(Madera, California) – Valley Children’s Healthcare announced today the launch of a new partnership to provide physicians and staff an opportunity to accelerate new technology, new processes and new equipment ideas that have the potential to transform pediatric healthcare.
Earlier this year, Valley Children’s entered into an agreement with The Innovation Institute, a national, independent medical product incubator and healthcare services provider, to spark innovation across the health network. The Institute’s Innovation Lab is staffed with scientists, doctors and commercialization experts who evaluate ideas, build prototypes, protect them, license them, then take them to market directly or through industry partners. Valley Children’s innovation program, known as George’s Idea Lab, will operate as part of The Innovation Lab.
“Valley Children’s was built on a culture of innovation -- our five founding mothers imagined a better way to provide healthcare for children and our healthcare network that we see today is a direct result of their ability to innovate,” explains Valley Children’s Healthcare President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “Our organization values innovation and collaboration, which directly aligns with The Innovation Institute’s mission to cultivate innovative solutions to transform healthcare. Valley Children’s staff is in a unique position to identify needs in the delivery of pediatric healthcare, specifically a product or service that might help ease a child’s hospital experience, enhance recovery or improve outcomes and come up with a potential solution. We’re excited to have a program within our healthcare network that can make these ideas a reality.”
Valley Children’s is The Innovation Institute’s second pediatric health system member owner, joining Children’s Hospital of Orange County, CA. Other member owner investors include Providence St. Joseph Health, Irvine, CA & Renton, WA; Bon Secours Mercy Health, Marriottsvile, MD & Cincinnati, OH; Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, Baton Rouge, LA; and Avera Health, Sioux Falls, SD.
“We are thrilled to be working in collaboration with Valley Children’s Healthcare team to develop and invest in innovative treatments for pediatric patients,” says Innovation Institute President and CEO Joe Randolph.