A History of Innovation Evolving to Meet the Needs of Today’s Healthcare Community

While Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s history and commitment to our community run deep, so does our desire to remain at the forefront of defining the future of healthcare. Our partnership in the Smart Health Innovation Lab (iLab) is a natural next step in the evolution of our health system.

LG Health has proudly served our community for over 125 years , and innovation has been a key part of our mission since our very first days, yet at the iLab we are working with technology startups that count their existence in months or years, not decades, so it offers us a unique perspective on the future.

Tech startups face a bewildering array of challenges. As a successful health system with deep roots in our community, we can lend our experience, expertise and relationships to help break down some of those barriers to success.

The startups chosen to test their innovations at iLab are part of our team, and LG Health and our partners are truly invested in their success. We spend months working alongside the startups in our program, eliminating the walls that traditionally exist between us.

LG Health and our partners really get to know the spirit of the companies and what drives the people behind the innovations. We can learn a lot from their tenacity and ability to pivot quickly to more precisely meet the needs of our patients.

Our program offers invaluable access to LG Health clinicians, who regularly visit the iLab to provide real-time feedback. Our startups also visit clinical locations to gain a greater understanding of the challenges and constraints of a functioning medical practice.

Our first two startups – Emovi and NeuroFlow – have now completed the 12-week program and earned iLab certification for their innovations. Emovi has created KneeKG, a noninvasive knee assessment device. NeuroFlow has designed an app that enhances engagement for behavioral health patients.

It’s exciting to watch our iLab graduates take the next step toward bringing these products to health-care consumers. Emovi and NeuroFlow are now fine-tuning their innovations during a pilot period at our LG Health Physician practices.

Just like the startups in our program, LG Health and our iLab partners will learn quickly from our own experiences, continually evolving to meet the needs of today’s healthcare market and the community we serve.