Rasu Shrestha, Chief Innovation Officer, UPMC, Chapter 2

We’ve all heard the expression, ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket,’ and in any industry like healthcare where costs are skyrocketing, it seems like sound advice. But if you strongly believe that the basket — in this case, innovation — is the future, perhaps it’s time to rethink it, particularly if your organization has invested so much time and resources in this area.

For years, UPMC has worked to build a foundation for innovation that focuses on “substance backed by academic and scientific rigor to create products that are effective,” says Rasu Shrestha, who holds dual roles as Chief Innovation Officer at UPMC and Executive VP of UPMC Enterprises. In this interview, he talks about how the organization is leveraging its innovation arm to develop better care models, the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ when it comes to acting as one strategic group, and the ultimate goal of making technology “as invisible as possible.” Shrestha also discusses what it will take to improve interoperability, and why he’s excited about where the industry is headed.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2



* UPMC’s living lab

* “There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to innovation”

* Leading with strategic alignment

* Ensuring a “strong level of commitment” with any initiative

* UPMC Enterprises’ philosophy: “We’re a strategic partner that brings in capital”

* Addressing EHR usability challenges – “We’re trying to make technology as invisible as possible.”

* Collaboration with Lantern



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Bold Statements

We lead by talking about the pain points we’re experiencing across UPMC, and how that resonates with the specific skill sets and attributes that these startups, entrepreneurs, physicians, and others bring to the table. It’s also how we make sure we’re able to align those interests to really take it to the next level.

It might take a little bit longer, but at the same time, I think it’s the right way to go. It best leverages the insights and capabilities that we’re able to bring as an organization.

The idea is, we’re not just a group that signs checks. We’re a strategic partner that brings in capital. And as we’re bringing in capital and co-investing in these solutions, we’re also co-creating these solutions.

We’re working really hard to make sure technology disappears into the backdrop, and we’re able to address some of the specific challenges we have around things like physician burnout, documentation, and how we interact with computer systems and clinical information systems.

There’s always room for improvement, but I believe that by embracing the principles of design thinking, starting with empathy and really engaging end users in ways we’ve not been able to do before, we’re getting a level of not just buy-in, but superiority in the design and makeup of our products.

Gamble:  Having a ‘living lab,’ as you talked about, presents a quicker way to pilot something that’s come up in UPMC Enterprises, and get to do it in a care environment. Is that the appeal?

Shrestha:  Absolutely. It’s interesting, our approach to innovation differs in many ways from some of the other approaches I’ve seen across the board. And again, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to innovation. But our approach is that we don’t actually lead by pilot. When we’re talking to innovators, physicians, or even patients across the UPMC network, or externally, where we’re specifically talking with start-ups, entrepreneurs and other companies and entities that want to work with us, we lead by talking about strategic alignment.

We lead by talking about the pain points we’re experiencing a...