Innovators have the unique ability to see what’s possible, bringing together in new ways, acclimating to change and thriving within it, and creating true transformation. Few people are true innovators, but it’s those characteristics that make an innovator worthy of the title “Outlier.”
Jason Peoples is one of those rare people. Trace3 recently awarded Peoples its highest honor, the Outlier Award. Peoples, director of technology and innovation at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has spent the last several years leading the hospital toward dynamic innovation, all through an IT lens.
Peoples comes by his drive naturally. A tragic childhood accident started his trajectory, changing the course of his life and causing him to develop a fierce passion for improving healthcare. Over time, he saw that the best way to make a difference was by combining that passion with his natural abilities as a technology expert.
“I always like to challenge the status quo. Just because we’ve done it this way doesn’t mean we always have to do it that way,” he said. “It’s about thinking, how could we do something different, more efficient, or more effective.’”
Part of challenging the status quo is his out-of-the-box thinking about the role of IT in the organization. Peoples views IT as an equal team member in providing critical healthcare services, on par with all others in reaching those goals. As part of a collaborative team that spans Mary Free Bed’s departments and functions, IT listens to and works with clinicians, the legal team, the compliance team, and others to provide exceptional patient care.
“I’m a big believer in culture, and we’re all about the spirit of meeting people where they are. When we hire, we look not only for phenomenal customer service, but those who can talk about technology in a way that’s digestible for all audiences,” he said. “And when we work with other internal teams, we focus on evaluating risk tolerance, managing quality outcomes, and securing our perimeter, all with a collaborative spirit.”
Bringing together that collaborative spirit, innovative mindset, and technology expertise has created some real wins for Peoples and his team. For example, leveraging his expertise in telehealth, Peoples spearheaded a project to develop a machine learning algorithm with an artificial intelligence output as a screening mechanism for children’s movement disorders. The goal, Peoples explained, is to screen for abnormalities or movement conditions more quickly, because earlier interventions typically lead to better outcomes. The team has already proven the concept and is working on bringing a solution to market that can both detect and evaluate upper and lower extremity movements.
Peoples described another exciting project that will eventually enable Mary Free Bed and its partners to collect and analyze patient data from across the country to glean valuable insights. Projects like this are becoming both more important and more possible and could have tremendous implications for the healthcare field.
As for the award, Peoples said he is humbled and gratified, and hopes to use it as an opportunity to provide different perspectives that challenge the status quo.
“We use technology all the time and expect it to work, but we have to challenge that status quo and think about the future. What are we trying to solve, and how can we get there?” Peoples said. “If we can use this platform to share an experience that might resonate with others, that can propel others to take it to the next level.”
To learn more about the Trace3 Outlier Award, visit:
