Here’s a new spin on healthcare innovation laboratories: John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, Texas, part of the University of Texas Medical Branch, has opened what is being called the nation’s first “makerspace” for healthcare providers. In this case, the target audience is the nursing staff.
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“It’s dedicating a space to supporting them in making things more comfortable for their patients and in making them more efficient,” said David Marshall, chief nursing officer at John Sealy.
The lab, called MakerHealth Space, officially opened Friday. It was built by MakerNurse, a Boston-based project that encourages nurses to innovate and take advantage of others’ innovations in healthcare; MakerNurse grew out of MIT’s Little Devices Lab in 2013, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“Some of it is very simple,” Marshall said. The 200-square-foot room is stocked with a sewing machine and items such as Velcro and tape to help nurses hack healthcare. MakerNurse suggested clinicians might make “cough pillows” by wrapping blankets in medical tape or cut IV shields to make them more comfortable for patients.
Then there is the advanced technology: 3-D printers and laser cutters. These devices have a steep learning curve, Marshall said, so MIT sent engineers to Galveston while the hospital looks to hire a shop manager.
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Marshall also wants to find a larger room, but space is at a premium at the hospital, and the makerspace has to be convenient to practicing nurses, not tucked away in some research building.
UTMB had a soft opening of MakerHealth Space a week ago, and Marshall said that 105 nurses came through to visit. While many were just curious, at least half had their own ideas for taking advantage of the new space, he reported. Marshall said the small facility already is working on nearly 10 projects.
Physicians and others are being encouraged to check it out, too. “Although it originated in nursing, we want it to be available to all professional staff,” Marshall said.
Photo: MakerNurse
