by Dr. Hank Capps – President, Catalyst by Wellstar; EVP, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Wellstar Health System
In healthcare, the stakes are human lives, and every minute counts. However, the systems we operate within are often slow to pivot, fragmented, and built on outdated assumptions. At Wellstar Health System and through Catalyst by Wellstar, we are working to change that by embedding innovation directly into care delivery and aligning venture strategy with clinical insight.
I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtfully integrated technology can improve access, equity, and outcomes. But the technology alone isn’t enough. What makes innovation stick is how it improves the lives of the people we serve.
But the technology alone isn’t enough. What makes innovation stick is how it improves the lives of the people we serve.
Dr. Hank Capps – President, Catalyst by Wellstar; EVP, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Wellstar Health System
That’s why it was exciting to bring Catalyst to the conversation at Aspen Ideas: Health 2025, which explored how bold thinking and cross-sector collaboration are reshaping the future of healthcare. A central theme that emerged throughout the week was the importance of non-traditional partnerships, whether between disciplines, institutions, or industries, to solve today’s most complex health challenges. Speakers emphasized the need for continued investment in both people and ideas, recognizing that innovation is not only about new technology but also about new alliances, mindsets, and models of care.
At Catalyst, our innovation and venture strategy are built around this very thesis of solving healthcare problems through solutions that could come from other industries. We integrate new ideas directly into the clinical and operational fabric of our health system, ensuring innovation doesn’t live in a lab or a slide deck, but transforms real patient experiences.
Take, for example, our investments in women’s health, which we highlighted at Aspen Health. Gabbi and Elektra Health are two companies in our portfolio that represent what’s possible when clinical need, lived experience, and strategic execution come together.
They reinforce a recurring idea we saw at Aspen: the health systems that will thrive are those willing to ask harder questions, share playbooks openly, and build bridges across sectors.
At Catalyst, we intentionally create space for that kind of collaboration. We provide startups with clinical access, strategic alignment, and the infrastructure to pilot and scale. In turn, our caregivers and patients benefit from early access to next-generation care models.
Our innovation model is built to chart new waters for the care of tomorrow, so that the broader system can continue to deliver safe, high-quality care into the future.
Innovation isn’t the goal. Better health is. But to get there, we must rethink who’s at the table, and how fast we’re willing to move into uncharted territories to predict problems and find new solutions. At Catalyst, we’re helping lead the way.
