Leaders from AVIA, an
accelerator dedicated to helping healthcare providers successfully implement
emerging technology-enabled products & services, kicked off the substantive
portion of the program at Day 2 of the 2015 Healthcare Supply Chain Expo with
their “Sink or Swim” keynote and innovation competition. AVIA was built to
serve the needs of health systems, and addresses the most pressing challenges
by working directly with provider organizations to identify and implement the
best emerging tech-enabled solutions, at scale.
“HSCA and its member
GPOs are committed to finding innovative suppliers and helping them bring their
products to market in order to enhance patient care, increase competition and
reduce costs for the entire supply chain,” said HSCA President and CEO Todd
Ebert, R.Ph. “The Sink or Swim competition is the latest reflection of our
industry-wide commitment to fostering innovation, which also includes processes
at every GPO to get innovative products on contract; annual innovative
technology summits; the HSCA Small Supplier Portal; and the creation of the
Healthcare Supplier Diversity Alliance (HSDA).”
AVIA
Chief Strategy Officer Leslie Wainwright introduced AVIA’s signature Expo
programming “Sink or Swim” with an opening keynote about innovation in the
healthcare industry. Leslie shared that AVIA’s inspiration comes from entrepreneurs
who have tremendous value to add to the healthcare industry, and that it is AVIA’s
charge to help them enter and navigate that system.
In
pushing the audience to think about how they can innovate their businesses,
Wainwright shared, “The time is now to push beyond incremental change.” Adding
that, “There is difference between how you approach a problem, and how you ask
fundamentally different questions.”
Wainwright
guided the audience – which included healthcare and GPO leaders, and suppliers
across the continuum of care – through real healthcare challenges that required
innovative thinking. From “improving the health of 1/3 more people at 1/3 less
cost” to “creating new integrated delivery networks that reduce dependency on
acute care hospitals by more than 50 percent,” Wainwright laid out real-life
scenarios that would require asking new questions and looking to new
innovations.
With that, Wainwright and
her colleague, Chief Operating Officer Eric Jensen, introduced “Sink or Swim,”
an innovation competition in which healthcare entrepreneurs touted their
pioneering products and services to a panel of supply chain industry experts. The
following competitors vied for a chance for valuable consultations with major group
purchasing organizations:
AvaSure (Belmont, MI): The AvaSure remote Visual
Monitoring System leverages advanced audio and video technology to allow
Virtual Sitter Technicians (VSTs) to monitor multiple at-risk patients
simultaneously from a single location, improving patient safety while helping
providers better allocate their nursing resources.
InvisionHeart (Nashville, TN): The InvisionHeart
ECG System is a mobile solution for capturing and managing 12-lead ECGs,
including the ability to read, visually compare, confirm, report, and store
diagnostic quality electrocardiograms.
Precision Fabrics - DermaTherapy (Greensboro,
NC): Precision Fabrics’ DermaTherapy is the only line of bedding created
specifically for individuals who suffer from skin conditions. DermaTherapy
sheets are comprised of uniquely structured fibers that effectively wick
moisture away from the surface of sheets, resulting in a better sleeping
experience for patients.
RightCare (Philadelphia, PA): RightCare’s
solution suite helps providers identify high-risk patients during admissions,
prioritize their time and resource allocations for at-risk patients, and connects
patients with the right post-acute care agency or service that best fits their
unique needs and preferences.
SwipeSense (Chicago, IL): SwipeSense combines
point-of-care wearable and wall-mounted hand hygiene dispensers with real-time
usage data to eliminate dependency on manual observations and increase
compliance with infection control procedures. Badges are linked to the
individual, enabling full participation in facility efforts to improve hand
hygiene performance.
Following
a series of dynamic presentations and questions from expert panelists,
Chicago-based Swipesense was named the winner.