Innovation at Henry Ford Health: An Interview with Lisa Prasad, Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer

Hanna: Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to Henry Ford?

Lisa: I’ve spent my career at the intersection of institutions, innovation, and impact. I began by helping major universities and health systems think more strategically about how to deploy their core assets—not just physical real estate or intellectual property, but their role in the broader community. At the University of Pennsylvania, I was part of the West Philadelphia Initiatives, which became a national model for how anchor institutions can drive economic development. That experience showed me how deeply place, purpose, and partnerships can influence outcomes—not only for an organization, but for an entire region.

From there, I co-founded a firm focused on innovation districts and mission-driven growth. We invested in and helped build assets across university-adjacent neighborhoods, working with universities and governments to catalyze innovative ecosystems. What always drew me in was the potential for large, trusted institutions to channel entrepreneurial energy toward transformative goals. Henry Ford came to be a natural evolution of that path: the chance to bring an innovation mindset into a health system with both clinical excellence and deep community roots. Since joining, I’ve led the creation of a comprehensive innovation program—from startup engagement and commercialization to venture partnerships—anchored in improving care, creating economic opportunity, and delivering meaningful results for Detroit and beyond.

Hanna: How do you define innovation within the context of a large health system like Henry Ford Health?

Lisa: Innovation in a health system is not about chasing shiny objects—it’s about creating new, measurable value for the people we serve. At Henry Ford, we define innovation as the application of bold ideas to solve real-world problems—whether in clinical care, equity, patient experience, or system operations. It’s not limited to technology; it’s about mindset and execution.

What makes innovation especially powerful in our context is that it’s mission driven. We’re not innovating for novelty’s sake. We’re innovating to close gaps in health outcomes, to make the system work better for clinicians, and to serve communities that have historically been underserved. That framing grounds our work in reality and helps align it with our strategic priorities.

Hanna: You’ve partnered with organizations like Google, Michigan State, and Black Opal—what makes a good external partner for you?

Lisa: A great partner is one who brings complementary strengths and a shared sense of urgency. We look for organizations that have capabilities we don’t—and that are eager to co-create something meaningful. Whether it’s Michigan State’s academic research power or Black Opal’s clinical innovation, we seek partners who are not just aligned in purpose but committed in practice.

Equally important is cultural fit. We gravitate toward partners who are flexible, transparent, and genuinely collaborative. Innovation isn’t linear, so we need partners who are comfortable iterating and navigating uncertainty together. The goal isn’t just to run a pilot—it’s to deliver scalable, real-world impact.

Hanna: How do you view the role of startups and venture capital firms in your role as Chief Innovation Officer?

Lisa: Startups are essential catalysts. They bring speed, creativity, and risk tolerance that large systems like ours often lack. They’re unburdened by legacy infrastructure and can explore bold solutions that might take us years to build internally. Venture capital firms offer a window into the future—helping us identify emerging trends and the founders best positioned to drive them forward.

My role is to bridge these two worlds—the entrepreneurial and the institutional. That means translating startup capabilities into health system priorities and aligning incentives so both sides win. It’s about helping a great idea clear the hurdles of clinical validation, workflow integration, and operational scale. When we get that right, we accelerate innovation in ways that matter for our patients and our teams.

Hanna: What is the best way for startups to engage with Henry Ford?

Lisa: The best startups approach us not just with a product, but with a partnership mindset. They understand the problem they’re solving from a healthcare perspective and are open to co-developing solutions that align with our needs. We’ve built a structured process to quickly evaluate startups, pair them with the right clinical or operational champions, and design meaningful pilots with rapid feedback loops.

We’re looking for startups that are coachable, ready to learn, and focused on outcomes. The ability to listen, iterate, and align with frontline realities is often more valuable than a perfect pitch deck. Innovation in healthcare is about fit, not flash.

Hanna: What kind of startups or technologies are you currently most excited about?

Lisa: I’m especially excited about technologies that reduce friction across the care continuum. That includes AI that augments—not replaces—clinician judgment, virtual tools that allow for personalized care outside of traditional settings, and infrastructure solutions that make data more usable and workflows more efficient. These are the kinds of innovations that can scale across a health system and deliver real returns—clinically, operationally, and financially.

Hanna: What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned about leading change in mission-driven environments?

Lisa: One of the biggest lessons is that mission alone doesn’t drive change—people do. In health systems, the mission is deeply felt, but innovation can still feel threatening or abstract. To lead effectively, you have to build trust, deliver early wins, and demonstrate respect for the frontline.

I’ve learned that successful change management hinges on making innovation feel safe before it feels exciting. That means being transparent, involving stakeholders early, and showing how the work aligns with their values and goals. It’s a blend of empathy, strategy, and persistence.

Hanna: What areas of healthcare are most ripe for disruption over the next five years?

Lisa: Three areas stand out to me: care delivery outside the hospital, workforce enablement, and chronic disease management. We’re entering an era where technology can move care closer to home—and even into the home—with better personalization and lower costs. That’s going to upend traditional care models in a good way.

Meanwhile, the workforce crisis is real, and we need innovations that support—not stretch—our clinicians. Tools that streamline documentation, reduce burnout, or support decision-making will be essential. And finally, managing chronic disease more proactively and holistically—with AI, behavioral nudges, and better data integration—has the potential to drive enormous value at both the individual and system level.

Hanna: If you had a blank check to pursue one moonshot idea, what would it be?

Lisa: I would invest in a fully integrated platform that transforms population-level data into individualized, predictive care pathways. Imagine combining genomics, EHR data, wearable insights, and social determinants to create a 360-degree view of the patient—and then using that view to prevent disease before it starts.

The moonshot is a shift from reactive to predictive care. Right now, we spend enormous resources treating avoidable conditions. This platform would move us upstream—intervening earlier, tailoring care more precisely, and reducing long-term costs. It’s not just a technology play; it would be the fundamental reimagining of how we deliver value in healthcare.