Innovation is a core skill of great entrepreneurs. To innovate is to look at the status quo and find a better way. The innovation might be a new or improved product or service, or it could be a new market or method of production. Successful entrepreneurs see an opportunity to create value in marketplace through innovation and execute on it. It is easy to complain about the problems in business; however, innovators take action. They are creative and think through how to navigate through the challenges and find opportunities.

In this column, I have suggested in prior articles that I believe that one of Mississippi’s greatest assets and opportunities is its health care industry. In the complex world of health care today, it is easy to just want to “throw in the towel.” Medical providers face cutbacks and regulatory uncertainty. Again, in these challenges lies the heart of opportunity. Dr. Robert L. Harris is a specialist physician practicing in Jackson as well as creative entrepreneur whose innovations continue to have a positive impact on women’s health both in Mississippi and around the country.