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Unlocking the Power of Data: How Databricks, WashU & Databasin Are Redefining Healthcare Innovation

Why WashU ditched the traditional data mindset and built a scalable, democratized data fabric

Unlocking the Power of Data: How Databricks, WashU & Databasin Are Redefining Healthcare Innovation

Published: July 7, 2025

Healthcare & Life SciencesLess than a minute

Summary

  • Why WashU ditched the traditional data mindset and built a scalable, democratized data fabric.
  • How Databricks’ platform architecture is uniquely suited to handle healthcare’s complex and sensitive data.
  • Why storytelling with data is the key to creating institutional momentum for responsible AI adoption.

What happens when one of the nation’s top academic medical centers teams up with the leading data and AI platform in the world? You get a blueprint for transforming healthcare — one breakthrough at a time.

For more than three years, Washington University School of Medicine has partnered with Databricks and Databasin to build a modern, AI-ready data infrastructure.

In a candid Q&A, Dr. Philip Payne (Chief Health AI Officer at WashU Medicine and BJC) and Mike Sanky (Global Industry Lead at Databricks) reflect on the impact of this partnership — from uncovering Alzheimer’s “treatment deserts” in St. Louis to accelerating the use of generative AI in hospital admissions.

Here’s a preview:

  • Why WashU ditched the traditional data mindset and built a scalable, democratized data fabric.
  • How Databricks’ platform architecture is uniquely suited to handle healthcare’s complex and sensitive data.
  • Why storytelling with data is the key to creating institutional momentum for responsible AI adoption.
  • How Databasin is leading commercialization efforts to bring equity, scalability, and access to more health systems across the country.

This exclusive conversation offers a window into what’s possible when research, technology, and healthcare delivery come together for the common good.

👉 Read the full Q&A and explore real-world use cases on the Databasin website, here!

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