by Mercy's Mardi Taylor
Mercy’s heritage of innovating to improve patient care has been recognized by Fortune magazine, which named Mercy to its list of America’s Most Innovative Companies 2023.
“Innovation is part of our DNA. The Sisters of Mercy were always looking to offer better patient care and make access to health care easier, and we continue to blaze that trail,” said Steve Mackin, Mercy’s president and chief executive officer. "Mercy was the first in the world to open a virtual care center in 2015, after being among the first in the U.S. to stand up an integrated electronic health record that made it easier for patients and providers to track health information across facilities and state lines. In the past year, we have added TUG robots to assist staff with some tasks to lighten caregivers’ workloads and allow them more time at the bedside with patients and worked with Mayo Clinic to identify life-threatening diseases earlier.
“As technology changes, we will use the very latest tools for our patients and co-workers,” Mackin continued. “This may mean connecting a doctor with a patient who is a thousand miles away or giving nurses the flexibility to sign up for an extra shift with a click of a button. We are honored to be recognized for our ongoing commitment to innovation.”
Fortune magazine and Statista Inc., a world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, selected America’s Most Innovative Companies 2023 based on product innovation, process innovation and innovation culture, with experts in various fields and more than 25,000 members of the workforce participating nationwide. For the evaluation of the innovation culture and the internal view of process innovation, Statista deployed online surveys where employees could score their own company on a scale system. (See the full list here.)
In 2022 alone, Mercy has embraced high-tech changes that have put it at the forefront of modern health care. Here are some of the newest innovations at Mercy:
- Mayo Clinic collaboration – uses data science to pinpoint diseases earlier and transform health care to a more proactive, preventative and wellness care focused model.
- Mercy Works on Demand – a first-of-its-kind platform that allows nurses to pick up extra shifts when available.
- Mercy Hospital @ Home – an innovative approach gives select patients the option to receive care from the comfort of home with in-person and virtual support.
- MCED testing
– a new blood test pinpoints more than 50 different types of cancer earlier than ever before. - TUG robots – robots assist staff with linen, meal and other deliveries for patients.
- PCORI collaboration – initiative speeds patient access to improved care.
“Our intentional investments in technology architecture and integration, along with data standards, governance and science, have positioned Mercy to rapidly deploy artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing and automation to bring technology and data directly to the bedside. We are already seeing its impact today, and it will quickly become a force multiplier for how we deliver care, positively affecting all those we are privileged to serve. I am deeply excited about what’s happening now and what is still to come,” said Joe Kelly, executive vice president, transformation and business development officer.
The Fortune award comes on the heels of Mercy receiving NRC Health’s Excellence in Patient Experience Award in 2022 as a top large health system in the country. In addition, Mercy was recognized as one of the nation’s “Most Wired” for the 19th time by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and named one of the best hospitals and surgery centers for billing ethics by The Leapfrog Group and Money magazine.
