From Hype to Billing: SoCalBio Panel Puts AI to Work in Clinics

Leaders from RKS Design, NeuraSignal, Avenda Health, DigitalDx Ventures, and Johnson & Johnson map a pragmatic path from workflow to reimbursement.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At SoCalBio's 27th Annual Conference, a medtech panel tackled a practical question: where does AI actually improve care—and how do we pay for it? The session, "The Role of AI in Driving Better Patient Outcomes from Diagnosis to Recovery," brought together RKS Design founder and CEO Ravi Sawhney, NeuraSignal'sRobert Hamilton, Avenda Health's Shyam Natarajan, DigitalDx Ventures'Michele Colucci, and Johnson & Johnson'sDevavrat Bapat.

"SoCalBio exists to connect people, and you could feel the urgency in the room," said Walid Sabbagh Jr., PhD, president and CEO of SoCalBio. "We heard clear signals: admin relief is arriving first; diagnosis and treatment need longer evidence runways."

"AI only matters when it makes care easier. If it cuts the busywork for doctors, they'll use it—if it adds to it, they won't," said Sawhney. "When smart design, solid proof, and insurance coverage line up, patients feel it: faster appointments, clearer next steps, and better results."

The discussion landed on a practical playbook: start with workflow, so tools fit the clinical day and reduce clicks; expect near-term gains in administration and documentation before broader use in diagnosis and treatment; design for reimbursement as intentionally as usability; build trust with diverse datasets and transparent model updates; follow FDA guidance while acknowledging that true live-learning systems are still early; make remote monitoring actionable with clear thresholds and timely alerts; and press for shared metrics and integration standards so health systems can compare results, buy with confidence, and translate AI into better care.

About SoCalBio

The Southern California Biomedical Council (SoCalBio) is a nonprofit, member-supported trade association serving the biotech, medtech, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), and digital health communities across the six-county Greater Los Angeles region—Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside, and San Bernardino. SoCalBio helps growth-stage and established firms access capital, partners, and critical business services; champions technology transfer and workforce development; and informs policymakers and the public about the economic and societal value of the region's life sciences sector. Membership is open to organizations engaged in bioscience research, technology development, and commercialization.

About RKS Design
RKS Design is a Los Angeles–based innovation and product design firm founded by Ravi Sawhney that helps companies turn human needs into products, services, and experiences that earn adoption and trust. Drawing on a people-centered approach shaped by Sawhney's early work at Xerox PARC, RKS blends psychology and design to deliver market-relevant solutions across medtech, consumer, and industrial sectors. Capabilities span research and strategy, industrial design, engineering, end-to-end product development, brand and packaging, and service/experience design—strengthening brands and creating lasting emotional connections. Learn more at rksdesign.com.

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SOURCE RKS Design