Rural providers eye AI, remote care tech for RHTP investment

Ambient AI targets documentation burden and workforce strain

At Hattiesburg Clinic in Mississippi -- a physician-owned, multispecialty group serving a largely rural population -- ambient documentation tools, including Suki AI, have significantly reduced time spent on clinical notes for physicians.

Ambient AI tools capture the conversation between clinician and patient and automatically generate a draft clinical note, which the provider then reviews and edits before finalizing, said Jennifer Bryan, M.D., a family medicine physician at Hattiesburg.

She estimated the technology saves roughly an hour to an hour and a half daily per physician.

"The return on investment is pretty clear from the start -- how much time you get back in your day," Bryan said.

In rural settings, that time savings is less about increasing patient volume and more about maintaining access for patients who are already seeking care.

"Rural doctors are already seeing these people anyway. They're not going to close the door to their communities," Bryan said, adding that the benefits go beyond physicians. "It extends to your administrative staff, your support staff -- everybody gets a breather… it's like you've got another co-worker beside you." 

Remote care models expand access in underserved areas

Providers are also using technology to expand access to care, particularly in areas where specialty services are limited.

"[Hospitals in] rural areas might not have a subspecialty partner to turn to -- it's just them," Bryan said.

At Billings Clinic, a Montana-based regional health system with a wide rural network, a systemwide EHR supports care delivery across distant sites, helping providers coordinate care, reduce delays and extend specialist support across the network with faster referrals.

"Whether you're at the far reaches of Montana with support a long way away or at one of the referral centers, we all have access to the same tools and the same support," said Randy Thompson, M.D., chief healthcare analytics officer at Billings Clinic.

In Alaska, Kodiak KINDNESS, a nonprofit that provides maternal and infant feeding support, is using TigerConnect secure messaging to bring specialist support to families in the most remote communities. The platform allows community peer counselors and clinicians to communicate in real time, share patient information and coordinate care across distances.

"It's allowing us to reach communities we aren't physically in. There are no [International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants] in the Northwest Arctic, and some villages require an hour-and-a-half bush plane flight to reach," said Heather Preece, KINDNESS founder.

Local capacity shapes how technology is deployed

Even as AI and remote care tools show promise in improving access and outcomes, providers say adoption depends heavily on local infrastructure and resources.

Billings Clinic is working with Oracle Health to develop and evaluate new AI-enabled tools and has found that solutions must be adapted to fit different care environments.

"We're Oracle Health's only showcase site for the development and validation of new solutions, which are now primarily AI in nature," said Thompson.

The organization is piloting a wide range of tools to improve efficiency. These include AI-generated summaries that pull details from patient records, voice-enabled documentation that supports clinicians and automation to streamline tasks such as preoperative preparation and insurance authorization.

That work has underscored a key challenge in rural technology adoption: aligning innovation with local capacity.

"We really had to look at what our rural partners have in place to support these technologies -- you can't just take everything and throw it at a rural site," said Edward Ballerini, Billings Clinic's director of digital transformation and chief nursing informatics officer.

For organizations like Kodiak KINDNESS, that challenge is even more pronounced.

"We're trying to figure out how to deliver services remotely with the technology capabilities that we have," said Preece. "Some communities don't have smartphones or reliable internet, so people may need to go to a clinic just to connect." 

RHTP funding expected to scale proven approaches

As RHTP funding decisions take shape, providers say the program could help build on existing approaches.

"We are eligible for some of those [RHTP] funds, but we're still figuring out what that looks like," Preece said.

She reported that KINDNESS is currently piloting expansion into the Northwest Arctic, starting with trained peer counselors and a small group of families to test the messaging model using TigerConnect.

At Hattiesburg, Bryan, who does not make purchasing decisions but uses tools in practice, underscored the importance of tools that reduce documentation burden and administrative work. 

Bryan said she would prioritize ambient AI because it can help address workforce shortages while also supporting billing processes and clinical decision-making. She also pointed to telemedicine platforms, revenue cycle tools and diagnostic support technologies as key areas for investment in rural settings.

But, she cautioned against pursuing emerging technologies without a clear use case.

"Don't get dazzled with these dollars on what's flashier," she said. "We want things that make a meaningful impact now and as far into the future as they can go."

Larger systems like Billings Clinic are continuing to evaluate how more advanced technologies could support care delivery across rural networks.

"We're just starting to scratch the surface on some of these tools," Ballerini said, adding that the organization is exploring virtual nursing models that provide remote clinical support across sites, as well as AI tools designed to work across different devices and care settings.

As rural providers weigh technology purchasing decisions in light of the RHTP funds, many are balancing immediate operational pressures with longer-term innovation goals.

"We need smart tools that decrease burnout, decrease the workload and bring back joy to the profession," Bryan said.

Elizabeth Stricker, BSN, RN, comes from a nursing and healthcare leadership background, and covers health technology and leadership trends for B2B audiences.