Beyond the Ivory Tower: A Regional Health System Deploys AI Against Cancer

CARROLLTON, GA – June 10, 2026 – When we think of artificial intelligence revolutionizing medicine, the mind often drifts to gleaming academic medical centers in major metropolitan hubs. But some of the most impactful innovation is happening far from those ivory towers. In west Georgia and east Alabama, a regional non-profit health system is proving that the future of healthcare is not defined by an institution's size, but by its vision.

Tanner Health, through its innovation arm Healthliant Ventures, has partnered with the AI healthcare company Optellum to deploy a sophisticated platform designed to catch lung cancer earlier and more accurately than ever before. It’s a move that challenges the conventional wisdom about where cutting-edge technology belongs and demonstrates a profound commitment to community wellbeing.

“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. This partnership is a powerful declaration of that intent, bringing a clinically validated, FDA-cleared AI tool directly to the communities that need it most.

A Fight Close to Home

The decision to invest in this technology is rooted in a stark local reality. For communities across west Georgia and east Alabama, the fight against lung cancer is deeply personal and statistically daunting. Both states post incidence and mortality rates that significantly outpace the national average. In 2025, Alabama’s rate of new lung cancer cases was 57.9 per 100,000 people, while Georgia’s was 55.7, both well above the national rate of 52.8. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in both states.

The core of the problem is late diagnosis. Across the region, only about a quarter of cases are caught at an early, more treatable stage. This is compounded by screening rates that, particularly in Georgia, lag behind the rest of the country. For patients, especially those in rural areas, this can mean longer travel distances, limited access to specialists, and devastating delays in treatment.

“This technology is especially valuable in rural communities, where longer travel distances, limited access to specialists and delays in treatment can negatively affect outcomes,” explained Anil Dhople, MD, a board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director at Tanner’s Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center.

A Digital Second Opinion

Enter Optellum’s Virtual Nodule Clinic® (VNC). This is not just another algorithm; it's an FDA-cleared and CMS-reimbursed “digital biomarker” that analyzes CT scans to help clinicians assess the risk of a lung nodule being malignant. The platform provides a simple, powerful Lung Cancer Prediction (LCP) score from 1 to 10, empowering doctors with objective data to make critical decisions.

The clinical evidence is compelling. In studies supporting its FDA clearance, radiologists and pulmonologists using the software demonstrated a significant improvement in diagnostic accuracy. More recent real-world data is even more striking, showing the AI-enabled workflow can slash the median time to diagnosis for non-small cell lung cancer from a staggering 129 days down to just 25. It also dramatically improves patient follow-up, ensuring that incidental findings don’t fall through the cracks.

By providing a more accurate risk assessment, the VNC helps clinicians achieve two vital goals: fast-tracking high-risk patients to biopsy and treatment, and avoiding unnecessary, invasive, and often costly procedures for those with low-risk nodules. A recent economic analysis concluded the technology is highly cost-effective, saving not just money but, more importantly, lives.

“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,” Dr. Dhople stated.

The Innovation Engine

This leap from academic theory to community practice was not accidental; it was engineered. The catalyst is Healthliant Ventures, Tanner Health’s own innovation arm. Launched to bridge the gap between emerging technology and community health needs, Healthliant operates less like a traditional venture capital fund and more like a strategic “proving ground.”

Rather than simply writing checks, Healthliant partners with promising startups, offering them access to Tanner’s real-world clinical environment to validate and refine their solutions. It’s a model that de-risks innovation for both the startup and the health system, ensuring that new technologies are not just novel but genuinely effective and seamlessly integrated. The partnership with Optellum, which included an investment from Healthliant in the company’s recent funding round, is a prime example of this model in action.

“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.”

A New Standard for Community Care

The deployment of Optellum's platform across all five of Tanner's hospitals marks one of the first times a regional health system in Georgia has implemented such advanced AI system-wide. It sends a clear message that world-class care should not be a function of zip code.

For Optellum, partnering with a forward-thinking regional system like Tanner is a powerful validation of their technology's real-world applicability. “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.

Ultimately, this initiative is about more than just technology. It is a story of institutional will, strategic investment, and a deep-seated commitment to serving a community. By leveraging the power of AI to confront a deadly disease head-on, Tanner Health is not just adopting innovation; it is redefining what it means to be a community hospital in the 21st century.