Joe Grzywacz

San Jose State University

Topic

Data Bias & Health TechQuity

Bio

Joseph G. Grzywacz, Ph.D., is Associate Dean for Research and Faculty at San Jose State University. Previously he served as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and Department Chair at Florida State University, Director of the Center for Family Resilience at Oklahoma State University, and Associate Director for Research with the Center for Worker Health at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Dr. Grzywacz is well-equipped to mentor faculty and students in research. His research has been continuously funded by federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health since 2002, and he has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles in diverse clinical, epidemiological, and basic science journals. He has supported dozens of students and professional staff in publishing their first article in a scientific journal, supported nearly 20 researchers in earning their first federally funded grant, and two programs to facilitate interdisciplinary research training and development for new and experienced researchers.

Abstract

This presentation examines systematic biases in healthcare applications of Artificial Intelligence that threaten equitable care delivery. It uses two illustrative cases: pulse oximetry inaccuracies in patients with darker skin that contributed to higher COVID-19 mortality among Black populations, and algorithmic bias in the Optum system that excluded thousands of Black patients from enhanced care. Despite the widespread adoption of AI in healthcare settings (92% of hospitals), less than half test for bias, with disadvantaged facilities even less likely to do so. The presentation emphasizes that bias mitigation requires proactive embedded design approaches, including representative data collection, fairness-aware machine learning, comprehensive testing, and continuous monitoring systems.