U.S. Healthcare Meets Nordic Innovation: Tanner Health Visits Aleap

This past week, Aleap welcomed Loy Howard and Benjamin Camp MD from the leadership team at Tanner Health, one of the most forward-thinking health systems in the southeastern United States. The visit marked a significant opportunity for Aleap startups to engage directly with key U.S. hospital stakeholders and explore what it takes to successfully enter and scale in the American healthcare market. Many thanks to John Vislosky, MBA at Innovation Norway for arranging the visit.

A Unique Perspective from U.S. Hospital Executives

The highlight of the visit was a candid and highly engaging panel discussion that also included senior leaders from Healthliant Ventures. Steve West and Mark Rainosek shared critical insights into the mindset and decision-making processes of U.S. hospitals when evaluating international health tech innovations.

Key themes included:

Getting Clinician Buy-In: One of the biggest hurdles for startups is engaging clinicians who are already stretched thin. Tanner emphasized the importance of building strong relationships and credibility with clinical stakeholders even when they have limited time for innovation activities.

Preconditions for Pilots: Before signing off on a pilot, Tanner looks for:

- Recommendations from department leaders and frontline clinicians

- Clear requirements and planning for IT support

- Demonstrable financial impact, including early intervention benefits and workforce efficiency

Startup Success Factors: According to Tanner, the most successful startups have a compelling product and a trusted relationship with clinicians who can advocate for it internally.

Their Innovation Model: Tanner shared how they’ve adopted a nimble approach to innovation that identifys challenges in care delivery, piloting promising solutions quickly, and scaling what works.

What Tanner Health Is Looking For

The panel also provided valuable insight into the kinds of solutions that resonate most within their health system. Their current priorities include:

• Avoiding additional staff hires through adoption of automation or workflow optimization

• Solutions for early detection and preventive care, which support better outcomes

• Technologies that increase operational efficiency across clinical and administrative workflows

These insights offer Nordic startups a practical framework for aligning their offerings with real-world U.S. healthcare needs.

A Strategic Innovation Partnership

Perhaps the most compelling takeaway from the session was Tanner’s partnership with Healthliant Ventures. This collaboration is helping them systematically identify priority challenges within their health system, then screen and connect with high-potential startups worldwide that can help address those needs.

This structured, challenge-driven model of innovation is something Aleap members can learn from as they chart their path into the U.S. market.

Why This Visit Matters

Entering the U.S. healthcare market can be a daunting leap for any international company. By building bridges with respected institutions like Tanner Health, Aleap helps our startups make that leap more informed, more credible, and more impactful.

The visit underscores Aleap’s growing role as a gateway for Nordic health tech into North America, while also highlighting the appetite U.S. hospitals have for practical, scalable, and globally-sourced innovation.

Want to learn more about U.S. market entry for health tech? Contact our team

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