Rigorous training and certification gives clinicians a validated pathway to AI-enabled cardiac POCUS proficiency

ROCKVILLE, Md. and BORDEAUX, France, April 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HeartFocus, the AI-enabled cardiac imaging software developed by data-driven medtech company DESKi, today announced a partnership with Inteleos® through its Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certification Academy™. Together, they are launching the HeartFocus POCUS Certification, a fast, accessible, and comprehensive training pathway designed to provide healthcare professionals with a structured pathway to AI proficiency in cardiac ultrasound and to help them confidently perform high-quality heart scans at the point of care with HeartFocus.

As cardiovascular disease continues to rise, AI-powered cardiac POCUS is emerging as a cost-effective way to expand access to earlier detection. While AI adoption in healthcare has accelerated, training and trust have lagged — this collaboration closes the gap by operationalizing competency and validation for frontline users. A recent HeartFocus study revealed that 69% of Americans are comfortable with AI-enabled cardiac care, signaling that clinicians and patients are ready for AI; what has been missing is a validated, competency-based route to use it responsibly.

The HeartFocus POCUS Certification was developed with this in mind, combining DESKi’s HeartFocus AI-enabled cardiac imaging solution with the POCUS Certification Academy’s rigorous assessment standards to provide a structured course with guided hands-on scanning and expert image review to validate cardiac POCUS proficiency across diverse care settings.

Key elements include:

• Structured training and assessment: covering core cardiac ultrasound fundamentals and the use of HeartFocus, followed by a final knowledge assessment within a competency-based framework.
• Practical skills validation: remote evaluation of images created using HeartFocus, by experts to assess diagnostic quality and confirm consistent performance.
• Recognized certification: a personal credential demonstrating verified competency in cardiac POCUS using HeartFocus, enabling clinicians and institutions to demonstrate responsible AI use.
   

“POCUS is rapidly becoming a core competency for clinicians everywhere, but education and objective skills validation must keep pace with technology,” said Jasmine Rockett, Inteleos® POCUS Certification Academy Director. “While AI adoption in healthcare has accelerated, training and trust have lagged — this collaboration closes that gap by providing a validated, competency-based route to use AI responsibly. Through this partnership with DESKi and the launch of the HeartFocus POCUS Certification, we are offering a scalable, competency-based pathway that helps clinicians gain confidence in cardiac ultrasound assisted by AI while helping health systems standardize quality and reduce variability in care.”

Bertrand Moal, PhD, MD, CEO of DESKi said, “HeartFocus was created to make world-class echocardiography accessible to any trained healthcare professional at the bedside. The response since our launch has been overwhelmingly positive, but clinicians have communicated that confidence is a barrier. This certification closes that gap, giving healthcare professionals a practical way to build skills and bring high-quality cardiac imaging into everyday care.”

The certification is available for healthcare institutions or medical professionals globally, and helping organizations operationalize trusted, competency-based AI use in cardiac POCUS. To learn more about The HeartFocus POCUS Certification, visit www.pocus.org/heartfocus

About Inteleos
Inteleos™ is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare globally. It oversees the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography® (ARDMS®), the Alliance for Physician Certification & Advancement™ (APCA™), and the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy™ (PCA), collectively representing 150,000+ certified medical professionals worldwide.

About HeartFocus
HeartFocus is an FDA-cleared, AI-powered cardiac ultrasound application designed to expand access to diagnostic-quality heart imaging at the point of care. Using real-time AI guidance and automatic image quality validation, it enables healthcare professionals - including physicians, nurses, PAs, and NPs - to capture clinical-grade cardiac ultrasound scans after just hours of training.

Built on proprietary algorithms trained on millions of data points and validated through clinical studies, HeartFocus supports standard transthoracic views and integrates with existing ultrasound and DICOM/PACS workflows. Developed by DESKi, HeartFocus is driven by the belief No heart can wait™, helping clinicians identify cardiac conditions earlier across primary care, emergency, and frontline settings. Learn more at www.heartfocus.ai

HeartFocus by DESKi Inquiries:
Pernille Bruun-Jensen, Chief Growth Officer
mediarelations@deski.ai

Inteleos Inquiries:
Lisa Jordan, Director of Brand Strategy and Communications
Lisa.jordan@inteleos.org