The Health Systems Innovation Council (HSIC), organized by the Alliance for SoCal Innovation and HASC, held its second meeting March 20. Comprising leaders from Southern California health centers and systems, including many HASC members, the HSIC meets quarterly. Its goal: to deepen industry collaboration and create a regional competitive advantage by advancing health care innovation.
Dr. Steven Shapiro, senior vice president for health affairs at USC Keck Medicine, welcomed members to USC’s Keck Health Sciences Campus. He highlighted the council’s unique nature, noting that in all his years in health care leadership, he had never before seen such a group that unites health system leaders — who often view one another as competitors — to discuss shared challenges and opportunities.
The meeting kicked off with an insightful keynote by Carey Ransom, managing director of BankTech Ventures. He described the firm’s unique model for fintech venture investing and showed council members how a similar fund might be created for health systems innovation investing — something the council is starting to consider.
An interactive discussion followed, moderated by Austin Gispanski, managing director and partner, BCGX (a council sponsor). The session focused on piloting new technologies in a highly regulated environment and the challenges faced by both startups and the health systems trying to adopt them.
Industry leaders each shared their perspectives on the topic: TJ Malseed, USC Keck (health care provider); Debbie Lin, Caris Life Sciences (corporation); and Phil Martie, Nicolette (startup). The panelists and audience members held a lively exchange as they addressed the hurdles in implementing new ideas and technologies.
Following the discussion, attendees took an exclusive tour of USC’s Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute. With one of the country’s most powerful magnetic resonance imaging scanners, the institute warehouses over three petabytes of anonymized data, accessed 24/7 by neuroscientists worldwide. Led by Dr. Arthur Toga, the center’s director, the tour gave a fascinating glimpse into a prime example of SoCal collaboration and health care innovation.
This second HSIC meeting reaffirmed that fostering collaboration and community ties isn’t just beneficial, but vital in navigating our modern health care system. In an era of rapid and constant change in the health care landscape, the HSIC is a model of unity and progress. As the council builds momentum, HASC looks forward to supporting our hospitals and other council members committed to driving meaningful change together.