Beekley Medical partners with UConn to empower future healthcare leaders

December 16, 2024
In a strategic move that underscores its commitment to innovation and education and aligns with the broader market trends of digital health advancements, personalized patient care, and the rising emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare, Beekley Medical has forged a partnership with the University of Connecticut (UConn) to host a groundbreaking healthcare pitch competition. The event, powered by Beekley Medical, brought together nursing and engineering students in an unprecedented collaboration to tackle critical healthcare challenges and inspire the next generation of healthcare innovators.

A Shared Vision for Making a Difference
The competition aligns seamlessly with the missions of both UConn’s Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center and Beekley Medical by fostering innovation, collaboration, and mentorship. This initiative exemplifies the shared commitment of Beekley and UConn to harnessing the power of education for driving meaningful change.

"Beekley Medical, aligning itself with the emerging global trend of digital health innovation and the recent increased focus on personalized patient care, is driven by the core value of striving to make a positive impact in the world,” said Michael T. McGuire, Director of Strategic Growth and Innovation, who represented the company as a mentor and judge during the competition. “This partnership with UConn aims to contribute to the development of future leaders who are dedicated to solving real-world problems and advancing healthcare.”

UConn is a well-established university with a culture of excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration. Their Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center provides the perfect environment for fostering healthcare advancements that address unmet clinical needs.

“Innovation is a science. Consistent with other sciences, there are theories and methodologies that guide the practice,” says Tiffany Kelley, associate professor in residence in the School of Nursing, director of the healthcare innovation online graduate certificate program, and a Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center co-director. “A critical aspect of learning innovation is application. InnovateHealth PitchFest offers another opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to explore and develop their ideas for problems we are faced with in health care today.”

Bringing Bold Ideas to Life
From August to November, student teams worked tirelessly to develop groundbreaking solutions for healthcare. Projects ranged from a color-changing patch to detect radiation dermatitis early (developed by first-year students) to a wearable biometric sensor ink for continuous health monitoring. These innovations exemplify the creativity and determination of UConn’s students, fueled by mentorship from experts like McGuire and faculty leaders.

“Our goal wasn’t just to inspire students to innovate,” said McGuire. “We wanted to challenge them to find fundamental problems in healthcare and create impactful solutions. The results were beyond what we could have imagined.”

Why UConn?
Beekley Medical’s choice to partner with UConn stemmed from the university’s established culture of excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center—one of the first of its kind—provides the perfect environment for fostering healthcare advancements that address unmet clinical needs. The competition reflects Beekley’s dual objectives: giving back to the community and seeking innovations that align with its mission to improve patient and provider experiences.

“We have a strong relationship with UConn, and their focus on interdisciplinary education mirrors our own belief that collaboration drives meaningful progress,” McGuire explained. “This initiative allowed us to mentor students, share our expertise, and potentially uncover ideas that could transform healthcare.”

Looking to the Future
With the success of this competition, Beekley Medical and UConn are already planning for the next iteration in spring 2025, giving students another chance to refine their innovations and win additional funding. Winners from the fall competition, like the creators of the "ChromaShield" patch and ZemiLabs' wearable biometric sensor ink, will return to continue their journeys toward bringing their ideas to life.

“This isn’t just about funding innovation,” said McGuire. “It’s about empowering students with the knowledge, mentorship, and resources they need to succeed. When we invest in young minds, we’re investing in the future of healthcare.”


About Beekley Medical: Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Bristol, Beekley is committed to investing in the research and development of simple, low cost, disposable products that help medical imaging, surgical, and radiation oncology professionals improve communication, productivity, and patient care. Beekley Medical has a long and successful history of partnering with inventors and entrepreneurs to bring new products to market.


About the UConn Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center: The center aims to improve healthcare, workforce, and economic development by promoting collaborations between nursing and engineering. It encourages the development and use of new healthcare technologies to meet clinical needs and improve healthcare quality.(e.g., safe, effective, efficient, equitable, timely, and patient-centered). The center will advance health care innovation for the state and nation through four core areas of focus: research, education, community engagement, and technology transfer.