The ImproveCareNow Network, led by Executive Network Director Richard Colletti, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, was selected as the 2016 winner of the Drucker Prize from the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University.
Administered annually since 1991, The Drucker Prize, formerly known as the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation, is given to a social-sector organization that demonstrates Drucker’s definition of innovation – “change that creates a new dimension of performance.” The judges look for programs that demonstrate a strong mix of current effectiveness and future promise. ImproveCareNow was selected for this award from among 495 applicants.
The ImproveCareNow Network was recognized for its ability to transform health and care by enabling patients, families, clinicians and researchers to collaboratively improve knowledge and outcomes related to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, engaging its stakeholders in a learning health network that provides real-time quality improvement, research and community-building for children with these conditions.
“The ImproveCareNow Network has improved outcomes for nearly 25,000 patients across its 90 participating care centers,” said Drucker Institute Executive Director Zach First. “Among its impressive innovations is the way it has effectively combined the creative energies and expertise of so many who were previously unconnected with each other. The ImproveCareNow Network has demonstrated robust results, and a rigorous commitment to continuous improvement. We are delighted to recognize them as the winner of the 2016 Drucker Prize.”
The Drucker Prize judges were particularly impressed that the ImproveCareNow Network has developed a high-performance, beneficiary-centered program. The judges also recognized the organization’s impressive results, patient focus and future promise to further leverage the discipline of innovation.
“It is humbling to be recognized by the Drucker Institute from among a remarkable group of finalists. ImproveCareNow’s accomplishments are the result of hundreds of patients, families, clinicians and researchers working together with an unrelenting focus on continuously improving outcomes,” said Colletti, who is a pediatric gastroenterologist at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital.
The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital is a participating center in ImproveCareNow. Jillian Sullivan, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and a pediatric gastroenterologist, leads the effort at UVM, working with Magen Phillips, research and improvement coordinator in the Office of Clinical Trials Research. Additional ImproveCareNow staff members based in the Department of Pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine at UVM include Jennifer Savas, meeting manager, and Samantha Platania, network coordinator.
About ImproveCareNow
Established in 2007, ImproveCareNow is a network of people working together and dedicated to quality improvement and patient-powered research. ImproveCareNow’s collaborative community empowers clinicians, researchers, parents and patients to learn, share and continuously improve to bring about more reliable proactive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care and healthier children and youth. The ImproveCareNow Network is transforming health, care and costs for children and youth with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Applying an “all teach, all learn” collaborative approach to medicine, allows new ideas and best practices to be identified and introduced into the care delivery process much faster—improving care for our patients now.
(This press release was adapted from a communication produced by The Drucker Institute.)