At one rural New Mexico hospital, doctors turn to AI tools
Artesia General Hospital
New Mexico
Dr. Peter Jewell, a family medicine physician at the 25-bed Artesia General Hospital in rural New Mexico, has adopted Microsoft Dragon Copilot, an AI-powered clinical assistant that records patient conversations, transcribes them, and updates electronic health records automatically. Despite not being tech-savvy, Jewell finds the tool easy to use and views the technology as a practical aid that reduces administrative burden and allows him to focus more on patient care.
Jewell typically sees 20 to 25 patients daily, which previously required hours of additional documentation after his shift. Since the hospital implemented the AI system, it has significantly reduced his after-hours workload and improved his work-life balance. More importantly, the tool allows him to maintain eye contact, observe patients more closely, and engage more meaningfully during appointments, addressing common patient concerns about doctors being too focused on computers.
Jewell stresses that the AI does not make medical decisions; it simply enables physicians to devote more attention to their patients while maintaining control over care.