Safety First

COVID-19 Challenge

In response to the rapid change in health system operations, HDSI launched a COVID-19 Innovation Challenge in March 2020. The program had two primary goals:

  • To offer a forum for staff, trainees and faculty on the front lines to share innovative ideas with administrative and clinical leaders who coordinated our institutional response
  • To provide support to select proposals seeking to design, implement, and/or evaluate innovative solutions. Support was provided in many forms: funding, project management, human-centered design, and rapid connections to University and community resources

Over 180 submissions were received in two months with over 40% coming from frontline health system staff and the remaining ones from trainees, faculty and the community. Common themes identified were

  • Patient Communication
  • PPE
  • Device and Supply Design
  • Blood Donations
  • Data Analytics
  • Mobile App Development
  • Mental Health/Wellness Resources
  • Telehealth

The Challenge was decommissioned in the late fall, 2020 and a manuscript is pending.

HDSI COVID-19 Challenge

Select supported submissions:

Project Submitter
Develop a mobile app for quick access to critical UCM COVID-19 information, as well as critical contact numbers, and all inpatient room numbers to facilitate communication with patients Emeka Anyanwu, MD, MS
Cardiology Fellow
Pilot NowRx tool to identify community resources for discharged patients Stacy Lindau, MD, MA
Professor of OBGYN
Engaging youth living in under-resourced communities in COVID prevention with an animated video Melissa Gilliam, MD, MPH
Professor of OBGYN
Launced a “Quick Sprint” with IDEO, global user-centered design company to research, design and evaluate new signage for PPE use based off of feedback and training of lay people on PPE requirements. Lay and clinical health system staff providing support to UCM patients
Access to iPads to better communicate with PUI and Covid positive inpatients to minimize transmission of the virus and maintain connection with their family and friends when isolated. Lay and clinical health system staff providing support to UCM patients
Launch of food pantries for staff, trainees and families in easily accessible locations in the hospital cafeteria and staff work rooms Feed1st
Design a natural language processing algorithm to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on code status throughout the medical record Alex Tate, PhD

Ethan Molitch-Hou, MD