Gov. Mike Kehoe to Address BioSTL Global Health Innovation Summit; AI, Underfunded Hospitals, Looming Medicaid Cuts Take Center Stage
ST. LOUIS, MO – August 26, 2025 – BioSTL, the nationally recognized engine of St. Louis’ biosciences ecosystem, is putting artificial intelligence and its potential in addressing some of our region’s toughest healthcare challenges at the center of its Global Health Innovation Summit this week in St. Louis.
The annual Summit, which will be held Aug. 27 at the Knight Center at Washington University, has become the Midwest’s premier event for connecting global innovation with U.S. healthcare buyers. A launchpad for startups and a catalyst for partnerships, the event accelerates the adoption of transformative solutions in urban and rural healthcare. Examples include digital prenatal care that enables smartphone-based ultrasound imaging and care from home; an AI care companion enabling seniors to achieve happier, healthier aging. These are just two examples of new technologies already being piloted in Missouri healthcare settings.
On Aug. 27, participants will focus on even more innovative ways to use AI to expand healthcare access in Missouri, particularly for financially strapped hospitals and patients facing Medicaid cuts and new work requirements for Medicaid insurance eligibility taking effect in 2026. As many as 130,000 Missourians are expected to be dropped from Medicaid coverage when those cuts take effect.
Importantly, BioSTL CEO Donn Rubin and BJC HealthCare Chief Health AI Officer Philip Payne will hold a joint media availability at 10:15 a.m., Aug. 27, to update journalists on the Healthcare AI Collaborative. This statewide effort, announced at last year’s Summit, helps under-resourced hospitals in Missouri’s cities and small towns overcome the significant barriers to harness AI on their terms.
The effort is one of the first of its kind in the country, as hospitals of all sizes grapple with the looming Medicaid cuts as well as the patients counting on Medicaid coverage for care.
“Artificial intelligence is not a distant promise—it’s a solution for daunting challenges for under-resourced urban and rural hospitals and their communities,” said Vijay Chauhan, BioSTL Global Lead. “Whether it’s a senior living alone in rural Missouri or an overextended provider in an urban hospital, AI can help expand healthcare access, reduce clinician burnout, and improve patient outcomes.”
This year’s Summit on Aug. 27 also includes the following:
- Presentations from 35 innovators from 10 countries showcasing cutting-edge AI-based healthcare solutions
- Panel discussions on the promise and challenges of responsible Healthcare AI featuring national industry leaders BJC HealthCare and WashU Medicine, Permanente Medical Group, Intermountain Health’s Mindshare Institute, and others
- Representatives from governments and innovators from around the world drawn to St. Louis – home to one of the largest concentrations of US Healthcare industry
- Business development meetings between healthcare innovators and healthcare decision makers and investors
- Networking meetings between healthcare innovators and investors