AI Arrives in the Black Hills
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how clinicians work at Monument Health. Across facilities in western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming, AI tools are already part of daily medical practice. Monument Health employees now use more than a dozen generative AI applications within the Epic electronic health record system.
This adoption reflects a clear commitment. Patients in the Black Hills deserve access to the same technology-driven care available at the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Notably, Monument Health’s clinician AI usage exceeds the national average among health systems that use the same Epic platform.
“Patients in the Black Hills deserve the same high-quality care they would receive in a major academic center,” said Patrick A. Woodard, M.D., Chief Information Officer at Monument Health. “By investing in these tools, we are enabling our clinicians to stay at the forefront of medicine and keep care close to home.”
How AI Tools Work in Daily Clinical Practice
These AI capabilities share one central goal: making critical health information immediately actionable. When clinicians spend less time on paperwork, they gain more quality time with patients. Furthermore, better-prepared physicians can focus on listening, explaining, and problem-solving — the core of good medicine.
Moreover, these tools do not replace clinical judgment. Instead, they remove the friction around it. AI handles administrative and clerical burdens so that caregivers can focus on what they trained to do. As a result, clinicians enter every patient encounter with greater focus and confidence.
Key AI Features Across 60 Locations
Monument Health has activated several AI-powered capabilities across all 60 of its care locations. Each feature targets a specific challenge in clinical workflow.
Inpatient and Outpatient Insights
These AI features synthesize key patient data from the electronic health record before each appointment. Consequently, clinicians walk into every patient encounter fully prepared. They no longer need to manually search through lengthy charts to find relevant history. Instead, the AI surfaces the most critical information at a glance.
AI-Assisted Radiology Workflow
This tool automatically extracts critical findings — such as lung nodules — directly from radiology reports. Therefore, patients receive timely follow-up care on incidental findings that might otherwise be missed. The system helps close gaps in care and supports earlier intervention when it matters most.
Generative AI Writing Tools
These tools serve two important functions. First, they help clinicians rewrite messages and discharge instructions into plain, patient-friendly language rather than complex medical jargon. Second, they draft detailed documents like hospital course summaries — tasks that traditionally consumed significant physician time. Additionally, these summaries improve communication between care teams and patients at discharge.
What Clinicians Are Saying
Dr. Burton Hayes, M.D., Director of Ambulatory Clinical Informatics at Monument Health, shared his firsthand experience with these tools.
“As a practicing internist, I’ve found that the biggest impact of AI isn’t replacing clinical judgment — it’s giving me back time and cognitive space,” he said. “Tools that generate clinical documentation from the patient conversation have dramatically reduced the hours I used to spend charting after work.”
He added that AI can summarize chart data in seconds and suggest diagnoses or coding based on the visit. Ultimately, this means less clerical work and more meaningful time with patients. In his words, “AI is helping me love being a doctor, rather than a data entry clerk.”
What This Means for Patients
For patients across the Black Hills region, these advances translate into a more attentive, responsive experience. When physicians spend less time on documentation, they give more attention to the person in front of them. Furthermore, AI tools like radiology flagging and patient-friendly messaging reduce errors and improve follow-through on care plans.
Access to this level of technology was once limited to large urban hospital systems. Today, Monument Health brings that same standard of AI-driven care to communities in South Dakota and Wyoming. This levels the playing field for rural patients who deserve equal access to high-quality medicine.
What Comes Next
Monument Health continues to expand its AI capabilities. Patient-facing applications are on the near horizon, meaning AI will soon enhance the patient experience directly — not just behind the scenes. As the health system grows its AI portfolio, it remains focused on one priority: keeping care close to home while delivering the highest possible standard of medicine.
