Creating A Culture Of Innovation - Going Places In Healthcare Where Others Do Not

BLOG SERIES: CREATING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION [Installment 2 of 9]

Attention, MedTech and medical device companies! Seeking ways to take your great new product or service to the next level? Have dreams of transforming healthcare and getting wealthy in the process? Fantastic … but it all begins with a culture of innovation. In Installment 2 of this 9-part blog series, we discuss harnessing the power of emerging technology and discovering innovative ways to apply it in the healthcare arena.

 

DR. RAFAEL GROSSMANN, M.D.

GOING PLACES IN HEALTHCARE WHERE OTHERS DO NOT

 

By THOMAS HICKEY

Partner

 

[July 15, 2021] – I call them “intellectual athletes”.

You know, the type of person who looks at the very same thing you’re looking at but sees something entirely different … who not only goes where no one ever thought of venturing but comes back with an amazing discovery. We’ve all been blessed with imagination. I imagine these folks are blessed with a re-imagination, too.

Take, for instance, Dr. Rafael J. Grossmann, M.D., a brilliant surgeon, educator, global speaker, patient advocate, healthcare futurist, TEDx sensation, native Venezuelan and now a resident of Bangor, ME. [He probably dons a cape when he rises each day and rescues puppies in his spare time.] The guy is all that … and much, much more.

After completing his residency in Ann Arbor, MI, Dr. Grossmann took his otherworldly perspective to the Pine Tree State and has been on a mission ever since to revolutionize healthcare by leveraging consumer-focused technology in the healthcare arena.

In April 2013, Google Glass was launched as a game-changing device for the average citizen of the world. Everyday life would resemble a sci-fi movie as people walked around wearing these specialized spectacles that simultaneously functioned as a camera, archive, library, entertainment system and live video streaming service.

How many of your friends today are walking around wearing Google Glass? Yeah, same here.

While Google Glass may be tucked away in a file reserved for New Coke, the Segway, the Edsel and other similar product flops, it did not go away entirely. Two months after its launch, Dr. Grossmann became the first surgeon in the world to utilize Google Glass and its virtual reality features in the Operating Room [VR in the OR, you might say.]

He livestreamed a routine and simple procedure to implant a feeding tube in a patient’s abdomen. In doing so, medical students and other physicians were able to see in real time not only what Dr. Grossmann was seeing but what the endoscope saw, too. There are now a handful of other specialists around the world who’ve joined Dr. Grossmann and are leveraging Google Glass and other consumer technology in healthcare.

He is convinced that innovation in healthcare-specific technology -- along with current developments in smart devices, wearables [think Apple Watch], virtual, augmented and mixed reality, artificial intelligence, deep learning, blockchain, nanotechnology, 3D printing and robotics -- will significantly improve healthcare connectivity, communication and data management. The result will be more efficient, intuitive, affordable and ultimately better and more empathic patient care and medical education, not to mention expanding global access to healthcare.

Interestingly, Dr. Grossman may be the least impressed by his breakthrough.

“Technology is just an asset to the basic and most important qualities of a medical provider, that being compassion and empathy,” he once explained.

Yeah, no biggie … I think not.

Consider some of the endless possibilities of Google Glass:

§  Paramedics arriving at traffic accidents can now seek expert medical advice at the scene of the emergency and provide immediate specialized attention before losing valuable time enroute to the hospital

§  Physicians in rural or remote areas can be guided through complex surgical procedures normally performed only by specialists

§  Medical students can watch a live feed of the very best surgeons at work – no matter where in the world they are – and will no longer need to peer over a surgeon’s shoulder

This array of technology can be connected to hospital information systems, affording doctors the opportunity to monitor patients’ vital signs in real time and review patient records in an instant – all of which saves time, money and maybe even lives.

No Fear of Failure

Smart companies like 3M encourage their visionaries, engineers and technologists to experiment, tinker, refine and hopefully discover breakthroughs with no fear of failing many more times than not. [Thomas Edison would’ve been a stud employee at 3M, having invented the lightbulb after swinging and missing more than 1,000 times!]

Dr. Grossman speaks of the need to create technology in the open, not in a silo. He stresses the importance of working as a member of a global family of human beings for the betterment of all. Be transparent, attract early adopters and help them shape and refine your MedTech brainstorm. Consult with patients to better understand their experience with pain, discomfort, recovery time, and impacts on quality-of-life. When you gather a diverse team with varying perspectives, the possibilities are literally mind-boggling.

On Main Street in downtown Bangor, there’s an enormous statue of the folkloric lumberjack Paul Bunyan, paying homage to the area’s forestry legacy. One day, ol’ Paul may be joined by an equally impressive statue of Dr. Grossmann.

Reach Out … We’re Here for You

Chances are, your company has just such a revolutionary healthcare product or service but you’re at a crossroads. You’re unsure where to turn, what to do next and whom you should be consulting to help you get your breakthrough into the healthcare mainstream.

Excelerant Consulting might just be your next best friend. We have a deep and comprehensive understanding of Group Purchasing Organizations, Integrated Delivery Networks, and Regional Purchasing Coalitions. We have trusted and long-standing relationships with the key players. We can help assess your product or service’s viability and get you in the door and likely to contract with the right people. Contact us today.

info@excelerantconsulting.com

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In installment 3 of our Creating a Culture of Innovation series, we’ll look at private equity firm GTCR and its recent launch of Epselon Global, a new venture focused on building a market-leading healthcare system by acquiring up-and-coming businesses with a unique value proposition. We'll address some of their best practices and lessons learned along the way."

 

 

For more on Dr. Rafael Grossmann M.D., tune in to my MedTech Gurus podcast from March 3, 2021 – [Med Tech Gurus: Conversation with a Surgeon & Futurist - Rafael Grossman, MD libsyn.com]

 

To learn more about Google Glass, visit https://www.google.com/glass/start/

 

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TUNE IN: Thomas Hickey is host of Med Tech Gurus, a podcast focused on Medical Entrepreneurship and Marketing [available on Apple Podcasts and other platforms].

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ABOUT THOMAS HICKEY -- Thomas is expert at developing innovative strategies and tactics and possesses a deep understanding of sales strategy and sales channels that combine to produce impressive results. With more than 35 years’ experience in the medical device industry and executive-level experience with manufacturers and Group Purchasing Organizations [GPOs], Thomas is skilled at launches, start-ups, international distribution, technology assessment, and assessing market feasibility. He has successfully launched several products and hired, coached, trained, motivated and optimized literally hundreds of independent and distributor sales team members.

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ABOUT EXCELERANT CONSULTING -- Excelerant Consulting is the go-to organization for med-tech companies that need to position products and services successfully for value analysis committees, contract acquisition, and sales modeling and execution to commercialize the launch of medical devices or services with Group Purchasing Organizations [GPO], Integrated Delivery Networks [IDN], or Regional Purchasing Coalitions [RPC]. Our clients rely on us to enhance their product positioning, navigate corporate contracting opportunities, and provide sales support to accelerate sales growth.

 

For more info, contact Excelerant Consulting at info@excelerantconsulting.com.

 

Ainsley Shea