Ellyn Winters-Robinson Spills the Tea on Building a Medical AI Companion with Heart

rab a cozy mug, because this conversation is equal parts inspiring and eye-opening! On HITea With Grace, where we spill the tea on HIT, Grace chats with Ellyn Winters-Robinson, APR, CEO of The Lyndall Project and AskEllyn.

Ellyn built AskEllyn two years after her own diagnosis. It was one of the first AI companions created for a single disease journey, offering emotional support for the moments after the appointment ends: in the car, at 2 a.m., or when explaining a diagnosis to your kids.

Ellyn and Grace dig into:

• Why conversational AI, not another portal or app, was the right fit for emotional support
• How co-designing with patients, not just for them, shaped the product
• Why AskEllyn clearly says she's not a clinician, and how the team keeps it that way
• How AskEllyn reaches people in 50+ languages across 100+ countries, including through City Cancer Challenge
• Ellyn's national study with Brock University and the Canadian Cancer Society, which holds AI emotional support to a clinical evidence standard

Plus, Ellyn opens up about being both the founder and the persona users are talking to, shares her advice for women in healthcare and health IT, and tells us about her tea and the story behind her mug!

Subscribe to HITea With Grace for more conversations with the women shaking up healthcare IT. Cheers!