In a LinkedIn post announcing the move, GE HealthCare President and CEO Peter Arduini touted the company’s 134 AI-powered medical devices authorized by the FDA to date, a figure he described as the most of any medtech.
“But the opportunity ahead is much bigger than any number,” Arduini wrote. “Reporting to [Global Chief Science and Technology Officer] Taha Kass-Hout, and working closely with our segment teams, Rodolphe will help us take our AI strategy to the next level — connecting devices, software and data to deliver better insights, more longitudinal understanding and more precise care.”
At Medtronic, where he was CAIO since 2023, Katra helped launch the company’s first enterprise-wide AI center of excellence to guide its strategy, governance frameworks and investment priorities. He directed digital health initiatives within Medtronic’s cardiac rhythm portfolio as well.
GE HealthCare also describes Katra as a prolific inventor, with more than 150 published and pending patents to his name. He’ll take over the CAIO role from Parminder Bhatia, who moved to Edwards Lifesciences this summer to serve as senior VP of AI.
“It’s a privilege to join at such a pivotal moment for AI in healthcare, and to help take this work to the next level—connecting devices, software, and data to deliver better insights and more precise care for clinicians and patients,” Katra wrote in his own post.
GE HealthCare recently announced a collaboration with Mass General Brigham to put generative AI to work toward more personalized radiation therapy.
The research project will explore how the programs can help clinicians plan and deliver cancer treatments, with many cases driven by a largely manual workflow that involves importing and collating a patient’s data from multiple sources, including imaging scans as well as physician notes and reports.
The company previously worked with MGH to develop its Intelligent Radiation Therapy solution, or iRT. An analysis of more than 11,000 treatment plans at the hospital found that employing the AI-powered workflow reduced the time from patient intake to treatment from as long as 30 days down to eight.
