Hospitals and health systems are increasingly making a commitment to innovation by establishing their own centers and institutes for innovation. That includes The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano (Texas), part of Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health.
In 2011, the hospital opened its innovation center, a 10,000-square-foot training facility on the fifth floor of The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano.
The center includes an advanced training facility, as well as a Bioskills Lab, and offers various services such as medical education, staff development, student educational experiences, healthcare preceptorships and hands-on training events for medical professionals from all over the world and nation.
Mark Valentine, president of the hospital, says the organization opened the center because it realized the opportunity existed to expand relationships in the cardiovascular healthcare industry as well as create new relationships in other areas of healthcare. For instance, the center now offers some cadaver training and courses for orthopedic industry training.
Through the center, the hospital has also formed international relationships, where industries and architecture groups worldwide come to tour the hospital and see how the hospital cares for its guests.
Mr. Valentine says the hospital also created the innovation center to train nursing personnel. Nurse training and focused learning opportunities in the Bioskills Lab can occur simultaneously without interference to ensure a productive learning experience and train nursing personnel.
Now, thanks to the center, the hospital is approaching its 100th research trial and has about 50-plus nursing coordinators who are conducting the hospital's research, along with writers and researchers, Mr. Valentine says.
The future is also exciting for the hospital's innovation center. The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano is developing a 150,000-square-foot expansion onto the hospital, and part of that is dedicated training and education space for further advancement of heart and vascular care.