Joe Kiani: Championing Patient Safety and Health Innovation

In 2024, Joe Kiani stepped down from his role at Masimo Corp., yet his fervor for improving patient safety remains unwavering. He founded the Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) in 2012, a nonprofit organization that aims to eliminate the 200,000 preventable hospital deaths occurring annually in the United States. The PSMF is dedicated to achieving the ambitious goal of zero preventable patient deaths by 2030. Recently, on February 27, the foundation hosted its 12th annual summit at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point, California. The summit attracted significant participants, including hospital leaders, medical technology innovators, and policymakers, highlighting the importance of collaboration in enhancing patient safety. Notably, former First Lady Jill Biden was a keynote speaker at the event, echoing the urgency of the cause. Kiani expressed gratitude for Biden’s involvement, stating, “I think she’ll hopefully galvanize more people to take action to improve patient safety.”

The recent summit centered on an ongoing pilot project taking place in 700 hospitals, wherein safety protocols derived from a 2023 report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) are being tested. Kiani, appointed by former President Joe Biden to be part of this advisory group, highlighted the necessity of aligning hospital incentives with the adoption of evidence-based practices aimed at eliminating medical errors. His leadership in this project underscores Kiani’s commitment to not just advocate for patient safety but to provide actionable solutions that have the potential to save lives.

The PCAST report, co-led by Kiani and Microsoft’s Chief Scientific Officer Eric Horvitz, revealed alarming statistics: Medicare patients experience an adverse event in one out of four hospitalizations, with a third of those resulting in catastrophic outcomes. The report outlined four primary recommendations that included establishing dedicated federal leadership for patient safety, implementing effective evidence-based solutions to tackle leading causes of harm such as sepsis, medication errors, and central line-associated bloodstream infections. It also emphasized the importance of engaging patients and expediting research efforts. Kiani cited Rady Children’s Hospital Orange County as a success story, where the application of evidence-based practices has led to no preventable deaths in six years. “If everyone did it, we’d be close to zero right now,” Kiani asserted.

As Kiani continues his mission to enhance patient safety, he has also made strides with his new venture, Willow Laboratories. Since his departure from Masimo, which is set to be acquired by Danaher Corp. for $9.9 billion, Kiani has directed his focus to tackling diabetes. Willow Labs recently launched the second version of its app, Nutu, which is designed to promote healthier lifestyles and prevent the progression from prediabetes to Type 2 diabetes. "With the first version, we got some incredible results that showed people who used it lost weight and reduced their HbA1C," Kiani shared, emphasizing the app’s positive impact on users’ health. After showcasing remarkable outcomes, Willow was given preliminary approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to participate in the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

In addition to his work with Willow Laboratories, Kiani’s entrepreneurial spirit is also evident in his role as CEO of Like Minded Labs, a Santa Monica-based medical technology company. The company recently unveiled Coresee, a video conferencing platform comparable to Zoom or Microsoft Teams, yet touted for its superior capabilities, including 4K resolution and the ability to support 16 concurrent video feeds. This innovative approach to communication technologies is aimed at optimizing healthcare interactions, thereby enhancing patient care.

Kiani’s influence in healthcare extends beyond his companies; he serves on the boards of multiple health-related organizations, such as Clairity, which is developing AI-powered risk assessment tools for breast cancer, and SMSbiotech, a San Diego regenerative medicine company. Recently appointed to SMSbiotech’s board, Kiani believes in the transformative potential of its drug molecules to address various disease states. His multifaceted involvement in the healthcare sector underscores his dedication to improving patient outcomes and advancing technological solutions in medicine.

As Joe Kiani continues to champion patient safety and health innovation, his strategic initiatives and leadership in various capacities are driving meaningful change within the healthcare landscape. Through his efforts, he not only seeks to meet the urgent goal of reducing preventable hospital deaths but also to create technologies and systems that make healthcare more effective and responsive to patient needs. In the years leading up to 2030, Kiani’s relentless focus on these issues is likely to have a profound impact on the future of patient care, proving that with dedicated effort and strategic partnerships, the goal of zero preventable deaths is within reach.