Recruiter’s Son Brings Home National HIT Innovation Prize
Healthcare IT Leaders recruiter Christine Woods has one more reason to be one proud mama.
On Jan. 8, Christine’s 15-year-old son Hampton and his 14-year-old friend Jake Haygood won the popular vote for their medical device at the Pediatrics 2040 Innovation Beach, which means they beat out 24 other startup organizations for the opportunity to pitch for venture capital for their own HIT innovation startup, Haygood and Woods Co.
Haygood and Woods Co.'s product is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wristband that stores patients’ charts and operates with hospital electronic medical records systems. Patient data such as medications, allergies, conditions and vitals are stored inside the wristband on a chip, a passive transponder that does not require the use of a battery.
Jake and Hampton hope the availability of this data on the wristband will allow first responders and hospital personnel to read a patient’s chart in case of emergency, possibly preventing overdoses, drug interactions, allergic reactions and miscommunication.
Both boys designed the device from their own experiences with medical emergencies. In addition to a liver transplant, Hampton has had dozens of hospitalizations and surgeries, and is currently enrolled in a research study. Jake, due to acute anaphylaxis, had 22 hospitalizations over the course of eight months.
"Both boys made the decision not to make their whole lives about the worst thing that ever happened to them," Christine Woods said. "I feel immense pride that Hampton and Jake were able to take what many would perceive to be negative experiences, and channel that into a project to make a meaningful impact in patient care."
To prevent security breaches with the device, Jake and Hampton suggest encryption that is listed on the device but not in plain sight or advise patients to keep the device in anti-RFID casing until its use is necessary.
Both Jake and Hampton are freshmen students in Kennesaw, Ga., where they are members of a robotics team and child medical advocacy group iCAN, which stands for International Children’s Advisory Network.
Next up for the boys is getting driver's licenses, going to the Sadie Hawkins Dance at their school and presenting as keynote speakers in May at Grand Rounds at Grady Hospital in Atlanta.