Bridging the gap: From innovation to implementation in healthcare

As scholars who share a deep passion about healthcare innovation, we have seen firsthand the challenges that innovative ideas face when transitioning from concept to reality. In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, where innovation isn't just a buzzword but a necessity, there is an urgent need for sustainable solutions that can bridge the gap between ideation and implementation. Right now, we know what leads to poor health outcomes. We know where and how our health system fails vulnerable patients. However, there are innumerable solutions to those issues that never see the light of day due to lack of mentorship and support. That innovation-to-implementation gap is wide in healthcare, and student innovators like us are more susceptible to it than established entrepreneurs. We want to help students bridge that divide, which is why we created the Stanford Healthcare Design Challenge (SHDC), a new initiative aiming to transform healthcare innovation from fleeting moments of brilliance into lasting, impactful solutions.

Why we’re motivated

Each of us has anecdotes of struggling to get an idea off the ground. For instance, in 2020, Longsha and a group of his friends attended the NYC AI Health Hackathon and ended up winning the grand prize. He says that experience, a whirlwind of two chaotic days of excitement, fully transformed his life. That win marked the birth of his startup––the very same one he still runs today. But in reflecting on his zero-to-one journey,  Longsha wished the hackathon would have guided him and his team along those initial, pivotal months post-incorporation. 

While hackathons and case competitions foster creativity, rapid prototyping, and access to material resources, they rely on the contestants’ preset experiences, knowledge, and network. As a result, potentially impactful solutions from these competitions fail without truly diving deep into the knowledge sharing, exposure, and access to the complex and dynamic healthcare ecosystem. It is not enough to generate ideas; we must also provide a pathway to nurture and develop these ideas, allowing them to grow beyond the conceptual phase.

Introducing the Stanford Healthcare Design Challenge

That’s why we started the  Stanford Healthcare Design Challenge. Each year, we will identify a pressing healthcare challenge and invite interdisciplinary university student teams from across the country to develop creative solutions. These teams, composed of members from various backgrounds and fields of study, will bring a rich diversity of thought to address the problem. The teams with the most viable and promising solutions will be selected to join our program, where they will receive ongoing mentorship from industry leaders and access to crucial resources. By providing this level of support, we hope to turn innovative ideas into tangible solutions that can address the most pressing challenges in healthcare today.

KHeystone Projects are a perfect petri dish

At Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS), we have the perfect vehicle to experiment and bring our idea of a by-students, for-students initiative to address the innovation-to-implementation gap. KHS KHeystone Projects provide the crucial support and mentorship we need to get the SHDC off the ground. In October 2022 at the KHS Ideas Festival, we pitched the idea to a crowded room of fellow KH scholars and asked for their advice and support. Over the next two years, we gained traction, signed up many community and industry partners and leaders, and continued to lay groundwork. Now in our third year, we are proud to finally launch SHDC through Knight-Hennessy. 

Creating a diverse and inclusive environment

Our goal is to make the Stanford Healthcare Design Challenge as inclusive as possible. We welcome applications from all enrolled undergraduate or graduate students from any accredited U.S. school who are passionate about solving healthcare challenges. We believe that diversity of thought and background is crucial for developing innovative solutions, and we encourage participants from all disciplines to apply.

Applications are open until September 30; the competition will take place over two weeks in mid-October, culminating in a virtual pitch day on October 18. This event will give participants a unique opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges and receive valuable feedback, helping them refine their concepts and bring them closer to implementation. Our judges hail from different parts of the healthcare ecosystem, spanning academics, providers, payers, and government. They will evaluate teams on understanding of the problem, viability of the solution, feasibility of implementation, overall presentation, and product differentiation. 

Join us in making a difference

For those interested in learning more or staying updated on the competition, please join our listserv. And for professionals looking to give back by mentoring the next generation of healthcare innovators, consider filling out our mentor application form. Together, we have the power to drive meaningful change in healthcare, turning innovative ideas into solutions that improve lives.

The Stanford Healthcare Design Challenge represents a bold step towards bridging the gap between innovation and implementation. It’s a rare opportunity for students to contribute to improved health outcomes, and to better serve vulnerable patients. By providing sustained mentorship, resources, and support, we are committed to helping students learn not just from the act of ideation but the full experience of bringing their ideas to life. After all, what better way to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow than by learning to navigate the complexities of innovation today? We are excited to see the creative solutions that will emerge from this competition and are committed to supporting participants every step of the way. Let's work together to drive the future of healthcare forward.

The Stanford Healthcare Design Challenge was created by Knight-Hennessy scholars Longsha Liu (2022 cohort, MD), Aditya Narayan (2021 cohort, MD/MBA), and David H. Jiang (2022 cohort, JD), along with Stanford students Akash Chaurasia (MS), Julia Lin (MS), Richa Upadhyay (MS), Sherry Yang (PhD), Aurora Feng (BSE), Katrina Lee (MBA), Wenming Zhang, PhD, Rifat Emam (BSE), and Sri Polkampally (MD). SHDC is generously supported by Knight-Hennessy Scholars, Stanford Medicine Center for Digital Health, American Heart Association, InterSystems, Stanford Pipeline, Stanford Biotech Group, Stanford Health Policy, Stanford GSB Healthcare Club, Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, Achiiv, Entre-SLAM, Spicebox, VZN, Pear VC, and Cloudforce.

Knight-Hennessy scholars represent a vast array of cultures, perspectives, and experiences. While we as an organization are committed to elevating their voices, the views expressed are those of the scholars, and not necessarily those of KHS.