Ascension, one of the nation’s largest non-profit and Catholic health systems, today announced the launch of its new Clinical Innovation Institute (CII) dedicated to innovation in experience, quality, and growth.
The CII brings together a multidisciplinary team within Ascension to focus specifically on improving patient care and clinician experience through technology and innovation. This new unit will facilitate the vetting and strategic implementation of innovative technology solutions across the Ascension footprint aimed at addressing some of healthcare's most pressing issues.
This new institute reaffirms Ascension's commitment to building on the technology and innovation efforts that are currently driving better outcomes for our patients and supporting our workforce.
“One of Ascension’s core Values is Creativity, defined as courageous innovation,” said Thomas Aloia, MD, MHCM, FACS, FACHE, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer. "Innovation is how we create a better care experience for all — for our patients, caregivers, associates and the communities we serve. The work of the CII is a direct result of Ascension’s culture that elevates safety and quality while being a catalyst for growth through innovation.”
The CII will be directed by four Ascension leaders:
- Dr. Mitesh Patel, VP, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer
- Dr. Samit Desai, VP, Chief Medical Information Officer
- Dr. Fred Masoudi, VP, Chief Academic Officer
- Jon Taves, AVP, Clinical Innovation
"At Ascension, patient care and access are central to our mission. That’s why our clinical transformation team is dedicated to bringing together clinical expertise with digital innovation," said Dr. Patel. "True clinical innovation goes beyond incremental technology upgrades – it requires a fundamental reimagining of how we deliver holistic, patient-centered care.”
The CII will drive technological progress advances that help clinicians better understand the needs of their patients. Ascension is focused on implementing new tools that will be applied in a secure environment to reduce digital and administrative burden while enhancing the care of patients. This will empower caregivers to focus more on their patients and less on administrative tasks.
“It is crucial that all innovation efforts across our system are thoughtfully created and organized to align with workflows and the clinician experience in mind,” said Dr. Desai. “With the launch of the CII, Ascension will leverage cutting-edge and secure technologies to streamline workflows for our clinicians to provide more effective care.”
The research focus area of the institute will facilitate access to the latest clinical trials and use insights gained from clinical data to further advance care.
“Clinical research turns challenging medical questions into life-changing answers, transforming evidence into impact that gives us hope for the future. It is the intersection of innovation and patient care,” said Dr. Masoudi.
“At Ascension, continuous improvement with a focus on our patients is at the heart of everything we do,” said Jon Taves. “We want to empower our clinicians to lead with confidence in the effort to innovate and adopt new models of care.”
