A prototype design, matching T-shirts, and an energetic pitch helped Reading Hospital employees Kim Madonna and Cassie Mercuri win first place and a $15,000 prize at this year’s ‘Shark Tank: Tower Health Edition’ competition.
The duo, known as “The Perfect Pair,” addressed a common frustration among healthcare workers: reaching into a box for a single glove but pulling out several at once. Their solution is a reusable acrylic insert that dispenses gloves one at a time and aims to reduce waste, save money, and make a frequent task during the workday easier. The team developed a working prototype to demonstrate its effectiveness.
“I had the vision, and Cassie lit the fire to ‘do something about it.’ It was a great feeling working on something that everyone agreed was a problem,” Madonna said.
‘Shark Tank: Tower Health Edition’ returned in April, and the popular business pitch competition again made a splash with employees. Created by Tower Health President and CEO Michael Stern, the competition encourages staff to turn challenges or ideas into practical solutions that can enhance operations and patient care.
“One of the things I value most about our organization is that innovation is a shared effort,” Stern said. “Many of the best ideas start with everyday frustrations or simple curiosity. What stood out again is how teams took those moments and turned them into tangible ideas that can strengthen how we work and care for patients.”
“The Perfect Pair” were among the eight finalists who delivered pitches aligned with at least one of Tower Health’s four pillars: Elevate the Tower Experience; Embrace the Community; Lead with Humanity in the Workforce; and Ensure Financial Viability.
In addition to receiving recognition for their work, Madonna, a nurse, and Mercuri, a patient care technician, also met entrepreneur Robert Herjavec, a judge on ABC’s Shark Tank, who was in Berks County for an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of Reading Area Community College’s Schmidt Training & Technology Center.
The other winning teams presented ideas focused on improving patient care and increasing day-to-day efficiency across the system.
Reading Hospital pharmacy clinical specialist Lori Ann Schwalm and nurse Chelsie Shifflett of Team Warm Welcome Preemie Patrol earned second place and a $10,000 prize for their proposal to implement NICU in-line IV warmers. The devices are designed to help maintain body temperature for infants weighing less than three pounds and improve the delivery of fluids.
Tower Health Information Technology employees Chad DeShazo, Alex Wilhelm, and Nicole DeFuria, known as The Tele Hunters, took third place and a $5,000 prize for their proposal to use RFID asset tracking to reduce equipment loss and time spent locating telemetry packs.
This year’s judges represented a range of business and community leadership backgrounds as they evaluated the finalists’ ideas.
The panel of “sharks” included Eric Burkey, president and CEO of Burkey Construction; Susan McFadden, owner and operating partner of Keller Williams Platinum Realty; Robert Moser, retired chief manufacturing officer of Seakeeper; Mark Ratcliffe, founder of Hard Bean Coffee and former West Reading Main Street manager; and Dr. Rudy Ruth, education strategy advisor with TExpL for Alvernia University and Albright College.
Shark Tank: Tower Health Edition ideas from the previous year also continue to make an impact across the organization.
A project led by Reading Hospital pharmacist Rebecca Cofsky improved care by routing rapid blood culture results directly to infectious diseases pharmacists, helping patients receive faster, targeted antibiotic therapy while reducing length of stay and costs. Meanwhile, the “Trash Panda” team at Pottstown Hospital, led by facilities supervisor Tim Speidel, recycled more than 9,200 pounds of metal during the past year.
“It’s rewarding to see how last year’s projects have turned into real results,” Stern said. “They’re helping our patients and our staff every day, and I’m excited to see the next round of projects get underway.”
