MaineHealth Innovation
MaineHealth Innovation builds connections to drive diversity of thought, educates to produce creative problem-solvers, and funds to accelerate ideas. By leveraging the ideas, insights and expertise of all care team members to develop novel solutions to our unmet care needs, we are working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
Advancing the Value of Innovation
As we celebrate courageous innovators and collaborators in advancing the MaineHealth value of Innovation, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all! With care team members, industry advisors, donors, and community partners, we had a stellar year creating impact and contributing to the MaineHealth vision of working together so that our communities are the healthiest in America.
In 2023, over 350 care team members participated in MaineHealth Innovation programs. The breadth of novel ideas was incredible! Innovator stories include:
- Reinventing home care delivery
- Changing the way we deliver preventative care
- Bringing hope to the Neuro ICU care team
Learn more about these compelling stories on the MaineHealth Innovation website.
Innovators are also introducing virtual reality, artificial intelligence and new care team models to solve unmet care needs.
In addition, we are creating new business model frameworks, helping to solve health care challenges by leveraging startups, and changing policy with industry advisors and Innovation Clinical Coaches. Likewise, we are contributing in-kind services to US Department of Commerce EDA grants to accelerate bioscience in Northern New England. The future is bright!
I want to thank and commend the talented team at MaineHealth Innovation – Todd Keiller, Karen Budd, Erin McCue, Carla Muniz and Katrina Jacobson – for fostering a culture of hope, fun and curiosity!
Susan Ahern
Vice President of Innovation, MaineHealth
MaineHealth Innovation By the Numbers: Impact Since 2020 Launch
- Clinical Innovation Projects: 4
- Companies Formed: 6
- Newsletter Subscribers: 893
- Innovation Stories: 26
- Dollars Invested: $1,180,621**
- Innovation Cabinet Members and Advisors: 13
- Intellectual Property and Business Development Committee Members: 9
- Innovation Clinical Coaches: 11
- Investment in Community Partner Start-Ups: 9
*7 patents filed before 2020; 15 between 2020-2023
**Includes Intellectual Property investment of $210,873 for MaineHealth Institute of Research and $48,748 for MaineHealth Innovation.
Stories
Supporting the MaineHealth Strategic Plan
Since our launch in 2020, MaineHealth Innovation has worked with innovators across all regions and specialties in the MaineHealth system.
We incorporate the MaineHealth Balanced Scorecard as a framework to ensure that the work we do with multidisciplinary and geographically-diverse innovators is closely aligned with MaineHealth’s strategic goals.
Innovators’ Projects: NewGown, MMC; Play Portal, BBCH; Pediatric Wellness App, MEM; HoloBaby, MMC; Neonatal Resuscitation Augmented Reality; AI Diabetic Retinopathy Screening, WMH; Home Health Workstation, CHANS; Pocket Nodule, MMC; Active Flow Fontan, MMC
Innovation in Interprofessional Education Fund: Developing Cultural Humility in the ED, MMC; Hospital-Acquired Sepsis Education, MMC
Innovators’ Projects: FRST Violence Screening Tool, MMC; Telehealth Cart, MH
Innovation in Interprofessional Education Fund: Utilizing simulation via a portable integrated patient monitor, MMC
Innovators’ Projects: CAPE, MMC; AirBox, PBMC
Community Partners: USM MIST Lab, Roux Institute, UMaine Orono, UNE, Maine Angels, Maine MEP, BIOME, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, FocusME, Maine Technology Institute
Programs: Brewing Ideas Coffee Corners, Innovation Cohort, Blender, Ideas to Action Workshops
Communications: Website, Newsletter, Videos, and Innovator Stories
People: Innovators, Fund Reviewers, Innovation Cabinet, Innovation Clinical Coaches, Community Partners, and Intellectual Property and Business Development Committee
Learning Health System: MaineHealth Innovation
MaineHealth Innovation Investment Fund: Ignite Fund and Bonfire Fund
Intellectual Property Portfolio and IP/BD Committee: Advise to create best practices and advancement of novel solutions
MaineHealth Community Investment: Roux Future of Healthcare Founder Residency Program
What Care Team Members are Saying about MaineHealth Innovation
“Innovation Center has guided me as I lead a project which spans multiple departments, both within MaineHealth and in the Innovation community and will, one day, hopefully have a positive impact on healthcare providers and patients alike.”
“Being open to supporting an evidence-based program for treating Psychostimulant Use Disorders, that is also seen as controversial to some, and being a helpful advocate for us, is how the MaineHealth Innovation Center is serving us as we navigate the launch of this innovation project with IT and our external partners.”
“We are fortunate to advance this technology for the treatment of human cancers and without MaineHealth Innovation Center’s support, this project would never have advanced beyond just an idea. They continue to provide me with critical new insights, amazing support, and idea exploration. We feel very grateful to have had this opportunity.”
“What the Innovation Center is putting together proves that there can be cutting edge stuff happening in Maine and it allows our projects to have a life, so it’s not just an idea.”
“It’s wonderful to know this Innovation Center is available to everyone at MaineHealth!”
“Applaud the work you are doing to literally innovate how people engage in and think about innovation. Kudos all the way around.”
“Great work, a lot of social ROI and what it does for our organization and care team members.”
The Innovation Team
Susan Ahern
Vice President of Innovation
Todd Keiller, MBA
Director of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer
Karen Budd, MPH
Innovation Manager
Carla Muniz
Innovation Specialist Program Manager
Erin McCue
Innovation Coordinator
Katrina Jacobson
Administrative Specialist III
