A Conversation with Phill Tornroth: The Future of Primary Care is Human-Centered
At Elation Health, we believe that technology should serve people, not the other way around. This philosophy is at the core of our work, and it's something we've been dedicated to since our founding. Recently, we sat down with our VP of Engineering, Phill Tornroth, who has been with Elation for 15 years, to talk about innovation, company culture, and the future of healthcare. His insights underscore why we’re so passionate about creating tools that empower clinicians and strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.
The EHR That Disappears
For a long time, the EHR has been a source of administrative burden and burnout for physicians. Phill believes the ideal future of primary care is one where technology disappears into the background, allowing clinicians to focus entirely on their patients. This vision is what drives Elation's approach to AI.
One example is Notice Assist, Elation's AI-powered scribe for physicians that launched last year. "We're one of the very few EHR companies that chose to bring that in-house and build it natively and integrate it into the platform, as opposed to bolting on like a partner product," Phill said. This deep integration means the tool understands the context of the patient chart, intelligently generating notes and automating tasks like lab orders and referrals. For one user, this has meant she no longer needs to carry a notepad into the exam room, allowing her to be more present with her patients. "It literally saves our providers like hours of their time per week," Phill explained. This kind of transformation is the real goal: to make technology a silent partner, not a distraction.
Another innovation that is already available for Elation users is Actions. This feature automatically pulls to-do items from the visit notes, like prescribing an antibiotic, and adds them to a to-do list that is then checked off when the action is completed. "It's an extension of our Notice Assist product that will pull out your to-do lists," he noted. It’s about constantly finding ways to reduce the burden of invisible work, giving clinicians back their time.
Busting the AI Myth
When it comes to AI, there’s a common fear that technology will replace doctors and their jobs. Phill believes this is a major myth. "A big misconception we have is I think we're we're pretty married to the status quo and what I see a lot of people doing when it comes to AI is imagining it replacing like wholesale jobs or tasks and for those things generally do exist the way they've already existed," he stated. Instead of replacing people, AI should be used to reshape how we work, augmenting a clinician's ability to provide care. "I don't think we're going to replace specific people in the practice. I think we're going to reshape the way that they're able to do work and augment them," he explained. The most important thing is to be transparent with users, listen to their feedback, and continuously iterate on these new tools.
The Power of Empathy
Phill’s passion for human-centered design isn’t just about building better products; it’s about a culture of empathy. He notes that the degree to which Elation's team is empathetic is what makes the company special. "I don't think that was a word that I like used that often before joining Elation. I hadn't recognized how like powerful an outlier a skill that is," he said. It’s a quality that our team actively hires for and nurtures, believing that it’s a powerful skill, especially for technologists. This empathy is what allows us to create technology that truly understands and addresses the needs of clinicians and their patients. "Everybody at Elation has so much empathy," Phill recalled being told early on.
At Elation, we’re committed to a future where primary care is joyful and sustainable. Our work is to empower physicians with tools that save them time, reduce administrative burden, and allow them to focus on what they do best: care for people. With leaders like Phill and a culture built on empathy, we are confident that we can continue to build technology that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of clinicians and their patients.
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