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Steer Health: A Trailblazer in Patient Care

On June 16, 2026, Hearst Health, in collaboration with the UCLA Center for AI & SMART Health, announced that Steer Health has been awarded the 2026 Hearst Health Prize. This recognition is a testament to Steer Health's innovative approach to reducing care gaps for over 1.6 million patients spanning 34 states. The award was presented by Greg Dorn, president of Hearst Health, at the UCLA Health Data Day event.

Groundbreaking Achievements

Steer Health stands out with its AI-driven platform designed specifically for clinical orchestration. The company's effort to bridge persistent issues in U.S. healthcare has positioned it as a leader in the industry. Clinical inertia, a significant challenge where up to 40% of patients fail to complete specialist referrals, has cost the healthcare system approximately $150 billion annually due to missed appointments and lost continuities of care. Steer’s platform employs advanced predictive models to identify patients at risk of disengagement, guiding them effectively through the healthcare pathway.

“We founded Steer Health because too many patients fall through the cracks of a system that wasn't built for continuous engagement,” stated Sridhar Yerramreddy, founder and CEO of Steer Health. The company effectively integrates with more than 50 electronic health record (EHR) systems, ensuring that patient care is not only accessible but also efficiently monitored.

Innovative Solutions

Steer's pioneering methods have produced notable results, achieving a 2.2% no-show rate, significantly lower than the national average of 18-20%. By utilizing a combination of a gradient-boosted predictive model and a multi-agent AI system, Steer Health has successfully managed to handle over 1.68 million patients across more than 950 care sites in 2025 alone. The platform has also executed over 4 million automated follow-ups without any human intervention, illustrating the efficiency and effectiveness of their solution.

The Hearst Health Prize aims to celebrate the power of data science in closing gaps between patients and the necessary care they require. Dorn emphasized the importance of such recognition in “supporting organizations that are moving the field forward in meaningful ways.”

Finalist Recognition

Alongside Steer Health, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was acknowledged as a finalist for its innovative platform, MatchMiner. This open-source tool identifies cancer patients suitable for precision medicine trials. With fewer than 10% of adult cancer patients enrolling in clinical trials, MatchMiner uses genomic information and AI to streamline matching processes, effectively enhancing patient participation in groundbreaking research.

The Future of Healthcare

As the healthcare landscape evolves, the role of innovative technology becomes increasingly crucial. Reflecting on this, Dr. Alex Bui, director of the Medical Imaging Informatics group at UCLA, praised both awardees for addressing diverse yet interconnected problems in patient care. “Intelligently applied data can find the patients who need help and connect them to it faster,” he remarked, highlighting the shared mission of advancing health outcomes.

Conclusion

The 2026 Hearst Health Prize not only celebrates the achievements of Steer Health and Dana-Farber but also underscores the transformative potential of data science in healthcare. As we continue to navigate challenges in patient engagement and access to care, such innovations herald a future where technology and humanity intersect to create better health outcomes across the globe. As stated by Yerramreddy, “This recognition validates what our team already knows — AI can address the complexities of patient connectivity at a scale unattainable by traditional methods.”