IBM Seeks to Address Community Health Challenges Through New Program

IBM has introduced a program that aims to help communities address primary care concerns, shortage in medical personnel and other healthcare challenges through the adoption of analytics, artificial intelligence and other cognitive technology platforms.

Ginni Rometty, IBM chairman, president and CEO, unveiled the IBM Health Corps program at the 13th Annual World Health Care Congress Tuesday in Washington, D.C., IBM said Tuesday.

IBM will also partner with Unity Health Care to pilot the initiative in May in an effort to help the Washington, D.C.-based community health center meet the behavioral health needs of its patients.

Under the pilot project, IBM will choose five communities through a competitive process that will work with the company’s information technology professionals to identify and analyze local health concerns through the use of analytics and cognitive tools.

Each community will receive recommendations from IBM’s teams of IT and health experts in the form of strategies and operational blueprints to help address public health issues.

IBM will accept applications for the pilot program through April 20.