July 22, 2026
Like many community healthcare organizations, Signature Health in Northeast Ohio faced a familiar challenge: clinicians stretched thin by documentation demands and after-hours work. Across six clinics and four residential facilities, the federally qualified health center serves about 30,000 patients and offers a broad range of services, from behavioral health to primary care — making efficiency critical to sustaining healthcare access.
For Signature Health, adopting artificial intelligence was a deliberate leadership decision aimed at reducing documentation burden and helping providers focus on patients. In partnership with OCHIN, the organization is showing how community health providers can implement AI thoughtfully, measure results and strengthen both clinician and patient experience.
“They (OCHIN) really, truly are a deep partner that we rely on,” said Jonathan Lee, founder and CEO of Signature Health. “(At the core) is trust that we’ve built — two-way trust … where they knew what to expect from us, we knew what to expect from them. And we began to, on that basis of trust, be able to grow and expand.”
Putting innovation to work in community care
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping healthcare as organizations face mounting pressures, including workforce shortages, administrative burden, rising operational costs and clinician burnout. For rural and community health organizations with limited resources, caring for patients with complex care needs can be especially challenging.
When implemented effectively, AI can help streamline workflows, reduce repetitive tasks and support more sustainable care delivery while improving outcomes for patients and communities. OCHIN is advancing this work by helping members build AI capabilities, embedding security and governance into operations, applying research and network insights, and advocating nationally for AI that supports community-based care.
From ambient documentation to predictive models that support clinical and operational planning, members across the network are piloting AI in practical, mission-driven ways. By sharing outcomes, lessons learned and best practices, these efforts help the entire network learn faster, highlighting both opportunities and real-world challenges in adopting AI in community-based settings.
A phased, leadership-led rollout
Signature Health piloted ambient AI tools that listen to clinician-patient conversations and generate draft documentation, with the goal of reducing documentation burden and supporting more focused patient care through a phased rollout.
The organization began piloting DAX Copilot with primary care clinicians in 2023 and expanded access to more roles in 2024. In July 2025, Signature Health introduced Abridge and continued to broaden use of both ambient AI tools into 2026. Throughout the process, OCHIN provided guidance on Epic integration, shared peer-informed best practices from across the network, and ensured alignment with secure, ethical AI standards.
By January 2026, ambient AI had become part of daily clinical workflows, generating 15% of all clinical notes, or 6,942 of 45,565, across care settings. By automating first drafts, it reduced time spent in electronic health records and after-hours charting, allowing providers to engage more deeply with patients.
More time for patients, less time on notes
Results aligned directly with Signature Health’s goals. Providers spent less time documenting while producing longer, more detailed notes. After-hours “pajama time” declined, and clinicians reported greater focus during patient visits, with stronger alignment between patient conversations and the documentation captured in the record.
Several providers noted that once documentation was automated, it was hard to imagine returning to fully manual notetaking. Lee described ambient AI as a “game changer” that reduces fatigue and makes daily work feel more sustainable.
“I have clinicians telling me, ‘I can finally look at my patients in the eye again. I can finally be present in the room. And I can go to my son or daughter's recital, football game or baseball game and not be worried about all the work that I still have left to do. I can walk out the door knowing that my notes are complete,’” Lee said. “That's really been very large in terms of (reducing) the administrative burden and the cognitive load on people.”
Lee said leaders also needed to acknowledge concerns about job security and patient volume. The goal is to reduce burnout and administrative burden and bring the practice of medicine back to a more joyful place, he said.
“This is an investment in my team and in our patients and in their care,” Lee said. “We have made a value-based decision that we’re going to figure this out in the budget so that impact doesn’t occur.”
Tracking outcomes
While provider experiences are encouraging, data is needed to understand whether ambient AI is measurably reducing documentation burden over time. Members gain clear, data-driven insights into clinician efficiency with Epic Signal, an Epic dashboard that helps them move beyond anecdote by tracking metrics like time spent on notes, after-hours charting and overall system use.
These metrics enable pre- and post-adoption comparisons, helping organizations assess whether ambient documentation tools are improving workflows and reducing burden. With OCHIN’s support, members can interpret Signal data, understand its limitations, connect to deeper reporting and governance resources, and apply network insights to measure financial, operational and clinical outcomes.
“Signal can show impact and quantify time savings in a powerful way,” said Liam Thornton, a program specialist at OCHIN focused on clinician efficiency and well-being.
For example, mapping active Abridge users in Epic Signal within the training tool enabled a networkwide training outcomes workbook for the Abridge evaluation group to compare how interventions are changing user behavior in OCHIN Epic. In November 2025, this tool found 14% less time spent on notes per day — about eight minutes — and a 6% reduction in after-hours charting per scheduled day.
However, Signal does not capture the full provider or patient experience, including satisfaction, trust, workflow fit or concerns about the technology. Thornton said it works best as a conversation starter, paired with direct provider feedback. “It’s only one piece of the puzzle,” he said.
A broader evaluation can provide a more complete picture. For example, an October 2025 OCHIN evaluation of DAX Copilot and Abridge solutions showed a return of about $5 to $5.50 for every $1 invested, along with measurable efficiency gains.
Ongoing tracking focuses on changes over time, particularly reductions in after-hours charting. Together, these data points give members a clearer foundation for refining workflows, expanding access thoughtfully, and scaling ambient AI with greater confidence.
From early progress to lasting impact
With continued support, Signature Health is building on their early success while keeping their focus where it belongs: on providers, patients and sustainable care delivery.
“I think that if leaders continue to have that point of view as they roll out and implement different pieces of artificial intelligence technology, it will garner a lot of trust and goodwill,” Lee said. “Instead of coming from a place of fear, coming from a place of curiosity … there are all kinds of different opportunities here that suddenly get opened up when we’re coming from a place of trust and confidence.”
Across the OCHIN network, members are showing that responsible AI adoption works best when it is deliberate, measured and grounded in the needs of clinicians and patients. In addition to integrated tools, OCHIN is expediting the rollout of native Epic AI tools to ensure members have access to a robust platform.
OCHIN’s Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) also helps health centers in evaluating emerging tools and applying them in ways that advance sustainable, patient-centered care. Learn more about OCHIN’s HCCN.
