K Health and Hartford HealthCare Expand AI Partnership Into Specialty Care

Hartford HealthCare has expanded its partnership with AI-enabled care platform K Health into specialty care, beginning with endocrinology services delivered through its HHC 24/7 virtual care platform.

The expansion builds on the organizations' existing partnership launched in March 2025, when they introduced HHC 24/7 to provide same-day virtual visits with Hartford HealthCare Medical Group providers. According to the announcement, endocrinology is the first specialty added to the platform, with specialty-trained Advanced Practice Providers supporting patients managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease.

"The goal has always been to provide a seamless patient experience, and specialty care is often where we see the disconnect and fragmented handoffs," Ran Shaul, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at K Health, said in a statement.

"A patient shouldn't have to navigate two different systems, portals, or wait times just because their condition crossed a line between primary and specialty. Clinical-grade AI can close that gap. And with HHC, we're proving it," Shaul added.

Expanding Beyond Primary Care

The companies said the move reflects a broader effort to use AI-enabled platforms beyond appointment scheduling and patient triage. The expanded platform is designed to support patients across different stages of care, allowing transitions between primary care and specialist services within a single virtual environment.

Hartford HealthCare said providers continue to use existing clinical workflows while the platform manages scheduling, patient intake, and clinical note-taking. The organization launched HHC 24/7 as a virtual primary care service and has since expanded its digital care offerings through its collaboration with K Health.

"HHC 24/7 was built to bring on-demand, fully integrated care to patients across the system," Dr. Mandeep Kumar, Medical Director of Advanced Specialties at Hartford HealthCare, said.

"Expanding into specialty care is the natural next step. Conditions like diabetes and thyroid disease don't exist in isolation from primary care, and neither should the treatment," Kumar said.

AI Moves Deeper Into Clinical Workflows

The announcement comes as healthcare organizations increasingly explore AI applications that extend beyond administrative functions and into patient care delivery.

Earlier this year, Penn Medicine deployed K Health AI agents across its virtual care network and outlined plans to expand the technology into specialties including cardiology and dermatology, highlighting growing interest in AI-supported specialty care workflows.

Healthcare providers are also investing in more specialized clinical AI systems. Recent efforts include Mayo Clinic's collaboration with Microsoft to develop a healthcare-specific frontier AI model aimed at supporting medical applications and clinical workflows.

K Health said its platform combines PatientGPT, the company's proprietary clinical AI technology, with provider networks to support virtual care delivery. The company works with several major U.S. health systems, including Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai, Hackensack Meridian Health, Mass General Brigham, Northwell Health, and Hartford HealthCare.

HHC 24/7 is available to patients in Connecticut through Hartford HealthCare's patient portal and virtual care platform.