You Asked: How is Artificial Intelligence used at Alomere Health hospital in Alexandria?

ALEXANDRIA — Artificial Intelligence seems to be everywhere these days. Chat GPT, Meta AI, Gemini, Grammarly and even Amazon Alexa are just a few AI tools/programs out of the hundreds that are available for people to use.

The Echo Press had a reader submit a question about how AI might be used at Alomere Health. Carl Vaagenes, the Alexandria hospital's CEO, provided some information to the newspaper.

Vaagenes said the hospital has been thoroughly evaluating the risks and benefits of AI. It has adopted AI technology that he says has already been proven to contribute to a better clinician and patient experience. Based on the feedback and experience so far, Vaagenes said, "We excited about what the future holds."

Celeste Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

The AI technology the hospital is using is called DAX Copilot. DAX, said Vaagenes, stands for Dragon Ambient eXperience. This AI technology has been widely adopted by almost every other health system in the country, he said.

Clinicians spend a tremendous amount of their day on documentation. With DAX Copilot, the clinician essentially has a new tool that helps capture important details during patient visits that are turned into complete and accurate medical notes, said Vaagenes. That information is then included in each patient's private medical health record.

"This means that while the doctor talks with the patient, DAX quietly listens in the background and writes everything down," said Vaagenes. "That way, the doctor can spend more time focusing on the patient and less time typing on a computer."

He added that patients are informed of the use of DAX Copilot and that they do have the option of declining its use if that is what the patient wants.

The DAX Copilot AI technology does not replace the doctor. Instead, Vaagenes said it simply reduces some of the burden of documentation and it gives doctors more time to answer questions, explain treatments and truly listen to patients. This happens in a secure fashion and, it helps to reduce burnout by taking away some of the stress and time that comes with all the paperwork.

"We are excited about the endless possibilities that AI will bring to improve medical care and experience. AI is still in its infancy, but the potential for advances in the future appears very promising," said Vaagenes. "Our goal is to use technology like DAX Copilot to give our patients more personal attention and to support our medical staff in the important work they do every day."

He added that this is just the beginning of how AI can be used in health care. In the future, the hope is to use smart tools like DAX to find patterns in patient care, help with scheduling and even suggest the best treatments for each person based on their unique needs, he said.

"At Alomere Health, we believe that technology should help people – not replace them," said Vaagenes. "We’re taking careful steps to explore how AI can support our staff and improve care for our community. As this technology continues to grow, so will the ways we use it to make health care better, safer and more personal for everyone.

Vaagenes shared more information about Alomere Health, including some of the most significant advances in health care and how other technology has played a role in technology in the Echo Press 2025 Impact magazine, which can be found on the Echo Press website at echopress.com/magazines-and-more .

If you have a "You Asked" question, send it to Al Edenloff, 1920 Turning Leaf Lane SW, Suite 12, Alexandria, MN 56308 or email aedenloff@echopress.com.

Celeste Edenloff is the special projects editor and a reporter for the Alexandria Echo Press. She has lived in the Alexandria Lakes Area since 1997. She first worked for the Echo Press as a reporter from 1999 to 2011, and returned in 2016 to once again report on the community she calls home.