Tennessee health system pilots AI program to cut hospital stays

Jackson, Tenn.-based West Tennessee Healthcare is piloting an AI tool at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital to help case managers shorten hospital stays.

Dragonfly Navigate, developed by Xsolis, analyzes real-time patient data to predict discharge readiness and appropriate post-hospital placement, such as home, skilled nursing or long-term care.

West Tennessee Healthcare serves about half a million residents across 19 counties. The system has used other Xsolis products since 2022 and began construction of a new Bolivar Hospital in July, according to an Aug. 18 article in The Tennessee Lookout.

Debbie Ashworth, executive director of care management for West Tennessee Healthcare, said the workflow is designed to complement clinical expertise and support more proactive discharge planning.

According to Xsolis CEO Joan Butters, delays in discharge cost hospitals about $3,000 per patient per day. She noted that if 20% of 10,000 patients stay one extra day, it can cost hospitals millions while reducing capacity for new admissions.

The company said its AI models are retrained quarterly and undergo annual data and security audits. The aim is to cut administrative back-and-forth with payers while reducing risks to patients, such as infections and readmissions tied to unnecessary extra days in the hospital.

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