In 2009,
Michigan State University and
Sparrow Health System signed an affiliation agreement to combine talent, ideas and resources. That concept will soon be put into action with the new Center for Innovation, an initiative that will seek new methods to improve care and deliver patient-centered, evidence-based best practices,
The Center for Innovation will accept proposals for research projects intended to transform the delivery of care. The goal of the center will be to develop, test, implement and evaluate new ideas to improve patients’ experiences while achieving national benchmarks for healthcare outcomes and bringing a greater value for consumers.
“Individuals from both Sparrow and MSU who have ideas will get together and make proposals for what they want to do,” says Dr. Barbara Given of MSU. “It’s important to have the practitioners from Sparrow Health System who know what it's like to be on the frontline with patients every day and someone from the research side from Michigan State and together they can go forward with a project.”
The new center will be overseen by steering and operational committees with representatives from Sparrow and MSU, along with consumers and community members. The Center for Innovation is currently located in the Sparrow Professional Building on Michigan Ave. Given expects an interim director will soon be in place and the goal is to have a permanent director hired in approximately six months.
“I believe even before we have a permanent director we'll have an advisory group get together and have a call for proposals for projects,” says Given. “It would be beneficial projects going before a new director is in place.”