WNY's Highgate Medical Taps AI to Extend Chronic Care Beyond the Clinic

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. – April 15, 2026 – Highgate Medical Group, a cornerstone of primary care in Western New York for over 75 years, is embarking on a significant technological evolution. The group today announced a partnership with the health-tech firm Brook.ai to integrate an artificial intelligence-driven platform for managing chronic diseases, fundamentally shifting care from the confines of the clinic to the fabric of patients' daily lives.

This collaboration will see Highgate deploy Brook.ai's infrastructure across its Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) environment. The goal is to provide continuous, proactive support for patients with prevalent chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. By leveraging remote patient monitoring (RPM) and advanced AI analytics, the initiative aims to improve health outcomes, enhance patient engagement, and create a more sustainable model for chronic care delivery in the region.

From Episodic Visits to Continuous Connection

For decades, the model for chronic disease management has been largely reactive, centered around periodic office visits. Highgate Medical Group's partnership with Brook.ai represents a deliberate move to dismantle this traditional framework. The new system is designed to create a constant, data-driven feedback loop between patients and their care teams.

"High-quality care doesn't stop when a patient leaves the office," said Dr. David Pawlowski, a Family Physician at Highgate Medical Group. "We've always been committed to helping patients proactively manage their health, but sustaining that support between visits has been a challenge across healthcare. Partnering with Brook allows us to extend that care into patients' daily lives; improving engagement, strengthening outcomes, and continuing to raise the standard of care we provide."

This extension of care will utilize Brook.ai's capabilities in remote patient monitoring (RPM), chronic care management (CCM), and advanced primary care management (APCM). For patients, this could mean using connected devices like blood pressure cuffs or glucose meters that feed data directly to the platform. The AI then analyzes this information in real-time, identifying trends, flagging potential issues, and delivering personalized nudges or educational content to the patient's phone. This allows for earlier interventions, potentially preventing emergency room visits or hospitalizations.

The Technology Behind the Transformation

Brook.ai is part of a burgeoning market of digital health companies aiming to solve the chronic care crisis. The company's platform is more than just a data collection tool; it is a clinical intelligence engine. Trained on millions of patient interactions, its AI works in tandem with human clinicians to provide support that is both scalable and personalized. This hybrid model has shown impressive results in other deployments, with Brook.ai reporting outcomes such as an 80% increase in controlled hypertension populations and a 90% reduction in 30-day readmissions for congestive heart failure.

The system is designed to build a longitudinal understanding of each patient, integrating data from connected devices, patient-reported symptoms, and electronic health records. This comprehensive view enables the platform to detect subtle signs of health deterioration far earlier than a traditional, visit-based model would allow. For Highgate's providers, this translates to a reduced administrative burden and a greater ability to focus on patients who need the most immediate attention.

"Highgate has built an incredible foundation of patient-centered care over many years," noted Oren Nissim, CEO and Co-Founder of Brook.ai. "What's exciting is how they continue to evolve that model; extending care beyond the clinic and into patients' daily lives. That's where chronic care is heading."

A Shifting Healthcare Landscape

This partnership does not exist in a vacuum. It reflects a broader, industry-wide pivot toward technology-enabled, value-based care, driven by both clinical need and powerful financial incentives. The market for AI-driven remote monitoring is projected to grow from just under $2 billion in 2024 to over $8.4 billion by 2030. Companies like Teladoc Health, Omada Health, and Biofourmis are all competing in this space, each offering solutions to better manage chronic conditions outside the hospital.

Physicians themselves are rapidly embracing these tools. A 2026 survey found that 81% of physicians now use AI professionally, a dramatic increase from previous years. The primary motivation is to reduce the crushing administrative workload and improve the quality of patient interactions. However, concerns about liability, data privacy, and the potential for skill erosion remain significant hurdles.

Patient acceptance is also a critical factor. While surveys show a growing comfort with AI handling routine administrative tasks, many patients still prefer a human clinician for major diagnostic and treatment decisions. The success of programs like the one at Highgate will depend on their ability to use technology to enhance, not replace, the trusted patient-provider relationship.

Regulatory Tailwinds and Financial Viability

The financial and regulatory environment has become increasingly favorable for such initiatives. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been a key driver. The 2026 Physician Fee Schedule introduced more flexible reimbursement codes for RPM and Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), allowing providers to bill for shorter monitoring periods and briefer clinical check-ins. For instance, a new 10-minute clinical management code makes it viable to get paid for quick but meaningful patient interactions.

Furthermore, CMS significantly increased reimbursement rates for Chronic Care Management (CCM) by 10% in 2026, one of the largest boosts in the program's history. When a practice like Highgate combines services, a single Medicare patient could generate several hundred dollars per month in reimbursement revenue through concurrent billing for CCM and RPM, making the investment in platforms like Brook.ai financially sustainable. This clear financial pathway is accelerating the adoption of continuous care technologies across the country, moving them from niche experiments to mainstream clinical tools. As Highgate Medical Group integrates this new system, it will serve as a crucial test case for the future of primary care in Western New York and beyond.