More Conversation, Less Screen Time: Downstate Pilots AI Clinical Notes

By Office of the President | Oct 6, 2026

 

When a patient describes a symptom, the details matter. So does the chance to say it while their clinician is listening, rather than concentrating on a computer screen. At University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), a new pilot is exploring whether AI can help clinicians stay engaged in that conversation while creating a useful record of the visit.

Since May, 50 providers in family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology, and the emergency department have used Sunrise Thread AI in more than 900 patient encounters. Downstate is the first organization to pilot the tool, developed by its longtime electronic health record partner, Altera Digital Health.

During the visit, the clinician informs the patient that the conversation will be recorded and that Sunrise Thread AI will use the recording to prepare a draft note in UHD’s existing electronic health record. The clinician then reviews and approves the note before it becomes part of the patient’s medical record.

For patients, the goal is more time with a clinician focused on them. A clear, clinician-reviewed note can also help the next person on the care team understand what was discussed, what decisions were made, and what follow-up is needed. The tool may give clinicians back some of the time they spend completing notes after visits. Because it works within Sunrise, trainees rotating through UHD can learn to use it as part of a system they already need to know.

The pilot will help Downstate assess how easy the tool is to use, how well it captures and interprets conversations, and its effect on clinical workflows. Early clinician feedback has been positive. Altera’s Sunrise team is also working with UHD on templates suited to inpatient and emergency department care.

Thank you to Dilip Nath, DrBA, MBA, CHCIO, Chief Information Officer; Mafuzur Rahman, M.D., FACP, Vice Chairman, Director for Inpatient Services, and Chief Medical Informatics Officer; and Laura Kohlhagen, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Sunrise at Altera Digital Health, for their leadership and partnership. We also thank the UHD clinicians and Altera team members whose work will help us understand the tool’s impact on everyday care.