UI Ventures

05/07/2026

Across Iowa, nurses are innovating in powerful ways. These moments don’t always look like big initiatives or formal projects. More often, they begin with a nurse noticing that something isn’t working as well as it should and caring enough to ask, “What if there’s a better way?”

As we celebrate Nurses Month, we’re honoring dedication, compassion, clinical excellence and the power of nurse innovation and the Iowa nurses who bring it to life every day.

Read more: https://iowanurseinnovators.substack.com/p/celebrating-the-power-of-nurses-in?r=7isbv2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

02/16/2026

Meet Alissa McEndaffer and Kate LeFleur, two of our Iowa Nurse Innovators!

At the Iowa Nurse Innovators Pitch Competition in November, Alissa and Kate presented their idea: a Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) Securement Device. After evaluating existing securement options, they identified a clear gap—no device adequately meets the specific needs of CRRT.

As a team, they are in the process of designing a device to allow safe and dependable securement for CRRT to improve patient comfort, reduce infection risk, and reduce incidences of catheter dislodgment.

We’re proud to support Alissa and Kate through the Iowa Nurse Innovators program and look forward to following their progress.

02/09/2026

Congratulations to Deanna Daugherty on graduating from the Iowa Nurse Innovators Program!

Deanna, an Occupational Therapy Assistant in the Department of Rehabilitation Therapies at University of Iowa Health Care, developed the Scrotal Sling, which provides patients experiencing scrotal swelling with a hands-free, inconspicuous, and low-cost support system that allows them to ambulate safely while keeping their hands free for assistive devices such as canes or walkers.

What’s next? Deanna is producing 20 slings, which will be used for pilot testing and feedback.

Congratulations, Deanna! We are proud of your progress and are excited to continue supporting the development and testing of the Scrotal Sling.

02/05/2026

Meet In Won Heo, a Nurse Innovator and Registered Nurse at University of Iowa Health Care.

At the Iowa Nurse Innovators Pitch Competition in November, In Won Heo presented her invention Caresure, an external catheter system for both women and men, designed to improve comfort, suction reliability, and skin protection. Its body-conforming design, breathable materials, and advanced wicking technology help reduce leaks, skin injury, and the need for frequent reapplication.

We’re excited to support In Won Heo through the Iowa Nurse Innovators program. Stay tuned for more updates on her progress!

01/26/2026

Meet Mendy Collum, the third-place winner of the 2025 Iowa Nurse Innovators Pitch Competition! Mendy won $2,000 to advance her idea, the Collum Clip.

The Collum Clip is a tool designed to streamline newborn resuscitation by keeping essential resuscitation tools visible, accessible, and sequenced, minimizing cognitive load, and lowering the risk of contamination or selection errors.

Congratulations, Mendy, on this achievement!

01/21/2026

Meet Deanna Daugherty, the second-place winner of the 2025 Iowa Nurse Innovators Pitch Competition! Deanna won $5,000 to advance her idea, the Scrotal Sling.

The Scrotal Sling provides patients experiencing scrotal swelling with a hands-free, inconspicuous, and low-cost support system that allows them to ambulate safely while keeping their hands free for assistive devices such as canes or walkers.

Congratulations, Deanna, on this achievement!

12/17/2025

The Iowa Nurse Innovators Roadshow kicked off in Cherokee, Iowa on November 19th with an energizing day of hands-on, nurse-led innovation.

The event opened with a keynote from serial healthcare entrepreneur, nurse, and Office of Innovation Advisory Board member Judy Lenane on the intersection of innovation, intuition, and artificial intelligence in nursing, highlighting how nurses are already innovating every day and how AI can be used thoughtfully as a supportive tool for innovation.

Participants then jumped into the Spark Workshop, led by Anna Young (CEO + Co-Founder of MakerHealth) working in small groups to identify needs, design solutions, and build rapid prototypes—wrapping up with three-minute pitches to share their innovations.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Cherokee for a day of collaboration, creativity, and innovation!

12/09/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us in November for the Iowa Nurse Innovators Roadshow—a two-day event showcasing nurse-led innovation across western and eastern Iowa.

Roadshow highlights included:
💥 A keynote from serial healthcare entrepreneur and nurse Judy Lenane on the intersection of innovation, intuition, and AI in nursing
💥 A hands-on innovation workshop in Cherokee to spark creativity and problem-solving
💥 A pitch competition in Iowa City where eight nurses presented patient-care solutions and three winners earned funding to advance their ideas

Stay tuned for more photos from the Roadshow, including highlights from our Pitch Competition winners!

05/29/2025

Measuring blood loss after childbirth isn’t easy—and Janel Williams, a staff nurse in Labor & Delivery at University of Iowa Health Care, knew there had to be a better way.

Her idea: a double bag drape that separates amniotic fluid from blood, making it easier for clinical teams to quantify blood loss quickly and respond before complications arise.

With help from the Iowa Nurse Innovators program, Janel's idea is now a real prototype.

💡 Got an idea? You could be next. Reach out to get connected with this FREE program: https://innovation.uiowa.edu/programs-and-services/nurse-innovators

05/28/2025

Thank you to Iowa Capital Dispatch for highlighting the Iowa Nurse Innovators Program!

📈 1,300+ nurses engaged
💥 38 active projects
🏥 4 nurse-designed products in use

We're proud of the momentum behind this program and are excited to continue expanding its impact across Iowa.

The University of Iowa Nurse Innovators Program connects nurses across Iowa with the help and resources they need to develop inventions.

05/20/2025

Kayla Piplani, a Pediatric Skin, Wound, and Ostomoy Nurse Clinician at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital, saw firsthand how difficult ostomy care can be for some of the tiniest and most vulnerable NICU patients.

With the support of the Iowa Nurse Innovators Program, she’s developing a new approach—using 3D scanning to customize and test pouching solutions off the patient — making care safer and more comfortable.

Have an idea like Kayla’s? We’re here to help you bring it to life.

Learn more about the program, which is FREE for nurses across the state of Iowa: https://innovation.uiowa.edu/our-innovation-hubs/nurse-innovators