Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Securing Supply Data and Staff Experience in Rural Healthcare With AI
Dec 2, 2025
Beth Steele, COO at Owensboro Health with 27 years in nursing, discusses the challenges of surgical services in rural healthcare. She highlights the pressures of supply costs and talent retention. Steele shares how an AI partnership with AssistIQ achieved 99% supply capture accuracy and reduced product waste significantly. Her insights into team collaboration, early staff involvement, and technology integration reveal key strategies for successful AI implementation. She emphasizes the importance of blending culture and patient experience for future surgical success.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Rural Systems Share Big-System Pressures
- Rural systems face the same workforce and supply cost pressures as larger systems but must be selective with investments.
- Surgery is a critical revenue lever, so optimizing operations and supplies is essential under financial headwinds.
Visual AI Replaced Manual Supply Capture
- Owensboro Health used AssistIQ's visual AI to capture supplies by showing packaging to an iPad instead of using barcodes.
- The system documented items in the EMR, decremented inventory, and delivered rich backend data for efficiency.
AI Delivered Immediate Financial Gains
- The AssistIQ rollout produced measurable financial and operational gains including 99% capture accuracy and 12% higher billable revenue.
- They also saw a 90% cut in inventory depletion errors and 48% fewer expired products, reducing waste.