SONSEIL NursesKnow Patient Safety Tech Challenge

Stephen Bone, CEO and founder of Crimson Medical Solutions, presenting on the IV Manager during the virtual ceremony hosted by SONSIEL.

The NursesKnow Patient Safety Technology Challenge announced Crimson Medical Solutions as the winner of the $5,000 first prize on December 14. The NurseKnow Patient Safety Technology Challenge was hosted by SONSIEL (Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Leaders) and sponsored by the Patient Safety Technology Challenge with funding from the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative. There were submissions from around the world from nurse innovators and entrepreneurs to address patient safety issues.

The winning team’s innovation is called IV Manager, an improved IV labelling system which can improve nurse workflows and reduce medication errors.  

“Our IV Manager improves IV-line labeling, an area that hasn't been innovated in for over half a century. The IV Manager facilitates both the organization and identification of IV lines, improving nursing workflows while promoting patient safety during IV medication administration,” said Caleb Williams, the chief clinical officer and registered nurse on the Crimson Medical Solutions IV team.

Williams shared how his personal experience aligns with the need for this innovation.

“As a bedside RN, I saw firsthand the effects that patient safety errors could have on patients while simultaneously realizing just how easy it would be for a clinician to make a medical error,” said Williams. “As I moved into leadership positions, the need for better resources for new nurses became even more evident. As a clinician, I've come to realize that supporting nurses' safety efforts through new innovations is likely to be the most effective way of not just maintaining but improving patient safety. I believe it's important for clinicians to lead the development of innovations in patient safety, bringing their front-line perspective to help develop solutions that work well in clinical settings.”

Stephen Bone, CEO and founder of Crimson Medical Solutions IV added, “Since we can reliably predict that humans will make mistakes, it is important to create systems that prevent mistakes from leading to patient harm. It is essential that systems in healthcare make the right thing the easy thing to do, which is the focus of our IV-line management system for critical care nurses.”

Bone added the SONSIEL NursesKnow Patient Safety Technology Challenge Award has been an impactful experience for the team.

“We are incredibly grateful for the recognition and the monetary support to continue our innovation. This support comes at a perfect time as we gear up to start our first trials at critical care units in the beginning of 2024,” Bone said.

The Patient Safety Technology Challenge is thrilled to support this team and see the future of this innovation.