Artificial Intelligence is everywhere you turn these days, including some places you might not expect.

During a recent October morning, Christy Cantey, a certified nurse practitioner at Huntsville Hospital Heart Center, brought a sleek digital stethoscope enhanced with AI to the First Stop homeless outreach center near downtown.

Purchased as part of a $5,000 grant from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the high-tech stethoscope takes an electrocardiogram (ECG) recording of the electrical signals from the patient’s heart, while its microphone records the sound of blood flowing through the heart valves.

A secure app on Cantey’s phone uses artificial intelligence to analyze the data for heart murmurs, which can be an indication of valve disease, such as aortic valve stenosis.

The digital stethoscope also detects atrial fibrillation (Afib). Afib is an abnormal heart rhythm that can greatly increase the risk of having a stroke.

Cantey, who specializes in the treatment of heart valve disease, has performed about 180 of these free AI-assisted heart screenings across the Rocket City since the beginning of this year.

She’s listened to the hearts of homeless men and women at the Downtown Rescue Mission, college students and professors at Oakwood University, parishioners at Northwest Church of Christ, and senior citizens at the Bob Harrison Wellness and Advocacy Center.

Along with the heart screenings, she provides helpful information about high blood pressure, aortic stenosis, Afib, nutrition, and healthly lifestyles.

Of the 180 heart screenings performed to date, seven people (just under 4 percent) have been sent for further testing or referred to a cardiologist. That tracks closely with the national percentages of people experiencing certain types of valve diseases.

“For a person who didn’t know they had a heart valve problem or an abnormal heart rhythm, this screening could be life-changing,” Cantey says. “It gives them the chance to seek treatment and potentially prevent a serious cardiac event.”

If a heart screening patient needs follow-up care but doesn’t have a way to get there, Cantey has that covered. She used part of the grant money to buy bus tickets so no one misses an important medical appointment.

While the grant will expire at the end of 2025, Cantey plans to continue using the AI-powered stethoscope to perform free heart checks on her own time.

“Collaborating with the Mobile Medical Unit team has been an incredible experience — it’s so inspiring to see care delivered directly in our community neighborhoods,” she said. “Continuing the heart screenings means we can keep showing up for the people who need us most.”

“Everyone deserves the chance to be healthy and to live their best possible life.”