Ethical AI for Digital Health
Helping the healthcare industry to implement trustworthy AI solutions with strategic consulting, ethical protocols, educational content development and training
ABOUT
NEEV Health helps the healthcare industry to implement trustworthy AI solutions with strategic consulting, ethical protocols, educational content development and training.
I am Ruksana Azhu Valappil, founder and lead consultant. I am a healthcare AI, ethics and sustainability advisor, neuroscientist, social entrepreneur and a purpose driven leader. I love to help digital health teams implement ethical and trustworthy AI solutions that mitigates bias, incorporates transparency and is regulatory compliant. And so NEEV Health was born. As an advisor and consultant, I bring my passion for equitable healthcare, research rigor, analytical skills and a collaborative approach to help build ethical AI for digital health.
I have led cross functional teams, organizations and serve on several board of directors. I am a founding member and the Director of WeTheChange, a not-for-profit coalition of 900+ mission driven women CEOs and allies aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I co-lead the organization running operations, including governance, finance and partnerships. As a firm believer in public service, I serve as a commissioner on the newly created Hospital Supplier Diversity Commission at California Department of Health Care Access and Information. I am an advocate for empowering women and a firm believer in integrating business with social responsibility. My social enterprise, NEEV Lifestyle, is a California Benefit Corporation and a Certified B Corp.
Webinars and Interviews
ACHE Southern California and San Diego Pilot Podcast
December 9, 2023
Dr. Tricia Kassab, Ed.D., MSN, RN, FACHE, CPHQ, CPHRM, HACP is the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Regent of the Southern California and San Diego chapters. I was honored to be invited to be interviewed on the pilot episode of the Regent Podcast
Listen in to the pilot episode featuring Dr. Tricia Kassab and Dr. Ruksana Vallapil, as they chat about the intersection of artificial intelligence, healthcare, and equity. Dr. Vallapil discusses her mission to address challenges in AI-focused healthcare products and shares insights on defining AI, its current state, and the ethical considerations it raises. From engaging healthcare leaders to bridging gaps and assessing accessibility, we explore the transformative impact of AI with a focus on inclusivity and equity. Tune in for this insightful conversation on the evolving landscape of AI in healthcare!
Some of the areas that we dwell into are the state of AI in healthcare, the challenges of AI in healthcare setting, ethical issues of AI, how to engage healthcare leaders in the use of AI, how do we as leaders help bridge the generational, cultural, and economical gaps with AI and who needs to be at the table at a national level to address AI, healthcare and equity issues.
IEEE SCV Young Professionals Startup SIG
May 19, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
C Corp. S Corp. These are some of the common ways a business can be incorporated in the US. For more than a decade now, however, the Benefit Corp is growing in popularity as the formal management structure of choice for a for-profit business. In this talk, we will discuss the requirements of forming a Benefit Corporation as well as how it affords the same protections as a regular corporation, with the added benefits of advancing public good and market differentiation. If you are a mission driven business, or want to build environmentally or socially responsible practices into your company, this entity type might be the right fit for you. Build credibility and trust with all stakeholders – shareholders, customers, employees and suppliers. Increase brand value and attract investors. Learn about some of the famous brands and businesses, including publicly traded companies that are Benefit corps. We will also clarify the difference between a Benefit Corporation and B Corp Certification.manufacturing, health, weather, seismic, security, and other industries.
Agenda: 6:00 – 6:05 pm IEEE Startup SIG introduction
6:05 – 6:45 pm Main presentation
6:45 – 7:00 pm Q&A Sunnyvale, California, United States
INTEGRATING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IN AI SOLUTIONS:
LEARNINGS FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
IEEE Santa Clara Valley (SCV) Computational Intelligence Society Chapter
November 11, 2021
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the Social determinants of health (SDOH) as the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. They include factors like access to healthcare, education, community context, socioeconomic status, neighborhood and physical environment etc. Up to 60% of a person’s health is determinant by SDOH. The good news is that today's digital tools make it easier to incorporate SDOH into patient and population health, thus improving health and reducing health disparities.
In this talk we will look at the importance of SDOH in Health AI solutions and the key considerations for integrating them in any AI model. This will include best practices, governance and ethics considerations that will help in the creation of a robust, sustainable health AI solution. I will demonstrate the impact of incorporating SDOH and the pitfalls of not doing so with a use case pertinent to the current global health scenario – that of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ValleyML AI Expo 2021
October 12, 2021
In this talk we will discuss the state of AI/ML in Healthcare, the challenges and pitfalls facing the industry, effective ways of mitigating negative impacts, considerations for ethics and governance in health AI, improving health equity and the business case for responsible AI. As AI/ML usage becomes commonplace across the healthcare ecosystem, implementing a transparent, ethical, sustainable AI/ML solutions becomes critical for the entire spectrum of healthcare players; from patients to policy makers, from providers to payers, and everyone in between. Since healthcare is a field that impacts one and all, the pitfalls and concerns from flaws and biases in data, algorithms, and humans are become increasingly evident and is a cause for concern for all involved. Thus, there is an increasing urgency to address these issues at the very beginning of the making of any health AI product or system. When consumers demand privacy and transparency, when policy and regulatory frameworks are evolving and changing rapidly, how do we ensure that the health ML solutions are keeping up? As healthcare delivery becomes more and more global, with digital healthcare tools and apps, care and consideration for international regulations and the needs and demands of a global population is a must for any solution provider.
In this talk, I will discuss the tremendous value and impact ML creates in healthcare as well as the huge pitfalls of sub-optimal development and implementation of health AI, all with real world examples. I will then explore the necessary considerations for AI/ML in healthcare and health applications, the challenges facing the health AI community, and how we can mitigate the negative impacts of AI in healthcare from the very beginning. This will include best practices, governance and ethics considerations that will help in the creation of a robust, sustainable AI solution. I will conclude the talk by making the business case for ethical and responsible AI while improving health equity.