MaineHealth Innovation builds connections to drive diversity of thought, educates to produce creative problem-solvers, and funds to accelerate ideas. By leveraging the ideas, insights and expertise of all care team members to develop novel solutions to our unmet care needs, we are working together so our communities are the healthiest in America. | |
- *Thank you to MHERC Board Member, David W. Lawrence, for coining us "The Fizz" at MaineHealth Innovation - what a cool nickname!
- Transforming Care: A Design-Thinking Workshop
- Innovation Spotlight: Ignite Fund Recipients - Isha Agarwal, MD, ScD and Jeremy Lott, MD!
- Thank You Ignite Fund Reviewers!
- Call for Innovation Cohort and Innovation Ignite Fund Applications - Deadline March 13
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- Innovation Excellence: A Successful Fall 2023 Cohort
- Call for Innovation Bonfire Fund Applications - Deadline February 8
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Opportunities - Connect, Educate & Fund
- Thank You to MaineHealth's Diverse Facilities, Departments & Teams
- Prototyping 101
- Innovation Blender: EmTech
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SUSAN AHERN
Vice President
of Innovation
Susan.Ahern@
mainehealth.org
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A Note from Susan
Susan Ahern - Vice President of Innovation, MaineHealth
Be The Fizz!
Hi Colleagues,
Congratulations to Hannah Taylor and Kate Campbell for being The Fizz for Southern Maine Health Care Nursing Department who are sparking a shift in mindset to solve unmet care needs! They exemplify living the values of ownership, excellence, and innovation. See the smiles on the faces in the story below and learn how we can co-create together. We’d love to hear how others are The Fizz!
Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy Holiday season.
With appreciation,
Susan
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From Ideas to Action: A Design-Thinking Workshop
At the invitation of Kate Campbell and Hannah Taylor, Staff Development Specialists with Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) Nursing Department, MaineHealth Innovation recently conducted a From Ideas to Action workshop rooted in the principles of design thinking and aimed to cultivate a culture of innovation among nurse residents.
Led by Carla Muniz, MaineHealth Innovation Specialist, this training took participants through interactive activities designed to enhance collaboration, empathy, and creative problem-solving. Activities included defining problem areas, generating creative solutions, prototyping interventions, and implementing novel ideals. Participants were encouraged to look beyond conventional solutions and explore new perspectives.
This workshop was tailored to address the challenges faced by nurse residents transitioning from academia to clinical practice, helping them build additional skills to navigate the complexities of their roles.
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SMHC’s commitment to empower the next generation of healthcare professionals with the skills necessary to tackle complex challenges in patient care directly supports MaineHealth’s strategy of becoming a learning health system. The From Ideas to Action workshop is supplemental in helping to prepare proactive problem-solvers. This, in turn, contributes to the ongoing enhancement of patient care and the overall nurse experience at MaineHealth.
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Innovation Spotlight – Congratulations Fall 2023 Ignite Fund Recipients!
The MaineHealth Innovation Ignite Fund provides up to $20,000 in seed capital to help advance novel ideas that address unmet care needs. Over the next year, Isha and Jeremy, along with their interdisciplinary teams, will take their solutions to the next level with connections, education and funding from MaineHealth Innovation and its industry and entrepreneurial partners.
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Using Natural Language Processing to Detect Bias in Emergency Department Clinical Notes | Funded $20,000
-Isha Agarwal, MD, ScD, Elizabeth Scharnetzki, PhD, Annika Marie Schoene, PhD, Jessica F. DiBiase, MPH, and Tania D. Strout, PhD, RN, MS
This team will use text classification, a state-of-the-art natural language processing tool, to measure and test for conscious or unconscious bias towards patients, which can contribute to disparities in Emergency Department care. The materials built in this project will be used to examine the impacts of bias on patients with stigmatized characteristics and conditions and will support the development of a new program of research in this area.
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Compliant, Temperature-Stable Balloon for Use in Percutaneous Ablation Procedures | Funded $10,000
-Jeremy Lott, MD, and Erich Russell, DO
This team has designed a temperature-stable, silicone rubber balloon catheter to be used as a physical spacer in ablation procedures, aiming to effectively separate the treatment zone from temperature-sensitive structures. The intended outcome is a reduction in side effects and an expansion of the population that can benefit from ablation procedures.
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Thank You to the 22 Multidisciplinary Ignite Fund Reviewers!
Each spring and fall, a geographically diverse group of multidisciplinary reviewers from MaineHealth and our partner organizations provide clinical and industry expertise and feedback to help select the novel solutions that will benefit from the MaineHealth Innovation programs. Thank you to the 22 reviewers for lending your time to the Fall 2023 Ignite Fund review process and helping MaineHealth innovators to advance their novel solutions!
Reviewers: Robert King, Tom Gridley, PhD, Stuart Watson, Trampas Hutches, Anne Breggia, PhD, Nir Harish, MD, MBA, Sunil Malhotra, MD, Leah Mallory, MD, Mary Ottolini, MD, MPH, Med, Tammy Whiney, RN, MSN, MHA, Corina Spanu, PharmD, Lee Baldwin, Lisa Beaule, MD, MaryJo McDonough, Mark Mossel, Linda Durst, MD, Susan Keiler, Jeremy Qualls, Robert Frank, Esq., Doug Sawyer, MD, PhD, Lugene Inzana, MBA, CPA, and Joel Botler, MD.
Interested in becoming a reviewer? Reach out to Innovation Manager, Karen Budd for more information.
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Spring 2024 Call for Applications - Advance Your Ideas through the Innovation Cohort and Innovation Ignite Fund! | |
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Innovation Cohort
Have an idea for a novel solution but are unsure how to advance it? This 8-week program helps MaineHealth care team members advance an early innovative "back of the envelope" idea that addresses an unmet care need. Collaborate with fellow care team members and discover what you need to make your idea grow. | The Cohort will meet the following dates from 8:00-9:30 am: 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, and 5/23
Applications are due March 13 at 10:00 a.m. Learn More and Apply
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Innovation Ignite Fund
Need help accelerating your idea? This program provides seed investment funding of up to $20,000 to help innovators understand their user pain points, pilot a solution, build a prototype, or test an assumption.
Applications are due March 13 at 10:00 a.m. Learn More and Apply
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Innovation Excellence: MaineHealth Teams Conclude a Successful Fall 2023 Cohort
Five teams comprised of MaineHealth care team members successfully completed the Fall 2023 Innovation Cohort to advance their “back of the envelope” ideas. Throughout the four sessions, each team diligently tested their ideas on a variety of colleagues in order to fine-tune their value propositions. Project topics covered a range of topics from an on-floor cardboard waste recycling system to a novel simulation to expose students to the experience of navigating the Emergency Department as a non-English speaking patient. The collaborative spirit among all participants was evident in the support demonstrated through joint brainstorming and constructive feedback. The Innovation Center will continue to monitor and support these 14 innovators to work towards achieving their goals.
Projects & Innovators:
The Central Line Dressing Kit: Step-by-Step
- Hannah Taylor & Kate Campbell, Staff Development Specialists, SMHC
Percutaneous Nephrostomy Program (including Intro Kit)
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Allison Schmidt, MSN, RN, Clinical Nurse, Peter Igneri, PA-C, Chief IR PA, Allison Sanford, BS, RT(R)(VI), IR Manager & Kelly Ernst, PA-C, Lead PA - Urology, MMC
Developing Cultural Humility in the ED through a Simulated Experience for Interprofessional Learners in the Health Professions
- Sara Nelson, MD, Madeleine Puissant, MD, Tania Strout, RN, PhD, Director and Vice Chair of ED Research, Isha Agarwal, MD, Jeff Holmes, MD, Malvina Gregory, Director, Marin Johnson, Director, Irit Altman, Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator, MMC
Reducing Waste Through Recycling
- Rebecca Brown, RNCM, CMSRN, CYT, Care Manager, MMC
WellCal - An in-room display that syncs with medical records to provide live updates on a patient's care
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Liam John, MD, First Year Resident, MMC
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Call for Applications - Innovation Bonfire Fund! |
The Innovation Bonfire Fund provides an investment of up to $100,000 for an innovative solution where additional external or institutional funding opportunities can be explored from collaborators. The goal is to support an advanced novel solution related to improving the lives of our care team and community members. Funding may be invested in companies or soon-to-be-companies founded by MaineHealth care team members. Applications are due February 8 at 10:00 am. Learn More and Apply.
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Connect
Events
Innovation Brewing Ideas Coffee Corner
1st Tuesday of the month, 8:30-9:30 am
January 2
Join Here
Networking with Startup Maine & BioME
Shipyard Brewing, Portland
January 9
5-7 pm
Learn More + Register
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Educate
Learn + Discover
Intellectual Property Information Session
2nd Wednesday
of the month, 7:30-8 am
January 10
Join Here
MaineHealth Innovation Cohort
Application deadline
March 13
Apply Here
FocusME: Winter 2024 Cohort
January 10
9-10 am
Learn More
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Fund
Seed Funding
MaineHealth Ignite Fund
Application deadline
March 13
Apply Here
MaineHealth Bonfire Fund
Application deadline
February 8
Apply Here
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Thank You to MaineHealth's Diverse Facilities, Departments & Teams
The MaineHealth Innovation team has been out and about learning from other innovators, departments, and teams.
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MaineHealth's Linen Facility
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Jim Mangini, Senior Director of Supply Chain Logistics, recently led MaineHealth Innovation on a tour of the MaineHealth linen facility, offering a firsthand look at an exceptional team in action. We appreciate your time and the opportunity to gain insights into the remarkable work that you and your team do. Congratulations on creating an environment where care team members not only work diligently but also find joy in their tasks as evidenced by the singing, laughter, and smiles that permeate the workplace.
Acute Care Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (AC-COBRE)
- Guided by Doug Sawyer, Chief Academic Officer, MaineHealth Innovation had the privilege of presenting an overview of our services at the monthly gathering of the AC-COBRE for current and future clinicians. This was an excellent platform to establish new connections with clinical researchers, especially those encountering challenges related to funding, resource access, practice management, and balancing clinical responsibilities. Going forward, MaineHealth Innovation is excited to support their work!
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Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation, and Simulation at MaineHealth
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Leah Mallory, MD, Simulation Medical Director, alongside Shelly Chipman, MSN, RN, CHSE, Simulation Education Specialist, and Christine Mallar, BA, Simulation Education Specialist, guided MaineHealth Innovation through an engaging exploration of the cutting-edge Sim Center. This facility offers state-of-the-art simulation tools and environments, such as the operating room seen here! Thank you again for the insight into the material creation, curriculum, and expertise involved in crafting each simulation. Truly impressive!
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Prototyping 101
By Carla Muniz
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Navigating the intricate path of transforming innovative ideas into tangible products or services comes with its share of challenges. Entrepreneurs and innovators often grapple with articulating their ideas clearly, facing resource constraints, and lacking a foolproof formula to bring their concepts to market. Prototyping is a topic covered during Session #3 of MaineHealth's Innovation Cohort, and during this session, innovators explore the hurdles faced by entrepreneurs and innovators while discussing ways to bridge the gaps in the development process.
Prototypes serve as invaluable tools to gather feedback—whether positive or negative—from potential users or customers within the target audience, all at minimal cost and resource expenditure. And the best part? You don’t have to be build a complicated 3D printed version! Prototypes can range from simple sketches and cardboard models to storyboards and digital mockups.
So, the next time you’re in the ideation phase, remember the power of prototyping. It’s not about complexity; it’s about effectively communicating and refining your vision. Embrace the versatility of prototypes and turn your innovative ideas into reality. As Tom and David Kelley from IDEO aptly put it, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand meetings!”
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Save the Date! Next Innovation Blender:
Thursday, January 18, 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Virtual
EmTech Care Labs
Speaker: Aarabi Balasubramanian, Founder & CEO, EmTechCare Labs
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EmTech Care Labs is a digital health venture with a mission to support all family caregivers in providing the best care at home for older adults. They have developed Care-Wallet, a digital care platform designed to simplify managing complex care at home for older adults with neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This can include managing functional, behavioral, and cognitive care, navigating insurance benefits (Medicare/Medicaid) and healthcare costs, and addressing difficult conversations around health and medical needs. While these responsibilities can be overwhelming, Care-Wallet provides highly personalized guidance to caregivers on care planning and management in a comprehensive and coordinated manner across the lifecycle of care, ensuring overall patient health management and well-being at home.
The Innovation Blender is a partnership between MaineHealth Innovation and The Roux Institute.
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