ImproveCareNow Network Wins the $100,000 Drucker Prize

Today the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University announced that the ImproveCareNow Network is the winner of the 2016 Drucker Prize.

The ImproveCareNow Network has transformed health and care by enabling patients, families, clinicians and researchers to collaboratively improve knowledge and outcomes related to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It engages these stakeholders in a learning health network that provides real-time quality improvement, research and community-building for children with these conditions.

The Drucker Prize judges were particularly impressed that the ImproveCareNow Network has developed a high-performance, beneficiary-centered program. The judges also recognized the organization’s impressive results, patient focus and future promise to further leverage the discipline of innovation.

“It is humbling to be recognized by the Drucker Institute from among a remarkable group of finalists. ImproveCareNow’s accomplishments are the result of hundreds of patients, families, clinicians and researchers working together with an unrelenting focus on continuously improving outcomes,” said Richard B. Colletti, MD, ImproveCareNow Executive Network Director, and pediatric gastroenterologist at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital.

Zach First, Executive Director of the Drucker Institute said, “The ImproveCareNow Network has improved outcomes for nearly 25,000 patients across its 90 participating care centers. Among its impressive innovations is the way it has effectively combined the creative energies and expertise of so many who were previously unconnected with each other.”

“Peter Drucker identified a ‘Change in Perception’ as one of the greatest, and most often overlooked, opportunities for innovation,” added First. “The ImproveCareNow Network exploited this masterfully, by reframing health care from a product delivered to patients to an activity that patients, care providers and researchers co-produce together. The ImproveCareNow Network has demonstrated robust results, and a rigorous commitment to continuous improvement. We are delighted to recognize them as the winner of the 2016 Drucker Prize.”

“The Drucker Institute’s application process fostered valuable learning for our organization,” said Peter A. Margolis, MD, PhD, ImproveCareNow Executive Scientific Director, and Co-Director of the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “It caused us to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of our current system. And we have already begun applying some of what we learned.” Cincinnati Children’s is a strategic and supportive partner of the ImproveCareNow Network.

The Drucker Prize application was itself a way for nonprofits to learn about Peter Drucker’s key innovation principles. A survey of those who completed the 2016 application found that 92% said that doing so would prompt them to explore additional opportunities for innovation. And, most significantly, 97% of the 50 semifinalists said the learning-centric second round of the process would help their organizations more
effectively innovate.

All of the ideas and tools for effectiveness created for The Drucker Prize application process are now available for free on the Drucker Prize learning platform. It features the timeless wisdom of Peter Drucker, videos showcasing insights from some of today’s top thinkers on management and leadership, and other practical resources.

In addition to First, the judges for the 2016 Drucker Prize included Stephan Chambers, Director of The Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics; Sumita Dutta, Managing Director at Golden Seeds; Thomas Horan, Henry Y. Hwang Dean of the Drucker-Ito School of Management; Geneva Johnson, former President and CEO of Family Service America and Families International; Virginia Kelly Judd, Executive Director of Humana Foundation; Kevin McCoy, President of
National Office Furniture; C. William Pollard, Chairman Emeritus of ServiceMaster Co.
and an emeritus member of the Drucker Institute’s Board of Advisors; Theresa Reno-
Weber, Chief of Performance and Technology at Louisville Metro Government and a member of the Drucker Institute’s Board of Advisors; David Styers, Manager of Program and Business Development at the Presidio Institute; and Jocelyn Wyatt, Co-Lead and Executive Director at IDEO.org

Administered annually since 1991, The Drucker Prize, formerly known as the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation, is given to a social-sector organization that demonstrates Drucker’s definition of innovation—“change that creates a new dimension of performance.” The judges look for programs that demonstrate a strong mix of current effectiveness and future promise.