty to help schedule And appointment reminders, discharge Efrain: wow. Erin Boyt: planning, you know, being able to send a text three days after a discharge and say, Hey, did you your medicine filled? have you set your follow-up with your primary care? simple things like that make a big difference in readmissions because readmissions, you know, are are deems against us through healthcare provide like Medicare and private insurance. And so that's so helpful. And then on the other side, I know that Francis has this whole side where they will send specific messages about leadership or about burnout or about bereavement. you know, my sister lost her husband suddenly in January and Lauren who works with me that she's my liaison with with Francis, she said, you know, we have this program with with hospice through Francis that they'll send out bereavement encouraging messages every day. And she says, would you like me to sign your sister up? And I said, absolutely, please. And so my sister just a couple of days ago, she said, you know, thank you so much for signing me up for that because every day it's a message and it's meaningful and I can respond if I want to. And so it's made a difference for her. And so I I see so many possibilities for AI use within our organization, internally even, amongst our associates and encouraging and supporting our associates and then out into the community, I would love to be able to send uplifting and encouraging messages just to our patients would would make a big difference. Efrain: Yeah, a hundred percent. What what wha what do you say to leaders? Because you don't know how many leaders I've spoken to, Aaron, that are just still afraid. And I think we're in the early ages of what AI could really do. Keenan would always say this is the worst version of AI because it only gets better. And I really start to how do we speak to these leaders to kind of adapt and not be so afraid that there are guardrails, that there is ways that you can use it. that it's not replacing human. 'Cause ideally you guys didn't replace a human. You really amplified just the mission by adding this conversational AI tool to the website or via SMS. There was no replacement. Erin Boyt: And I I I think explaining those guardrails and and of course we had to do the same thing because not only, you know, our our team has to have buy-in for Frances, you know, it was important for them to understand and so they could go out themselves and be able to explain that, you know, Natty only knows what we've taught her and she only knows what's in our NRMC box and just being very clear about control. and it's not something rogue that's gonna that's gonna be off the rails that she's very controlled and I you know, change is hard and healthcare's moving a hundred miles an hour every day. And if you're so resistant to change, you you c you could get left behind. And, you know, when we talked about this as a group, bringing AI, this AI platform We said, if we don't do it now, we're gonna we're gonna be forced, we'll be back on our heels and be forced to do it in a in a few years. And I think we're one of the first ones in our area to do it. And the the feedback has been nothing but positive. So, sharing that experience with other leaders for other organizations, bigger and smaller, I think would help support them. Efrain: Did you were you guys already 'cause I know there's organizations similar to yours that would use at least AI in the note taking space. Were you guys at least doing that? that thing is transcript or something like that? Erin Boyt: We were, yes. we've and we're still navigating that. a lot of our providers use AI to do all their notes, which has increased efficiency. And so we really do see it as a tool because if we can if we can do it better and and have good quality healthcare using these tools, then that's what we want to do. And so we were using AI in in all the rooms with the doctors and yeah, a couple of different formats and very successful with that. But it took Efrain: Aaron, you said Erin Boyt: a doctor that came from another place that wanted to retire and take a little step back. And so he, you know, Nacadish is a great city. And so he chose Nacadish and he's a premier urologist. He's world famous. The things that he does in our ER just are mind blowing. And he brought the very first AI recorder in and explained and gosh, everybody was hooked after that because it just made him so efficient and and it that's what we're after. We want that great health care, that next level. Efrain: It it just seems like y'all got top tier leadership over at NRMC. What Erin Boyt: We we do. We do absolutely. And a and a leadership is constantly developed. We have quarterly leadership development meetings that are intentional. we do strategic planning every year that is intentional. We look at our most recent one, we looked at what does NRM C look like twenty thirty, and how do Efrain: wow. Erin Boyt: we get there. So we're we're already looking to the future as far in advance as we possibly can because we've we've got to be there for our community. Efrain: I wanna go backwards a little bit. You talked about what's happening in twenty thirty. You talked about 13 years in this space. What are the all the wins that you were just so proud to be a part of? I mean, where you started is not where you're at today, nor where it would be where you finish, but what does some of that growth look like so people can kind of see what you've been a part of? Erin Boyt: I gosh, it's so much. a couple of years ago, the state of Louisiana implemented the legislature passed laws that to protect firefighters and ensure that firefighters get cancer quality cancer screening at the cost of the fire department. So our local fire department, my husband's firefighter, so this was near and near and dear to my heart, and he's wonderful. And so his chief reached out to me and said, Hey, we've got this initiative. Ca can you help us arrange this testing? And so I went straight to our cancer center. We have a fantastic cancer center at NRMC and our doctor, Dr. Actar, our our oncologist, and we sat at a table with about three or four of us and said, What can we do? What can how can we come alongside the firefighters to figure out a way to provide this testing that's economical and effective? It's it's on a a schedule, so it's every few years. And so we developed came up with a gallery test as an option. I'm not sure if you're familiar with galleries. It's it's a blood test, simple blood test. And so, you know, we took that back to him, said Chief, we've got a plan. We're gonna put it in place, we're gonna, you know, get y'all tested. And he was like, Okay, well, how much is it? And you know, it was like, I don't know, $6.99, a firefighter. And he was like, That's a lot of money. That's that's a lot of money. And I said, let me let me talk to our foundation. Let me talk to our foundation. So Went and visited with our foundation and our foundation said, you know what, it's for the community, it's important. This is what we're gonna do. We're gonna test every firefighter in the parish of Nackaddish for free. We're gonna cover the cost. But we're also gonna go get Wynne Parish, we're gonna go get Sabine Parish, we're gonna go get Red River Parish, and we're gonna go get Grant Parish. And so we tested over a couple of months and I went out to every parish and spoke and explained what was gonna happen and scheduled everybody to come in and that was a huge win. I mean that otherwise, you know, it's debilitating. These fire departments don't have a lot of money and you're talking about Efrain: Yeah. Erin Boyt: a big hit to their budget. So Our foundation was able to come alongside and and so that's a big one. our Guardian Angel program is also a big one. It's it's a way to give back and and say thank you to associates. We have Daisy, which is awards for nurses, but Guardian Angel, you can recognize any associate and it's a way you make a small donation to the foundation and then they get recognized as a guardian angel, and it's so impactful. to be able to go and present the that's the best part of my job is presenting Guardian Angels. You walk in, they Efrain: I love it. Erin Boyt: know you've got the signs. It's like Publishers Clearinghouse. You know, you got the signs, everybody's excited and they're like, Who is it? Who is it? And so it's a big deal to be recognized for excellence and and truly caring. So Guardian Angels a big win too. And then, you know, Nat that brings, you know, us forward to Natty and Natty's been a great win. So I think we've had a lot more wins than than losses and so super proud of the pro special projects that we've been able to do. So Efrain: I love it. I love that since the first time I've spoken to you, you can just you can just feel it. Just how excited you are to do the work that you do. And not everyone comes across like that. But from the first time I met you, there's this just passion, this drive that you have. Where does it all come from? Where what is this drive to help people, to be better? To does it stem from home back when you were a young girl? You talked about your husband. Like, where is it? Where do you get it from? Who's pouring into you to even get to keep doing this as long as you have? Erin Boyt: I th I think the Lord is really he's he's the one that pours and allows me to pour out into other people. my faith is very important. I also, you know, my e my dad has always been such a helper for people. my husband has the huge a huge heart for service and watching him just serve tirelessly in really, Efrain: Mm-hmm. Erin Boyt: really tough, tough ways. you know, being around a good quality group of people, friends that that I watch just are great people and and they fill you up, they lift you up, they walk beside you. It's whatever you need. And and if I can be that to them as well you have days where it's not so great, but for the most part, gosh, I'm just so blessed. So very blessed. Derek. Yes. Efrain: What's your husband's name? Shout out to Derek for for the years of service. How many years has he been a firefighter? Erin Boyt: gosh, over 20. He's he's he's Efrain: Wow. Erin Boyt: getting close to retirement. And you know, as we've gotten older, it's it's gotten harder and harder. But I'm telling you, there's just not a more difficult job than than what he does. And, you know, the the firefighting EMS side is just profound and this and what they mean to people and what they do for people. That's just been a really big, big part of of his life and and me being able to witness that. It's been great. Efrain: I always felt that firefighters were underrated to be quite frank. Like i I used to work in the restaurant space, so like a police officer comes in, you give them fifty percent off and no disrespect to them, but it's like a firefighter comes in, they don't get anything, and I'm like, they put their bodies on the line just just as much, right? Like what what do you mean we're not giving that person? Erin Boyt: Yeah. Absolutely. It is it I'm telling you it's the hardest job there is. And you know, when he and I got married, I came onto the volunteer side. So so I I also get to go and help at and I'm I even though I'm certified to fire fight, I I'm not the one that's gonna go into the I could, but I'm not going to. But I can do other things. Like it's, you know, supporting you're meeting people on their very worst day. So being able to be there for them emotionally and just physically, handing them a bottle of water, helping them get the number to the Red Cross, simple things like that. helping in vehicle accidents and and being close by for that, like that has changed me profoundly in my mindset. And, you know, just so grateful that I can help in any way possible. They're doing the hard work and the heavy lifting. And if I can help them you know, just touch a few lives. It just makes all the all the difference in the world. Efrain: What do you do to turn all this off? We know that you're you're you're you love to give back. We know you're passionate. What is the thing you're doing on the weekend that you says, this also, fuels me or fills me or however you want to look at that. What is that thing that people may not know? Erin Boyt: We travel a lot. We y in order for us to get a true break, we have to get out of district. We can't be in the reach of the pager. So my husband's Efrain: Ha ha. Erin Boyt: fire chief at a small rural fire department. Efrain: Yeah. Erin Boyt: And so in addition to his full time job as a firefighter, so we leave town. So we'll go we'll go over to the stockyards in Fort Worth and we'll go kick it with some cattle. We just get away. Yeah, we travel a lot. Yes. Efrain: I love it. You got to you gotta find that thing, you gotta continue to take care of yourself most importantly. Do you have kids as well or no? Erin Boyt: I do yes, yes. We've got three. I've got a daughter that lives in Australia and that's a whole nother thing. And so Efrain: Wow. Erin Boyt: we've been to visit her and she's completing her residency there. So she's an emergency room doctor there. And so talking Efrain: Okay. Erin Boyt: to her like that fires me up. being able to learn from her and she learns from us and yes, Efrain: That is cool, yeah. Erin Boyt: yes. And then a daughter in Houston, she's a lawyer, which is a whole nother thing as well, you know, and so it's it's Great to g we can get away to there. We've got a bedroom at her Efrain: Yeah, yeah. Erin Boyt: house and we can go stay in Houston for the weekend, any weekend. And then our son, he lives close by. He works for the city here in Nackedish and and it's just great to have at least one of close by. Yeah. Efrain: Yeah, look at Aaron. You and Derek have done your thing, huh? Kids are doing well Erin Boyt: yeah. Efrain: this what do you want your kids to remember about mom? I mean, you're doing so much amazing stuff for the community, you're doing so much stuff for other people. You you really do I would say selfless work. What do you want your kids to remember? Erin Boyt: gosh that I just I that would make me great feel just make me so proud if they thought that I was selfless and you know I think it putting other people first is is not a common thing. but gosh it's so freeing. You worry so much less about yourself if you're worried about other people and what you can do for them. so yeah, like if if they think I wanna be like her, that would be huge. That would be huge. Efrain: love it. Erin. And what do you Erin Boyt: Yeah. Efrain: t I I want you to just talk to the next generation of Erins out there that are just doing what they love, have this passion and maybe want to get deeper into the healthcare industry. Maybe they're educators today. What do you say to those ladies and gents? Erin Boyt: Look for opportunities to grow. If you are offered an opportunity to attend a conference or you know, go to a speaker, learn, learn as much as you can and and best practices, like pay attention to people that are doing it well and model after them because they're the ones that you need to look to and learn from them. And take time for yourself too. make sure that there's there's balance. because you will get tired and you will burn out a little bit, but you know, it's like you get filled back up and you're ready to go again. And there's always the next thing, there's always looking to the future. and that's exciting too. So I think that is a way to keep yourself motivated is is looking at what's to come because it's changing quickly, quickly, trying to keep up. Efrain: Erin, you've been tremendous. Where can people find more about what N R C is doing? Are you guys on social? What's your personal LinkedIn if you are on there? Just so people Erin Boyt: Yeah. Efrain: can really continue to vibe what you guys got going on. Erin Boyt: Yes, we're on Facebook and Instagram at NRMC Hospital. we're gosh, we've our website, we got Natty. If you want to reach out to Natty, she's on our website, nrmchospital.org. I'm Erin Boyd on Instagram. You can find me there. so yeah, come come check us out. Come see what we're doing. We're always up to something for sure. Efrain: Aaron, thank you so much. Can't wait to have another conversation. Another thirteen years when Erin Boyt: Absolutely. Efrain: you're doing some more tremendous things. Erin Boyt: Yes, I would love to come back on. You just let me know when. Efrain: All right guys. My name is Efrain. This is Aaron. We'll catch you guys in the next one. Latest.