Chartered in 2009 by MedStar Health President and CEO Kenneth A. Samet, FACHE, the MedStar Institute for Innovation (MI2) strives to catalyze innovation that advances health. MI2 also has a mantra: “Think Differently,” reflecting the core belief that innovation—which is about doing differently—always starts first by thinking, seeing, and understanding the world in different ways than before.
MI2 has developed capabilities in the following areas to help further MedStar Health’s vision of being the trusted leader in caring for people and advancing health.
Catalyze
Catalyzing innovation energy at MedStar Health by inspiring and equipping associates to unlock their potential.
Innovate
Developing deep technical capabilities—often in the "white space" where others have not gone before.
Connect
Engaging outside collaborators, including startups, to apply new ideas and innovative approaches to care for people and advance health.
MedStar Simulation Training & Education Lab
The MedStar Simulation Training & Education Lab (SiTEL) creates and deploys a blended learning model of interactive online training, virtual and hands-on high-fidelity simulation, and continuing professional education (CPE) products used at MedStar Health and by healthcare organizations in more than 40 states. It is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the American College of Surgeons, and Joint Accreditation for CPE.
MI2 Greenhouse
The MI2 Greenhouse provides a temporary home for startup clinical and operational initiatives that will be important to MedStar Health’s future. Currently being “greenhoused” at MI2 are the MedStar Telehealth Innovation Center, the MedStar Pharmacogenomics Initiative, and the MedStar FHIR Data Science Initiative.
MedStar Telehealth Innovation Center
The MedStar Telehealth Innovation Center (MTIC) was established in March 2017 to expand upon years of foundational telehealth work at MedStar Health/MI2. MTIC supports and coordinates telehealth activities across MedStar Health by providing telehealth infrastructure, best practices, subject matter expertise, project implementation, and programmatic operational support—at system scale.
Business Innovation
MI2’s business innovation efforts support MedStar Health in identifying, vetting, and structuring engagement with startup and scale-up companies to help MedStar Health tackle difficult issues and problems while creating essential future-facing capabilities through new technologies, alternative business models, and novel collaborations.
MedStar Inventor Services
MedStar Inventor Services works with MedStar Health associates to transform their innovative ideas and discoveries into commercial products. And for smaller scale ideas, the MInnovations Marketplace is a hub of mini-innovations that advance health care and improve the patient and family experience.
Innovation Challenges
MI2 co-hosts innovation challenges with MedStar Health’s service departments to access all the great creative and innovative ideas from MedStar Health associates across the enterprise.
MedStar Innovation Forum
MI2 has held an innovation forum for MedStar Health associates 10 times to date. Its goal has been to provide a day away from the “tyranny of the daily” by offering a program that stretches the mind, changes the frame, and provides attendees with lasting tools for new ways of looking at the world. This signature event has convened hundreds within the MedStar Health system to provide fresh perspectives on innovation, a variety of presentations designed to inspire and excite, and facilitated discussions aimed at catalyzing innovation and encouraging networking.
Influence
MI2 recognizes that innovation is more than new technology and new business models. It is also about the relational dimension—ways of generating positive behavior, enhancing the patient experience, creating stronger relationships, improving communication, and producing feelings of satisfaction and engagement. Influence offerings support MedStar Health departments that seek assistance in those areas.
MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare
Key Collaborator
Founded within MI2, the MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare grew out of the MI2 Greenhouse and, as of July 2020, moved to its new organizational home in the MedStar Health Research Institute. Given the success and evolution of its work to promote a safer and more efficient healthcare environment, the Human Factors Center remains deeply integrated with, and shares a location with, MI2 as part of the Advancing Health family at MedStar Health.