Clinicians in smaller health systems face a recurring problem: patients arrive needing specialized care that doesn't exist at the facility.

The typical response involves following basic protocols and hoping the best-case scenario follows. But Cody Lee found a different path when his first high-level ACL reconstruction patient walked through the door.

He built his own privacy-first digital specialist.

Seven years into his healthcare career, Cody Lee, a physical therapist, encountered a patient recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery who needed more than what Cody’s general rehabilitation knowledge could provide.

High-level athletes require specialized protocols. They need clinicians who understand phase-specific milestones, exercise progression timing, and how to distinguish normal recovery patterns from concerning ones. Cody’s health system didn't employ anyone with that expertise.

Cody had the surgeon's protocol as an excellent baseline, but he also knew his patient needed more—specialized rehabilitation expertise that could guide decision-making at every phase of recovery.

Creating a Clinical Assistant

Around the time Cody faced this challenge, Claude released its Projects feature. Instead of treating AI like a search engine, he could upload specific evidence—research articles, clinical guidelines, surgical protocols—and create a knowledge base focused entirely on ACL rehabilitation.

The system would prioritize his uploaded materials when answering questions. Cody essentially built himself a digital clinical mentor.

Privacy-First Questioning

Cody developed a method for querying the system using only de-identified clinical data. No patient names, dates, or identifying details ever entered the system.

When his patient's progress stalled, Cody combined his AI research with a brief consultation from a recognized ACL rehabilitation specialist.

From Days to Expertise

What normally requires months of continuing education happened much faster through focused research. Cody created a repeatable process for developing condition-specific expertise on demand.

For clinicians in smaller practices, this represents a shift in what's possible. You don't need to wait for your practice to hire specialists or send you to expensive training programs.

A breakdown of what in the name of AI you should actually be paying attention to, from our co-founder and CTO Eric deRegt.

2026 predictions: the AI pilot era is officially over

We’re moving from pilots to production, but that doesn’t mean AI is “easy” now. The tough part is redesigning workflows. You need to add good oversight to ensure tools meet real ROI standards. AI works best when embedded in daily operations, not bolted on as an experiment.

Verdict: ✅ Worth paying attention to

Most independent practices waste $75K+ annually on admin work that AI could handle in minutes.

This week, we're offering one Practice Independence member a free workflow audit. We'll identify your 3-5 biggest time drains and give you a step-by-step automation roadmap—no fluff, just actionable solutions.

Book your operational audit here ($2,500 value).

Because you're in our community, it's free. But weekly spots disappear fast.

Thanks for joining us for another edition of Practice Independence — we’ll see you in 2 weeks!

Take care, Indie

PS: Ready to revolutionize your practice? Secure your spot on the waitlist.

Indie is on a mission to improve the quality of life for rehab providers and their patients by combining technology with world-class rehab therapy. 

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