Success Story: Feuer Accelerator
October 26, 2022
University Hospitals has a rich history of innovation and empowers all caregivers to reimagine a better process, service, product, or method for patient care. Within the system, UH Ventures is the nexus of human-centered design, innovation, and entrepreneurialism. One key program developed to spur ideation and design-thinking is the Feuer Accelerator, which began in fall 2021 through a generous gift from Michael and Ellen Feuer. The goals of the program include supporting UH innovators; funding innovations that can have a measurable impact and potential commercialization; and building a rich portfolio of innovation success stories that continue to promote our culture of innovation at UH.
Winners of the Feuer Accelerator receive intensive month of support from the UH Ventures team to assess market and develop prototypes. The team uses a value proposition framework that explores the customer, problem, team/assets, and solution of innovations. Through using this framework, participants emerge from the Feuer Accelerator with a better sense of how to develop their product for use at University Hospitals or if there is a wider market for their product. Winners are full-time UH caregivers, so their time committed to developing their innovations goes above and beyond.
On October 26, 2022, UH Ventures celebrated its first cohort of Feuer Accelerator winners. At the event, the three inaugural winning teams presented their value proposition to a panel of UH leadership and local product development experts for a design critique. Through this design critique, the teams both learned how to effectively pitch their innovation and received valuable feedback on next steps to continue development of their projects. In attendance to provide insights were executives leadership from University Hospitals and representatives from JobsOhio, Jumpstart, MAGNET, SmartShape, and Team NEO.
The 2021 Winners celebrated were:
Rainbow Runner: Mobility accessory for pediatric tracheostomy and ventilator-dependent patients that enables play, exploration, and movement.
- Anna Maus, OTR/L, Supervisor, Pediatric Rehabilitation PT and OT; Molly Wiberg, OTR/L, CNT, CLC, NTMTC, Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist; Susan Dewhirst, PT, Physical Therapy Clinical Specialist; Michelle Drabish, BS, RRT-NPS, Division Lead, Registered Respiratory Therapist III
- Anna Maus, OTR/L, Supervisor, Pediatric Rehabilitation PT and OT; Molly Wiberg, OTR/L, CNT, CLC, NTMTC, Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist; Susan Dewhirst, PT, Physical Therapy Clinical Specialist; Michelle Drabish, BS, RRT-NPS, Division Lead, Registered Respiratory Therapist III
Parenteral & Enteral Administration System (PEAS): Software system featuring automated data retrieval and reporting for clinicians, dietitians, and nurses.
- Irissa Bachman, MS, RDN, LD, CNSC, Clinical Dietitian Specialist; Aaron Fletcher, MS, RD, LD, CSOWM, Clinical Dietitian Specialist
High-level Automated Atomic-Oxygen Disinfection System (HAADS): Self-contained and automated disinfection system using atomic oxygen. Initially inspired by pandemic-fueled collaboration with NASA to decontaminate and re-use PPE.
- Amrita John, MD, Physician, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; Shine K. Raju, MD, Physician, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
In addition, the 2022 Winners of the Feuer Accelerator were announced. These individuals will began their support by the UH Ventures team in January 2023 and will present their progress later in the year.
This second cohort of winners are:
Digital Competency Management Platform: Software to standardize and digitize traditionally paper-based onboarding and annual training competencies.
- Nicholas Day, BS, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CER, Manager, Central Sterile Processing, UH Elyria and St. John medical centers.
Neophallus Support: Wearable support device for patients undergoing female to male reassignment surgery.
- Trisha Tyo, CNP, UH Cleveland Medical Center.
New Hire Department-Specific Orientation: Department-specific training program where standardized tasks and required competencies are taught to new hires using augmented reality and virtual reality.
- Robyn Hunter, PharmD, Pharmacy Manager, UH Conneaut and Geneva medical centers.
UH Ventures is looking forward to supporting our 2021 winners in their ongoing product development, beginning the Feuer Accelerator with 2022 winners, and inspiring UH caregivers at the health system to think big and innovate.
