Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1362166
36 INNOVATION Health innovation insider: 7 rapid-fire Qs with Boston Children's Chief Innovation Officer Dr. John Brownstein By Jackie Drees T he COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the importance of digi- tal technologies within the practice of medicine and has served as a catalyst to boost innovation, according to John Brownstein, PhD. As chief innovation officer at Boston Chil- dren's Hospital, Dr. Brownstein has led nu- merous digital health innovation initiatives to adapt care during the pandemic. In February, he shared some of his rapid-fire thoughts on innovation initiatives his health system has spearheaded during the pandem- ic and what improvements he still wants to see from the industry. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length. Question: What COVID-19 data dash- board do you check the most? Dr. John Brownstein: Our Health Map plat- form, which we run ourselves. Q: If you had to choose just one, which IT achievement at your organi- zation has made you the most proud during the pandemic? JB: We have a lot, but I'd say the Vaccine Find- er platform we're about to launch with CDC's Operation Warp Speed. Americans can use it to figure out where to get a COVID-19 vaccine, so this project is probably go- ing to have the biggest impact of anything we've done. Q: In which ways do you think the pandemic has catalyzed innovation in health IT? JB: I think we have the building blocks, but it has sort of brought everyone to the table to understand why digital is so integral to the practice of medicine. Q: How do you think the pandemic has shined a light on predictive ana- lytics? JB: I think recognizing the fact that with an emerging virus there was a need to develop tools to understand and predict diagnosis es- pecially in the absence of testing, so the idea that chatbots and symptom trackers could help make projections about confirmed ill- ness or sort of broader recognition that these other tools can be helpful in the future. Q: How would you most like to see health IT further adapt to the pandemic? JB: We don't have a great connection be- tween public health data and clinical prac- tice. at's something that's been an issue for a long time, but how do we leverage popula- tion health data and bring that into clinical decision-making in a more integrated way? Q: What's the first word that comes to mind when you think about your innovation team's response to COVID-19? JB: Resilient. Q: What's been the biggest road- block to COVID-19 innovation? JB: It's just an abundance of opportunities; it is disciplined in how we select options and having the sort of discipline to say no because it's opened up just an incredi- ble world of opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways. n Children's National Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, Virginia Tech launch health innovation campus By Jackie Drees W ashington, D.C.-based Children's National Hos- pital, Virginia Tech and Johnson & Johnson In- novation partnered to launch a healthcare tech- nology and research innovation campus in the nation's capital, according to a March 1 news release. The Children's National Research & Innovation Campus will feature research into new pediatric medical treatments and technologies as well as a life sciences incubator for about 50 startups across the pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and health tech sectors. "Fusing together strengths in cancer research, neuro- science, and computer engineering gives Virginia Tech a great opportunity to grow its physical presence in the D.C. area with a holistic purpose," Michael Friedlander, PhD, vice president for health sciences and technology at Blacksburg-based Virginia Tech, said in the news release. The campus is part of a 70-acre development that was formerly the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Construction on the center is expected to be completed this summer. n