Independence Blue Cross, the largest insurer in the southeastern Pennsylvania region, marked on Oct. 3 the grand opening of a new Center for Innovation at its Philadelphia headquarters.
The two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility will serve as a space for Independence employees, members, hospitals, healthcare professionals, industry partners and more to collaborate on innovative projects aiming to make healthcare more convenient, effective and affordable. The center is outfitted with dedicated spaces for both large and smaller, less formal meetings, hackathons and pitch presentations, as well as mindfulness-focused "quiet zones," a lending library and office space for Independence's innovation team.
Within the center, Independence will not only encourage collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem, but will also invest in and mentor health-related businesses and use technology, research and analytics to address issues in healthcare delivery.
"Our new Center for Innovation is a home for the work we do with organizations across the region to find solutions to critical challenges in healthcare and beyond," Independence CEO Daniel Hilferty said in a release. "Just as importantly though, it is a space that serves as a catalyst for building meaningful connections between people doing innovative work across the region, and inspiring and igniting new ideas."