Pathology, AI, Population Health: What We Learned from Dr. Greg Osmond at Ogden Surgical 2025

May 22, 2025 | Digital Dermatopathology, Digital Pathology, Pathology Business

The 2025 Ogden Surgical Medical Society Conference hosted medical thought leaders from across specialties. What was the burning question on the mind’s of many health professionals? How is artificial intelligence reshaping healthcare—from diagnostics to documentation—and what it means for providers navigating population health and value-based care models? 

Greg Osmond, MD, MPH, co-founder of PathologyWatch, and a presenter at this year’s event, positioned the answer as a strategic balance of Pathology, AI, and Population Health. 

Here’s a look at the highlights and key takeaways from his session:

Finding the Balance: Pathology, AI, and Population Health

Dr. Osmond opened by framing the most current questions facing clinicians and healthcare organizations today:

  • What does an effective balance of pathology, AI, and population health actually look like?

  • What can today’s AI really do in clinical practice?

  • How can clinics and providers begin to build realistic, AI-enabled workflows?

  • And where are we already seeing AI deliver value?

AI in Action: Real-World Applications

Throughout the session, Dr. Osmond highlighted real examples of AI tools currently making waves in healthcare:

  • Clinical Documentation: Tools like Nuance DAX Copilot, Microsoft Azure, and Suki.AI help automate note-taking and improve physician efficiency.

  • Patient Communication: AI is now generating email responses via EPIC and DAX Copilot, lightening the admin load for busy clinicians.

  • Radiology and Diagnostics: Platforms like Viz.AI assist with triage and interpretation in high-volume imaging environments.

  • Cardiology: Tools like Cleerly are enabling more precise characterization of coronary artery disease, while Caption Health (GE) supports AI-guided echocardiograms by non-specialists.

  • Pathology Diagnostics: Companies like PathAI, PaigeAI, PathologyWatch, and Proscia are transforming the pathology workflow.

  • Genomics: Precision medicine platforms such as Tempus are bridging AI with genetic insights to personalize treatment.

Key Insights from Dr. Osmond’s Talk

1. Clinical Context Still Matters

One of the most practical takeaways? Always tell your pathologist what you think you’re sampling—even if you’re unsure. That clinical context shapes how the specimen is interpreted.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong—it gives us context to help,” Dr. Osmond said.

For example, distinguishing between lichenoid keratosis and lichenoid interface dermatitis is largely a result of clinical context.

2. Frontline Providers Must Lead the AI Transition

As AI adoption accelerates, Dr. Osmond stressed the importance of input from practicing clinicians. Providers are best positioned to identify workflow friction, operational inefficiencies, and areas where automation makes a real difference.

“AI doesn’t need to be flashy—it needs to solve the right problem and fit into a feasible business model,” he noted.

In short: Those closest to the clinical work need to shape the tools, not just use them.

3. Population Health Needs Real-Time, Actionable Data

From wearable devices to remote patient monitoring, the potential for AI in population health is huge. But to make it work, organizations must link comprehensive clinical data with real-time inputs.

Dr. Osmond challenged the audience to think critically about incentives in value-based care, asking:

  • What is the most actionable data?

  • What operational model can turn that data into better outcomes?

  • How do we build systems that are financially and logistically feasible?

AI in Healthcare: A Moral and Strategic Imperative

The talk ended with a provocative question: What is our obligation when AI or agentic workflows are objectively better—and already available?

The healthcare AI revolution isn’t on the horizon. It’s here. And according to Dr. Osmond, it’s up to providers and healthcare leaders to guide its ethical, effective, and scalable implementation.

“Physicians and healthcare organizations hold the key data. We also hold the responsibility to use it wisely.”

Final Thoughts

As the healthcare industry continues its shift toward proactive, data-driven, value-based models, the integration of AI into healthcare, especially through the lens of population health, isn’t just inevitable—it’s essential.

Dr. Osmond’s insights remind us that while the tools are evolving fast, the mission remains the same: provide high-quality care, reduce friction, and improve outcomes for the communities we serve.

 

CEO Dan Lambert Says the Future Is Right Now for Digital Pathology

Apr 20, 2023 | Digital Pathology, Pathology Business

There is no time like the present to be part of the digital pathology field.

According to a 2022 report published by Facts and Factors Research, the global digital pathology market is expected to grow at a 13.8 percent CAGR increase in the next five years. In a recent Forbes article, Dan Lambert, CEO of PathologyWatch, spotlights several different market factors that are synergistically signaling exciting growth opportunities ahead.

Increased Demand for Remote Work

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many companies saw increased demand for the ability to work remotely. With a national emergency declared in the United States, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waived some requirements for remote pathology sites. The ensuing three years have shown the benefits of digital pathology, especially as the demand for remote work remains high.

Lambert also sees digital pathology as a way to connect people in underserved areas with the latest technological advances in healthcare, which otherwise would not be accessible to them. “I predict that remote digital pathology will eventually help leapfrog the latest technology forward by connecting individual offices with dermpath experts and algorithms throughout the world,” Lambert writes.

New CPT Codes

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) worked with the AMA CPT Editorial Board in 2022 to develop a series of 13 new Category III digital pathology digitization procedure codes, which went into effect on January 1, 2023. Before the change, US labs used the same codes to report a diagnostic read, whether they were made under a microscope or using digital pathology.

The new codes will be used to track the extent to which digital pathology is being utilized, with the hope that it will soon result in additional reimbursement amounts, allowing those using the new technology to recoup some of their costs. 

“I see this change providing a clear financial incentive for labs to invest in digital pathology,” Lambert says.

Clinical Correlation

Digital pathology provides a more efficient means of communication between dermatologists and dermatopathologists. Where the old model functioned with biopsy samples placed on glass slides sent off to a lab, digital pathology streamlines the process by scanning the samples into digitized slides. Dermpaths now read the case digitally and can consult in real time with the originating dermatologist. 

“Quicker and more efficient diagnosis and communication can position the patient as the real beneficiary of digital pathology advancement,” says Lambert. ”In time, I predict that digital pathology and remote reads by experts will be the industry standard.” 

Single-Solution Systems

Until recently, most parts of the digital pathology process were handled separately. In the past, one company might have specialized in building viewers, while one developed diagnostic algorithms, and another specialized in the EMR systems that tracked each patient’s case. But now, vendors like PathologyWatch, with its Dermpath Optimization Tool, have developed systems that cohesively connect each step in the process.

“The fact that a few different vendors have developed start-to-finish systems is a good thing for digital pathology,” Lambert says. “[It] means the industry will continue shifting to support digital solutions.”

To read the full Forbes article, click here.