Northwell Health’s 2021 Innovation Challenge Brings in Breakthrough Ideas From Employees

Northwell Health was proud to once again hold its annual Innovation Challenge after a one-year pause due to the pandemic. The competition encourages Northwell employees to be Truly Innovative by submitting ideas with the potential to change the future of medicine and patient care.

There were a variety of driving forces behind the decision to participate in this year’s challenge, but a few threads connected them all:

• The notion that there is always room for improvement
• The desire to improve treatments and experiences
• The knowledge that Northwell invests time and money into health care advancements
• The passion to do more for patients in need

There were two categories this year: Innovation in Science and Innovation in Care Delivery. Read about the top two ideas in each category and the inspiring Northwell team members who helped develop them.

Innovation in Science

The winning project for this category was “Treating Bleeding via Ultrasound Stimulation of the Spleen,” led by Jared M. Huston, MD, FACS, associate investigator at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Asked about the medical impact of the project, Dr. Huston says, “We expect this innovation can decrease complications related to bleeding and improve outcomes for millions of patients.”

The category’s runner-up project was “Novel Stilbenes: Science against HPV,” led by Mario Castellanos, MD, associate chair of research in the Department of Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH). Dr. Castellanos has been passionate about finding a therapeutic to treat cancer-causing HPV infections since his days as a medical resident at SIUH. “My passion for research and the patients I encountered in my medical practice drove me to want to do more for them.”

Innovation in Care Delivery

The winning idea in Care Delivery was “Infrared Thermography (IRT) for Early Detection of Tissue Pressure Injury,” led by Alina Segal, acute care physical therapist at SIUH, who says this project takes into consideration improved patient care and decreasing health care costs. According to Alina, “it may also be a valuable tool for managing surgical wounds, diabetic foot ulcers, burns and amputations, among other uses.”

The runner-up project was “Let Sleeping Patients Lie,” led by Theodoros Zanos, PhD, head of the Neural and Data Science Lab at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, who explains that his team, “developed an AI algorithm based on a large volume of Northwell clinical data to safely and accurately determine for each patient whether it is safe to forgo overnight vitals.”

Dr. Zanos says, the project’s impact could lead to “uninterrupted sleep to more than 50 percent of patient nights and improved patient experience and outcomes, shorter lengths of stay and reductions in clinician workload.”

We asked the winners and runner ups how Northwell prepared them for this big moment

Alina Segal says, “Northwell Health provides great educational opportunities and encourages personal growth.”

Dr. Zanos credits his preparedness to the support and leadership at the Feinstein Institutes. In combination with “a uniquely large and diverse clinical dataset,” leadership helped the team pursue this innovation.

Dr. Huston says his team benefitted from “the invaluable mentorship from many of our Feinstein Institutes and Department of Surgery colleagues.”

Dr. Castellanos cites the long history of support at Northwell for researchers, whether junior or seasoned. The kind of work that goes into developing new ideas in medicine often takes a lot of collaboration. “Northwell’s support facilitated key connections both within Northwell and externally, including the NIH, industry and the biotech communities.”

The sharing of ideas is embedded as an important part of the culture at Northwell. According to Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, “Innovation and creativity are the essence of good organizations who strive to excel and move forward.”

Discover a career well cared for.

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Neteera makes checking vital signs easier for patients and professionals

As a known industry leader and innovator, Northwell Ventures is always looking for unique and noteworthy ways to deliver better healthcare to our patients while making care easier for our staff. The most recent example of that kind of innovative thinking can be found in our latest collaboration with Neteera Technologies.

Neteera is a startup looking to revolutionize the way we obtain vital signs. Specifically, Neteera has pioneered a new sensing technology, a chip based on high-resolution, high-frequency radar which enable a previously unimaginable understanding of our environment in a reliable, efficient and safe manner. Think of it as a connection between the analog and digital ecosystems. This exciting technology has even been road tested in driverless cars and to aide NASA Astronauts.

The chip can be used almost anywhere and can be placed in a patient’s chair or bed to monitor their vital signs wirelessly without any sensors touching the body. This allows for consistent, reliable monitoring of patients so nurses won’t have to check on them as often. Even more exciting, patients won’t know that they are having their vital signs checked, so they can get more sleep which is an essential element in their healing process. This technology is currently being tested in a Northwell Health sleep study to prove its effectiveness in healthcare, led by Northwell Health clinician Dr. Greenberg.

Though this work is happening at Northwell Health, the impact will be global. Northwell Ventures’ interest in Neteera was sparked by our partnership with the Israeli Innovation Arm and with the State of Israel. After getting the information, “we had Northwell’s respective clinical and operations team vet and try out the products/technology to see if we will pilot or deploy them for the benefit of our patients,” said Todd Goldstein PhD, Director, 3D Printing & Innovation and Instructor in Orthopedic Research Lab at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Neteera’s global roots are further proof of Northwell Health’s Truly Innovative mission to gain and share innovative and disruptive technology to benefit our patients and patients all over the world.

Learn more about Northwell Ventures’ other initiatives here.

This post is part of a series focusing on the Truly Innovative concepts and technologies brought to life by Northwell Ventures. We invest in companies that will generate strategic returns- creating products that meet healthcare needs now and in the future. Northwell Ventures showcases our investment in unique and noteworthy innovations that will impact our work and the health of all.

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Arterys uses Truly Innovative technology to harness AI

In healthcare, time is of the essence. That’s why we’re so excited about Northwell Ventures’ investment in Arterys, a leader in the transition to cloud infrastructure in medical imaging that’s helping our physicians treat patients without wasting valuable time.

Arterys facilitates the global advancement of medicine through data, artificial intelligence, and technology. Since a significant portion of the world’s medical data is medical images, Arterys tackles several issues in the medical data space including the enormous workloads radiologists face, the lack of accuracy in many current tools, and the need for increased consistency across practices. Currently, most hospitals use software that’s location-specific, but Arterys’ software is web-based. As a result, our physicians and nurses benefit from the vast amounts of computation needed to run AI algorithms in a timely manner. With Arterys, Northwell employees don’t have to adjust their workflow around this new technology – instead, they can now process their patient’s cases with support for AI algorithms that are embedded in their workflow!

It’s a challenging task to integrate AI into a health system while keeping our information protected and we’ve been able to rise to that challenge with Arterys. Though the cloud system is web-based, Arterys protects patient information by utilizing proprietary technology and complies with data privacy regulations in the U.S. and EU. With confidence in this protection, the Arterys cloud platform supports multiple imaging methods, such as MRI and CT. This partnership will bring state-of-the-art technologies to tertiary providers within Northwell Health to help physicians collaborate with remote experts.

Our partnership with Arterys has given our physicians more time and resources to do their job better. In the words of Thomas Thornton, Senior Vice President of Northwell Health Ventures, “We were impressed with the Arterys approach, fusing the latest cloud and artificial intelligence technologies with a true user-centric design methodology. This results in augmented workflows with increased efficiency and consistency, while the radiologist remains in charge of the final clinical decision.”

Learn more about Northwell Ventures other initiatives here.

This post is part of a series focusing on the Truly Innovative concepts and technologies brought to life by Northwell Ventures. We invest in companies that will generate strategic returns- creating products that meet healthcare needs now and in the future. Northwell Ventures showcases our investment in unique and noteworthy innovations that will impact our work and the health of all.

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Gauss Surgical is Truly Innovating the OR

Traditionally, operating room (OR) doctors and nurses have had to rely on their eyes or lengthy weighing procedures to estimate blood loss. Northwell Ventures’ latest investment in Gauss Surgical, an AI-driven healthcare technology company, has taken the guesswork out of the operating room.

Gauss’s flagship product, Triton, uses digital imaging and machine learning to monitor blood loss during surgery in real time, all on an easy-to-use iPad. This is Truly Innovative technology for any surgical patient, but it makes a real difference to maternal health care, a specialty in which complications have significantly increased in the U.S in the last 15 years.

Triton is the answer to many preventable maternal deaths and harmful postpartum health complications from undetected hemorrhaging. According to a recent study of 2,781 cesarean section patients published in the American Journal of Perinatology, Triton is associated with significant increases in recognition of maternal hemorrhage and decreases in blood product transfusions and length of hospital stay.

In today’s operating rooms, blood loss is calculated by staff through a visual estimate or with a time-consuming weight-based method. Though a visual estimate is quicker, it can lead to an underestimation of blood loss. Triton provides the accuracy of a weight-based estimate, but with nearly immediate calculations and without disrupting the surgical workflow. By allowing OR staff to detect blood loss in an accurate and real-time system, Triton allows teams to mobilize hemorrhage response more quickly.

Like several of the healthcare systems invested in Gauss, Northwell Health is already using Triton in our hospital delivery rooms. Our investment will be used to put Triton in more hospitals to serve more patients and to develop new AI-driven applications to bring the future of technology to the operating room.

And innovation doesn’t stop with the introduction of this investment. In the future, Northwell aims to use Triton’s technology to further increase patient care. By implementing the device into the next phase of hemorrhage protocol, Triton will trigger an automated alert to let team members and the blood bank know when they’re needed. This will reduce response time in getting the patient the treatment they need – without having an OR staff member stop to make a phone call.

“Gauss’ Triton system sets the standard for the type of innovations we endorse as a strategic investment in technology. It transforms the way the system works, improves clinical outcomes and provides a clear improvement in ROI because of the reduced downstream cost of care. In addition, Gauss’ platform has the potential for an even greater and expanding role in the operating room to transform quality, safety, and cost.” says Eric Feinstein, Investment Director at Northwell Health.

Learn more about Northwell Ventures other initiatives here.

This post is part of a series focusing on the Truly Innovative concepts and technologies brought to life by Northwell Ventures. We invest in companies that will generate strategic returns- creating products that meet healthcare needs now and in the future. Northwell Ventures showcases our investment in unique and noteworthy innovations that will impact our work and the health of all.

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Meet Avizia, the future of telehealth

Providing the right care at the right time can be difficult when patients can’t make it to the doctor’s office. That’s why we’re so excited to share Northwell Ventures latest investment in Avizia, a truly innovative telehealth solution provider to aid Northwell in making communication easier with patients and our colleagues.

With Avizia, Northwell Health will unite our 23 hospitals and more than 650 outpatient practices under one telehealth infrastructure including physician offices, imaging centers, laboratories, same-day surgical centers, skilled nursing facilities, home care, emergency medical and air ambulance services. Beyond telehealth, we’re adding a robust Electronic Intensive Care Unit (eICU) program that will include our subspecialty neuro-critical care coverage, expanding the staff of our critical care teams in seven hospitals and eight ICUs.

And there’s more! We’re also managing a telestroke program that allows our team of board-certified stroke neurologists to rapidly evaluate and assist our emergency medicine teams in treating stroke patients upon arrival. We will be extending these capabilities to all of our facilities soon!

Avizia OnePass and myCare will provide a full-service technology solution that will help providers across our growing network to virtually consult with each other, allowing patients served by Northwell clinics and hospitals to receive more convenient virtual care when and where they need it. In the words of one of our leaders:

“The Avizia Platform will allow Northwell Health clinicians to directly engage with our patients in their homes and offices for many conditions that previously would require a visit to a medical office. This should allow us to provide better, more efficient care for individuals, particularly with chronic conditions, than can be done today.” -Martin E. Doerfler, MD, SVP, Clinical Strategy and Development, Associate Chief Medical Officer.

This post is part of a series focusing on the Truly Innovative concepts and technologies brought to life by Northwell Ventures. We invest in companies that will generate strategic returns- creating products that meet healthcare needs now and in the future. Northwell Ventures showcases our investment in unique and noteworthy innovations that will impact our work and the health of all.

Learn more about Northwell Ventures other initiatives here.

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Northwell Ventures Presents: The healing power of conversation.

As one of the nation’s leading health systems, we’re continually focused on the transformation of health care. For Northwell’s 66,000 employees, good is never good enough. They are always looking for more advanced and effective ways in everything they do.

At Northwell Health, that’s what it means to be Truly Innovative. And because patient engagement is one of the most important factors necessary to improve patient care, Northwell Ventures is excited to have made a significant investment in a dynamic technology start-up called Conversa.

The Conversa Conversation Platform^TM is designed to dramatically improve the patient-caregiver relationship by automating much of the patient engagement process. It changes how patients and care teams communicate around key health experiences like chronic condition management, post-discharge, pre- and post-surgery, patient education, medication adherence, scheduling appointments, and lifestyle health coaching.

The benefits of Conversa are twofold. First, patients experience greater influence and empowerment in their care. As one Northwell Health patient noted, “I loved talking to my doctor every day and bouncing things off of her. Even if there was no immediate medical problem, our conversations were supportive emotionally as well as medically.”

Second, physicians and nurses have more freedom to deliver individualized, hands-on care. Northwell Health Nurse Practitioner Sheila Davies says, “The Conversa platform gives me reassurance that my patients are okay because I can see that they are responding to the health chats. It gives me peace of mind knowing they’re all right without having to always call them.”

Conversa is one more way Northwell Health is exploring and leveraging next-generation concepts to deliver a better patient experience and improved patient outcomes. Northwell Health physician Zenobia Brown, MD says, “Innovative technologies like Conversa are critical assets in our journey towards providing exceptional clinical care and an outstanding personalized patient experience.”

This post is part of a series focusing on the Truly Innovative concepts and technologies brought to life by Northwell Ventures. We invest in companies that will generate strategic returns- creating products that meet healthcare needs now and in the future. Northwell Ventures showcases our investment in unique and noteworthy innovations that will impact our work and the health of all. Check out our previous post in this series on PurpleSun here.

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Making ‘big waves’ in our ORs with PurpleSun

This post is part of a series focusing on the Truly Innovative concepts and technologies brought to life by Northwell Ventures. We invest in companies that will generate strategic returns- creating products that meet healthcare needs now and in the future. We also put our financial returns back into the overall organization where they’re used to fix leaky roofs, buy supplies, and whatever else Northwell Health might need. Northwell Ventures showcases our investment in unique and noteworthy innovations that will impact our work and the health of all.

We’re always looking to turn the tide in health care. That’s why Northwell Ventures invests in what we refer to as “big waves” or investments that will not only improve the quality of care but change how care is delivered across the industry.

Before deciding to invest in a venture, we consider if a product can meet the three big questions that classify a “big wave”:

Does it help provide a higher quality of care?
Does it decrease the cost of care?
Does it increase the patient experience?

Our venture, PurpleSun, does all three. By delivering UV technology in a new and innovative way, PurpleSun is an investment by Northwell Ventures that will revolutionize healthcare and reduce HAIs.

Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are a big problem for health care and most health systems don’t have the tools to tackle the problem. When it comes to hand washing, techniques, and other tools that would decrease HAIs, the industry has hit a wall. That’s where PurpleSun comes in. Designed to stop “superbugs”, it uses ultraviolet rays to disinfect operating rooms and kills bugs, viruses, bacteria, and fungi in a short period of time.

While ultraviolet ray technology is not new, PurpleSun’s delivery method is unique. Using modular panels to enclose equipment such as a stretcher, PurpleSun works in 90-second intervals and can wipe out nearly all germs on an operating surface. The device works alongside our valued environmental services employees by disinfecting equipment or sections of a room while still allowing the crew to work. By providing the opportunity to clean in a parallel system, PurpleSun provides a much faster turnaround time for environmental services employees. This technology is also built for efficiency and repeatability, providing better kill rates at a faster speed and reducing the variability in manual cleaning processes.

Once the Northwell Ventures team decided to invest in PurpleSun, a cross-functional team was brought in made up of subject matter experts from physicians to nurses to environmental service workers to improve upon the prototype. Northwell Ventures effectively built a second version prototype from “inside of Northwell out” by combining customer market research with the insight from Northwell’s internal team to produce the best product.

Want a hands-on role in innovating the health care industry? PurpleSun is just one of the exciting projects at Northwell Ventures. Through Ventures, we enable companies to rapidly test and improve products and services within real clinical settings and we provide quick feedback on efficacy level and organizational improvements. With an internal clinical and administrative advisory board, our team provides additional company feedback prior to the completion of a device and/or service offerings. Every day, we’re building the future of healthcare.

Stay tuned for future content about the Northwell Ventures team’s work to improve patient care and employee satisfaction at Northwell Health.

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An Appointment With: Thomas Thornton SVP and Executive Director, Northwell Ventures

When someone thinks of Northwell Health, one of the first words that comes to mind is innovation. Northwell Ventures, a for-profit department focusing on new corporate ventures, is a big driver of the new technology and services that help maintain that reputation. Whether it’s a curtain that helps stop the spread of infection efficiently or UV light technology that helps disinfect hospitals, Northwell Ventures is at the forefront of progressive transformation in the industry. As SVP and executive director of Northwell Ventures, Tom Thornton is responsible for identifying and fostering these innovative ideas that enhance the growth of the health system’s clinical and nonclinical enterprises. We sat down with Tom to discuss the latest in Northwell Ventures.

What’s the mission and vision for Northwell Ventures and how has this department grown over the past few years?

Northwell Ventures was launched four years ago in an effort to advance medical technology by investing in innovative ideas and services across healthcare. Our mission is to generate attractive returns, build profitable companies that drive quality health outcomes, increase operating efficiency, lower the overall costs of healthcare, and improve the patient experience.

It’s an exciting time for Ventures as so much in health care is changing to engage patients and improve patient experience with digital tools. As the department grows, it’s helping improve efficiency, care, and patient engagement through health care business services. Recently, we’ve begun commercializing these services and products to improve quality of care not only within Northwell but across the nation.

What are some upcoming technologies or areas that you are looking at that you believe are truly transformative?

There are many areas that are seeing transformation as technology advances. Some of these key areas are virtual care, wearables, healthcare business services, AI, healthcare information technology, and clinical trials. Innovation in these area are helping to improve health care with world-class products and capabilities. And patients are seeing the outcome from healthcare IT creating applications that allow them to easily access efficient scheduling systems from home, to virtual care giving them access to top physicians across the system.

How do you work with Northwell physicians and administrators to redefine patient care?

At Northwell we know that our employees are our most valuable resource to help solve the challenging problems in health care. This year we hosted our 2^nd annual Northwell Health Innovation Challenge where employees can pitch new technologies to a panel, ”shark tank” style. The winning teams are awarded up to $500,000 in funding from Northwell Ventures to help turn these ideas into reality as they continue to help Northwell keep our reputation as one of the most innovative health system in the country.

Additionally, we know that our staff is our best asset in terms of deciding which investments are right for Northwell. We meet directly with clinicians and staff to help decide where to invest and test new innovations for improvement and efficiency. And innovation is in every corner of our health system – one of our environmental services supervisors helped develop a new curtain that helps reduce the spread of infection. This curtain is now being used in hospitals across the country.

Can you highlight a recent success story with one of your portfolio companies or partnerships?

Our first investment Avizia is the perfect example of a success story with Ventures. Avizia allows healthcare organizations to have access to system-wide telehealth efficiently and cost-effectively. Northwell used our own telehealth team and physicians to test and perfect this system throughout our investment.

Can you speak to any non-traditional partnerships or strategic relationships that have developed and why?

First and foremost, we provide care. The exciting part about being with Northwell is that the definition of care is ever-changing. We’re continually redeveloping health care by partnering with entrepreneurs, investors and now entire countries. Through Ventures we have created partnerships with international governments to help improve quality of care outside of the United States. Our perpetual need to empower the best and the brightest has allowed us to develop products and services that further enhance care and patient experience on a global scale.

Do you have any fun summer plans?

I would love to wake my wife and kids to the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater to see some concerts. I’m also a big sailor and am excited to spend some time out on the water.

Think you’re Made for innovation like Tom is talking about? Explore Northwell jobs here.

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Northwell Health’s 2021 Innovation Challenge Brings in Breakthrough Ideas From Employees

Innovation in Science

Innovation in Care Delivery

We asked the winners and runner ups how Northwell prepared them for this big moment

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Neteera makes checking vital signs easier for patients and professionals

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Arterys uses Truly Innovative technology to harness AI

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Gauss Surgical is Truly Innovating the OR

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Meet Avizia, the future of telehealth

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Northwell Ventures Presents: The healing power of conversation.

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Northwell Ventures Presents: Making ‘big waves’ in our ORs with PurpleSun

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An Appointment With: Thomas Thornton SVP and Executive Director, Northwell Ventures

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