Butterfly Network, Inc. (Butterfly) a digital health company transforming care with handheld, whole-body ultrasound and intuitive software, published outcomes of the point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) elective program at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM), a collaboration between Butterfly and KCU announced in October 2024. The strong results and overwhelming student enthusiasm has led to an expanded ultrasound curriculum at KCU into a four-year, 1:1 education model using Butterfly iQ+ devices and the ScanLab™ AI-powered training application.
The latest program advancement is the culmination of a three-phase implementation strategy launched in 2022. KCU first integrated Butterfly probes into clinical skills labs, then broadened access through the elective to deepen student engagement. After demonstrating measurable impact—including more than 7,000 scans reviewed and over 230 faculty hours saved—the university is now scaling POCUS training across all four years of medical education, beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year.
“The success of the elective program made expanding to a 1:1 model the clear next step,” said W. Joshua Cox, DO, FACOFP, executive dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and vice provost for Medical Affairs at KCU. “By integrating Butterfly’s technology and AI tools, we’re giving every student the access and training to build real ultrasound competency over four years. This partnership frees up faculty time to make scaling possible, prepares our graduates to enter residency confident in using POCUS from day one and reinforces KCU as a destination for hands-on medical education.”
Program Highlights
- Phased growth to scale: KCU began with lab integration, then launched an elective program and is now embedding POCUS in required coursework.
- Hands-on access for every student: Each incoming student receives a personal Butterfly iQ+ probe to support learning throughout four years of training.
- AI-enabled learning: Butterfly ScanLab™ and Quality Assurance as a Service give students real-time feedback and help faculty scale education without increasing workload.
- Proven impact: 95 percent of students enrolled in the elective committed to independent scanning; 7,000+ scans reviewed; 230+ faculty hours saved.
“KCU’s results prove that scaling ultrasound education isn’t just possible – it can redefine how future physicians are trained,” said Joseph DeVivo, president, chief executive officer and chairman of Butterfly Network. “Their leadership sets a new standard for institutions nationwide and underscores the transformative potential of Butterfly in medical education.”
This implementation at KCU represents a powerful blueprint for institutions seeking to modernize medical education. To learn more about how KCU scaled its program and achieved measurable impact, explore the full case study here.
About Kansas City University
Founded in 1916, Kansas City University (KCU) is a fully accredited, private not-for-private health sciences university with Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Biosciences and Dental Medicine and Health Professions. The University has campuses in Kansas City and Joplin, Mo. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is the fourth-largest medical school in the U.S. and the leading producer of physicians in Missouri. It ranks #1 for producing physicians who practice in primary care, rural areas and underserved regions in the state. KCU’s Center for Population Health and Equity addresses the variables that affect a population’s health and contribute to health in health outcomes. KCU offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, dental medicine and clinical psychology and a master’s degree in public health. A new Master of Health Sciences – Anesthesiologist Assistant program is scheduled to launch in January 2026.
Reference:
Haley Reardon, Manager of Marketing and Communications
Kansas City University
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