At RSNA, HCB News sat down with David Pacitti, President of Siemens Medical Solutions USA and head of Siemens Healthineers North America, to discuss topics that included the latest innovations on the show floor, the emerging applications of artificial intelligence, and the importance of customizable solutions and service models for providers trying to compete in a value-based era.

HCB News: How is this year’s RSNA meeting different for Siemens Healthineers from last year’s?

David Pacitti: A lot of technology and innovations. We received FDA clearance a couple months ago for the MAGNETOM Terra, the first-ever 7 Tesla MR cleared for clinical use, so we're really excited about that. We're very dedicated to the MR field and having a clinical 7 Tesla - I don't think we originally thought it would be in this timeframe, so it's exciting.

We have a lot of other innovations out on the exhibit floor, as well. The MAGNETOM Vida, our new 3T MR, helps with the focus on workflow optimization and reducing unnecessary variation - be it patient movement or variation in anatomical size, and even user variation – it’s designed to help mitigate that.

HCB News: The 7 Tesla MR is pretty exciting. I've seen a lot of people sort of crowding around it on the exhibit floor.

DP: Yes, and RSNA obviously has that heavy focus on technology, but we're also excited this year about the innovative collaboration agreements and research partnerships we're forging with customers. We've announced long-term collaboration agreements and research partnerships with, respectively, Houston Methodist and Northwell Health that are aimed at improving outcomes, and these relationships are very transformative for us. I would say arguably that they are as innovative as the technology, although our R&D people may disagree with me (laughs).

HCB News: I feel like two things I can't escape from at RSNA this year are AI and 3-D printing. How is Siemens Healthineers engaging in the AI space?

DP: I often think it's going to be one of those terms like we heard years ago with big data, which can mean many different things to different people, but we are in a very strong patient position with over 400 patents that relate to machine learning, 75 basic research patents in the area of deep learning, and more than 30 AI-based applications, so we're in good shape there. The question is: what do we do with the secret sauce that we think we have?

A lot of it should be around improving workflow and optimizing procedures, optimizing patient care. We actually have many AI applications in our equipment today, in fact; even in our interventional area, we have image guidance that has AI built into it. We launched a CT overlay that has AI embedded in it. The more of this deep learning we have and algorithms we build, it's all about improving throughput and outcomes and getting patients out of the hospital sooner.

I think with 3-D printing we're in a good position, too. It's still developing for us, so it may be too early to talk about it much, but we're in a good technology position.

HCB News: When you look around at the handful of major imaging OEMs, how do you see Siemens Healthineers distinguishing itself from the crowd?

DP: You go to every booth and you'll hear companies talk about the bells and whistles they have, but we really think what sets us apart is that we not only have great technology, but we're collaborating with our customers in a more meaningful way, with a focus on improving outcomes and reducing overall costs. We want to deliver programs, initiatives, and partnerships that really meet the goals of our customers. For us, it's about that collaboration.

HCB News: That ties in with my next question. There is all this amazing technology at RSNA - but how does Siemens Healthineers create value for the hospitals that cannot afford major capital investments?

DP: We feel we have a broad portfolio across what we call the 'affordability spectrum,' and the key is really getting the right machine or instrument to the right customer. It's really about either having a smart upgrade for them that's not too costly or having a new piece of equipment that meets new goals.

We don't want to put too much technology on a customer who is only looking for certain things. For example, suppose someone only needs to do back scans and they need to do them really fast and that's pretty much it ... well, we are focused on keeping costs down by not providing them with extras they have no use for.

HCB News: You recently launched the Share360 program, which seems to come from that same philosophy; customized service.

DP: Right. ‘My facility is in such an area where I don't need 24/7 service, which may be more costly, or I am not so busy all the time so I don't need this level of service.I need it customized to my model, my institution, my imaging center; I need it customized for my facility and tailored to my needs’. That's the idea.

HCB News: You joined Siemens Healthineers a couple years ago from Abbott and you have a cardiology background. How has that impacted the way forward for Siemens Healthineers?

DP: I'm responsible for North America, where cardiac disease is highly prevalent, and I hope I've brought a more acute awareness to Siemens Healthineers of how important some of these sophisticated procedures are and how dependent they are on image guidance. My team and I have pushed the need to improve and enhance image guidance ultimately because utilizing these advanced structural heart procedures and advanced complex cardiac cases can shorten the case, get the devices implanted sooner, and get the patients out of the hospital. We have seen some dramatic improvements in that area, and we're excited about that.

HCB News: This year AI is the soup of the day at RSNA. Everyone is talking about it - but when you look ahead and at what you're working on - what will we be talking about next year?

DP: AI probably has a couple years left (laughs). As an industry, I think we're really in the early stages of talking about this. We actually did a symposium at TCT, a heart coronary trade show in Denver, this year on AI and that community is very excited about it - so it’s starting to hit all the different -ologies and departments and different applications in neuro and oncology. I think it will be around for a while, and that’s really exciting.

I think next year we will be hearing more about outcomes and value.That conversation died down a little bit this year, but I think once things settle down on where the health system is going, there will be a rejuvenated and renewed buzz about focusing on outcomes and value-based care. Innovation is important, but like we talked about earlier, it's not just technology; it's business model innovation that's going to be a continuing focus as well.