Banner Health is a large non-profit health system, with 28 hospitals and over 50,000 employees. About four years ago, the system amped up its innovation effort, creating several teams called Imaginariums, which were similar to incubators. The Imaginariums drew talent from Banner Health itself as well as the worlds of retail, start-ups, and design agencies. Last year, all of those teams came together to form Banner Innovation Group (BIG). In this episode, we speak with Russ Maloney, Director of Innovation Services at BIG. Russ has been with Banner Health since the launch of the Imaginariums and has a unique perspective on Banner Health’s innovation journey that he will share with us.

Both Steve and Chad know Russ well, as before he joined Banner Health, Russ was a co-founder of Cast & Hue and worked closely with Chad when he was the Chief Experience Officer at Nebraska Medicine. Russ is fascinated by knotty problems, emphatic ideas, hearty openness, and how they all converge in the healthcare environment. As a culture leader with Banner Innovation Group, Russ develops engagement models and tools from a foundation of empathy. He’s working toward a future healthcare system that is not only simpler, but more intuitively human.

When you listen to this episode, you can look forward to learning:

• The strategies and tactics that Russ and his team use to integrate innovation into the Banner Health culture
• The importance of listening to and collaborating with the audiences they are creating for
• The role of openness and transparency in innovation

We’re excited to share episode #1 of Designing Next and we hope you enjoy every minute of it!