Yesterday,\u00a0Orlando Health celebrated the opening\u00a0of Orlando Health Strategic Innovations\u00a0located\u00a0within SPRK, the University of Central Florida\u2019s innovation building, expanding the health system\u2019s presence at the center of UCF\u2019s\u00a0main\u00a0campus.<\/p>\n
Designed to accelerate innovation, the Orlando Health Strategic Innovations group connects real clinical and operational challenges with student and academic talent, creating a healthcare environment where ideas are tested, informed by feedback, and continually improved. The space serves as an extension of the system\u2019s downtown headquarters and is jointly funded by Orlando Health Ventures and the Orlando Health Innovation teams.<\/p>\n
Orlando Health\u2019s presence within SPRK aligns with UCF\u2019s broader co-location strategy, which brings industry partners onto campus to catalyze innovation through proximity. The approach emphasizes shared space, shared\u00a0challenges\u00a0and shared outcomes to accelerate problem-solving, support experiential\u00a0learning\u00a0and speed the translation of ideas into practice.<\/p>\n
The co-location marks the latest milestone in\u00a0Orlando Health\u2019s\u00a0long-standing partnership with UCF.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve.\u201d \u00a0\u2014 Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president<\/p>\n
The\u202fOrlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute\u202fprovides comprehensive, year-round care for UCF student-athletes, including on-field coverage, primary care sports medicine, and specialized imaging. As a\u00a0Pegasus Partner<\/a>,\u00a0Orlando Health pledged $5 million toward the\u00a0Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion in Lake Nona<\/a>, which supports nursing internships, scholarships, and hiring, helping to address the state\u2019s nursing shortage. In addition, Orlando Health and UCF collaborate on advanced technology projects\u00a0\u2014\u00a0such as the\u202fAI for Medical Surgery system<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0jointly offer specialized residency programs and\u00a0collaborate in\u00a0many\u00a0additional\u00a0ways.<\/p>\n \u201cOrlando Health has been an exceptional partner,\u00a0demonstrating\u00a0what is possible when industry and academia come together with shared\u00a0purpose. This next phase of co-location builds on that foundation,\u201d says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. \u201cBy working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n Healthcare Innovation at the Center of Campus<\/p>\n Located in\u00a0approximately\u00a02,649\u00a0square feet\u00a0within SPRK, the\u00a0Strategic Innovations group\u00a0was intentionally placed, here,\u00a0to foster continuous collaboration with faculty and students across disciplines.<\/p>\n This co-location enables a new operating model. Orlando Health brings real health system\u00a0challenges\u00a0directly into the academic environment, and interdisciplinary teams of students, faculty,\u00a0and Orlando Health innovators rapidly design, test,\u00a0and refine solutions.<\/p>\n Early collaboration has already begun to generate impact in areas such as cancer research, digital health, creation of AI\u00a0models\u00a0and various orthopedic innovations.<\/p>\n \u201cThe opening of an Orlando Health Strategic Innovations space at UCF represents our shared commitment to advancing healthcare delivery through bold new ideas,\u201d says Jamal Hakim, M.D., chief physician officer, Orlando Health. \u201cThrough this partnership, we are creating a collaborative environment where clinicians, researchers, students and industry leaders can generate real-world solutions and drive innovations that will shape the future of how we care for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n Built to Go For Launch<\/p>\n