Fall 2019 - Penn Medicine

ABCs of Innovation

Big buzzwords in computing and biotechnology fly fast and loose in the headlines about research innovation. A quick glossary spells out the science behind the hype—and shows how Penn Medicine is driving discovery forward with these technologies.

Device Accelerator: How a Vest for COPD Evolved

Through the Penn Medicine Medical Device Accelerator, a physician’s back-of-a-napkin sketch may soon help patients breathe easier.

Extending the Impact of Innovation, Everywhere

From texting new moms about blood pressure to sending geriatric patients home from the hospital with packaged meals, innovation in health care involves more than just a change in setting, a change in technology, or a change in care model. It’s a system for testing and learning which changes will succeed.

From Fountain Pen to Big Data

In the space of one lifetime, medical information technology has transformed radically. Penn’s chief medical information officer is living that lifetime.

Adding Dimension

The derisive term “blobology” was once used to describe the not-so-clear knobby masses that could be discerned when trying to determine the shape of a protein. Now, with the latest advances in electron microscopy, almost every atom in a protein can be viewed and accounted for.
Let’s Play!

The term “innovation” is so often used in health care these days that it sounds shallow and empty. In some places, it’s just one more trendy piece of business jargon. So why have an “innovation issue” of Penn Medicine? Because innovation is not a hollow term here.
Vital Signs

Perelman School of Medicine students begin their journey as the Pavilion reaches a new construction milestone
Second Nature

For medical students Kevin Zhang and Sarah Santucci, an inclination toward nurturing shaped their choice of career and hobbies—and brought them together.
Development Matters | Building a Foundation for Greatness: Donors Helping Power the Pavilion

As construction on the Pavilion continues, some thoughtful philanthropic partnerships are helping to make this architectural marvel a reality.
Awards, Progress Notes and Obituaries

Career updates and obituaries for alumni and faculty.
RoboDoc

Brian Park, MD, retrieves a CT scan of a torso on his computer monitor. He moves away from the screen and carefully puts on a headset with lightly tinted lenses aligning with his eyes.
How Do You Make Health Care More Like Amazon? Try Using a Card Game to Generate Ideas.

Getting the creative juices flowing to generate ideas is what Accelerators in Health Care is all about.