Nominations For 2011 Innovation Awards Open Through October 11

Editor’s Note:  The deadline for nominations for the TechColumbus 2011 Innovation Awards is Tuesday, October 11, 2012.  Any person, company or team with an innovative new product, service or process is eligible and encouraged to apply.  The awards celebrate the innovation that is creating Central Ohio’s future.  In looking forward towards that future, we are taking the opportunity to look back at a few of our past Innovation Awards winners to see where they are now.  This week we feature the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, recipients of the award for Outstanding Technology Team in 2008.
 
Dr. Kelly Kelleher of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (RINCH) knows the vital role innovation plays in healthcare today. Not only is innovation critical to advancing care for at-risk patients and maintaining the hospital’s standards of excellence, but innovation is ever more essential in navigating today’s rocky economic landscape.
  
With federal grants comprising 80 percent of RINCH’s funding, innovation is integral to the center’s ability to produce progressive products with the capability of benefitting pediatric health care and earning the notice of peers. In addition, dwindling federal budgets are putting new emphasis on commercial funding sources. Copyrights, licenses and the success of startups all offer viable options for advancing innovative healthcare practices. 
  
Dr. Kelleher joined RINCH eight years ago to help create better communication pathways between doctors and patients. Dr. Kelleher, who serves as the director of the Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practices, has worked with fellow pediatric researcher, Dr. William Gardner, to develop a new wave of touch-based software that educates patients and doctors alike in diagnosis and treatment. The recipients of a TechColumbus Innovation Award for Outstanding Technology Team in 2008, the duo’s creation of the Health eTouch Pad has helped doctors stay abreast of their patient’s conditions, while providing a high-tech diversion in the waiting room.

The Health eTouch comprises a tablet that runs on software designed to survey adolescents on sensitive topics that are hard to discuss, but may affect their health considerably.

“There are a variety of reasons that prevent patients and doctors from talking about sensitive issues like sexuality, drug abuse, depression, suicide,” Dr. Kelleher explains. “Things that we know are critical issues for those kids, but are difficult to illicit in the medical practice.”

Through the use of the Health eTouch, doctors and teenage patients have found the way to open a dialogue about sensitive topics to identify those patients at risk for behavioral issues, depression, addiction and other conditions.
 
Like many unorthodox professionals who turn to innovation, Dr. Kelleher never pictured himself in his current role.

“I’m just a pediatrician who became very frustrated with elements in the practice. We were using antiquated models with systems that did not help our patients,” Dr. Kelleher says. “What I find myself doing is keeping my eyes open around the world for simple solutions that can make the lives of my patients and staff better.”

In the wake of his Innovation Award, Dr. Kelleher has continued to develop a growing array of health care solutions.  Among these are Pediaglyphs, a diagnostic tool that tracks childhood development, and A.I.R. For Patients, a tool that uses interactive touch screens to teach families about asthma, and Surgery Navigator which  takes an interactive approach to educating patients and their families about the surgical procedures the patient is about to undergo.

Another recent invention is Pharmacy Safety & Tracking (PHAST), an intuitive automated voice phone system capable of surveying adolescents to see if they’ve been taking their medications, or if they’ve been experiencing any unwanted side effects. Based on the reports generated by PHAST, doctors can respond quickly to address symptoms of side effects or react to patients who may be avoiding their treatments.

With an extensive history in product development, Dr. Kelleher cites the Innovation Awards as a valuable source of reinforcement for new inventors looking to expand their startups and ventures. The ceremony presents all of the parties that play a vital role in the innovation community, with investors, startup resources and potential networking partners all under the same roof.

Similarly, the awards always provide encouragement for firms and inventors beginning their own innovation projects. “The Innovation Awards give companies notice that they are supplying a valuable community service,” Dr. Kelleher says. “It’s a great reminder for us to stay at the forefront of the medical field and to be as current as possible.”

The 2011 Innovation Awards will be held February 2, 2011.  More details and the nomination forms are available at: www.techcolumbusinnovationawards.org