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Health system intelligence profile

MakerHealth Space (MakerNurse deployment)

UTMB Health (University of Texas Medical Branch), John Sealy Hospital

Editorially verified · Last reviewed August 30, 2026

Intelligence summary

Program at a Glance

Program mandate
The MakerHealth Space at UTMB's John Sealy Hospital is billed as the first makerspace located inside a hospital, created so that nurses and other front-line staff can design, build and prototype their own solutions at the point of care. It stocks both simple materials such as sewing machines, Velcro and tape and advanced fabrication tools including 3D printers, laser cutters, textiles, electronics and hand and power tools.
Organizational model
Academic · Nonprofit
Location
Galveston, Texas
Program types
Innovation centerNursing innovation
Commercialization pathways
Strategic partnership
Focus areas
ClinicalMedical deviceWorkforce
Public scale or maturity signals

Established 2015

Documented successes: First makerspace located inside a hospital; 105 nurses visited during the soft opening with roughly half bringing ideas; nearly 10 nurse projects in development at launch, including cough pillows and modified IV shields; built in partnership with MakerNurse/MIT Little Devices Lab with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation backing; recognized by Popular Science and Medscape; MakerHealth later partnered with the University of Iowa Nurse Innovators program

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

Mandate and remit

What This Program Does

The MakerHealth Space at UTMB's John Sealy Hospital is billed as the first makerspace located inside a hospital, created so that nurses and other front-line staff can design, build and prototype their own solutions at the point of care. It stocks both simple materials such as sewing machines, Velcro and tape and advanced fabrication tools including 3D printers, laser cutters, textiles, electronics and hand and power tools. The space was built with MakerNurse, an initiative that grew out of MIT's Little Devices Lab in 2013 with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation support, and MIT engineers provided technical assistance during setup. UTMB's chief nursing officer led the effort and the space is open to all UTMB staff and students. It has been covered by Popular Science and Medscape as a model for hospital-based nurse making.

Areas of Focus

ClinicalMedical deviceWorkforce

Commercialization Pathways

These routes appear in the program's sourced public record.

Strategic partnership

Publicly Reported Outcomes

  • Documented successes

    First makerspace located inside a hospital; 105 nurses visited during the soft opening with roughly half bringing ideas; nearly 10 nurse projects in development at launch, including cough pillows and modified IV shields; built in partnership with MakerNurse/MIT Little Devices Lab with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation backing; recognized by Popular Science and Medscape; MakerHealth later partnered with the University of Iowa Nurse Innovators program

Leadership and Structure

Organizational home: MakerHealth Space (MakerNurse deployment), UTMB Health (University of Texas Medical Branch), John Sealy Hospital

  • David Marshall — Chief Nursing Officer, UTMB Health (led creation of the MakerHealth Space)

Contact the Program

Use the program's published contact route for partnership, licensing, innovation, or program inquiries.

Program phone
409.772.0147
Official contact page
Open contact page ↗

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Sources and Updates

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

  1. MakerHealth Space (MakerNurse deployment) official source ↗ — utmb.edu. Accessed August 30, 2026.
  2. MakerHealth Space (MakerNurse deployment) source 2 ↗ — medcitynews.com. Accessed August 30, 2026.
  3. MakerHealth Space (MakerNurse deployment) source 3 ↗ — uiventures.uiowa.edu. Accessed August 30, 2026.
  4. MakerHealth Space (MakerNurse deployment) source 4 ↗ — utmb.edu. Accessed August 30, 2026.

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