Providence launches Clinical Innovation Fellowship with Microsoft to foster relationship between health care teams and technology innovators

Providence enrolls two caregivers to accelerate their careers in health technology innovation

RENTON, Wash. June 13th, 2022 - Providence, a not-for-profit health system serving the Western U.S., today announced a Clinical Innovation Fellowship with Microsoft to develop interdisciplinary leaders who utilize advances in technology and clinical or operational expertise to solve real-world problems. The Fellowship will combine the power of Microsoft’s next-generation solutions and emerging technologies with the clinical and operational expertise of Providence clinicians to shape technology innovations and address fundamental health care problems by turning ideas into actionable solutions.

The two organizations developed a 9-month experience that features over 150 hours of Microsoft tech training, methodology, industry investment and mentorship from Providence’s corporate development and clinical innovation teams, as well as Microsoft’s Customer Success Unit. This will serve as a launch pad to redirect or accelerate the fellow’s career in health technology innovation. The fellowship culminates with a capstone project leveraging Microsoft capabilities in collaboration with Providence’s leading clinical expertise and scale. The aim of the fellows is to identify key needs in the organization, ideate potential solutions, and provide thought leadership in the testing and piloting of new projects. They will also contribute to operationalizing product deployment across Providence and help prepare for scale to the broader health community. Key points of participation include:

  1. Analysis and synthesis of health care challenges that lead to ideation for innovative solutions.
  2. Evaluation of an innovative idea and ability to facilitate others in evaluation of solutions.
  3. Comprehension of the innovation life cycle from ideation to scale within the market, including key decision points, necessary components, and complexities of application within a health care delivery system.
  4. Operationalization of an innovative idea through collaboration, as demonstrated through the effective application of life cycle learning, including but not limited to the anticipation of risks, translation of complexities, and navigation through potential project barriers.

Arpine Nicholson, and Travis Sewalls, M.D., are the first two Providence caregivers selected to participate in the Fellowship. Nicholson joined Providence as the Director of Orthopedics & Sports Medicine (O&SM) service line in October of 2021, providing oversight and leadership for one of the largest service area O&SM programs in Providence. Dr. Sewalls is Humboldt Ministry Chief Medical Officer for St. Joseph Health Eureka and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Humboldt County, Calif. and is a proven visionary with the ability to transform medical centers into models of best practice by building high-performance teams through collaboration and diplomacy.

“The Providence Clinical Innovation Fellowship with Microsoft is an opportunity to connect health care delivery teams with technology innovators. We are only beginning to learn each other’s language and culture,” said Providence Chief Clinical Officer Amy Compton-Phillips, M.D. “Deliberate partnerships and coordinated learning opportunities allow us to better understand each other, leading to innovations that reduce the burden on health care teams, improve patient-customer experience and humanize health care.”

“The Clinical Innovation Fellowship is just the latest example of how a world-class medical organization like Providence is at the forefront of integrating technology to improve patient outcomes,” explained Patty Obermaier, Vice President, U.S. Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft. “Within our collaboration, we will train the next generation of interdisciplinary innovators to create cutting-edge solutions.”

This fellowship dovetails with our Destination Health 2025 Strategic Plan. One of the three pillars in the plan is Transform Our Future, with the goal of being recognized as the most innovative health organization serving our communities and beyond. Through this agreement with Microsoft and others, as well as research, data, technology and modern support services, Providence will transform care delivery and serve as a model for all other health systems. This announcement is part of a broader collaboration with Microsoft to develop and deploy new healthcare technologies that will utilize Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365.

About Providence 
Providence is a national, not-for-profit Catholic health system comprising a diverse family of organizations and driven by a belief that health is a human right. With 52 hospitals, over 900 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing, and many other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ nearly 120,000 caregivers serving communities across seven states – Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif. Learn about our vision of health for a better world at Providence.org.

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