From California to “Hallifornia”: Why one of the world’s top AI pioneers is teaming up with Region Halland

Ebba Cameron

Ziad Obermeyer at Vitalis talking about ”Reinventing Medicine with AI”

Ziad Obermeyer is a physician and researcher at UC Berkeley, recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in AI globally. He’s working with Region Halland on an AI tool to predict and prevent sudden cardiac death – a project that could save lives and reshape care. We caught up with him during his visit to Sweden and Vitalis to learn more.

You’re currently working with Region Halland and Halmstad University on a project that could help prevent sudden cardiac death using AI. We’d love to hear a bit more about your work – and about your impressions of Sweden, Halland, and Vitalis so far!

Why did you choose to collaborate with Region Halland? What was it that made you want to get involved?

Sweden has some of the best data in the world, combined with huge amounts of medical and technical talent. When I met Markus Lingman (professor and senior physician at Region Halland) at a conference 10 years ago, all of that came together into a really exciting collaboration. It didn’t hurt that my wife is from Varberg—so every summer, we come to “Hallifornia” to eat smørgåstårta, surf, and enjoy Swedish summer. It’s great to combine this with research!

In your view, what is it that truly puts Region Halland ahead when it comes to turning innovation into real-world healthcare impact?

Data is a huge bottleneck for AI research. You can have the best dataset in the world, but it doesn’t do anyone any good unless there’s a pathway to actually use the data. The data infrastructure in Region Halland makes that possible in a safe and ethical way, and it’s no accident that there are so many collaborations, built around structure. I’ve never seen anything like it in any public health system anywhere in the world!

What do you think are the key ingredients for turning AI from a research tool into something that really helps patients in day-to-day clinical care?

I think there are two ingredients: the first is rigorous evaluation of the AI. We really need to understand how these tools perform when they are applied to real patients. I don’t think every AI tool needs to be put through a formal randomized trial—but when they are affecting life or death decisions, I don’t think there’s any other way. Every other new technology in health is evaluated this way—like drugs or devices—so why wouldn’t we put AI to the same test?

The second ingredient is turning a research project into a piece of software that’s used in clinical care. This is really hard for us academic researchers to wrap our minds around. We tend to think that our job ends when a research paper is published. But building a product that works 100% of the time, on 100% of operating systems, etc.—that is really hard! And it requires a completely different skill set from the one that most academics are comfortable with. So it’s really important to bring in the skills from the private sector—the world of software and startups—if we want the research to scale up and start impacting patients in the real world.

I’m excited about this project, but I’m also excited by what it represents: an international collaboration, anchored in data from Region Halland, that could scale globally and save a lot of lives.

Ziad Obermeyer, physician and researcher at UC Berkeley

Pax Engström

Middle from the left: Markus Lingman and Ziad Obermeyer at Vitalis 2025

You’re here in Sweden and at Vitalis – what are you hoping to take away from this visit, and what are you most excited to share?

I’m really excited to share some of the work I’ve been doing with Markus in Region Halland, on predicting—and preventing—sudden cardiac death.

Here’s the problem we’re trying to solve: a huge number of people suddenly drop dead every year. It’s about 10,000 per year in Sweden, 300,000 in the US. This is tragic because, if we knew who was at risk, we could prevent deaths: by implanting a defibrillator to shock their rhythm out of the arrythmias that cause death. But healthcare is very bad at identifying these people in advance—so lots of people die that could have been prevented.

We’ve built an algorithm that looks at a patient’s electrocardiogram—a very common, cheap test done every day in the health system—and finds those people at very high risk. Most of the people we flag are completely unsuspected based on current medical knowledge. We’re now starting to move that AI tool out of the research setting: we’re doing a study that follows high risk people over time, to make sure that the algorithm is right. If we can confirm our results, I think there’s a direct path to saving lives.

I’m excited about this project, but I’m also excited by what it represents: an international collaboration, anchored in data from Region Halland, that could scale globally and save a lot of lives. I hope this can be an example that makes other researchers, policy makers, and patients excited about the huge potential of AI in health care, both in Sweden and outside.

And finally – have you had a chance to experience anything outside the world of healthcare while you’re here? A beach, a fika, or anything else that’s made you smile?

I was in Stockholm yesterday for a Dagens Industri event, and we had a fantastic dinner smörgåsbord—including smörgåstårta, which made me happy. Then I walked back to my hotel along the water at sunset. Swedish summer is lovely!

Ziad Obermeyer’s and Markus Lingman’s work is a clear example of what becomes possible when cutting-edge research meets visionary leadership, ethical data use, and real-world healthcare needs. Their collaboration is not just pushing the boundaries of what AI can do—it’s demonstrating how global partnerships can create meaningful, local impact.

From California to “Hallifornia” isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s a blueprint for the future of healthcare, built on shared knowledge, bold ideas, and a deep commitment to saving lives.

The co-creating of a better healthcare.

Our region might look small on the map — but we’re top-ranked in Sweden for healthcare quality and accessibility. In Halland, we combine quality, innovation, and data to build a healthcare system that’s more accessible, efficient, and sustainable.

Region Halland’s work on information-driven care highlighted in Washington

The Swedish Embassy in Washington

The exhibition ”Artificial Intelligence IRL: How Sweden is putting AI to good use” is presented at the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC

When the exhibition ”Artificial Intelligence IRL: How Sweden is putting AI to good use” opened on March 26th at the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC, Region Halland was invited to present its work on information-driven care.

Innovative approaches to healthcare

In the exhibition, Region Halland showcases how evidence-based and data-driven healthcare can form the basis for clinical assessment and treatment of patients. Concrete examples are provided on how AI can contribute to a healthier world and assist in everyday life, with the aim of improving healthcare and providing the right care at the right time to the right person. Examples include how AI tools can be used to detect blood clots in the lungs, how algorithms can be trained to identify patterns in EKGs indicating a risk of sudden cardiac death, and how AI support can reveal patterns in primary care to understand how the need for emergency care can be prevented.

Expert insights

Markus Lingman, strategist in hospital management at Hallands Hospital, is one of the parties involved in the development of AI methods for healthcare in Halland, an expert and contributor to Region Halland’s participation in the exhibition. He says:

It’s great that Sweden wants to showcase the work we do in Halland beyond the country’s borders. We have a lot to be proud of. Many healthcare providers face significant challenges today, and it’s important that we share the knowledge and capabilities we have built in Halland while also learning from others.

Markus Lingman, Strategist in hospital management at Hallands Hospital, Region Halland

Collaborative efforts

Region Halland’s part of the exhibition tells the story of a unique and integrated data warehouse from various parts of the healthcare chain in Halland, which can provide new important knowledge about work methods and approaches in healthcare. Trust, confidence, and innovation are important prerequisites for collaboration with various actors, both within and outside Sweden. Today, there are collaborations between the region’s researchers and researchers at, among others, UC Berkeley, University of Chicago, and Stanford.

Looking to the future

Magnus Clarin, head of research and development in Region Halland and recipient of the prize for collaboration and innovation at Halmstad University in November 2023, says:

The exhibition is a great testament to the fact that Halland’s approach to working with knowledge-based development of healthcare is appreciated by the international community. We have an exciting journey ahead of us, to systematically analyse, develop, and ensure the quality of the way we work to achieve the best possible care, together with ambitious people working in healthcare.

Magnus Clarin, Head of Research and Development, Region Halland

Promoting progress

The exhibition is organized by the Swedish Embassy and the Swedish Institute, and in addition to Region Halland, which is the only invited region, other participants include Sahlgrenska University Hospital, the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova), and AI Sweden.

Krister Björkegren, Chief Executive Officer at Region Halland concludes:

Region Halland continuously works to develop its operations and the information-driven care, for the benefit of the patient. We have the knowledge and capacity required to continue to be at the forefront and contribute in this area, both nationally and internationally, and our participation in the exhibition also demonstrates this.

Krister Björkegren, Chief Executive Officer, Region Halland

Spotlight on the exhibition

The exhibition ”Artificial Intelligence IRL: How Sweden is putting AI to good use” is currently on display at the Swedish Embassy in Washington D.C., welcoming an international audience until March 2025.