Forrest Health Introduces New AI and Navigator Program that is Closing the Gaps in Rural Care – One Scan at a Time

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (April 6, 2026) Catherine Winkler of Picayune thought she was dealing with a urinary tract infection — or perhaps, kidney stone issues.

Instead, a visit to Highland Community Hospital’s Emergency Room in Picayune for uncomfortable back pain revealed something far more concerning: a hazy nodule on one of her lungs.

Winkler, already a cancer survivor, had undergone a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis in February. While doctors ruled out kidney stones, the imaging captured part of her lungs, where the suspicious nodule appeared.

“I was quite concerned when I went to the emergency room at Highland. I wasn’t feeling well and was in some pain. I thought it might be a UTI or a kidney stone, but I didn’t know how far it had progressed,” Winkler said. “The doctor ordered a CT scan, and that’s when the hazy nodule was discovered — by accident.”

Thanks to Forrest Health’s new Incidental Lung Nodule AI and Navigator program, Winkler’s condition was flagged early and she was quickly connected to the follow-up care she needed.

This program reflects a new approach to patient care that’s quietly transforming how serious conditions are detected across Forrest Health, especially in rural communities.

As part of Forrest Health’s Rural Health Transformation efforts, the health system is expanding access to advanced technology and coordinated follow-up care through its rural hospitals and clinics. The goal is to ensure patients receive the same level of attention and coordination, no matter where they enter the system. It’s part of a broader commitment to making sure no patient — regardless of location, insurance status, or access — is left behind.

“Many patients who present to a Forrest Health hospital emergency room with a problem receive a CT scan of some sort,” said Shannon Vega, director of Radiology at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. “If lung nodules are captured during that scan, then it’s time for our lung nodule navigator, Christy Turner, BSRT (R), to step in.”

Catherine’s case appeared on a digital dashboard monitored daily by Turner. Using artificial intelligence embedded within the Epic electronic medical record system, the dashboard flags incidental findings like lung nodules, pulling them directly from radiology reports. On a recent Monday morning, her dashboard showed 53 notifications from just weekend emergency room visits.

But the technology is only the starting point.

“That’s why the navigator is so important,” Vega said. “AI is just a tool in Turner’s bucket; it’s not doing the job for her. The navigator’s responsibility is reviewing scans, understanding what they show, and asking questions of radiologists.”

Turner manually reviews each case, verifying findings, reading reports, and sometimes examining images to ensure accuracy. Once confirmed, the system alerts providers through an Epic pop-up notification, ensuring the finding is acknowledged by a physician and followed with appropriate care.

“I’m just verifying what AI is telling me,” Turner said. Her role doesn’t stop there, but goes a step further.

If a patient already has a primary care provider, Turner ensures that provider is notified and that recommended follow-up — whether a scan, consultation, or additional testing — is scheduled. If the patient does not have a provider, she helps connect them to care at the Forrest General Family Medicine Residency Clinic, where Program Director Dr. Rambod Rouhbakhsh is seeing patients.

The goal is simple: make sure no patient falls through the cracks.

“In medicine, it’s easy for things like this to get missed, especially for patients without insurance or a primary care doctor,” Turner said. “We’re making sure they don’t.”

The need is significant. In just the first six weeks of the program, more than 173 incidental findings have been identified, with dozens requiring follow-up care. Many of those findings came from patients who entered the emergency room for unrelated issues — such as headaches, abdominal pain, or confusion — but received CT scans that revealed lung nodules, by “accident.”

For rural patients, this coordinated approach is especially critical. It removes barriers to specialty care and creates a clear pathway from diagnosis to treatment.

While not all nodules are cancerous, early detection is critical. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and many cases go undiagnosed until advanced stages.

“Forrest Health is dedicated to bringing the latest technology to rural health, including advanced artificial intelligence that searches radiology reports to identify lung nodules, whether malignant or benign,” said Dr. James York, medical director of Radiology for Forrest Health. “We don’t know what they are until they are fully worked up. Through our team in Epic, we’ve launched this project so identified nodules are reported and patients are guided to the appropriate clinic. If they don’t have a primary care provider, our Family Medicine Residency Clinic ensures they are seen.”

For patients, the program does not add cost to their initial visit. Instead, it builds on care already being provided, connecting them to follow-up services, financial assistance options, and affordable medications when needed.

Forrest Health is among the first hospitals in the country to implement this type of lung nodule navigation program within Epic, combining AI with hands-on clinical oversight. The program, introduced and rolled out by Epic in October 2025, was developed locally through a partnership with teams from Radiant, Epic, and Informatics at both Forrest Health and Hattiesburg Clinic.

For Winkler, that combination made all the difference.

“This saved my life,” she said. “I’m so glad I went there. I look at the medical field as a ministry that assists the Lord in healing — doctors, nurses, and techs are all part of that.”

A cancer survivor diagnosed three years ago, Winkler said her faith has guided her through every health challenge. She previously faced complications from kidney stones, including a severe infection, and believes each moment of care has played a role in her journey.

She is scheduled for a follow-up scan in early April and remains hopeful.

Programs like this reflect a broader mission at Forrest Health — not just to treat illness, but to actively reach patients, close gaps in care, and improve health outcomes across the communities it serves.

What began as a search for the cause of back pain became an early warning — and a path forward not just for Winkler, but for patients across South Mississippi, as Forrest Health continues working behind the scenes every day to bring life-saving care closer to home.