April 30, 2025

From Six Patients to Two Billion: AI's Global Mission with Dr. Shez Partovi

35 minutes

In this episode of Hybrid Minds, Dr. Shez Partovi, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at Philips, takes us on a visionary journey. From a pivotal moment during his time as a practicing neuroradiologist to leading Philips’ global healthcare strategy, Shez shares the story of how one lecture by a nun shifted his perspective—from focusing on six patients a day to aiming to impact billions. His background in both medicine and computer science uniquely positions him to bridge the gap between clinical care and cutting-edge AI, and his mission is clear: scale access to care and give time back to clinicians.

Through real-world examples, Shez explains how AI is not just a buzzword but a tool with transformative potential in healthcare. From managing the overwhelming growth in imaging data, to enabling faster, higher-resolution scans with software upgrades to predicting heart arrhythmias days in advance, Philips is pushing the frontier of what’s possible. One standout story involves a wearable patch that can foresee cardiac events before they happen, giving physicians a chance to intervene early and improve outcomes. He also introduces an inspiring project that uses handheld ultrasound and AI to bring maternal care to underserved regions—no sonographer required, just six guided sweeps and an algorithm that does the rest.

Shez emphasizes the critical importance of ethical innovation, unbiased data, and co-creating solutions with clinical partners. He shares his belief that AI’s future in medicine lies in automation, augmentation, and agility—but only if implemented with care to avoid adverse events. Whether you’re an AI researcher, healthcare professional, or just someone curious about how data can become a tool for good, this episode will leave you inspired by the intersection of compassion, technology, and scale.

Key Quote:

“ The power of AI in creating prediction models is one of the great unlocks in medicine, where quality and cost come together because you can improve quality and reduce costs.” We give the meaning of the data to the clinician data to the clinician.”

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