The other side of possible: How Emplify Health’s Edge is transforming healthcare through innovation

In an industry facing unprecedented challenges — from staffing shortages to rising costs to an aging population — a Midwest healthcare innovation hub is proving that the future of medicine lies not just in treating patients, but in reimagining how care is delivered. Edge, the innovation arm of Emplify Health, is on a mission to radically transform healthcare through a unique three‑pillar approach that harnesses the power of entrepreneurship, creativity and curiosity.

Born from a legacy of innovation spanning nearly 130 years at Gundersen Health System, Edge represents a bold evolution in healthcare thinking. Following the 2022 merger between Gundersen and Bellin Health to form Emplify Health — which serves communities throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — Edge has positioned itself as an imagination hub where breakthrough ideas can flourish.

“Healthcare is changing, and its future relies on innovative ideas and challenging the status quo,” said Greg LaPoint, Edge Director of Innovation and Venture Partner. “Edge is all about pushing the boundaries of what we once thought possible, for a healthier, more innovative future for our people and communities.”

The three‑pillar strategy

At the heart of Edge’s approach are three interconnected pillars that work together to drive innovation: Engage, Launch and Ventures. This strategic framework ensures good ideas — no matter where they originate — have a pathway to becoming reality.

Engage represents Edge’s commitment to tapping into the collective wisdom of Emplify Health’s 16,000‑strong workforce. Rather than relying solely on external consultants or top‑down directives, Edge actively seeks input from team members on the front lines of patient care. These team members understand intimately what’s working, what’s not and where opportunities for improvement exist. Through a network of Edge Advocates positioned throughout the organization — from financial analysts to nurses to IT professionals — Edge ensures it has access to functional area expertise across every corner of the health system.

Launch serves as Edge’s incubator, providing the resources, mentorship and support needed to transform promising concepts into viable businesses. This pillar recognizes that healthcare innovation requires more than just good ideas — it demands structured processes, business acumen and the ability to navigate complex regulatory environments.

Ventures invests in both internally incubated startups and external healthcare companies that align with Edge’s mission. However, Edge’s venture strategy goes beyond typical corporate investment.

“The criteria for Edge Ventures include a defined line of sight to operationalize solutions within our walls to solve our pain points,” LaPoint said. “This means Edge doesn’t just become an equity owner — we ensure portfolio companies will actively help solve problems for Emplify Health and other health systems, creating a win‑win scenario for all stakeholders.”

Success story: Eneration

Perhaps no example better illustrates Edge’s three‑pillar strategy in action than Eneration, a company that started as a unique healthcare sustainability initiative and has now become a standalone company helping health systems nationwide strengthen their financial position, reduce emissions and lower their energy costs.

The Eneration story began within Gundersen Health System, where the team played a pivotal role in helping Gundersen become the first healthcare system in the United States to achieve energy independence in 2014. What started as an internal effort to reduce energy costs and improve environmental sustainability evolved into a proven methodology with applications far beyond a single health system.

Recognizing the broader market opportunity, Edge incubated and invested in Eneration, which officially spun off as a separate organization in 2024. Today, Eneration works exclusively with healthcare organizations to deliver 10 to 30 percent utility savings with no upfront costs, advancing sustainability while improving financial margins.

The company’s mission is audacious: over the next 10 years, remove 75 trillion BTUs from healthcare energy usage, reduce $1 billion in healthcare expenditures and eliminate 5 million tons of CO2. Led by former healthcare executives with more than 60 years of combined experience, Eneration understands the unique challenges facing hospital leaders — from maintaining patient safety during energy transitions to navigating complex regulatory requirements.

“We built Eneration on a shared savings model, meaning we do not get paid unless our clients save money,” Eneration CEO Alan Eber said. “For health systems, that means reduced operating costs, stronger margins, and documented emissions reductions, all without upfront capital or long‑term contracts. Financial performance and sustainability are not a tradeoff. They are the same outcome.”

Innovation in action: Homecare Hub partnership

While Eneration demonstrates Edge’s ability to scale and spin out internal innovations as standalone ventures, the partnership with Homecare Hub showcases how the Ventures pillar identifies and supports external companies solving critical healthcare challenges.

Homecare Hub, a company often described as the “Airbnb of small care homes,” addresses one of healthcare’s most pressing problems: expediting hospital discharges while ensuring patients receive appropriate post‑acute care. The platform creates small, high‑quality shared care homes of two to 15 people, matching individuals by care needs, language, disease process and interests.

The challenge Homecare Hub tackles is particularly acute as healthcare faces the “silver tsunami”— a major demographic shift marked by the aging of the baby boom generation. Traditional discharge options often fall short for patients who need more support than can be provided at home but don’t require — or can’t afford — traditional post‑acute care placement.

Through its technology platform, Homecare Hub streamlines care coordination by connecting patients with a network of vetted care and housing options while providing wraparound care services. With deep clinical expertise and a particular focus on serving complex patients, Homecare Hub has built a network of close to 100 small homes across multiple regions.

Emplify Health has partnered with Homecare Hub to implement the Transitional Placement Services (TPS) model, which begins with a thorough interdisciplinary evaluation of hospitalized patients who are ready for discharge but unable to return home due to care needs exceeding available support. The model then matches patients to appropriate transitional small homes while simultaneously working to identify the next most suitable long‑term care setting.

The partnership leverages Homecare Hub’s extensive network and wraparound support services with Emplify Health’s clinical expertise to deliver enhanced patient care with smoother transitions and reduced readmissions. By reducing the burden on hospital staff and allowing them to focus on acute care while optimizing resources, the initial implementation is expected to prevent hundreds of hours in avoidable patient days while generating significant cost savings.

Looking ahead

As healthcare continues to grapple with systemic challenges, Edge’s three‑pillar model offers a blueprint for how health systems can become engines of innovation rather than simply consumers of it. By combining internal entrepreneurship, structured incubation and strategic investment, Edge is proving that the future of healthcare isn’t just about advancing medical science — it’s about reimagining every aspect of how care is delivered, paid for and experienced.

In an industry often characterized by incremental change and risk aversion, Edge is making a different bet: that healthcare’s greatest innovations may come not from the outside looking in, but from within the system itself, powered by the creativity and insights of those who understand its challenges most intimately.

“Building Edge required new ways of thinking about structure, funding and decision‑making — and it’s proving that innovation can be executed with discipline and scale in healthcare,” said Bill Farrell, Emplify Health Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer. “We’re encouraged by the growing interest from others in the industry, and we see a real opportunity to collaborate and help advance innovation more broadly across healthcare.”