Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world’s leading academic medical center specializing in musculoskeletal health, has launched a strategic partnership with Ema, a leader in agentic AI, to deploy intelligent AI agents that streamline patient access to care. The initiative, beginning with patient scheduling and triage, aims to reduce wait times, improve appointment accuracy, and connect patients with the right specialist faster, accelerating their journey to treatment and recovery. For patients managing complex musculoskeletal conditions, finding the appropriate provider can be overwhelming. HSS serves patients across multiple locations and a broad range of subspecialties. The new AI-powered system acts as a personalized guide, analyzing each patient’s medical history, symptoms, preferences, and insurance details to recommend the most suitable physician and care setting. Dr. Ashis Barad, Chief Digital and Information Officer at HSS, emphasized the importance of timely access: “Getting patients to the right care quickly is fundamental to everything we do. This technology allows us to meet patients where they are—via phone, text, or online—and provide immediate, intelligent support. It removes barriers to care and ensures every patient receives the expertise they need when they need it.” The AI agent operates 24/7, offering real-time assistance through natural language conversations. Unlike traditional scheduling tools that rely on rigid scripts or long hold times, Ema’s system understands patient intent, asks follow-up questions, and takes action—such as booking appointments directly into HSS’s scheduling system and sending instant confirmations. For urgent cases, the AI performs intelligent triage, assessing symptom severity and care urgency to prioritize appointments appropriately. For specialized needs, it navigates HSS’s extensive network of subspecialists, factoring in location, availability, and insurance coverage. This three-year collaboration will expand Ema’s AI capabilities beyond patient-facing services into internal operations, including HR and IT support. This will free up clinical and administrative staff to focus on direct patient care rather than routine inquiries. Surojit Chatterjee, CEO and founder of Ema, said, “World-class care starts with world-class access. HSS is setting a new standard for how hospitals can use AI to improve the patient experience. This isn’t about replacing the human touch—it’s about removing friction so patients spend less time waiting and more time healing.” Unlike rule-based chatbots that fail when questions stray from predefined paths, Ema’s agentic AI uses reasoning, adapts to individual needs, and continuously learns from interactions. The platform integrates securely with HSS’s existing systems, ensuring seamless data flow and uninterrupted operations. HSS has implemented robust safeguards: all AI decisions are auditable, human staff can intervene at any time, and the system is trained exclusively on HSS protocols, policies, and clinical pathways. Patient data remains protected and fully compliant with healthcare privacy regulations. The result is a faster, more personalized patient journey—where answers come in seconds, appointments are scheduled in minutes, and patients gain confidence they are receiving care from the right specialist. Ema is a horizontal agentic platform that builds enterprise AI employees to automate complex, multi-step workflows across HR, customer experience, finance, and sales. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies and designed for regulated industries like healthcare and insurance, Ema combines speed, precision, and security with compliance-ready features, bias-mitigation testing, and full transparency. The platform enables rapid deployment through pre-built agents and dedicated support teams. HSS, founded in 1863, is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics for the 16th consecutive year and No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report. It is also recognized as the top pediatric orthopedic hospital in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. With a strong commitment to research, innovation, and education, HSS continues to lead advancements in musculoskeletal health and expand access to world-class care globally.