Rethinking Pediatric Rheumatology Notes: Dr. Tommy Gerschman’s Case for AI Scribing

August 22, 2025•7 min read

Dr. Tommy Gerschman x Heidi at a glance

"I used to say the bane of my clinical existence was charting and documenting. Now, I just talk to my patients. Heidi handles the rest." - Dr. Tommy Gerschman, Pediatric Rheumatologist in North Vancouver, BC

Key outcomes:

Streamlined documentation for all new consults
Eliminated variability and stress from end-of-day note writing
Increased efficiency without sacrificing clinical detail or nuance
Improved patient interactions by allowing full focus during sessions
Enhanced workflow collaboration with national and provincial health organizations

Read on if you might also be experiencing:

Frustration with the time and cognitive load of consult letters
Stress from documentation delays or inconsistent processes
Burnout from juggling charting, patient care, and clinical leadership
Lack of trust in other AI scribes due to hallucinations or poor customization

Background

Dr. Tommy Gerschman is a pediatric rheumatologist based in North Vancouver, BC. In addition to his clinical work, he plays a national role in healthcare innovation, helping lead digital documentation pilots through the Canadian Rheumatology Association, Doctors of BC, and the Specialist Services Committee. A long-time early adopter of digital tools, he has spent years refining his approach to new consults and specialist documentation.

Challenges

Dr. Gerschman sees an average of12 pediatric patients a day, with up to two-thirds being new consults that require detailed, personalized letters to referring physicians. Documentation has always been a major source of friction.

Heavy admin load with consult letters