account for structural barriers during the needs-finding phase . Collaborations with local partners , including the Health Equity Innovation Hub , promote community engagement and further enhancement of teams ’ prototypes and designs , guaranteeing tailored innovations that effectively address the specific requirements of their target communities . Additionally , students engage in cost-effective analyses and present holistic health equity impact plans , providing a thorough evaluation of their proposed solutions . The program ’ s unique curriculum empowers students to consider the broader implications of their work and encourages a comprehensive approach to health care problem-solving .
Despite the program being only three years old , Bluegrass Biodesign has witnessed rapid growth and substantial success . The number of subspecialties involved has grown from three to seven and the total number of students grew from 20 to 50 in those three years . We aim to maintain this momentum and further expand the program by increasing the number of teams in the program to encompass more areas for medical innovation . We are also working to increase Bluegrass Biodesign ’ s health equity mission by supplementing current goals with community engagement efforts . We have begun developing partners in the UofL innovation ecosystem such as the Health Equity Innovation Hub and the HIVE , with an intent to work with community members as well . Efforts to address health inequities in Louisville require a comprehensive approach . Community engagement and collaboration with local organizations are crucial for developing targeted interventions that address the specific needs of different neighborhoods , fostering a more equitable and inclusive health care landscape .
Although specific details of previous and ongoing projects cannot be disclosed , the teams have dedicated their efforts to tackling an array of health care challenges , encompassing issues from the intuitiveness of incentive spirometers to new ways to drain abscesses . By recognizing common problems in the hospital , students are able to take note and prototype solutions to address them . One team of students from last year ’ s cohort noticed the repeated failure of patients to use incentive spirometers properly ( these help ensure patients are taking deep breaths to maintain healthy lungs after surgery ). Patients would often exhale into the device instead of inhale , forget to use them as scheduled or breathe in rapidly instead of a sustained constant inspiration . Students recognized , brainstormed and addressed these problems in their new functional prototype in a span of only nine months . Also , a team in the current cohort is working with interventional radiologists who recognized difficulties associated with clearing complex abscesses . While current models of catheters adequately clear infections in spherical abscesses using photodynamic therapy , irregularly shaped edges in abnormally-shaped abscesses can prove difficult to expose to adequate light . Their prototype aims to address this issue and is awaiting testing in cadaveric models .
The stories of Paul Yock and the students of Bluegrass Biodesign are inspiring examples of how innovation can revolutionize health care . Their work demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of nurturing new ideas . We feel honored that Dr . Yock was an esteemed speaker at our second pitch day and is involved in seeing the program succeed . As the world faces increasingly complex health care challenges , it is now more important than ever to invest in innovation . Programs like Bluegrass Biodesign are essential to training the next generation of health care innovators who are equipped to solve these challenges and create a healthier future for all .
We would like to invite you to Bluegrass Biodesign ’ s Pitch Day , scheduled for Jan . 10th , 2024 ( RSVP here : https :// t . ly / Y7bkr ), which allows the seven teams to present their final projects designed to address pressing health care challenges . It showcases the culmination of nine months of effort by the 50 students in the program . Notable experts from fields of medicine , business , engineering and entrepreneurship and innovation will evaluate each initiative , considering crucial factors such as market potential , feasibility , impact on health equity , presentation and creativity . Through this event , we aim to underscore the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the invaluable role of innovative solutions in shaping the future of health care . Please join us for this remarkable opportunity to witness the groundbreaking work of our students and celebrate the spirit of innovation in health care !
Acknowledgements : We would like to thank our clinical physician mentors –– Dr . Jeffrey Bumpous , Dr . Swapna Chandran , Dr . Joseph Niemat , Dr . Brian Williams , Dr . Mark Slaughter , Dr . Victor van Berkel , Dr . Shahab Ghafghazi , Dr . Kellen Choi , Dr . Alex Ng , Dr . Soham Dasgupta , Dr . Alex Ding –– for their investment in this program . Thank you to Dr . Tao Le and Dr . Vitaliy Skorodziyevskiy for being guest lecturers . Thank you to Dr . Paul Yock for inspiring this program and being an honored guest speaker at Pitch Day . Thank you to Dr . In Kim and Dr . Beth Spurlin for being committed faculty advisors and helping found this program . Thank you to Dr . Guruprasad Giridhiran , Dr . Thomas Roussel and Dr . Hermann Frieboes for being committed engineering mentors and helping found this program . Finally , thank you to Ankur Gupta , founder of Bluegrass Biodesign , for energizing this initiative at University of Louisville School of Medicine .
Shruti is a third-year MD / MBA student at UofL SOM and co-president of Bluegrass Biodesign .
Mohammad is a third-year medical student at UofL SOM and Director of Engineering on the Executive Board of Bluegrass Biodesign .
Nita is a third-year medical student at UofL SOM and Director of Communications on the Executive Board of Bluegrass Biodesign .
Logan is a third-year medical student at UofL SOM and co-president of Bluegrass Biodesign .
Katelyn is a third-year medical student at UofL SOM and Director of Clinical Operations on the Executive Board of Bluegrass Biodesign .
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