Banner launches innovation group

One of Banner Health’s core values is to be courageously innovative.

In May, the Phoenix-based nonprofit health system launched its Banner Innovation Group (BIG) that merged the organization’s innovation and digital business leadership team with its imaginariums — a place dedicated to stimulating and cultivating the imagination towards innovation.

“One of the hardest things in a big organization, like Banner, is just knowing where to take ideas,” said Banner Health Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Scott Nordlund. “I’m confident [BIG] will create a much more friction-less experience for people who have those kinds of ideas.”

BIG will focus on looking for the pain points within the organization and attacking them in an effective and innovative way.

Nordlund, who is leading the initiative, said there are three major categories where innovation could be a game-changer for the pain points patients experience. Is there a way to lower the cost for patients? Is there a way to improve the quality of care? And is there a way to create a better overall experience?

“Health care has been a difficult, hard to navigate, not very customer friendly experience. We are really focusing a lot of our innovation efforts around that as well,” Nordlund said.

This is just the latest example of Banner innovation at work.

Other examples include Banner’s telehealth department that incorporates technology to improve patient care and access to care through programs like TeleICU which gives patients 24/7 access to physicians through two-way audio video; and its robotic surgery implementation through the da Vinci Surgical Robotic System, which allows surgeons to work with four interactive robotic arms along with a high-performance vision system to perform surgeries.

“The thing that excites me the most is establishing this culture of innovation within Banner,” Nordlund said. “I think that this really tends to create a lot of excitement, enthusiasm, and a sense of pride in the organization.”

Now that the two departments have merged and formally announced the initiative, BIG is working to establish the process, roles, and relationships that drive innovation in the organization.

“We have a whole bunch of areas where innovation can play and make a difference in not only Banner but also potentially in the rest of health care delivery,” Nordlund said. “It is really important to us.”

To learn more about innovation within Banner Health, click here.