IN N OVAT IO N C IRCLE 2023 IMPACT REPORT
C R E AT I N G A H E A LT H I E R F U T U R E Innovation is essential to fulfilling Phoenix Children’s mission of providing hope, healing and the best health care for children and their families—and Innovation Circle funding is vital to advancing the groundbreaking ideas that drive progress and improve outcomes for children, ultimately shaping a healthier and more promising future for the next generation. Since this select giving group was founded in 2004, Innovation Circle support has launched scores of game-changing initiatives and programs that have reached nearly every patient and family at Phoenix Children’s. From expanding medical knowledge and addressing unmet needs to advancing personalized medicine and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, Innovation Circle has had a profound impact on children and families in Arizona and beyond. Champions of innovation Innovation Circle members all share a commitment to improving children’s health through innovation. By pooling resources to invest in the visionary ideas of Phoenix Children’s best and brightest minds, members increase their collective impact exponentially. The pioneering treatments, therapies and technologies developed with Innovation Circle support will touch the lives of children around the world for generations to come. Each year, exciting opportunities arise to accelerate advancements in pediatric medicine by funding projects led by Phoenix Children’s top innovators. Innovation Circle members have the opportunity to witness firsthand their impact—from quarterly Power Pitch events to behind-thescenes experiences with physicians, researchers and patients that offer an inside look at how Phoenix Children’s is shaping the future of children’s health.
T H E P H A S E S O F I N N OVAT IO N An Innovation Circle project begins when a problem or opportunity is observed at Phoenix Children’s. Members are presented with projects at any of the following three phases:
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Research and development: Potential solutions are developed and tested. A proposed solution is piloted at Phoenix Children’s. Phoenix Children’s rollout: The solution is rolled out to Phoenix Children’s health system and introduced to the world via publications and media coverage. Commercialization: The solution is commercialized for use in the health care industry at large.
Taking innovation to the next level Through a partnership with Coplex, a Phoenix-based venture studio, Phoenix Children’s is developing and spinning off innovative solutions into independent companies. With plans to ultimately create six startups by 2025, Phoenix Children’s and Coplex will take equity stakes and fund the startups as they get off the ground. Each startup will stand alone as its own company outside of the hospital system.
Partnering with Coplex will enable us to leverage the innovations that we create in house to impact our own patients and share them with the health care community at large, which could impact thousands more lives every day. DAVID HIGGINSON Executive Vice President, Chief Innovation Officer Phoenix Childrlen’s
L I F E - C H A N GI N G I M PAC T
THE NEED One in four children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate cared for at Phoenix Children’s was severely malnourished at 4 months of age due to difficulty feeding.
THE RESULTS During the first six months, not a single child became malnourished, a 26% reduction. The program enabled Phoenix Children’s to provide equitable services to families in rural areas such as the Navajo Nation, Bullhead City, and Yuma and to reduce the number of in-person appointments.
THE SOLUTION The IGNITE Home Monitoring Program, an app-based health-tracking program to monitor feeding and weight gain in infants with cleft lip and/or palate.
THE FUNDING $102,628 used for the design, implementation, and evaluation of the program.
Since 2004: • 91 projects funded • $6M+ awarded 2023 funded projects: • Remote adjustment of headache medication ($15,000) • Augmented reality training for spine surgery ($25,000) • ChatGPT prompt writing ($10,000) • Inpatient telehealth ($160,000) • Patient/provider communication ($90,000)
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IN N OVATE .
TR A N S FO R M . Thank you for championing innovation. Your investment in Innovation Circle helps ensure that we can accelerate advancements in pediatric medicine that will benefit children and families for generations to come.
Phoenix Children’s Foundation 2929 E. Camelback Road, Suite 122, Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-933-2680 | PCHInnovation.org