Fifth annual CoxHealth Innovation Accelerator starts this week

CoxHealth’s fifth annual Innovation Accelerator – a time to develop employee-led performance improvement initiatives – begins this week. The annual event allows 50 employees from entry-level to executive to share their ideas for how the health system can be more innovative.

“This event has really grown into something we look forward to every year,” says Scott Rogers, CoxHealth’s system director for Performance Integration and Innovation. “It’s amazing to see what innovative ideas our employees bring forward, and then have the chance to develop. We’ve seen great success for the accelerator, as it allows employees’ ideas to grow into game-changers.”

Here’s how it works: Employees applied to participate in the event and 50 were chosen. In addition to employees, local GO CAPS students are also participating.

Those individuals will gather at the efactory, each with one minute to present their best idea for innovative improvement. After that, the participants will break into teams and develop between five and seven of the ideas.

In addition to CoxHealth leaders, teams will work with the help of business coaches Dennis Heim, Rob Fulp, Brad Erwin, Joe Turner, Hal Higdon, Chuck Chalender and Bob McDowell, who are members of the CoxHealth Board of Directors.

On Thursday afternoon, the groups will present their ideas to CoxHealth leaders including Ron Prenger (executive vice president and COO), Jake McWay (executive vice president and CFO) and Karen Kramer (senior vice president and CHO and CNO). They will be joined by Jack Prim and Krystal Russell, who are also members of the CoxHealth Board of Directors.

It's likely that 2020’s winning ideas – as well as others suggested during the event – will ultimately be implemented throughout CoxHealth.