News

GE HealthCare and Sutter Health Forge AI-Powered Imaging Partnership

• By John K. Waters
• 01/17/2025

GE HealthCare has signed a landmark seven-year agreement with Sutter Health, a nonprofit healthcare provider based in Sacramento, California, to deliver cutting-edge AI-powered medical imaging technology and digital solutions across its network. Dubbed the "Care Alliance," the deal is among GE HealthCare’s largest-ever enterprise strategic partnerships and is expected to generate $1 billion in revenue, according to Bloomberg.

The collaboration aims to reduce costs, enhance service, and provide advanced technology solutions across Sutter Health’s 28 acute care facilities and numerous ambulatory care centers. The health system anticipates $30 million to $40 million in annual savings through standardizing equipment, improving maintenance, and streamlining operations.

The agreement builds on a two-decade relationship between the two organizations. "By standardizing GE products and services, we’re not only driving cost savings but also ensuring better equipment maintenance and operational excellence," said Mark Sevco, Sutter Health’s Chief Operating Officer, in an interview.

Sutter Health serves 3.5 million patients annually with 57,000 employees, 15,000 nurses, and 5,600 clinicians across eight medical groups. The system reported $18 billion in annual revenue in 2024.

The partnership will accelerate Sutter Health’s adoption of AI-powered imaging technologies, including PET/CT, SPECT/CT, MRI, CT, X-ray, nuclear medicine, and ultrasound. In addition, GE HealthCare’s interventional, mammography, diagnostic cardiology, maternal and infant care, and anesthesia solutions will be integrated into Sutter’s ambulatory care centers, addressing a growing demand for care outside traditional hospital settings.

"This partnership is a game-changer for expanding access to innovative, high-quality care for patients while giving our physicians and clinicians access to advanced technology," Sevco said. "It also offers our teams ongoing, comprehensive training so they continue to provide the most current and effective care to our patients."

The companies emphasized that the agreement will create a more seamless and coordinated experience for patients and clinicians across the Sutter Health system. "This collaboration will help us reimagine how we deliver care, using AI to transform diagnostic imaging and ultimately improve patient outcomes," Sevco added.

With healthcare systems under increasing pressure to balance costs with quality care, the GE HealthCare and Sutter Health alliance highlights the growing reliance on AI and digital technologies to drive efficiency and innovation. As the partnership unfolds, it could serve as a model for integrating advanced medical technologies at scale across health systems nationwide.