Lehigh received the Healthcare Innovation award at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Healthcare Summit earlier this month. This prestigious award honors an individual or organization that has demonstrated exceptional innovation in advancing healthcare in the Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh was recognized for the creation of the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies (CDAT) and the continuing partnership with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation. Launched in 2025, CDAT aims to transform the lives of people with disabilities through interdisciplinary research and cutting-edge emerging and existing assistive technologies. The university-wide partnership with Good Shepherd, which is led by the College of Health, advances disability health equity and drives innovation through joint appointments, collaborative research and more.
"Lehigh University is honored to receive the Healthcare Innovation award,” said Nathan Urban, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Our faculty, staff and students are deeply committed to positively impacting healthcare in our region, with a particular focus on improving the lives of people with disabilities through assistive technologies. Through CDAT and the partnership with Good Shepherd, we are bringing together academic and clinical expertise from across the Lehigh Valley to drive innovations in assistive technologies and shape a more inclusive future for healthcare.”
Vinod Namboodiri, director of CDAT, noted that the award recognizes the center’s past research and provides momentum going forward in its first year.
“This award highlights that healthcare innovation is not limited to the topics that are most often discussed — such as costs or healthcare providers — but it must address disability as a critical part of the healthcare ecosystem,” Namboodiri said. He also holds the Forlenza ’75 Endowed Chair in Health Innovation and Technology and is a professor with joint appointments in the COH and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science.
“Healthcare is often viewed primarily through a preventative lens, but we need to think more broadly,” he continued. “That means asking how we can make care easier and more effective for individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities as part of the entire healthcare discussion. That’s where research, innovation and technology come in to maximize the outcomes for all individuals.”
Elizabeth (Beth) A. Dolan, dean of the College of Health, said that the goal of the partnership between Lehigh University and Good Shepherd is to combine Good Shepherd’s clinical care with Lehigh’s innovative research to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
“The exciting partnership between Lehigh and Good Shepherd has allowed us to hire faculty jointly, enabling faculty to share their innovative assistive technologies with users more rapidly than would otherwise be possible,” Dolan said. “I am grateful that the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce recognizes the potential of this partnership and of CDAT to make a positive impact on our community.”
Story by Katie Jones
