CFI Structure

To accommodate the increased scope of the CFI, the leadership created a more articulated structure. A leadership group consisting of the medical director Dr. Nicholas LaRusso, administrative director Barbara Spurrier, and three others managed day-to-day operations.

All CFI members gathered in weekly meetings to share their experiences, and a strategy group consisting of the leadership group and the leaders of the five innovation platforms met weekly to set policy and monitor the progress of the CFI’s work.

Five Platforms

To oversee the center’s projects, the CFI leadership defined five platforms, each focusing on a broad theme or direction of innovation activity. These themes were chosen by conducting workshops where physicians and administrators described areas that held potential for new ideas.

• The first platform, Mayo Clinic Connection, looked for ways that Mayo physicians could share their expertise with colleagues and patients at a distance, for example, through a video e-consultation system.
• The second platform, Prediction and Prevention, worked toward the prevention and early detection of chronic diseases, for example, through family medical history software and new education models to promote cancer screening.
• The third platform, Wellness Experience, was similar to the second, but it involved projects promoting health education and healthy lifestyles.
• The fourth platform, Destination Mayo Clinic, included projects that worked to improve the health care experience for outpatients at the main Rochester clinic.
• In the fifth platform, Culture and Competency of Innovation, the CFI worked to diffuse innovation throughout the institution with classes, lunchtime discussion groups, and an annual Transform Symposium on innovative health care delivery.

Each platform was headed by one or more physicians. Platform leads devoted approximately 20 percent of their work to the center, and their home departments were compensated for this time.

In consultation with the center’s leadership, the platforms initiated and oversaw a portfolio of projects. The projects were staffed by CFI employees, including designers, project managers, technologists, and other affiliated personnel. The platforms also developed and oversaw budgets for their projects. In general, physician time was the center’s largest expense, though IT expenses were becoming another major expense item. 

Technical Cores

In order to insure that CFI staff and affiliates continued developing their technical skills, the center defined a number of technical core groups, which were defined around competencies such as the SPARC studio or IT (see org chart). The core groups allowed like-minded professionals and researchers to share their knowledge across the various projects.

External Advisors and Partners

In addition to oversight from science and medical personnel from within Mayo, the CFI also created an external advisory board. This group of prominent designers, technologists, and health care experts met as a whole twice a year, and individual advisors were consulted as needed for their particular expertise.

The center also worked with a variety of external partners, including private companies, university research labs, and other health care organizations. These partnerships added to the knowledge base and could help in the implementation of various initiatives.