Innovation tournaments help identify the best ideas. Think of it in terms of American Idol which begins with numerous performers and ends with the best. “Your Big Idea: Penn Medicine’s Innovation Tournament” will start with a large pool of submissions from our employees and, through a series of rounds, be narrowed down to a final few that will receive funding and the resources to be put into action.

All employees are welcome – and encouraged – to submit their ideas. The best solutions often come from those closest to the problems. The idea doesn’t have to be clinically based or even complex. “No idea is too small,” stressed  Neil Ravitz, COO of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, who’s leading the initiative. “We’re looking for a diverse range of suggestions.”

The first round of the tournament – submitting ideas – starts Tuesday, February 7. Faculty and staff can submit ideas in one of three ways: online, via email or in drop boxes located at each entity. All are invited to view and provide feedback on all submitted ideas. The deadline for round one is Friday, March 23.

The most promising ideas will move on to the next round, a facilitated workshop in which the employees who submitted the winning ideas will work together to narrow the choices down to the top 10 and then form teams to create proposed budgets and cost/benefit analyses. In the last round, the ideas will be pitched to Penn Medicine leadership, who will choose the best.

As the kick-off date approaches, look for more information about Penn Medicine’s Innovation Tournament at  www.pennmedicine.org/yourbigidea.

Remember: Improving the patient experience starts with you!