From the Frontlines to the Future: Why Health Tech and Innovation Need Clinician Leadership

By Dr. Faith Adole, DNP, MBA, MSN, FNP-C, Founder & CEO, U-VOL Foundation

Health tech is booming. From AI-powered diagnostics to wearable monitors and digital therapeutics, innovation is redefining how we deliver and experience care. Yet too often, the people closest to patients—the clinicians, and especially nurses—are absent from the rooms where these ideas are imagined, designed, and deployed. 

As a nurse practitioner and founder of a global health nonprofit, I’ve worked at both the frontlines of care and the strategy tables of health systems and startups. Across these spaces, I’ve seen a persistent disconnect between technology creators and those delivering care in hospitals, clinics, and underserved communities. The result? Solutions that look promising on paper but falter in practice—because the voices of those with lived clinical experience were never part of the equation. 

What We Lose Without Frontline Leadership 

When clinicians—particularly nurses—are excluded from innovation, we lose far more than representation. We lose relevance, trust, and impact. 

I’ve seen maternal health technologies introduced in rural settings without accounting for infrastructure gaps or cultural barriers that nurses could have flagged instantly. I’ve also seen digital engagement tools launched without understanding how providers actually communicate with patients day to day. These aren’t minor oversights—they are lost opportunities to create meaningful, lasting change. 

Strategy without delivery insight is like a map without a compass. Frontline leaders bring that compass—the contextual, relational, and systems-based knowledge needed to turn good ideas into sustainable solutions. 

Nurses as Innovators, Not Just Implementers 

Nurses are natural innovators. We adapt in real time, manage complexity, coordinate care, educate, advocate, and problem-solve every day. Yet too often, we’re treated as implementers of someone else’s vision rather than leaders and co-creators in innovation.

The truth is, nurses are not only skilled clinicians—we are systems thinkers, human-centered designers, and builders of trust. We understand how people move through care systems because we walk beside them. We understand the barriers patients face because we help them navigate them. 

When nurses are invited into the innovation process early—not as token testers but as strategic partners—we design smarter, scale faster, and solve deeper. 

Case Studies from the Field: Innovation Powered by Clinician Insight 

The following examples highlight the transformative potential of frontline-led innovation: 

● U-VOL Foundation’s Hybrid Training Model through the ValueHer Initiative (Nigeria & Ghana) 

Our maternal health training model blends virtual education with in-person upskilling. Led by nurses and midwives, we collaborate with local health leaders to strengthen essential frontline skills in: 

● Emergency obstetric care 

● Maternal and newborn resuscitation 

● Respectful maternity care 

● Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) 

● Use of essential medications and midwife kits 

● We also strengthen referral networks, linking traditional birth attendants and midwives with skilled providers to manage high-risk cases safely. 

Designed by clinicians for clinicians, the ValueHer Initiative uses a 

multidisciplinary approach to significantly boost provider confidence and capabilities in maternal health care. 

● CHAMP (Rwanda) 

The Community Health and Medication Program empowers community health workers with tablets to track chronic disease patients in remote areas. By embedding nurse insights into both design and training, CHAMP improved medication adherence and care continuity. 

● Project ECHO with Midwives (Global) 

The “hub and spoke” telementoring model has reshaped professional learning across borders. In countries like Nigeria and India, nurses and midwives now lead ECHO hubs, mentor peers, and close maternal health gaps through collaborative, technology-enabled learning. 

● NurseHack4Health (United States) 

This hackathon showcases the untapped innovation power of nurses. Successful

prototypes addressing nurse well-being, care coordination, and patient engagement emerged directly from frontline challenges reframed as digital solutions. 

Each initiative underscores a key truth: when frontline voices lead, innovation becomes more relevant, equitable, scalable, and impactful. 

A Call to Action: Let Nurses Lead 

To create health tech that delivers true outcomes, we must move beyond consulting nurses—we must empower them as co-leaders. 

1. Include nurses on innovation boards and strategy teams. Ensure nurse representation in hospitals, startups, accelerators, and funding bodies where strategic decisions are made. 

2. Fund nurse-led innovation. Create pathways for nurses to access grants, seed funding, and incubation support for their ideas. 

3. Create fellowships from practice to innovation. Develop programs that help clinicians engage with health tech, entrepreneurship, and systems thinking. 

4. Amplify nurse-driven success stories. Celebrate what’s working. Use storytelling and media platforms to highlight nurse innovators worldwide. 

5. Mentor the next generation. Build mentorship networks that unite clinical expertise with innovation readiness among early-career nurses. 

We cannot reimagine healthcare without the people who sustain it. The future of health tech must be built through cross-sector and cross-role collaboration anchored in lived experience. Nurses have always been innovators—whether or not they’ve been called that. It’s time the world recognizes nurses not just as caregivers, but as essential leaders shaping tomorrow’s systems.

About Dr. Faith A. :

Dr. Faith Adole is a distinguished healthcare executive, global health advocate, and clinician with nearly two decades of combined clinical and leadership experience. As a board-certified Nurse Practitioner, she has dedicated her career to delivering compassionate, high-quality care while driving systemic change through healthcare leadership and program development. As the founder and CEO of U-VOL Foundation , Dr. Adole has spent the last decade championing health equity and transforming underserved communities. Under her visionary leadership, U-VOL has implemented impactful initiatives addressing clean water access, maternal health, and health education across six countries, directly improving the lives of thousands. Dr. Adole holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, seamlessly blending clinical expertise with strategic acumen. Her talent for fostering strategic partnerships has mobilized funding and resources, enabling sustainable, community-driven health programs. Her innovative work in global health has earned her numerous accolades, including the National Diaspora Merit Award for Volunteerism & Healthcare, the Humanitarian of Africa- African Heart Award, and the Global Leadership & Philanthropy- Face of a Humanitarian Award among many others recognizing her leadership, humanitarian efforts, and commitment to health equity. Beyond founding U-VOL Foundation, Dr. Adole has held senior leadership roles and provided expert consulting services, consistently driving organizational success and the implementation of transformative health initiatives. Her strategic insights have empowered teams and shaped programs that create lasting impact. A thought leader and advocate, Dr. Adole frequently speaks on global health, maternal health, and workforce empowerment, inspiring others to advance health equity. She is a proud advocate for representation in healthcare leadership, championing diversity and amplifying underrepresented voices to drive meaningful change. Dr. Adole’s unwavering commitment to compassionate care and sustainable solutions continues to leave an indelible mark on vulnerable populations worldwide.