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20% of breast cancer patients need a second surgery. AI just fixed that.
Intermountain Health just deployed something remarkable across their entire system: AI-powered imaging that lets surgeons see cancer margins in real time, right there in the OR.
Think about what this means.
No more waiting days for pathology results to know if you got it all. No more telling 1 in 5 patients they need to come back for another surgery. No more wondering if that edge looks suspicious.
The technology uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) to create cellular-level images of tissue margins instantly. Surgeons can literally see if cancer cells extend to the edge of what they’ve removed, while the patient is still on the table.
Here’s what makes this transformative:
🔬 Real-time visualization at the cellular level
📊 Immediate margin assessment during surgery
🏥 Systemwide deployment, not just a pilot
💡 AI algorithms learning from every case
Dr. Jennifer Tittensor at American Fork Hospital puts it perfectly: “I can visualize margins in real time and make more informed surgical decisions.”
But here’s the bigger story.
This isn’t about replacing pathologists. It’s about giving surgeons superpowers. The same way GPS didn’t replace navigation skills but made every driver more confident.
Intermountain is deploying this from their flagship Salt Lake City hospitals to rural facilities across the Mountain West. That means a patient in rural Utah gets the same cutting-edge cancer surgery as someone in a major medical center.
The data collection from these surgeries will train next-generation AI algorithms. Every surgery makes the system smarter. Every patient contributes to better outcomes for the next.
We’re watching the birth of precision cancer surgery. Where “clear margins” isn’t a hope, it’s a real-time certainty.
This is what happens when we stop asking “Can AI work in healthcare?” and start asking “How fast can we scale it?”
The 200,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer this year deserve nothing less.
♻️ Repost if cancer surgery needs real-time precision, not second chances.
👉 Follow me, Jonathan Govette, for real-time updates on healthcare technology and business news. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathangovette/
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Author:
Jonathan Govette is a seasoned healthcare and technology executive with more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and advising digital health companies. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oatmeal Health, an AI-driven Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnostics company focused on expanding access to early detection for underrepresented populations, particularly patients served by Federally Qualified Health Centers and value-based health plans.
With a background in engineering, product development, and strategic partnerships, Jonathan has founded and led multiple health technology ventures across clinical care delivery, regulated medical software, and AI-enabled diagnostics. His work sits at the intersection of medicine, technology, and health equity, with a consistent focus on translating complex clinical problems into scalable, real-world solutions.
Jonathan has spent much of his professional life dedicated to improving outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities. He has designed and implemented frameworks that align clinical quality, reimbursement, and technology to sustainably advance health equity at scale. This mission is deeply personal and informs his leadership philosophy and long-term vision for healthcare transformation.
In addition to his operating experience, Jonathan is an author and long-time writer in the healthcare domain, with over 20 years of published work covering digital health, medical innovation, and healthcare systems. He is a frequent mentor to early-stage founders and regularly advises startups on product strategy, partnerships, and go-to-market execution in regulated healthcare environments.
Before entering industry full-time, Jonathan nearly pursued a career in medicine with an early path toward cardiothoracic surgery, an experience that continues to shape his clinical perspective and respect for frontline care delivery.
CEO | Oatmeal Health | AI Lung Cancer Startup | Engineer | Writer | Almost Became a Doctor (Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon) | 3x Health Tech Founder | Startup Mentor | Follow to share what I’ve learned along the way.
