Trying to type, my constant neuro buddies Spike and Buzz are keeping it down to a dull roar but my mind’s working overtime. Putting together this weeks newsletter I found news that left me stunned. Raising billions of dollars in years ok, maybe months but really WEEKS? That’s a lot to process so jump in the saddle and read on.

Healthcare AI just raised $2 billion in funding. Not in 2025. In three weeks of December.

Let that sink in. That’s a lot of pickup trucks!

This is exciting. This could mean faster diagnoses, better documentation, smarter clinical trial matching, less burnout for the clinicians we depend on. The technology is real and the potential enormous.

But remember having a rare neurological condition makes us, well, sorry friends, but we are small potatoes. So, I have a question that I think we all need to be asking together: How do we make sure this wave helps us too?

Just a genuine question about how we get this right—for everyone?

✅ $2 billion in 3 weeks — The AI healthcare funding surge
✅ What it's building — Scribes, documentation, trial matching, diagnostics
✅ The opportunity ahead — Expanding access as the technology matures
✅ What you can do — Questions worth asking
✅ Glossary — Terms you'll hear all year

⏱ Read time: 5 minutes

Healthcare AI funding in just the last three weeks:

JP Morgan reports that 75% of all healthcare investment dollars in 2025 went to AI-focused deals. Mayo Clinic committed $1 billion to AI across 200+ projects. The FDA qualified its first AI tool for drug development on December 9th—for MASH clinical trials.

This isn't just diagnostic support anymore. AI is becoming part of the healthcare infrastructure.

📚 LEARN MORE:

For patients living with CIDP, myasthenia gravis, autoimmune encephalitis, or other rare conditions, AI innovation opens real doors:

Faster pattern recognition — AI that spots rare disease signals in data that humans might miss

Reduced clinician burnout — When doctors spend less time on documentation, they have more time for complex cases like ours

Smarter trial matching — AI that connects patients to clinical trials they'd never find on their own

Better remote monitoring — Catching flares early, reducing ER visits

These aren't distant possibilities. They're being built right now.

Here's what I keep thinking about: Innovation often reaches major academic centers first. That makes sense—they have the infrastructure, the IT teams, the budgets.

But the real win is when these tools reach everyone: the community clinic in East Houston, the rural hospital in West Texas, the small neurology practice serving patients who drive 150 miles for an appointment.

That's the next chapter of this story. And it's one we can all help write.

What healthcare systems can consider:

What patients and advocates can do:

What AI companies are already starting to do:

The best innovations eventually become accessible to everyone. Let's help that happen faster.

Ambient AI: Technology that listens to clinical conversations and automatically generates documentation—like an AI scribe in the room.

MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis): A form of liver disease. Mentioned because the FDA just qualified AI for these clinical trials—a milestone for AI in drug development.

Agentic AI: AI systems that can take autonomous actions and make decisions with minimal human intervention.

Health Equity: Ensuring all patients and communities can benefit from healthcare innovation, regardless of location or resources.

FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center): Community health centers that receive federal funding to serve underserved areas.

"I read about all these AI breakthroughs and I think—I hope this reaches us someday. We're three hours from the nearest neurologist. Anything that helps our local clinic help us better? I'm cheering for it."
— Maria, South Texas caregiver

Stay Informed:

Rural & Community Health:

Patient Advocacy:

Texas NeuroRare (Tuesdays): CAR-T updates, clinical trial access, insurance navigation—patient advocacy with a Texas heart. [Subscribe]

RarelySerious (Fridays): "My AI Scribe Spelled My Diagnosis Wrong. At Least It's Consistent." Healthcare humor for people who need to laugh. [Subscribe]

What's your experience with AI in your clinic or care? Seeing promising changes? Hoping for more access? We'd love to hear.

Email [email protected] We do read everything.

THE BOTTOM LINE: $2 billion is flowing into healthcare AI. The technology is real and promising. The opportunity now is making sure it reaches everyone—and that's a challenge we can work on together.

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