Ascension Sets Up Clinical Innovation Institute to Enhance Patient Care & Clinician Workflows

The initiative addresses key healthcare challenges by focusing on experience, quality, and growth.

Ascension, one of the largest non-profit Catholic health systems in the U.S., announced the launch of its new Clinical Innovation Institute (CII), dedicated to advancing technology and innovation to improve patient care and clinician experience.

The institute unites a multidisciplinary team to vet and implement innovative technology solutions across Ascension’s network.

The initiative addresses key healthcare challenges by focusing on experience, quality, and growth.

Dr. Thomas Aloia, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Ascension, highlighted the organization’s commitment to innovation: "Innovation is how we create a better care experience for all — for our patients, caregivers, associates, and the communities we serve. The work of the CII is a direct result of Ascension’s culture that elevates safety and quality while being a catalyst for growth through innovation.”

The CII will be led by four Ascension executives: Dr. Mitesh Patel, Dr. Samit Desai, Dr. Fred Masoudi, and Jon Taves. Dr. Patel, VP and Chief Clinical Transformation Officer, emphasized combining clinical expertise with digital tools: "True clinical innovation goes beyond incremental technology upgrades – it requires a fundamental reimagining of how we deliver holistic, patient-centered care.”

Key objectives for the institute include deploying new technologies in secure environments to reduce clinicians’ administrative burdens while enhancing patient care. Dr. Desai, VP and Chief Medical Information Officer, stressed the importance of aligning innovation with clinician workflows: "With the launch of the CII, Ascension will leverage cutting-edge and secure technologies to streamline workflows for our clinicians to provide more effective care.”

The institute will also focus on clinical research, facilitating access to clinical trials and utilizing insights from clinical data to drive improvements in patient care.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News