Israel's ARC Launches Groundbreaking AI Center at Sheba Medical Center to Revolutionize Healthcare

Building on Sheba Medical Center's recent recognition as the eighth-best hospital in the world by Newsweek, its global health innovation engine ARC announced the launch of a state-of-the-art AI Center today. This significant development is part of a larger initiative that also includes the unveiling of Project K, recognised as the world's first AI-powered emergency department, and the establishment of the Sheba AI Academy, powered by ARC.

These pioneering endeavours are designed to transform modern hospital care and healthcare delivery by integrating artificial intelligence into every aspect of hospital operations.

Since its inception, ARC has been dedicated to equipping all parts of the health ecosystem with the tools and resources necessary to advance healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. Its impact spans regions with partnerships and collaborations to promote healthcare innovation worldwide, including in the US, France, Australia and beyond.

As the largest and most comprehensive medical centre in the Middle East, Sheba Medical Center has a long-standing reputation for providing exceptional medical care, conducting impactful research, and driving healthcare transformation. Today, Sheba's comprehensive campus in Israel houses a wide range of specialised specialised hospitals and innovation hubs, serving as a global centre for medical excellence. Sheba has been consistently highly ranked among the World's Best Hospitals by Newsweek for seven consecutive years.

The newly inaugurated ARC AI Center will function as a central nucleus, fostering collaboration among startups, research projects, and technology companies with the shared objective of developing and implementing AI-driven health delivery solutions within existing healthcare workflows.

The centre aims to evolve Sheba Medical Center into a fully AI-based hospital. The centre will be guided by the expertise of world-renowned AI expert Dr Ayelet Akselrod-Ballin, who has been appointed as the Director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the ARC AI Center.

In her new role, Dr Ayelet Akselrod-Ballin noted, 'Joining ARC at this pivotal moment for AI in healthcare presents an opportunity to advance the integration of AI across all facets of medicine—from diagnostics and treatment planning to personalised patient care.'

She added, 'The AI Center is a significant step toward embedding AI into clinical workflows, ensuring medical professionals have the tools to improve efficiency and outcomes. With Sheba's extensive medical data resources, strong partnerships, and commitment to innovation, we are positioned to develop AI solutions that will shape the future of medicine at scale.'

The AI Center will operate as a multi-disciplinary ecosystem, bringing together AI researchers, data scientists, medical professionals, and entrepreneurs to translate innovative AI concepts into practical clinical applications.

By strategically incorporating AI throughout medical practice, the centre aims to position Sheba Medical Center as a global leader in AI-powered medicine. The key areas of focus for the AI Center encompass early disease detection through advanced imaging and biomarker analysis, precision diagnostics utilising AI-driven interpretation of medical data, predictive analytics for personalised medicine strategies, AI-powered clinical decision support to improve treatment protocols, and hospital workflow optimisation through AI tools.

The launch of these ambitious AI initiatives was made possible through the reinvestment of profits generated from the successful exits of health-tech startups Innovalve and Belkin, both of which were incubated within ARC. This goes to the very heart of the sustainable nature of ARC's innovation ecosystem.

Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center, underscored the transformative power of AI in healthcare, stating, 'Sheba has long been a leader in pioneering the future of medicine, and today, we take another historic step forward. AI is no longer an abstract concept but a tangible force transforming healthcare. With the AI Center, Sheba AI Academy, and Project K, we are embracing AI and embedding it into the fabric of hospital care.'

Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, Director of ARC Innovation and Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center, and the newly appointed Chief AI Officer, added, 'With these launches, we are not just implementing AI in medicine; we are building the world's first truly AI-powered hospital. AI will drive everything from patient intake to clinical decision-making, from research to emergency care.'

Complementing the AI Center, the Sheba AI Academy, powered by ARC, will provide crucial training and resources to healthcare professionals, enabling them to effectively utilise AI in clinical decision-making, diagnostics, and overall hospital operations. The academy aims to transform every Sheba staff member into an 'AI-enabled' professional.

Furthermore, Project K, Sheba's groundbreaking AI-driven emergency department, is already in its pilot phase, demonstrating its potential to revolutionise acute medical care. The AI-powered system interacts with patients to collect their medical history, which it then compiles for physicians. It also recommends diagnostic tests and provides clinical decision support. Ultimately, it aims to achieve a 30-50% reduction in wait times, increase efficiency by enabling physicians to manage 20+ patients simultaneously, and significantly reduce medical errors.

'This is the beginning of a transformation that will make hospital care more precise, efficient, and patient-centred than ever before,' notes Zimlichman, 'and what makes this even more extraordinary is that we are reinvesting our health-tech success to fund the future of medicine.'