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Health system intelligence profile

Department of Innovation

The University of Kansas Health System

Last reviewed August 30, 2026

Intelligence summary

Program at a Glance

Program mandate
The University of Kansas Health System's Department of Innovation works with frontline clinical staff, including bedside and perioperative nurses, to develop and commercialize their ideas. The department manages the innovation pipeline end to end, coordinating patent filing, market research, user surveys, product development and prototype testing on behalf of the employee who had the idea.
Organizational model
Academic · Nonprofit
Location
Kansas City, Kansas
Program types
Innovation centerNursing innovation
Focus areas
ClinicalDigitalWorkforce
Public scale or maturity signals

Documented successes: Advanced perioperative nurse Lorie Hassel-Chuang's sponge accounting system concept from idea to seven working prototypes tested in operating rooms by February 2022, with staff feedback reported as overwhelmingly positive

Official engagement route
Program website ↗Health system website ↗
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026

Mandate and remit

What This Program Does

The University of Kansas Health System's Department of Innovation works with frontline clinical staff, including bedside and perioperative nurses, to develop and commercialize their ideas. The department manages the innovation pipeline end to end, coordinating patent filing, market research, user surveys, product development and prototype testing on behalf of the employee who had the idea. Its system director for digital strategy and innovation has described the model as deliberately tapping simple frontline ideas, and the health system shares commercialization success with the staff member who originated the concept. The department is internally facing but works with outside product development and patent resources to move concepts toward market. Its work with nurses has been documented by the American Nurses Association's innovation blog.

Areas of Focus

ClinicalDigitalWorkforce

Publicly Reported Outcomes

  • Documented successes

    Advanced perioperative nurse Lorie Hassel-Chuang's sponge accounting system concept from idea to seven working prototypes tested in operating rooms by February 2022, with staff feedback reported as overwhelmingly positive

Leadership and Structure

Organizational home: Department of Innovation, The University of Kansas Health System

  • John Rochelle — System Director for Digital Strategy and Innovation

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Sources and Updates

Reviewed August 30, 2026. External source links open in a new tab.

  1. Department of Innovation official source ↗ — nursingworld.org. Accessed August 30, 2026.

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