Business in brief: Mercy adds customer service chatbot, CoxHealth plans software upgrade

SW MO business collaboration wins planning grant

Springfield Business Development Corporation (SBDC) and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce were recently awarded a regional Node Planning Grant from Missouri Technology Corporation. The planning grant will be used to organize regional “nodes” which are intended to support innovation and entrepreneurship through coordinated partnerships among entrepreneurial services organizations withing the node. This process will align partner organizations through gap analysis, and ultimately support the development of a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem across southern Missouri.

Funding from this grant will enable SBDC to build on the successful regional collaboration of Southern Missouri Innovation Network (Innovate SOMO), launched by efactory and codefi, serving the southern 47 counties of Missouri, to conduct market research and needs assessments, as well as analyze exemplary small business training curricula.

Along with efactory and Missouri Small Business Development Center at Missouri State University, codefi, Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Ozarks Small Business Incubator, and Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce will come together to provide improved plans and aligned resources. Organizations in the node will continue partnering with Innovate SOMO to serve as a front door for the regional entrepreneurial community.

Through the grant program, the group will not only provide entrepreneur support and economic development organization, but host regional roundtable events, identify gaps, and develop a plan to clearly articulate the role of each partner organization, and deliver programs and services that maximize outputs and economic impact.

Mercy adds AI chatbot for 24/7 customer service

Mercy health system recently introduced "Toni," a chatbot designed to make the health care experience smoother and more convenient. Toni acts as a virtual assistant, using smart technology to help with things like scheduling appointments and refilling prescriptions, day and night.

“While consumers encounter chatbots in many industries, they're relatively new to health care,” said Steve Mackin, Mercy president and CEO. “These tech advancements save patients time. Toni is part of Mercy's commitment to using technology to make the health care experience better, more convenient and most importantly, private and secure.”

Mercy is one of the first major health systems in the country to provide chatbots. Toni is designed to help patients in real-time, providing personalized responses to your questions and needs, 24/7, with personalized interaction, secure identification and the ability to connect to a live agent.

The chatbot is named after Sister of Mercy Mary ‘Roch’ Rocklage, born Antoinette Marie Rocklage, who died last year, Mercy said.

In the past 30 days, the chatbot has interacted with more than 14,000 users and answered about 42,000 questions, according to the health system.

CoxHealth switching to new electronic record system

CoxHealth announced it will be implementing Epic for its electronic health records across the system.

The change is a major investment in technology that will improve the way CoxHealth provides care and the way colleagues work, the healthy system said in a release.

CoxHealth chose Epic as a technology to unify workflows, provide seamless integration for comprehensive patient care and bolster the exchange of information across the health system. Epic will also allow CoxHealth to significantly improve the patient experience and streamline scheduling through its MyChart patient portal.

MyChart integrates patients’ records at CoxHealth with their records at other health care organizations regionally and across the country, ensuring patients can easily connect with and access all their health data and records.

Implementation is set to be completed by early 2026.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Mercy adds customer service chatbot 'Toni,' and other business news