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Elaine Marieb Center at UMass Amherst to Host Symposium on Nursing and Engineering Innovation
Day-long event will bring together industry professionals and researchers to learn about collaborative innovations in healthcare
AMHERST, Mass. – The Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation at UMass Amherst will hold its first symposium examining up-to-date innovations in the healthcare industry, particularly those created by nurses and engineers in collaborative research. The symposium will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom and is planned to be an annual event.
Registration is available online and is free for UMass Amherst students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as students, faculty and staff at other academic institutions. The cost is $25 for community members.
This symposium will help attendees understand the nurse-engineer role in creating solutions that advance patient care, including the center’s innovation initiatives on healthcare robotics and IV smart pumps. Nurses and engineers will learn about the center’s accomplishments and seed grant projects and nurse-engineer innovations, and they will have the opportunity to network and exchange ideas.
Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and Oriana Beaudet, vice president of nursing innovation for the American Nurses Association, will provide welcome remarks. The morning keynote address will be delivered by State Sen. Jo Comerford, and an afternoon keynote address will be given by Joanne Miller, chief nurse executive at Baystate Health and chief nursing officer at Baystate Medical Center.
Several panels will be held throughout the symposium, including:
- Nurse-engineer’s panel
This will feature nurses and engineers who are actively engaged in engineering innovative new products. UMass Amherst’s Hari Balasubramanian, mechanical and industrial engineering, and Yeonsik Noh, nursing and engineering, will be participating. - Industry-academic partnerships panel
The session will include senior representatives from prominent corporations that produce innovative products (such as advanced electronic monitors, neonatal IV bags, and robotics for assisted surgery) that save lives and improve the health of patients and the experience of end-user nurses. Moderated by UMass Amherst’s Govind Srimathveeravalli, mechanical and industrial engineering.
- IV smart infusion pump panel
This session will feature industry professionals interested in improving the safety and usability of IV smart infusion pumps.
“The collaboration between nurses and engineers is critical to advancing healthcare technology, both to improve patient outcomes and enhance provider’s experience,” says Karen Giuliano, nursing co-director of the center. Engineering Co-director Frank Sup says, “We are excited to welcome researchers and industry professionals in healthcare and engineering to campus to see the innovative work we have been doing in the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation.”
A light breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided by award-winning UMass Dining and attendees will have the opportunity to view posters and live demonstrations during the lunch and registration hours.