Flagship Course: Global Health Innovation Lab (OIM 3501/7506):
Healthcare entrepreneurship and innovation are central to improved health outcomes, economic development, and societal well-being. However, there is still a lack of healthcare entrepreneurs and investment. For example, USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact reports a $371 billion annual investment gap by 2030 from achieving the health Sustainable Development Goals in low and middle income countries.
To encourage innovation and investment in global health, The Healey Center partnered with the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) to found our first Global Health Innovation Lab in 2021 sponsored by the McGovern Foundation. Leveraging an experiential learning framework, joint UGHE and Babson student teams are paired with health organizations in Rwanda to address organizational challenges using design thinking, digital health and technology, and product, process and service innovation management. We also host virtual healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship seminars that are open to the general global public. Most recently in 2023, we partnered with Unifacisa University founded by the family of Dr. Diego Gadelha MBA’22 for the first cohort of Global Health Innovation Lab in Brazil.
To date, six UGHE-Babson student teams (27 students to date) and five Unifacisa-Babson student teams (30 students to date) are currently developing, testing, and implementing innovations to support the following organizations via the course:
- Butaro Hospital
- Health Builders
- Insightiv Diagnostics Platform
- Rwandan National Task Force on Rabies
- Rwandan National Union for the Deaf
- Hospital De Olhos (HBOL)
- Hospital da Vis ã o (HVisão)
- Hospital de Ensino e Laboratórios de Pesquisa (HELP)
For example, our initial pilot team worked with Rwandan National Union for the Deaf and developed a platform to improve communications between deaf and illiterate patients and providers using images. In addition, over 60 participants from around the world have attended our healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship Seminar Series through the UGHE-Babson Global Health Innovation Lab.
For more information, please contact Faculty Directors: Dr. Rex Wong, (Rwanda), Marcelo Lara (Brazil), Dr. Wiljeana Glover (Rwanda and Brazil)
