Tanner Health and Healthliant Ventures announce the launch of Optellum’s Virtual Nodule Clinic® (VNC), an artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to assist care teams in identifying, risk as...
Autore: Business Wire
CARROLLTON, Ga.: Tanner Health and Healthliant Ventures announce the launch of Optellum’s Virtual Nodule Clinic® (VNC), an artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to assist care teams in identifying, risk assessing and managing patients with potentially cancerous lung nodules.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in large part due to late diagnosis. Optellum’s lung cancer prediction (LCP) AI solution addresses this challenge by using advanced imaging analytics and machine learning to assess the risk that a lung nodule detected on a CT scan is malignant. This allows clinicians to identify high-risk patients earlier and avoid unnecessary procedures for those at minimal risk.
The partnership marks another milestone in the health system’s commitment to bringing world-class innovation to the communities it serves.
This collaboration enables Tanner’s team to use Optellum’s AI to support earlier, more accurate identification of patients at risk of lung cancer. The aim is to improve lung cancer outcomes for patients across west Georgia and east Alabama.
“For a regional health system like ours, innovation isn’t about size - it’s about intent,” said Ben Camp, MD, chief medical officer of Tanner Health. “We’re proud to bring the kind of technology that you’d expect to see in major academic centers right here to our corner of the world. It’s another example of how we’re investing in the tools and partnerships that help our clinicians provide the best care for our patients.”
Optellum’s Virtual Nodule Clinic uses advanced imaging AI and clinical data to help physicians assess lung nodules and determine which patients may need further diagnostic workup. By improving risk stratification, the technology supports earlier detection of lung cancer while reducing unnecessary invasive procedures.
“Early detection is key to saving lives, and AI can help us identify lung cancer before symptoms appear,” said Anil Dhople, MD, a board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director and quality advisor at the Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center. “Through our partnership with Optellum, we’re introducing proven, FDA-cleared technology that enhances how clinicians evaluate lung nodules, helping us make faster, more informed decisions and deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients. This technology is especially valuable in rural communities, where longer travel distances, limited access to specialists and delays in treatment can negatively affect outcomes. By improving risk assessment and supporting earlier intervention, we can help ensure patients receive the timely care they need.”
The collaboration is the latest initiative through Healthliant Ventures, which was established to connect Tanner with emerging healthcare technologies that can transform care delivery and outcomes.
“Optellum’s AI solution aligns perfectly with our mission to provide quality healthcare services and serve as a leader to provide health education, support services and care across our community,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health. “It empowers our clinicians with actionable insights and helps ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.”
Optellum’s platform is already in use across leading academic and community hospitals worldwide and has demonstrated measurable improvements in diagnostic accuracy and workflow efficiency.
“This partnership with Tanner demonstrates how a regional system can lead the way by embracing innovative, clinically validated solutions in a way that benefits both patients and the broader healthcare ecosystem,” said Johnathan Watkins, CEO of Optellum.
The deployment of Optellum at Tanner marks one of the first regional health systems in Georgia to implement the technology system-wide.
About Optellum
Optellum is a commercial-stage AI healthcare company dedicated to revolutionizing early diagnosis and treatment of lung disease, starting with one of the deadliest, lung cancer.
Optellum is building LungOS®, the end-to-end AI-powered platform for thoracic care. Its flagship product, Virtual Nodule Clinic (VNC) with Lung Cancer Prediction AI (LCP), is the world’s first FDA-cleared and reimbursed software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) solution for AI-powered lung cancer prioritization and diagnostic support. Clinicians trust the Optellum solution to aid them in making the most appropriate life-saving treatment decisions for their patients. Backed by real-world clinical evidence, Optellum’s solution accelerates the diagnostic care pathway by enabling early patient identification, enhancing prioritization, and improving clinicians’ efficiency, reducing time to guideline-recommended treatment. Optellum VNC is FDA cleared, CE-MDR marked, UKCA marked, and TGA-approved.
Optellum is headquartered in Oxford, UK, and has an office in Houston, Texas, US.
About Tanner Health
Tanner Health is a five-hospital non-profit health system providing convenient, personalized health care to communities across west Georgia and east Alabama. Tanner Health physicians and staff provide the latest technology and treatment options to advance the health of our patients. In addition to its regional hospitals and care centers, Tanner operates Tanner Medical Group, one of metro Atlanta’s largest multi-specialty physician groups. Learn more at tanner.org.
About Healthliant Ventures
Healthliant Ventures is Tanner Health’s innovation arm, partnering with healthcare startups to validate and co-develop transformative solutions that enhance patient care and improve outcomes. Dedicated to driving innovation across the healthcare landscape, Healthliant Ventures focuses on technologies that deliver measurable clinical, operational and fiscal impact. Learn more at healthliant.com.
Fonte: Business Wire