Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1186182
28 CIO / HEALTH IT Michigan Medicine receives $10M donation for global health innovation By Andrea Park A nn Arbor-based Michigan Medi- cine received a $10 million gi from Tadataka Yamada, MD, and Leslie Yamada to fund a new University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity. Within the center, university faculty and stu- dents will form cross-campus collaborations to develop solutions to global health inequali- ty, such as initiatives to strengthen health sys- tems, address social determinants of health and develop telehealth tools for remote deliv- ery of advanced care in developing nations. e center may also provide funding for pi- lot studies, compile global health data for re- search purposes and expand the university's global education curriculum. Its concept was developed by a team led by Jo- seph Kolars, MD, senior associate dean for ed- ucation and global initiatives at the university's medical school, and John Ayanian, MD, head of the university's Institute for Healthcare Pol- icy and Innovation, along with input from the Yamadas. Dr. Yamada previously served as the medical school's chief of gastroenterology and chair of the department of internal medicine. "A great challenge of our time is that millions, mostly children in the poorest countries, die each year unnecessarily from illnesses that can be prevented or treated," the donors wrote in a release. "e University of Mich- igan's outstanding faculty across a broad ar- ray of disciplines and culture of working to- gether make it uniquely able to address the challenge. We hope that our gi will help to catalyze action that will make a mean- ingful contribution toward correcting this unacceptable inequity." n Mount Sinai opens diversity innovation hub By Andrea Park N ew York City-based Mount Sinai Health System's Icahn School of Medicine announced the launch of its Diversity and Inclusion Hub, in which re- searchers will use technology and data to address social determinants of health. The initiative, spearheaded by the health system's Of- fice of Diversity and Inclusion, will not only serve as an incubator for innovative ways to address health- care disparities, but also aims to diversify the field of healthcare innovation. The hub will offer mentorship, training and networking opportunities to students, staff, community leaders and other stakeholders who are developing innovative ways to eliminate inequity in healthcare. Students can also participate in an accelerator program, through which they will pitch ideas concerning social determinants of health and be connected with industry partners to fur- ther develop and launch their projects. "We need to diversify medicine and ensure diverse participation in the innovation space in order to ensure quality care for underserved communities. Equity — be it for our staff, students or patients — is vital to making our work a success," said Gary Butts, MD, dean for di- versity programs, policy and community affairs. "It's our hope that this will not only be a difference-maker for the neighborhoods surrounding Mount Sinai, but that it will meaningfully and intentionally further diversify our inno- vation and healthcare industries." n Epic launches data interoperability resource for third-party app developers By Jackie Drees E pic released an online resource to increase interopera- bility for third-party application developers. The EHR giant unveiled Epic USCDI on FHIR [Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources] during its third an- nual App Orchard conference Oct. 16-18 in Verona, Wis. The free resource allows external apps to access most U.S. Core Data for Interoperability data elements, so developers of third-party apps for providers and health systems can ac- cess application programming interface documentation and collaborate with APIs that Epic currently supports. At the conference, Sumit Rana, Epic senior vice president, out- lined the major focuses for healthcare technology developers. "Embedded intelligence is something we all increasingly ex- pect, and that intelligence comes from an expert knowledge system combined with curated data," said Mr. Rana, according to an email from an Epic spokesperson sent to Becker's Hos- pital Review. "App Orchard provides a forum to facilitate the collaboration on practical solutions for patients and providers." Epic launched App Orchard in 2017 as an online market- place for third-party developers to offer pre-approved re- porting, visualization and content apps that run on Epic's software. App Orchard currently has more than 500 partici- pating companies and almost 200 apps in its gallery. n