How Parkview Health is partnering with top biomedical engineering students to tackle real-world mobility challenges and spark clinical innovation.
Great care requires constant innovation. As we expand our footprint across Indiana ahead of opening our new hospital in West Lafayette in 2028, we know the best medical solutions come from bringing bright engineering minds directly to the bedside.
We recently hosted six Purdue University biomedical engineering students for a two-week clinical immersion tour focused on real-world patient care challenges.
Hands-on Learning Across Care Settings
Organized by our innovation, clinical nurse specialist and therapy teams, the program gave students direct access to our caregivers, technology and clinical environments.
Throughout the tour, Purdue undergraduates Dariyah Collins, Ella Olsen, Abby Gaudet, Kundana Amudala, Akhil Pinnapareddy and Makenna Lee shadowed Parkview teams across virtual care, neuro, medical-surgical ICU, neuro rehab, progressive care and cardiology settings. Observational learning took place across several of our facilities, including Parkview Regional Medical Center, Parkview Hospital Randallia, Parkview Wabash Hospital and Parkview Huntington Hospital. Students also spent time at the Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation simulation lab, testing virtual reality tools and reviewing biomedical equipment alongside our team.
Several students reflected that the clinical immersion experience gave them a new perspective on the role engineers can play in healthcare innovation. In a survey, submitted by students following the session, one student wrote, “This experience connected engineering concepts to real patient needs. It showed us how thoughtful design and technology can improve outcomes while supporting the clinicians who deliver care every day.”
Tackling Real-World Mobility Challenges
The primary focus of the immersion tour was patient mobility, a critical factor influencing patient safety, recovery time and hospital length of stay.
Students observed how clinical teams use processes, staffing, equipment and safe patient handling practices to balance mobility promotion with safety. Immobility creates serious risks, including functional decline, pressure injuries, blood clots and lung complications. At the same time, moving patients presents operational challenges such as falls, device dislodgement and caregiver injury. By watching clinicians navigate these complexities, students gained direct insight into where new technology and process design can make a measurable difference.
“We designed the program to give these students a broad look at the types of care being delivered across Parkview,” said Jan Powers, director of nursing practice and clinical inquiry at Parkview Health. “Every patient is unique and every service line works with different types of patients with different needs, so we hope to give these students a look at multiple areas that could benefit from new technology or innovation.”
For many of the Purdue students, the most impactful aspect of the immersion tour was the opportunity to move beyond the classroom and experience healthcare delivery firsthand. By observing care across multiple hospitals, service lines and specialties, students gained a broader understanding of the challenges clinicians face every day and how engineering can help address them. In another survey, a student shared, “One of the most valuable parts of the experience was seeing so many different departments and locations. Each area faced unique challenges, and it gave us a much better understanding of the complexity of patient care across a health system.”
Building Regional Infrastructure for Innovation
Purdue’s biomedical engineering program ranks among the top in the nation. By opening our clinical doors to these students, we are deepening a vital relationship with one of Indiana's leading research institutions.
“Purdue’s strengths in engineering, technology and research are an engine for innovation across Indiana,” said Ethel Massing, director of innovation and Parkview Strategic Enterprises. “As Parkview establishes itself as a new healthcare provider in the community, we’re looking forward to the many opportunities to work together to further improve quality, safety and patient outcomes. This month’s immersion tour is just the first of hopefully many partnerships between Parkview and Purdue.”
