American hospitals are rolling out AI chatbots in patient portals as more people seek health advice from large language models. Hartford HealthCare and K Health's PatientGPT is expanding to tens of thousands of patients this week, whilst Epic's Emmie chatbot is being deployed by systems including Sutter Health and Reid Health. A KFF poll found one in three American adults have used AI chatbots for health information, with 19 per cent citing inability to afford care. However, a Nature Medicine study showed chatbots correctly identified medical conditions only 33 per cent of the time when users created their own prompts, compared with 95 per cent accuracy in controlled scenarios. Experts question whether chatbots improve patient outcomes, with concerns about monitoring, liability and whether this addresses underlying care gaps in America's underperforming healthcare system.

Business roundup - March 3, 2026. * Mar 3, 2026 I&M filing to lower base rates Indiana Michigan Power announced last week that it will file to reduce base rates for customers. According to a news release, the rate decrease is possible because of load growth and increased revenue from large customers such as data centers. It is part of the company's Customer Benefits Plan, which also includes a benefits bank to provide a buffer against future increases and investments to improve infrastructure and technology. "Our priority is to keep rates as low as possible while delivering reliable power and growing our communities," said Steve Baker, I&M's president and chief operating officer, in a press release. "We know customers are concerned about affordability and the impact of data-center growth on rates. The fact that we can reduce rates while continuing to invest in the infrastructure and technology that supports reliability, is evidence that growth in I&M's service territory is benefiting all customers." Student fair, expo planned Randolph County United will host its Student Career Exploration & Business Expo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at Randolph County Fairgrounds. The event provides students with the opportunity to explore career paths, interact with local businesses and organizations and gain insight into internship and employment opportunities. There will also be a one-hour "open expo" for adults interested in learning more about professions and asking questions about career pathways and opportunities. Also, the Randolph County United Home & Business Expo is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, at Randolph County Fairgrounds. The expo is being held this year in partnership with Winchester Main Street, which will lead a Volunteer Fair dedicated to connecting community members with non-profit organizations. Leader named Reid Health recently named Greg Turner as its new vice president and chief financial officer. Turner has been with Reid Health since 2013, most recently as its director of financial services. He took over his new role Sunday. "I'm excited Greg has chosen to accept this new role with the organization," said Ben Wells, the former chief financial officer and now president/CEO for Reid, in a news release. "He has a great deal of experience in healthcare finance and accounting, which will certainly benefit us as we move forward. "I'm also impressed by Greg's passion for Reid and our mission, which will serve him well in this role as we work to maintain Reid's financial stability while also meeting the health needs of our communities." Tour scheduled Albany Senior Living will host hard hat tours from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5, for its expanded facility at 910 W. Walnut Drive, Albany. The event is open to the public and will allow visitors to walk through the facility's expansion before it officially opens. "We're thrilled to open our doors to the public and share this exciting next step in our growth," said Sarah Able of Albany Senior Living. "This expansion reflects our mission to serve more families in our community with warmth, dignity and personalized care." Scope approved The Ball State University Board of Trustees approved the scope, budget and site plan for Village Green as part of the university's Village Revitalization Plan. Village Green will be located at the southwest corner of Martin Street and University Avenue in Muncie. It will serve as a public gathering area and will include green space, a gateway element featuring public art and shaded seating. "Village Green represents the kind of thoughtful investment that makes The Village even more attractive to people in our community," said Brian Gallagher, chair of the BSU board, in a news release. "With today's action, we will construct a venue that will bring people together, support local businesses, and strengthen the connection between our campus and our neighbors." Mall plans shift Hull Property Group announced last week that it plans to demolish Muncie Mall. Hull bought the mall in 2024 and originally planned to tear down parts of the facility and redo the remaining interior, Indiana Public Radio reported. The developer said those plans are no longer viable. "All we know is it's not gonna survive as it is," John Mulherin of Hull told IPR. "It has to be demolished completely." Plans now call for demolishing the structure, with the exception of Buyer's Market, and redeveloping the 25-acre site on the northeast side of Muncie. Banks recognized The U.S. Small Business Administration recognized two local banks as among the most active small business lenders in Indiana. First Merchants Bank received the Community Lender - Silver recognition. The bank has locations in Portland, Winchester, Union City, Albany, Eaton, Bluffton, Muncie, Decatur and Warren. Citizens State Bank was recognized as third-party lender. It has locations in Union City, Hartford City and New Castle. "We're proud to be a trusted small business ally, resource and access point supporting Indiana's bold entrepreneurial spirit," said SBA Indiana district director Stacey Poynter in a news release. "SBA guaranteed loan programs would not be possible without our lending partners. We value these relationships because these lenders work hard to provide Indiana small businesses with critical access to capital to grow their businesses. It is an honor to honor them for their achievements." Chamber partnering Indiana Chamber of Commerce and College Board announced last week that they are partnering to offer new career courses for high schools. College Board's new Advanced Placement Career Kickstart initiative will launch by offering AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity courses. They will be available during the 2026-27 school year. "A big goal of ours is to further align education with what employers need," said Vanessa Green Sinders, Indiana Chamber president and CEO, in a news release. "Through our partnership with the College Board, we're introducing high quality, employer-endorsed courses into Hoosier high schools. That will empower students with in-demand skills and provide teachers with a scalable, effective way to deliver them." Employers or local chambers interested in becoming an industry advisor and helping structure Career Kickstart courses are encouraged to visit indianachamber.com/AP. Exhibit launches Indianapolis International Airport as opened its "Pop Culture and the Indiana State Fairgrounds: The Thomas Fontaine Collection" exhibit. The display at the airport highlights more than three decades of performances, memorabilia and cultural moments from the fairgrounds. It is open through Thursday, July 9. "This is a tremendous collection that powerfully reflects the creativity, history and cultural energy that make this state and its people special," said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, in a news release. "When millions of travelers pass through IND over the next six months, we want them to see this exhibit and feel connected to the Hoosier story." Nominations open Indiana Manufacturers Association is accepting nominations for its 2026 Manufacturing Excellence Awards. The awards honor Indiana companies and individuals for their outstanding work, exceptional contributions and impact on the future of manufacturing. They are open to all manufacturers in the state. Awards that will be presented this year include the Community Impact, Emerging Leader, Lifetime Achievement, Manufacturing Talent Champion, Outstanding Woman Leader in Manufacturing and Safety Champion. Anyone can make a nomination by visiting indianamfg.com/2026-manufacturing-excellence-awards. The deadline is April 30. ServSafe classes set John Jay Center for Learning in Portland will host a pair of ServSafe training courses in the spring. Training will be available on Tuesdays, March 31 and May 19. John Jay is located at 101 S. Meridian St., Portland. - - - - - - - - - - Does your business have news to share? Email us at [email protected] to be included in our weekly business roundup. 2 remaining of 3. Welcome! We hope that you enjoy our free content. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Winchester, IN. * Humidity: 94% * Feels Like: 53° * Heat Index: 54° * Wind: 5 mph * Wind Chill: 53° * UV Index: 3 Moderate * Sunrise: 07:07:01 AM * Sunset: 06:36:27 PM * Dew Point: 52° * Visibility: 1.9 mi Today. A steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Thunder possible. High 62F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Tonight. Cloudy this evening. Fog developing late. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow. Rain showers early with mostly cloudy conditions later in the day. Thunder possible. High 74F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Kroger has also partnered with Reid Health to bring a new medical clinic to the store.