News

THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE EXPLORED IN WELLSTAR INNOVATION SERIESWITH HEALTHCARE, TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL HEALTH EXPERTS

THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE EXPLORED IN WELLSTAR INNOVATION SERIESWITH HEALTHCARE, TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL HEALTH EXPERTS
Digital Technologies
Member News

Thought leaders from Microsoft, Sharecare, and Wellstar – with corporate, community, and philanthropy leaders – discuss digital technologies that enhance care delivery, provider communications, patient outcomes

Marietta, Ga. (June 23, 2021) – The future of healthcare is on a rapid acceleration path as new technologies empower consumers and providers with unprecedented information access and care delivery solutions that enhance health and wellness. Wellstar Health System, one of the largest and most integrated health systems in Georgia, continues to foster collaboration to design the future of healthcare, building on a rich history of innovation and impact in delivering world-class care to millions of people each year. As part of this ongoing focus, the Wellstar Foundation hosted the second Innovation Series event, “Designing the Future of Healthcare: Digital Health Technologies” on June 15, convening experts and thought leaders from Wellstar, Microsoft, Sharecare, and across the nation. 

Panel discussion and breakout sessions explore transformative technologies

More than 100 participants attended the virtual roundtable event, which included a panel discussion and breakout sessions focused on leading technologies that have the potential to transform healthcare. The panel was moderated by Julie Teer, senior vice president, Wellstar Health System, and president, Wellstar Foundation. Panelists included:

  • Dr. Clifford Goldsmith, chief medical officer and national director, U.S. Providers, Microsoft Health and Life Sciences
  • Jeff Arnold, founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Sharecare
  • Dr. Hank Capps, executive vice president and chief information & digital officer, Wellstar Health System

There has never been a time in healthcare when getting the technology strategy right was more imperative than now,” said Dr. Goldsmith. “There is a massive transformation underway in healthcare to significantly increase clinician productivity and enable teamwork across the care continuum, which will be a huge boost to patient satisfaction. Thank you to Wellstar for hosting this important conversation to fuel innovation.

Digital health is transforming healthcare through integrating innovation and advanced technology into patient care, improving quality of care and expanding access. In addition to the panel, three breakout sessions facilitated conversation about leading-edge, advanced technologies, including:

  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence to help provide augmented support for healthcare professionals across a wide range of specialties and operations.
  • Advanced sensors to enhance diagnostics that simplify the patient experience and foster patient-provider communication and collaboration.
  • Merged Reality (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) to enhance business insight, training, and patient partnership.

Physician leaders from Wellstar Medical Group provided expert insights in the breakout discussions on the potential applications and impacts of these technologies on the future of healthcare. Physician experts included:

  • Dr. Rishi Gupta, vascular neurologist
  • Dr. Arthur Reitman, interventional cardiologist
  • Dr. Barry Mangel, interventional cardiologist

The future of healthcare is not a 2025 vision – it is a 2021 reality,” said Sharecare’s Arnold. “Georgia continues to strengthen its position as a global center for public health, information technology, and digital media; and Wellstar is at the center with their focus on partnerships and healthcare innovation. Discussions such as the Wellstar Innovation Series help create momentum around viable solutions that will address gaps in care and a make a meaningful difference in the health and well-being of communities throughout the Peach State and beyond.

The event followed Wellstar’s March 3, 2021 announcement that it will become the country’s first Sharecare-enabled health system, and the May 18, 2021 launch of Catalyst by WellstarTM, the first-of-its-kind global digital health and innovation center created and operated within a health system. Catalyst by Wellstar is designed to harness, accelerate, optimize, and scale people-centric solutions that:

  • Disrupt how Wellstar delivers care to create better patient and provider experiences.
  • Maximize quality and safety to improve outcomes while reducing the total cost of care.
  • Enhance health and well-being for people through access, engagement, and empowerment.
  • Optimize enterprise performance excellence, efficiencies, and productivity.
  • Impact communities and the world by designing the future of healthcare.

To further fuel healthcare transformation, Wellstar also announced a partnership with Engage, a collaborative innovation and corporate venture platform. Wellstar is the only healthcare company to partner with Engage, alongside other partners Chick-fil-A, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Georgia-Pacific, Georgia Power Foundation, Georgia Tech, Goldman Sachs, The Home Depot, Inspire Brands, Intercontinental Exchange, Invesco, Invest Georgia, Tech Square Ventures, and UPS.

Innovation Series convenes thought leaders and changemakers

The Wellstar Foundation’s Innovation Series convenes thought leaders, community partners, and industry experts in a series of roundtable discussions to explore how to transform healthcare to better serve Georgians. The conversations aim to facilitate collaboration that will lead to meaningful action and a pathway to transforming healthcare in Georgia. The series covers topics of health equity, digital health technologies, behavioral health and wellness, women’s health and pediatrics, and workforce planning.

ABOUT THE WELLSTAR FOUNDATION

For more than 30 years, the Wellstar Foundation has been at the forefront of securing life-saving resources for

Wellstar Health System, one of the largest and most integrated health systems in Georgia. As a not-for-profit, donations from individuals, businesses and community organizations help Wellstar to realize its vision of delivering world-class healthcare. The Foundation directs every dollar donated toward initiatives that advance the level of healthcare provided to the communities Wellstar serves through improved patient services and assistance for individuals in need. To learn more, visit wellstar.org/foundation or call 770-956-GIVE (4483).

ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM

At Wellstar, people are at the center of everything we do. By listening actively to what people want, need and expect from their healthcare, Wellstar is able to provide “More than Healthcare. PeopleCare.” — at every age and stage. Nationally ranked and locally recognized for our personal, high-quality care, inclusive culture, and exceptional doctors and team members, Wellstar provides access to compassionate, high-quality care through our: 11 hospitals; 300+ medical office locations; 9 cancer centers; 74 rehabilitation centers; 3 hospice facilities; 1 retirement village; 34 imaging centers; 17 urgent care locations; and 5 health parks. As one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia, Wellstar is growing our services, footprint, capabilities, and ability to meet evolving patient needs. Our passion for people extends into the communities we serve. As a not-for-profit health system, we thoughtfully reinvest annually in prevention and wellness programs, as well as charity care for eligible patients. Our Wellstar Foundation also supports our mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve with funding for equipment, services, and programs that provide more than healthcare. To learn more about how Wellstar is always listening, learning, and tailoring care to meet patients’ individual needs, visit Wellstar.org.

NEWS​

Related News

The Galician Health Cluster (CSG) participates in the Twinning Digital Health Uptake (DHU) project in 2024

18 Mar 2024
In a context where technology and innovation are rapidly transforming the way we conceive and deliver health and care services, the Galician Health Cl...

JAMRAI-2 project begins to provide a unified response to antibiotic resistance

18 Mar 2024
JAMRAI-2 seeks to implement concrete actions to monitor, prevent and effectively tackle antimicrobial resistance across human, animal and environmenta...

R&D actors in spotlight – Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine

18 Mar 2024
Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine is a centre for exercise medicine supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The institute’s a...

Estonian and Finnish healthcare sectors join forces for innovation

18 Mar 2024
In a groundbreaking move towards advancing innovation in the healthcare sector, representatives from Estonia and Finland gathered at the Embassy of Fi...

Ulster University & University College London to Establish £11.7m Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health Technologies

18 Mar 2024
We are pleased that our ECHAlliance Foundation Partners Ulster University have celebrated this month with the announcement of the recruitment of 75 re...

The Quadruple Helix: Unleashing Innovation Through Multidisciplinary Collaboration

14 Mar 2024
By Robyn Freiheit, Innovation Project Manager, ECHAlliance - The Global Health Connector

Become a member

Join ECHAlliance to amplify your organisation’s message, grow your networks, connect with innovators and collaborate globally.
 
First name *
Last Name *
Email Address *
Country *
Position *
First name *
Last Name *
Email Address *
Country *
Position *