Balancing Innovation and Care: How Shore Physicians Group Is Using AI to Enhance Patient Visits
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping industries around the world, and healthcare is no exception. From hospital systems to individual providers, AI is generating excitement for its potential to streamline care, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. But it also raises valid concerns—about privacy, safety, and the role of technology in deeply personal decisions.
Right here in South Jersey, Shore Physicians Group (SPG) is taking a thoughtful, patient-first approach to AI. The organization is currently implementing Ambient AI—a listening technology that helps physicians document visits more efficiently—in a way that enhances communication, preserves privacy, and strengthens the provider-patient relationship. Here’s how SPG is doing it.
Hadley Winthrop, Director of Operations at SPG, explains, “We’re using Ambient AI to enhance communication, reduce physician burnout, and ultimately improve the quality of care. It’s not about replacing doctors—it’s about supporting them.”
Dr. Ulices Perez, President of SPG and a primary care physician in the Northfield office, says the technology has been a game changer. “One of the biggest challenges in clinical practice is the time it takes to document complex patient encounters,” he says. “With Ambient AI, I can spend more time having meaningful conversations with my patients, without having to type constantly during the visit.”
Importantly, the Ambient AI tool does not record or store conversations. It listens in real time, processes speech, and extracts medically relevant information into the electronic medical record. Any non-essential information is discarded, ensuring patient privacy and HIPAA compliance. Physicians remain fully in control, reviewing and approving every note.
Patients notice the difference. “They feel heard,” says Dr. Perez. “Patients sometimes voice concerns that their doctors seem more focused on the computer screen than on them. With this technology, I can give patients my full attention, which improves both communication and trust.”
Operationally, SPG is already seeing benefits. With less time needed for documentation, providers can see more patients each day—reducing wait times and expanding access to care. In turn, this enhances the patient experience and allows SPG to operate more efficiently.
Both providers and patients have the choice to opt in. “If a patient prefers not to use AI during their visit, we absolutely respect that,” says Winthrop. “We also see generational differences among physicians. Younger providers often embrace the technology more readily, while experienced clinicians may prefer traditional documentation. We support both approaches.”
The AI tool currently in use was carefully selected by SPG’s interdisciplinary AI committee, which includes leaders from operations, IT, legal, and clinical teams. The team vetted multiple platforms before selecting the one best aligned with SPG’s goals. As of now, about 15% of SPG providers are using the system as part of an ongoing pilot.
While more advanced AI features—like diagnosis suggestions or medication recommendations—exist within SPG’s electronic health records, those are not being used. “Just because the technology is available doesn’t mean it’s ready for patient care,” Winthrop emphasizes. “We’re taking a measured, responsible approach.”
