Top 25 Innovators - 2020

Bodily created a new e-catalog to ensure that the health system’s 44 hospitals comply with equipment standards across multiple states. With an annual capital spend of $300 million, that’s a critical undertaking. It is used by clinicians, administrators and equipment suppliers and allows for more efficient, almost Amazon-like, negotiations with suppliers. And with visits from sales representatives on hold due to the pandemic, the tool helps ensure that Bon Secours projects stay on track.

How do you identify opportunities for innovation?
Supply chain leaders are accustomed to placing priority on physician preference and the patient experience—I concentrate on nursing. It’s the partnerships with industry that allow us to tap into the all innovation and automation other industries are enjoying. Admittedly, suppliers initially pause and wonder how the product they sell could help a nurse work closer to the top of their license—but the connection is there if you dig. I believe nursing is the care differentiator and, as such, it’s where I can bring the greatest value to a patient.

What advice do you have for people who know how to get an idea in front of managers but may be afraid of failing?
Trust in your idea—it’s born from your instincts, insights and data others haven’t had the chance to consider. Expect setbacks and forms of failure that in sum will only sharpen your solution. Often, we’re spurred to explore a solution only to find it to be “tried before and failed.” I’d remind those that if your idea is enabled by technology, it’s a new day. We can do things now that would have resulted in failure just a few years ago.

How do you stay focused on innovation during a crisis?
Healthcare is a business and the rules of business are universal—innovate, adapt or die. The uncertainty created in the wake of the pandemic is a stark reminder of the responsibility of leaders. I think this is a golden window for transformational healthcare innovation as integrated delivery networks adapt swiftly to the currents of change.