Northwell Health announced Monday it was seeking the public’s help in selecting one of three medical innovations developed by the health-care system’s employees to receive $100,000 in funding.
Northwell Ventures, a division of the health-care system that develops and finances medical breakthrough ideas, picked three ideas for the contest: a new form of hospital patient identification wristbands, a new way to reduce surgical bleeding and a way to print living cells and tissues using three-dimensional printers.
“All organizations have smart people with a lot of great ideas. Where we distinguish ourselves is providing employees with an avenue to bring their ideas to life through Northwell Ventures,” Northwell Health President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Dowling said in a statement. “We identify and celebrate pioneering, out-of-the box thinkers who are passionate about advancing medicine and changing lives, and have potential solutions to make that happen.”
The contest, which began Monday, carries on until April 18, in which members of the public can go to https://www.northwell.edu/vote to choose which idea they think should receive funding.
“We’re thrilled to be engaging the public in helping us decide which of these worthy innovations will receive our funding and support,” Dowling said.
The first innovation was created by Dr. Peter Costantino, executive director and senior vice president of Northwell Health’s Head & Neck Surgery Service Line.
It aims to remove patient identification wristbands in hospitals and replace them with a “patient identification shield.”
“This surprisingly simple, patent-pending method of temporarily and comfortably securing a patient identification label allows medical information to be extracted directly from an electronic health record directly to the surface of the skin,” a Northwell Health release said of the idea. “It is comfortable, non-transferable, durable and easily removed.”
The second idea was developed by researchers from Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and aims to reduce blood loss during surgery.
“This device stimulates the vagus nerve through the skin and reduces both the amount of blood lost and the time a wound bleeds in half,” the release said. “The device works so rapidly that it may one day be used for those suffering traumatic injuries, either patients in a hospital, military personnel on the battlefield or civilian first responders.”
The final innovation, which was also developed by researchers from the Feinstein Institute, utilizes three-dimensional printing to create bodily organs.
“Northwell researchers are already working with clinicians across the health system using 3-D bioprinting to develop alternatives to many traditional medical treatments, including researching ways to create three-dimensional living tissue made of bone or cartilage,” the release said. “Bioprinting’s potential is almost limitless and has the potential to replace many different parts of the human body.”
As part of its marketing effort to rebrand the company and separate it from its former name, North Shore-LIJ, and in conjunction with the medical breakthrough contest, Northwell Health has run television ads during this month’s National Collegiate Athletic Association March Madness basketball tournament promoting the contest.
Ramon Soto, Northwell Health’s senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, said the health-care system wanted to work more with its surrounding community.
“As the largest healthcare provider in New York State, we are pursuing new and different ways of telling our story of innovation,” Soto said. “This is a unique and exciting opportunity to engage with members of our community, empower them to help decide the next medical breakthrough we pursue and bring that vision to life.”
