Three employee-led projects at Northwell Health, one of New York's largest health systems, have been awarded a total of $1.3 million as part of the system's 2025 Innovation Challenge, with the funding going to support scientific advancement in healthcare.
Winners were the developers of such technologies as a platform that connects monitors for low latency video; an artificial intelligence-enabled detection program that can help diagnose sleep apnea; and an all-in-one radiology platform for AI insights and clinician feedback.
"These submissions showcase our team's most unique approaches for addressing major health care challenges," said Northwell President and CEO Michael Dowling, who is stepping down from his post in October.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
Hundreds of Northwell employees have submitted ideas to the competition since it launched in 2017. To date, the health system said it has awarded funding for 15 projects to help advance their projects and develop their inventions. After a screening process, six finalist teams are chosen to present their pitches in person to a panel of judges.
Among the winners were Dr. Phillip Connell and Johnny Zhang for a new operating room tech platform that combines a camera and extended reality (XR) glasses with existing operating room equipment, including monitors, cameras and lighting, to stream high-quality, low-latency video. The result is a portable, immersive experience offering real-time, AI-enhanced surgical assistance, including live remote expert consultations.
Dr. Eric Gantwerker and Dr. Patrick Scheffler were granted award funds for a program that helps collect data from home devices and applies it to AI-enabled analysis that can help diagnose pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, especially for families who can't access sleep centers for studies.
Dr. Matthew Barish and James Thannickal were named winners for a new program that streamlines radiology workflows by integrating and assessing various AI tools. This allows radiologists to efficiently review and incorporate AI-generated insights, leading to faster, more accurate diagnoses and improved patient care, according to Northwell.
Northwell Holdings, the for-profit venture investment arm of Northwell, works with doctors, scientists, staff and entrepreneurs both in and out of the health system to advance the commercial potential for internal innovation and development of commercial joint ventures.
The last innovation challenge, held in 2023, awarded two projects: iNav (AI-driven cancer patient navigation) and StrokeFighter (bioelectronic therapy for stroke) each received $500,000 to further their research and development.
Other past projects funded have included research into the first non-invasive diagnostic test for endometriosis, a therapeutic drug candidate as a potential treatment for HPV infection, real-time actionable data related to ED utilization, and the allocation of clinical resources and infrared thermography for early detection of tissue pressure injury.
THE LARGER TREND
Dowling announced this week that he would be stepping down as Northwell's president and CEO, with Dr. John D'Angelo tapped to be his replacement.
Over Dowling's tenure, Northwell has evolved from a network of Long Island-based hospitals into one of the nation's largest health systems. Northwell became New York State's first integrated health system in 1992, and now includes 28 hospitals across New York and Connecticut, employing 104,000 people, with more than 14,000 affiliated physicians, 1,000 care locations, and a network of home care, rehabilitation and end-of-life services.
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.