Tower Health announces winners of ‘Shark Tank: Tower Health Edition’

First-place winner Rebecca Cofsky will receive bragging rights and cash prize.

Tower Health hosted its first-ever Shark Tank: Tower Health Edition this week, and the friendly business pitch competition made a splash with employees. The brainchild of Michael Stern, incoming president and CEO at the health system, the competition was designed to encourage innovation, boost employee engagement, and add fun into the workplace.

“The excitement and energy around our first Shark Tank: Tower Health Edition were palpable,” said Stern, Tower Health President and COO. “In healthcare, we understand solutions can bubble up from anywhere, and I was extremely impressed by all the ideas submitted. The finalists did an amazing job with their pitches. I can’t wait until next year’s event.”

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Rebecca Cofsky, Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacy specialist at Reading Hospital, won the top prize with her idea for an antibiotic stewardship – rapid diagnostics program, earning her bragging rights, a The Power is in Tower swag bag and a $15,000 cash prize.

The project is an idea to continually improve outcomes in patients with bloodstream infections. Specifically, it reduces the time to complete effective and optimal antibiotic therapy, reduces hospital length of stay, reduces ICU length of stay, and reduces health care costs. During her presentation, she explained this can be accomplished by routing the results from rapid diagnostic tests performed on blood cultures to the infectious diseases pharmacist in real time. The pharmacist will review the test results and make interventions, if necessary.

“I was proud to get my idea in front of the right audience,” Cofsky said. “They understood what this could mean for our patients and their families at all of our hospitals.”

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Nine finalists were chosen from more than 100 entries, and those finalists included employee teams from Reading, Phoenixville and Pottstown hospitals and Tower Health-affiliated entities. Similar to the popular Shark Tank television show, the teams pitched their ideas to the Tower Health Sharks, including: Meg Mueller, Chair, Tower Health Board of Directors; Myra Forrest, Chair, Pottstown Hospital Board of Trustees; Jim Kovaleski, Chair, Phoenixville Hospital Board of Trustees; and P. Sue Perrotty, Tower Health CEO.

“All of the ideas were fantastic, and it was difficult to pick a winner,” said Mueller. “Every team had a solid idea and great presentation. It was an honor to meet the teams, and I look forward to seeing these ideas being rolled out.”

The second-place idea, with a $10,000 prize and The Power is in Tower swag bag, was The Pottstown NPDP Innovators. The team included Kellie Schuerger, MSN, RN, NPD-BC nursing professional development manager, Jeanne Matthews, MSN, RN, nurse professional development practitioner and Madalyn Hunsberger, Nursing professional development practitioner, BSN, RN, from Pottstown Hospital. Their winning idea will bring in a 3-D printer to develop simulation equipment that can help to educate staff and allow additional opportunities for hands-on training. In addition, it could provide some financial savings, allowing the team to print items at a reduced cost.

Tania Nguyen, EPIC Credential Trainer in Tower Health’s IT Department, won third place with a $5,000 prize and The Power is in Tower swag. This project will provide patients the opportunity to share instant feedback, notifying care team members of questions or concerns in real time so they can be addressed before discharge. It could also be utilized in outpatient settings.

When submitting an idea, employees were asked to consider projects that would challenge the status quo, build trust and teamwork, promote collaboration, encourage creativity and innovation, increase employee involvement, and embrace continuous improvement. Categories included: Quality and Patient Safety, Patient Experience, Employee Engagement, Financial.

At the start of the presentations, attendees heard a special message from Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary. Click here to view his message.

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Berks Weekly
Berks Weekly
Berks Weekly is an independent and locally owned digital newspaper covering the City of Reading and Berks County. Download the mobile app: berksweekly.com/app
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