Our Story: Why We Built This Community
Exposition
Around the world, radiology departments have faced the same reality: too many scans, too few radiologists, reports delayed, patients waiting too long for answers, and treatment pushed back. Everyone stretched thin.
We were no different.
Like many of you, we looked to Artificial Intelligence as a way forward. It promised to speed things up, support our workflows, and maybe even improve accuracy. We thought: This could really help.
But the moment we tried to choose a solution, we hit a wall.
The Problem
Every vendor claimed their product was “the best.” The only way to even discover what existed was through marketing or random posts on social media. Information was scattered, often biased, and rarely trustworthy.
So we took the only path left to us: trial and error. Costly, time-consuming, and frustrating.
And then came the bigger question: implementation.
How do you integrate AI into daily hospital work?
What kind of governance is needed?
Who checks performance and safety?
Were we even doing it right?
The truth is, we didn’t know. We were figuring it out, often alone.
The Spark
If this sounds familiar, it’s because many of you have lived the same story. We know — because we heard it firsthand when we met colleagues at conferences.
In those settings, something remarkable happened.
In 20 minutes over coffee, someone from another hospital would explain exactly how they solved the problem we were struggling with back home. Those conversations were gold. We learned more in half an hour than in months of searching online.
But when the conference ended, so did the connection. Following up was hard. The wisdom was scattered again.
We turned to LinkedIn, Facebook groups, and online forums — hoping to find that same honest exchange. Instead, we found noise, sales pitches, and shallow debates. The people who really understood — clinicians, IT staff, administrators, researchers, policy experts, patients — were all out there, but working in silos.
That’s when it hit us: what we needed simply didn’t exist.
The Birth of AIiHC
So we decided to build it ourselves.
Two professionals—one from healthcare and one from IT, both with firsthand experience of the challenges—collaborated to establish the AI in Healthcare Community (AIiHC) platform. Shortly thereafter, another healthcare professional, aligned with our vision and mission, joined the team to strengthen our efforts.
From the very start, we agreed on three things:
It must be neutral and nonprofit.
It must be structured into groups — so clinicians, leaders, IT experts, developers, researchers, patients, and students all have dedicated spaces.
It must always keep the patient at the center.
We want to build AIiHC not as a one-person initiative, but as a shared responsibility. Each group has its own moderators and responsible members. And the community depends on people willing to share wisdom, ask thoughtful questions, and support one another.
Why This Matters Today
AI adoption is accelerating everywhere. Hospitals are investing. Societies are publishing guidelines. Researchers are generating evidence.
But the day-to-day, peer-to-peer support is still missing. Teams are still figuring things out on their own.
That’s why AIiHC matters.
Here, you can:
A radiologist in Oslo learn from an IT engineer in Amsterdam.
A hospital leader in Madrid connect with a regulatory expert in Brussels.
A researcher in Boston find a clinical partner in Delhi.
And all of us keep the patient’s voice at the center.
Our Invitation
This is not just about AI. It’s about making sure no one has to face these challenges alone.
We built AIiHC so that the next team starting their journey or stumbling upon during the adoption journey won’t need to begin from scratch. They’ll have a place to learn from those who came before — and to share their own lessons for those who come next.
This is our story.
We hope you’ll make it yours too.