In 2019, Sheba Medical Center unveiled a revolutionary initiative known as the ARC Innovation Center. The ARC acronym encapsulates its core principles: Accelerate, Redesign, and Collaborate. In a recent interview with HealthLeaders, Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, ARC’s Founder and Director as well as Sheba’s Chief Innovation and Transformation Officer, explains, “ARC was designed to improve patient care, using innovation to provide real value to patients.”
Unlike traditional innovation centers, ARC has a global focus that sets it apart. As Prof. Zimlichman puts it, “ARC is not really an innovation center; it’s much broader because it has a global aim. ARC aims to transform healthcare around the world, and to do so by the year 2030. This goal requires a particular strategy that will enable us to reach the global standard we’ve set for ourselves.”
ARC specifically targets the most urgent issues in healthcare, including patient safety, the high cost of care, and workforce shortages. It employs a two-pronged strategy involving both ‘organic’ and ‘open’ innovation. Prof. Zimlichman clarifies, “Organic innovation is technologies we develop in-house based on market needs. But to effect meaningful transformation, we also require open innovation, which means extending our search beyond our own walls. That’s why we’ve established an open innovation platform to continuously identify suitable technologies for large-scale implementation.”
To nurture the growth of transformative ideas and technologies, ARC has initiated three venture capital funds. “We established our first fund, Triventures, in 2019, followed by two more, including Shoni Health Ventures. These are crucial for scaling great ideas and technologies.”
AI is one key technology essential to improving healthcare management and clinical decision-making, and ARC companies are leading the way. Prof. Zimlichman shared an example: “Aidoc, which began at Sheba, is now operational in more than 1,200 hospitals around the world. It has proven effective in helping emergency department radiologists read scans more efficiently, leading to improved patient outcomes and cost reductions.”
Reflecting on what lies ahead, Prof. Zimlichman is optimistic. “We see ARC continually growing and improving collaboration. Our primary focus is on two key outcomes: first, enhancing global health through innovative solutions, and second, boosting local economies through investments, job creation, and business expansion.”
ARC’s unique focus on digital health and international partnerships positions it as a trailblazer in the global healthcare landscape. As Prof. Zimlichman concluded, “ARC will have a substantial impact on what healthcare around the world will look like, accelerating transformation efforts by introducing new solutions to tackle the plethora of challenges we face.”
