By HFT Staff

Efforts launched about 18 months ago by Microsoft to help rural healthcare facilities improve cybersecurity and expand access to artificial intelligence (AI) continue to gain traction. 

The initiative, created in concert with the AHA, includes free and heavily discounted cybersecurity services and more. A Microsoft executive noted in a recent interview that more than 700 rural hospitals nationwide are now taking part in the program. 

Microsoft’s rural health program gives providers free access to cybersecurity assessments, cyber awareness training and tech product support. The company also offers deep discounts on its tools and software for critical access and rural emergency hospitals, says Laura Kreofsky, rural health director for Microsoft Philanthropies. 

Microsoft also plans to help level the innovation playing field through its rural health artificial intelligence (AI) lab. Two cohorts of rural hospitals have collaborated with the company to build AI tools for use cases, including optimizing outbound referral workflows and automating insurance claim denials, Kreofsky notes.