AHA, Happify Health Announce Partnership & More News...

RWJF Emergency Response Challenges: 250+ Phase I Applications

Thank you to all the innovators who submitted their applications to Phase I of the RWJF Emergency Response Innovation Challenges. Applications for both Challenges are now closed. We are proud to announce a record breaking number of submissions! The Health Care System Challenge received 132 applications, while the General Public Challenge received 123 applications. The entries will now be reviewed by an expert panel of judges across the payer, provider, health tech, investment, design, and emergency preparedness industries.The review panel will help select five semi-finalists per challenge to advance to Phase II of the challenge. The semi-finalists will be announced in mid-July. 

Rapid Response Open Calls: Connecting Providers to Health Tech Solutions

During COVID-19, organizations and health systems are faced with a myriad of challenges, such as insufficient supply chain, staff and resource shortages. In these uncertain times, Catalyst @ Health 2.0 is proud to collaborate with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to offer funding for health care providers with limited resources who are seeking to leverage digital health solutions through our Rapid Response Open Calls (RROCs).

RROCs are streamlined calls for applications that connect health care providers to digital health solutions. Deployed as part of Catalyst’s Health Tech Responds to COVID-19 platform, Catalyst created the RROC to address an urgent need from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Emergency Department for provider-facing, text based platforms to help healthcare professionals self-monitor symptoms of coronavirus, report burnout, and access helpful resources. Within one day, the Brigham and Women’s Health RROC was launched. In a 7-day application period, Catalyst received an overwhelmingly positive response with more than 80 quality submissions. BWH was able to evaluate the submissions through a streamlined process and 5 innovators were selected to demo their solutions to the BWH ED team. BWH began pursuing a potential partnership with one of the semi-finalists. 

Are you a health care provider with limited resources who is interested in participating in a subsidized RROC? Apply HERE for consideration. 

Happify Health Inks Partnership with AHA on Cardiovascular Digital Health Program

Happify Health, a behavioral health company, announced the launch of a digital metal health program with the American Heart Association (AHA). The program, Heart and Mind, aims to reduce stress and encourage healthy behaviors among people with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Through 10 four-week programs, users are taught stress-reduction strategies, heart-healthy eating habits, and risk factors identified by the AHA. Heart and Mind is being delivered through the company's platform for employer and health plan customers.

NSF Grants Funding to Patient Privacy Solution & More News...

UT and Vanderbilt Develop Tool to Safeguard Patient Data for COVID-19 Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $200,000 grant to researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas and Vanderbilt University Medical Center who are developing an open-source tool for COVID-19. The software aims to address security concerns behind personal-level data use and sharing as COVID-19 research continues and contact tracing apps become more widespread. Combining location data with a person’s medical history increases the risk of being able to identify patients. The tool could flag instances where data should only be shared on a restricted basis. 

Catalyst @ Health 2.0 Launches Rapid Response Open Calls (RROCs) in Response to COVID-19 

Applications for Rapid Response Open Calls (RROCs) are still OPEN! RROCs are launched on Catalyst’s Health Tech Responds to COVID-19 platform, and aim to connect health care providers with urgent needs to the digital health community. RROCs can be streamlined within days, and have the potential to support organizations, hospitals, health systems, and more to leverage health tech solutions to maximize their response to COVID-19. 

Interested in learning more about the ways we can work together to solve your organization’s needs? Click here. 

RWJF Emergency Response for the General Public Challenge: Apps Closing Soon

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is seeking digital health tools that can support the diverse needs of individuals during an emergency situation. During an emergency situation, (e.g. pandemics and outbreaks, natural disasters or severe weather, radiation and chemical spills) the public faces a deluge of information, misinformation, and recommendations. In addition, they may lack access to vital resources like health care, medications for chronic conditions, emotional support, food, and shelter. These challenges may have potentially life-threatening implications for individuals and their communities. 

Example solutions include:

• Solutions that help consumers understand clinical guidelines/recommendations during an outbreak

• Apps that connect consumers with resources (e.g. cleaning supplies, medications, testing capability) during an emergency or disaster

• Technologies that address consumers’ physical and mental well-being during and following emergencies

How the challenge works:
In Phase I, innovators submit their tech-enabled solutions addressing the challenge topic by June 12th, 2020 11:59 PM ET. Judges will evaluate the entries based on Impact, UX/UI, Innovation/Creativity, and Scalability. The top five teams will move onto Phase II.

Do you have a health tech solution that can address the obstacles faced by the general public during an emergency? Apply today! 

Announcing: Subsidized Rapid Response Open Calls

In collaboration with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Catalyst @ Health 2.0 is proud to announce funding for health care providers with limited resources and urgent needs to identify and source digital health innovation during COVID-19 through our Rapid Response Open Calls (RROC). RROCs are streamlined calls for applications that connect health care providers to digital health solutions. Deployed as part of Catalyst’s Health Tech Responds to COVID-19 platform, RROCs can be launched within days to meet the host’s needs.

Catalyst created the RROC to address an urgent need from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Emergency Department for provider-facing, text based platforms to help healthcare professionals self-monitor symptoms of coronavirus, report burnout, and access helpful resources. Within one day, the Brigham and Women’s Health RROC was launched. In a 7-day application period, Catalyst received an overwhelmingly positive response with more than 80 quality submissions. BWH was able to evaluate the submissions through a streamlined process and 5 innovators were selected to demo their solutions to the BWH ED team. BWH began pursuing a potential partnership with one of the semi-finalists. 

If you are a healthcare provider with limited resources during COVID-19 (e.g. FQHCs, community health centers, etc.), apply for a subsidized RROC HERE! 

Google Under Fire for Use of Health Data & More News

Google Collected Personal Health Data for R&D

This week, it was revealed that Google has been working with Ascension, the second largest health system in the country, on a program dubbed “Project Nightingale” since early 2018. The tech giant has been collecting and analyzing Ascension patients’ personal health data across 21 states. Google and Ascension undertook the project to develop a tool that uses machine learning and AI to aggregate health data in one place, streamlining one of the main hassles of EHRs. While Google Cloud’s President Tariq Shaukat assured the public that patient data will not be combined with Google consumer data, Project Nightingale adds to growing concerns surrounding privacy and data sharing in digital health -- concerns that have prompted a federal inquiry into the project by The Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services.

AI May Accurately Predict Risk of Death in AFib Patients

Researchers from Geisinger Health System have found that artificial intelligence technology was able to accurately identify patients at risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib) and predict risk of death. The AI was trained through analysis of 30 years of electrocardiogram results and was able to identify at-risk patients more accurately than doctors interpreting test results normally. The results join a larger trend of technologies being developed to monitor heart arrhythmias such as AFib, with the hope that early intervention will lessen the risk of clotting, stroke, and heart failure for patients.

Announcing GuideWell’s 2020 Scale Up Accelerator: Aging in Place

GuideWell is proud to announce the 2020 Scale Up Accelerator: Aging in Place. With research suggesting that seniors are happier and healthier when they remain in their homes instead of assisted care facilities, GuideWell is sourcing solutions that empower seniors to maintain active and healthy lifestyles, while reducing the burden on their family members and caregivers.

10 health tech companies focused on senior care initiatives will be chosen to participate in an eight week accelerator program that will run from January 23rd, 2020 - March 9th, 2020, culminating in an invaluable Investor Matchmaking Showcase. 

If you have a solution that improves the overall physical and emotional wellness of seniors across the nation, here’s why you should participate:

• Access to GuideWell’s national network of experienced health/wellness experts and technology entrepreneurs as mentors

• Access to health care organizations within Orlando’s Lake Nona medical city and other health care organizations as customer prospects

• Curated 2-day boot camp followed by a series of virtual workshops that focus on challenges in health care industry customer acquisition, regulatory compliance and other health care specific business topics

• Opportunity to present at GuideWell’s curated heath tech investor matchmaking event

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity! Applications close December 8th, 2019. https://guidewellinnovation.com/guidewell-scale-up-accelerator

The Future of Smartphones: Detecting Norovirus with an App & More News

The Future of Smartphones: Detecting Norovirus with an App

A research team from the University of Arizona is developing a way to detect norovirus in water sources with a smartphone. In the test, the researchers soak paper in a water sample before adding antibodies against the virus that are labeled with fluorescent material. They then use a camera attached to a smartphone to take a picture of the paper and an app to analyze the fluorescent patterns of the antibodies. The researchers’ findings show that the smartphone app is able to detect norovirus at very low concentrations.

Although further research is needed, the test’s ability to detect small amounts of norovirus is significant because just 10 virus particles can make a person sick. Norovirus is responsible for a staggering 700 million cases of gastroenteritis, over 200,000 deaths, and over $60 billion in associated costs each year. This test highlights the increasing diagnostic role that digital tools like smartphones are playing in the health sector --- from patient monitoring to virus detection, innovative solutions are becoming integral players in the effort to make care accessible and intelligent.

Smart Devices Venture Into Chronic Illness Monitoring

Health care organizations are partnering with innovators to invest in personalized smart monitoring for individuals with chronic illnesses. For example, Myia Health has closed a $10 million financing round with Mercy Virtual, the digital arm of the Mercy Health hospital chain, to monitor patients with congestive heart failure and track their early symptoms through Myia’s technology suite.

Myia Health is not the only innovator focused on chronic illnesses. Fitbit executives recently announced a one-on-one coaching service to be rolled out in 2020 to help consumers manage chronic conditions like diabetes. In addition, wearables from Apple and Biobeat offer heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep habit tracking of patients at home. Health care organizations and innovators alike, are exploring the effects of personalized monitoring and home-based care on patient recovery and resilience.

Health Care Survey Results Highlight Major Gaps in Cybersecurity

Since 2017, the health care industry has seen a string of cyberattacks, from the the WannaCry ransomware attack in May 2017 to a recent data breach at Presbyterian Health Services that exposed 183,000 patients’ data. While internet-connected devices provide high levels of utility and connectivity, they are also at a high risk for cyberattacks due to their software vulnerabilities. Irdeto, a security software company, surveyed 700 security decision makers across health care, transportation, and manufacturing industries in 5 countries. It found that 8 out of 10 health care organizations have experienced an IoT-focused cyberattack in the past year. Across all 3 industries that the survey targeted, operational downtime (43%) is the most common impact of a cyberattack, followed by compromised customer data (52%) and brand or reputational damage (31%). The results of this survey indicate that organizations are aware that such vulnerabilities exist, but they do not have the infrastructure to anticipate and deal with such attacks. To address organizational network vulnerabilities, organizations need to invest in cybersecurity strategies that incorporate all connected devices on a given network.

RWJF Innovation Challenges Finalists

Finalists for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Home & Community Based Care and Social Determinants of Health Innovation Challenges will compete live on September 16th!

Home & Community Based Care Innovation Challenge Finalists

• Heal

• Ooney

• Wizeview

Social Determinants of Health Innovation Challenge Finalists

• Community Resource Network

• Open City Labs

• Social Impact AI Lab - New York

The three finalists from each challenge will compete in a Live Pitch on September 16th, from 2:30-4:30pm, at this year’s Health 2.0 Conference in Santa Clara, CA. They will demo their technology in front of a captivated audience of health care professionals, investors, provider organizations, and members of the media. The first place winners will be featured on the Conference Main Stage, September 17th at 3:15pm. Winners will be awarded $40,000 for first place, $25,000 for second place, and $10,000 for third place.