Fortune names Sanford Health one of America’s most innovative companies

This paid piece is sponsored by Sanford Health.

Fortune has named Sanford Health one of America’s most innovative companies for 2023. The list honors 300 companies that do business in the United States and “transform industries inside and out.”

Sanford Health ranks in the top 200 and is the only South Dakota- or North Dakota-based company recognized on the list, which includes businesses from a multitude of sectors across the United States. Other health care companies named to the list include Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, UnitedHealth Group, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.

“It is an honor for Sanford Health to be recognized among these pioneering companies that have had such a dramatic and influential impact on our lives,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “Innovation is central to our mission to deliver world-class care to our patients and residents no matter where they live or the challenges they face. We are also committed to investing in innovation to support our dedicated caregivers and strengthen resiliency.”

Innovations in nursing support, virtual care

In the fall of 2021, Sanford Health announced a $350 million virtual care initiative. As part of the initiative, Sanford Health will focus on expanding access, improving the patient experience, advancing innovation through new research, attracting and training a new generation of clinicians and sharing learning opportunities through an education institute.

Sanford Health already has provided more than 650,000 virtual consults with patients over the past decade – amounting to roughly 25 million miles saved by patients who did not have to travel great distances on country roads or through harsh winter weather to get world-class care.

Sanford Health also has several innovative nursing initiatives that are empowering nurses to do their most fulfilling work, including using predictive analytics to manage clinical staffing, leveraging technology to support patients at the bedside and automating workflows to build a more resilient workforce and improve patient care.

Sanford Health ranks in the top 25 percent among peers in the health care industry for meaningful work and inclusiveness as a strength based on employee experience survey results.

Fortune partnered with market research and data company Statista to compile the list of most innovative companies. They reviewed more than 15,000 eligible companies to create the inaugural list. The list is built on three pillars: product innovation, process innovation and innovation culture.

Each category compiles one-third of the overall score. The surveys were conducted in 2022 from Aug. 16 to Dec. 23 and reached thousands of employees and experts, including management consultants, patent attorneys, recruiters and HR experts.

Learn more

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• Podcast: Flexible work and well-being in rural health care
• Artificial intelligence helps spot diabetes risk

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