The Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey Honors Hackensack Meridian Health with a 2019 Best Practices Award
September 27, 2019
Hackensack Meridian Health is pleased to announce that it has been honored with a Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) 2019 Best Practices Award for its Bear’s Den initiative.
“Innovation is in our DNA at Hackensack Meridian Health and central to furthering our mission to transform health care and serve as a leader of positive change,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Through our Bear’s Den initiative, we are dedicated to bringing innovations and breakthroughs in health care delivery to market.”
Hackensack Meridian Health established a $25 million investment fund to support this initiative. A panel, including leading physicians, network executives, venture capitalists, and patent attorneys, vet proposals from entrepreneurs for consideration. The panel, known as the Bear’s Den, gathers to consider investing in potential breakthroughs to enhance care delivery, patient satisfaction and make care more cost effective.
Investments made through the Bear’s Den include: Pillo, a health robot for the home that automatically dispenses and refills medication and provides options for other care including telemedicine consultations between patient and physician, and PurpleSun, a new technology that uses a form of ultraviolet light energy to keep hospitals clean and safe.
Bear’s Den Innovation Hubs are now expanding to all network hospitals to include team members who will innovate from frontline experience.
In evaluating CIANJ Best Practices Award nominees, a panel of judges considered entries based on how companies measure and achieve peak performance. Winners were announced at CIANJ’s Best Practices Conference on Sept. 24 in Belleville, NJ. Honorees are being featured in Commerce Magazine’s annual 2019 Best Practices Guide.