On September 20th, 50+ entrepreneurs joined us on Zoom for an insightful morning event! This Healthcare Entrepreneurs Meetup was not one to miss: HealthIT folks joined A.T. Gimbel and Jaimie Clark from Catalyst by Wellstar to discuss challenges in the healthcare system, the importance of centralizing innovation and testing ideas.
These Meetups are part of an ongoing series of talks about Healthcare in Atlanta, with the objective of making Atlanta the premier place to start and grow a HealthIT business. The goal of these meetups is to facilitate connections, hear from industry professionals, and truly dig deeper into Healthcare problems that Atlanta entrepreneurs can help solve.
We started the morning with a good ol’ fashioned Zoom Breakout Room networking session to discuss in small groups, what the number one problem in healthcare this year was. It was a great opportunity to connect with new faces and reconnect with familiar ones before we dove into the event.
Catalyst by Wellstar
Catalyst by Wellstar is the first-of-its-kind innovation company and venture firm created by one of the largest health systems in Georgia. They aim to build better healthcare by harnessing problems, creating solutions, and partnering across industries to deploy a true ecosystem of care.
Jaimie and A.T. discussed the importance of centralizing innovation within Wellstar and how they structured their innovation team, Catalyst, to take risks and test ideas. They also talked about the threefold approach to innovation, including testing with a lab team, building solutions in-house, and investing in early-stage startups through their venture fund.
In the conversation, A.T. and Jaimie discussed some of Wellstar’s criteria for investing in startups, including the need for product-market fit and a focus on disruptive solutions. They also talked about the challenges of navigating the healthcare industry and the importance of tying innovations back to improving patient care.
The discussion revolved around the importance of partnerships and collaboration in the Atlanta healthcare ecosystem for fostering innovation. They also discussed challenges related to patient care, home care, and the potential of AI to reduce administrative work for clinicians.
We’re only as good as the research and really validating the problem.— Jaimie Clark, Co-Founder of Catalyst by Wellstar
Key Takeaways
- Centralizing innovation within a health system enables faster risk-taking and idea testing
- A threefold approach — lab testing, in-house builds, and venture investment — creates a robust innovation funnel
- Product-market fit is a non-negotiable criterion for health system investment in startups
- All innovation must tie back to improving patient care
- Collaboration across Atlanta’s healthcare ecosystem is key to scaling solutions
STAY INVOLVED. JOIN THE MEETUP.