Across the Atlantic: different healthcare systems but the same challenges

By Athina Lockyer, Head of Portfolio – Innovation & Enterprise

I recently attended the BioSTL Global Health Innovation Summit in Missouri, which brought together healthcare leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and innovators to tackle some of healthcare’s most complex challenges.

Like many first-time visitors to Missouri, I was immediately struck by the scale. The roads were bigger and the buildings were bigger, as were the healthcare budgets! Yet beyond those obvious differences, what surprised me most was how familiar many of the conversations felt.

Compared with the five million people living across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, it would be easy to assume we are operating in entirely different contexts. In reality, we face many of the same challenges: growing demand, workforce pressures, health inequalities, access to care, affordability and the need to adopt innovation at pace.

That became a recurring theme throughout the summit. Whether discussing virtual hospitals, academic spin-outs, health equity, artificial intelligence or commercialisation, success was rarely about a single innovation. It was about creating the conditions for innovation to flourish within a wider ecosystem.

Building healthcare around the patient

The summit opened with Steve Mackin, Chief Executive of Mercy, one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States. In 2014, Mercy launched the world’s first virtual hospital.

What stood out was the consistency of its vision. Mercy’s strategy remains centred on delivering personalised, predictive and proactive care through the most appropriate channel, in near real time, while ensuring access for all.

Digital innovation plays a critical role, creating opportunities for lower-cost interactions while increasing capacity for patients with the greatest clinical need.

The power of long-term thinking

More than 25 years ago, BioSTL recognised that innovation requires infrastructure, investment, partnerships and an environment where innovators can thrive. The Cortex Innovation District was established as part of that long-term vision and has evolved into a vibrant ecosystem attracting researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and global businesses.

For those of us working within UK innovation ecosystems, it was a powerful reminder that meaningful transformation requires patience, consistency and sustained commitment.

This was reinforced during discussions with SixThirty, a St Louis-based venture capital firm supporting pre-seed and early-stage companies. They highlighted three factors that consistently matter to American consumers: health, wealth and privacy.

The message for innovators was clear: technical capability alone is rarely enough. Successful innovations solve meaningful problems while addressing the priorities of the people they are designed to serve.

Bridging research and real-world impact

Doug Frantz and Dr Eric Leuthardt at Washington University explored the challenge of commercialising academic research and supporting successful spin-outs.

Eric shared a model in which clinicians present real-world problems while engineering students showcase emerging technologies and ideas. Neither group is expected to have the answer. Instead, the aim is to identify areas of overlap where collaboration can generate new solutions.

There are clear parallels with the NHS innovation pathway. Some of the most valuable innovations emerge when different disciplines are intentionally brought together around a shared challenge.

Health equity must remain at the centre

Some of the summit’s most important conversations focused on ensuring underserved populations are represented in research, innovation and clinical trials.

Dr Olugbenga Ogedegbe (NYU Langone Health) and Dr Chinwe Ogedegbe (Intelligent Clinical Trials Solutions) shared insights into how health inequalities continue to shape outcomes across communities. One statement particularly resonated: there can be no health equity without quality.

During a panel discussion, I shared examples of how the NHS has sought to address health inequalities through innovation, including the AAC-funded Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme and work across the wider London ecosystem.

While health systems may be organised differently, the need to reach underserved communities, improve representation and ensure equitable access to innovation is universal.

Seeing AI as a workforce issue

Artificial intelligence was inevitably a major topic. Dr Philip Payne (WashU Medicine) offered a balanced perspective on its opportunities and limitations. AI-generated alerts are not always actionable in acute care, while predictive models can struggle to scale beyond the environments in which they were developed.

Perhaps the most memorable insight was his suggestion that AI agents should not simply be viewed as another technology project, but as a new workforce group.

It is a subtle but important distinction. New staff groups require governance, training, monitoring, accountability and performance management. If AI becomes embedded in healthcare delivery, organisations will need to consider not just how these tools are implemented, but how they are managed and evaluated over time.

Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes

Dr Lisa Fort and Dr Joseph Jankowski from Henry Ford Health reinforced another important point: impactful innovation is not always synonymous with cutting-edge technology.

They discussed innovations ranging from enterprise-wide digital platforms to something as simple as a small plastic clip.

The lesson was clear: innovation should be judged by the value it creates, not its complexity.

The energy of innovation in action

The summit concluded with sixteen innovators pitching their solutions to healthcare leaders, investors and ecosystem partners.

What impressed me most was the feedback process. Rather than leaving innovators waiting weeks or months for responses, BioSTL used a structured mechanism enabling delegates to assess alignment with priority areas, provide constructive comments and request introductions.

It was a simple but effective example of how innovation ecosystems can accelerate progress by reducing barriers between ideas and opportunities.

Final reflections

Across the summit, one message emerged consistently: innovation alone is never enough.

Whether discussing virtual hospitals, health equity, commercialisation, AI or value-based care, success depended on bringing together people, evidence, investment, infrastructure and long-term commitment around a shared purpose.

While Missouri and Kent, Surrey and Sussex may appear worlds apart, we have much to learn from one another. Our healthcare challenges are increasingly global, and the solutions will be stronger when we remain curious, connected and willing to share what works.

One of my strongest reflections is the potential of the growing partnership between Kent, Surrey and Sussex and BioSTL. The relationships and shared priorities evident throughout the week provide a strong platform for future collaboration.

By combining our respective strengths, we have an opportunity to deliver meaningful benefits for patients, communities and innovators on both sides of the Atlantic.

For more information about how we help health and care innovators succeed in the UK, visit our Innovator Hub