Congratulations Davidson Fellows

Team members learn about entrepreneurship, create solutions to healthcare problems using technology.

June 13 was graduation day for the 32 team members who completed 2024-25 Davidson Fellowship for Innovation in Healthcare.

The fellowship offers team members — both clinicians and non-clinicians — who are passionate about healthcare innovation the chance to learn how to address healthcare challenges using innovative solutions. Fellows meet monthly for nine months and receive instruction and mentorship from experienced clinical entrepreneurs, advanced academic instructors, investors and intellectual property experts. An advanced innovation project applying classroom learning to solve a specific technology or healthcare problem also was assigned.

The highlight of graduation day is the opportunity for each project group to present its innovation to a group of distinguished judges. Each group receives feedback and the judges choose a winner. The prize is a beautiful traveling glass “trophy” and of course bragging rights.

This year’s winner

The Dementia Care group developed an all-in-one care management app that can be modified to fit patient and caregiver needs. Most apps focus on one aspect of care management for dementia. This one will track and assist with everything from nutrition to external support and resources to communication among caregivers.

Team members:

• Nyjah Bunn
• Ali Deebajah
• Tomeka Clowney
• Jill Hoegemeyer
• Steven McClain
• Madison Myers

Six other amazing projects

Listen for Life is an AI-enabled conversational patient intake tool targeted to pregnant black women. Studies show providers are less likely to listen to a black woman’s concerns and birth preferences. This tool allows the mother to answer questions more fully verbally using AI rather than fill out a standard paper form.

Team members:

• Jacob Grossman
• Michael Hector
• Katelyn Kulie
• Krista Walker, PhD
• Diane Walkerdine

EmPower Care is a healthcare insurance plan comparison tool designed with seniors, for seniors. It flags misleading plans with high denial rates and other deceptive practices. It is secure and user friendly for both patients and their caregivers.

Team members:

• Anne Chahine
• Thor Person
• Kelsey Sale
• Jason Sims

Re-Visit is an AI enabled tool to improve after visit summaries (AVS). The technology passively listens to the patient-provider interaction and creates a tailored AVS based on the patient’s comprehension. The idea is to increase compliance with care plans and patient outcomes.

Team members:

• Emily Campbell
• David Gao, MD
• Rahul Gupta, MD
• Maureen McDonald

RadiStrat is a high tech/high touch approach to reduce no shows for radiology exams. It uses Epic to flag potential no shows based on set criteria. Then a case manager connects with the patient to ensure they understand the test, any necessary prep and how to get to the exact location where the test will take place.

Team members:

• Marlena Jackson
• Catherine Sawicky
• Derek Wolfe, MD

One Health – One Call proposes a new Transportation Assistance Department to reduce no shows due to transportation issues. Patients call this one-stop shop to get transportation to their appointments or procedures, improving care and decreasing the cost incurred through no shows. The department would coordinate with insurance, grants and more to mitigate costs to patients.

Team members:

• Kathy Berta
• Erin Lattuca
• Aayush Mittal
• Shyam Nyati
• Vaishnavi Srivatsan
• Mario Swaidan

Noctura is premium sleep mask and ear bud combination meant to help patients get better sleep in the hospital. This is especially important for elderly patients because lack of sleep can exacerbate delirium and lead to longer hospital stays.

Team members:

• Rachel McCrary
• An Nguyen, MD
• Kiara Patterson
• Jasper Yung, DO

Many thanks to our panel of judges:

• Dr. Sarah Gretter Atkinson, Michigan State University Office of the Provost
• Dr. Chad Klochko, Henry Ford Health Vice Chair of Informatics and Translational Research
• Matthew Okoneski, Director, Michigan State University Research Foundation Venture Investments
• Dr. Sandeep Soman, Henry Ford Health Division Head, Nephrology
• Dr. Suth Krupp, Henry Ford Health Vice Chair of Operations in the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Apply today for the 2025-26 Davidson Fellowship class

If you are driven to improve healthcare, passionate about digital health and entrepreneurial focused we invite you to apply for our 2025-26 class. Applications are due Aug. 8. Learn more here, including extensive program details and qualifications necessary to apply.