We are very excited to welcome our first USA ecosystem: the Massachusetts Digital Health Ecosystem. Read this interview with Katie Green, Senior Program Manager, Innovation at MeHI.
Who are the key stakeholders?
The Massachusetts Digital Health Ecosystem is organized under the Mass Digital Health Initiative, a comprehensive public-private partnership working to establish Massachusetts as a leading ecosystem for digital health innovation, driving economic impact and improving healthcare costs and quality.The Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) at the MassTech Collaborative is the lead public agency, executing activities to promote and support the ecosystem.
MeHI has established and maintains a directory with over 700 stakeholders in our ecosystem. These stakeholders include state and local government organizations, Digital Health Sandboxes (a network of R&D facilities and innovation centers, including representatives from academia and health systems), over 350 digital health companies, startup support organizations like accelerators and incubators, health plans, and investors.
What are the main objectives of your ecosystems?
Our main objective is to build a stronger and more connected statewide digital health ecosystem across Massachusetts and to accelerate the competitiveness of the state’s digital healthcare industry. We facilitate collaboration and connection between key stakeholder groups, provide resources and support to digital health companies at all stages, and promote the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ healthcare innovation priorities.
Why did you join the ECHAlliance Network of Ecosystems?
We are excited by the opportunity to introduce our ecosystem to ECHAlliance’s network to gain exposure for our key stakeholders and to learn from ecosystems around the world. We are looking forward to introducing our Sandboxes to new international markets and stakeholders, to network with and learn best practices from other ecosystems, and to share opportunities we have that can support the stakeholders in your network.
Who is missing from your ecosystem in terms of stakeholders?
We have a wonderful mix of academic and private sector companies, healthcare leaders, tech innovators, and an engaged public sector leadership. We’ve had a resurgence in international engagement post-pandemic, but are interested in growing our relationships with global digital health ecosystems and re-introducing the world to our world-class research facilities and growing startups. While Boston and Cambridge are well-known, the cities of Springfield and Worcester, Massachusetts, are both home to top healthcare systems and facilities that specialize in healthcare robotics, cybersecurity, and manufacturing, but may not be as well-known.
Which ecosystems are you looking to collaborate with?
We are open to collaborating with ecosystems that are looking to share their experiences and learn more about our work growing the digital health ecosystem across the state. We have a growing focus on tech related to healthy aging, family caregiving, and assistive devices.
