Innovation With a Side Order of New Ideas

Memorial Hospital in South Bend, in South Bend, Indiana is the first first community hospital in the US with an innovation research-and-development budget. They’ve used this money to open up an “Innovation Cafe” across the street from the hospital, as a place where employees can come and freely experiment with new ideas for hospital products and services. Really great idea, a low pressure space where to try out new concepts, where it’s OK to fail, and learn.

Reveries reports:

A centerpiece of Mr. Newbold’s innovation drive is an “Innovation Cafe,” housed in a former delicatessen located across the street from the hospital. The cafe serves no food, but offers “a venue where staffers and outsiders can learn to craft new ideas.” It’s a place where Philip “encourages his staff to have fun by making cardboard prototypes of their planned projects and rewards those who come up with even ‘good tries.’ He holds regular brainstorming sessions, and often makes everyone stand for the entire 21-minute exercise so they will think fast on their feet.” But Philip also pays to bring in “external experise” as needed.

[WSJ via Reveries]