IBM Tackles COVID-19 Supply Chain & More News...

IBM Launches Blockchain Network to Mitigate Supply Shortages amidst COVID-19

IBM has launched the IBM Rapid Supplier Connect. The blockchain-based network aims to help government agencies and health care organizations identify new, non-traditional suppliers who have pivoted to address the shortage of equipment, devices, and supplies needed for COVID-19. It is free to buyers and suppliers in the U.S. and Canada until August 31st, 2020.The tech company’s response comes amidst the dire shortage of critical goods needed to protect front line workers as againstCOVID-19. Hospitals and organizations such as Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider, and The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation, are joining the network. 

Fruit Street Health Launches Telehealth Platform for COVID-19

The diabetes prevention digital health company Fruit Street Health has launched CovidMD, a risk assessment, triage, and telemedicine platform. CovidMD’s fully automated virtual care platform connects patients to healthcare providers and supports live video chat. It allows providers to share education materials, keep detailed patient data, and record session notes. CovidMD plans to integrate Conversa Health’s automated virtual care and communications platform, which will engage patients throughout the site. CovidMD also plans to expand its services to patients across the U.S.

Act Fast—Apply to GW’s COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative

In 10 days, applications are closing for GuideWell’s COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative. As a health solutions company, GuideWell is committed to helping discover and source innovative technology solutions that have the potential to alleviate some of the health care challenges people in communities face during public health emergencies. The collaborative is seeking to connect diverse innovative health technology companies across the U.S. in response to the coronavirus.

Do you have an innovative solution in response to COVID-19? GuideWell wants to hear from you! Apply here. Applications close May 8th, 2020. 

Calling Health Tech Companies: GuideWell is Seeking Solutions against COVID-19

GuideWell has launched the COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative to identify and support solutions that can immediately increase the scope and scale of resources aimed at reducing the complex stress factors COVID-19 is bringing to bear on the U.S. health system.

There will be five categories of focus under this collaborative, and proposed solutions must directly address at least one of these categories:

●     Home based self-testing solutions for the COVID-19 virus

●     Virtual, in-home care solutions for at-risk populations that have limited access to health care services

●     Solutions that reduce risk for health care providers in clinical settings, including approaches for increasing protection of clinical staff

●     Solutions focused on reducing social isolation due to COVID-19 diagnosis or social distancing

●     Solutions for delivering food and urgently needed supplies to at-risk populations and households with COVID-19 exposure or symptoms

The COVID-19 Collaborative’s overarching objective is to source a diverse portfolio of innovative companies that collectively have the potential to respond to the pandemic in the above categories. For each category, a cohort of 3-5 companies will be selected to work together to create a connected, high impact approach to addressing the program category.

If you are an innovator, health tech entrepreneur or researcher with a solution in response to #COVID19, apply today!

Deadline to apply: May 8th, 2020.

Mayo Clinic Launches Contact Tracing Tool & More News

Update: Catalyst’s Rapid Response Open Call for BWH Emergency Department

In response to the pandemic, Catalyst’s Health Tech Responds to COVID-19 platform is supporting the deployment of Rapid Response Open Calls (RROCs) that connect healthcare providers with immediate needs to the digital health community. Catalyst created the RROC after an emergency physician from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Emergency Department engaged Catalyst, citing an urgent request for provider-facing, text based platforms that can help healthcare professionals self-monitor symptoms of coronavirus, report burnout, and access helpful resources. 

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. We are proud to announce the following finalists:

• CAREMINDr: CAREMINDr is a remote monitoring system using cell phones. The customizable app includes programmable buttons and links phone numbers to create direct connections to care resources.

• Prime Dimensions: Prime Dimensions' Visolyr is a SMART-on-FHIR app that evaluates likelihood of burnout, monitors COVID-19 symptoms, and provides access to helpful resources. 

• Resilient ag: RestArt is a Cloud AI that monitors biometric, behavioral and user input data and measures stress levels. In addition, resilient ag collects biometric data such as body temperature for physiological signal monitoring.

• Rose: Smarter Mental Health: Rose offers a HIPAA-compliant, AI-driven health platform that uses smart, remote monitoring and patient self-help tools to improve engagement and care continuity outside in-person sessions.

• Sudo Technologies: Sudo Technologies has a text-based workflow platform that allows you to easily design and deploy workflows that collect user input and push the results to existing systems of record. 

To learn more about Catalyst-supported RROCs, or if you are interested in working together, please visit our Open Calls page. 

Mayo Clinic Develops Digital Tool for COVID-19 Contact Tracing

A team at Mayo Clinic has developed a digital tool that utilizes EHR data, non-clinical information and contact tracing resources to identify employees exposed to COVID-19. The digital toolset can identify COVID-19 exposures “within an average of two hours of a confirmed case,” identify and notify the presumed chain of exposure, and send them an email questionnaire to further determine their exposure to COVID-19. The tool is intended to support current efforts to flatten the curve, as contact tracing initiatives help map the individual and community spread of the novel coronavirus. First deployed in Minnesota, Mayo Clinic is preparing to roll out the digital tool at its Florida and Arizona campuses. 

GuideWell Launches COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative

GuideWell has launched the COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative, an initiative that seeks to connect diverse innovative health technology companies across the U.S., in response to the coronavirus. This Collaborative is focused on addressing critical risk areas facing health care professionals and staff, homebound COVID-19 patients/families, and the larger social issues arising from the social distancing mandates across the nation. 

Eligible companies must meet ONE of the following criteria:

● Earned a minimum of $1 million in 2019 revenues
● Raised a minimum of $2 million in equity capital AND can provide proof of live customer pilots with tangible results

Do you have a solution that can assist healthcare workers on the frontlines? Apply today! 

Announcing the Finalists of GuideWell's Caring for Caregivers Challenge

GuideWell, in collaboration with Catalyst @ Health 2.0, is excited to announce the finalists of the Caring for Caregivers Challenge! GuideWell sought organizations with programs, platforms, technology systems or services that enable family caregivers to provide in-home care of adult family members and improve the quality of life for both caregivers and care recipients.

$50,000 was awarded to the Caring for Caregivers Challenge finalists:

Carallel, LLC (Lake Forest, Ill.): Through the use of a digital platform, Carallel provides tools and personal guidance to help caregivers manage their caregiving responsibilities in one place. “MyCareDesk” is a fully-integrated support system that assists caregivers with planning and coordinating tasks and accessing resources across a range of topics including senior living, in-home care, health, wealth and lifestyle.

Embodied Labs (Los Angeles): Using a virtual reality (VR) training platform designed for family caregivers, care partners or anyone providing support to care recipients, Embodied Labs simulates what it is like to live with certain health conditions. The immersive technology provides a unique learning experience that allows caregivers to experience life from the perspective of someone in need of caregiving.

LifePod Solutions, Inc (Boston): LifePod is a proactive voice caregiving service that monitors and supports older adults in their homes and provides real-time alerts, daily reports and peace of mind to caregivers. Through the use of a smart speaker, LifePod can be set up and controlled by a remote caregiver using an intuitive, online portal to configure and schedule check-ins, reminders and virtual companionship.

TCARE, Inc (St. Louis): The evidence-based IT software system is designed to delay nursing home placement, reduce caregiver burnout and help family caregivers keep their loved ones at home longer. Through a cloud-based management system, TCare provides care planning tools, assessments, community resource links and decision-making software to support informal caregivers and help reduce caregiving stress.

These amazing teams successfully completed the competition’s “testing phase” and will now proceed to the three month “validation phase” where they will work with GuideWell to conduct external market testing or validation of their approaches. Participants that successfully demonstrate the capability to scale their solution with a large population of caregivers will be awarded an additional $50,000 and up to two finalists may have the opportunity to pilot their solution with GuideWell.

Congratulations to the GuideWell Caring for Caregivers Challenge finalists and best of luck as you continue with the competition!

Applications for GuideWell’s Scale Up Accelerator Closing Soon!

There are only a few days remaining to apply for GuideWell’s 2020 Accelerator: Aging in Place! The program is seeking innovative, easy-to-use solutions that enable seniors to improve overall physical and emotional wellness, connect seniors to their communities, and increase the affordability and accessibility of health care for seniors that are economically challenged or cared for by a working family member.

10 health technology companies or innovators will have the incredible opportunity to participate in an eight week accelerator program that consists of a two-day kickoff boot camp, followed by weekly mentoring sessions and a series of virtual workshops that focus on challenges in the health care industry (e.g. customer acquisition, regulatory compliance, etc.).The program begins January 23rd, 2020 and will culminate in a curated Investor Matchmaking Showcase at GuideWell’s Innovation Center in Orlando, FL., on March 9th, 2020.

Cohort Company Criteria:

Eligible companies must meet GuideWell’s minimum “Scale Up” requirements. A Scale Up is a growing technology startup that has clear traction in its chosen marketplace. Traction can be demonstrated by one or more of the following:

• A minimum of $500,000 in revenues

• $500,000 in seed capital raised

• Verifiable (reference required) customer pilots

• Accelerating product adoption (especially for consumer-focused solutions)

If you are an innovator with a next-generation solution, apply today! https://guidewellinnovation.com/guidewell-scale-up-accelerator/

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

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

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of American seniors will grow to over 71 million by 2030. To address critical problems that the growing elder population faces, GuideWell is hosting a health and wellness accelerator program for companies and innovators focused on senior care. GuideWell’s Scale Up Accelerator: Aging in Place is seeking solutions that provide affordable, accessible health care or holistic solutions for diverse aging populations.

10 companies will be selected to participate in an exciting eight week program that consists of a two-day kickoff boot camp, followed by weekly mentoring sessions and a series of virtual workshops that focus on challenges in the health care industry (e.g. customer acquisition, regulatory compliance, etc.).

Cohort Company Criteria:

Eligible companies must meet GuideWell’s minimum “Scale Up” requirements. A Scale Up is a growing technology startup that has clear traction in its chosen marketplace. Traction can be demonstrated by one or more of the following:

• A minimum of $500,000 in revenues

• $500,000 in seed capital raised

• Verifiable (reference required) customer pilots

• Accelerating product adoption (especially for consumer-focused solutions)

The program will run from January 23rd, 2019-March 9th, 2020, culminating in a curated Investor Matchmaking Showcase in Orlando, FL., where companies have the opportunity to showcase their innovative technologies to potential investors.

If you have a health technology that can enable seniors to “Age in Place,” apply today! The deadline to apply for this amazing opportunity is December 8th, 2019.

https://guidewellinnovation.com/guidewell-scale-up-accelerator

Amazon Looks to Disrupt the Health Care Market & More News

Amazon Looks to Disrupt the Health Care Market with Launch of AmazonCare

Amazon is continuing to deepen its reach into the health care market. This September, Amazon announced the launch of the pilot program AmazonCare, a service for their Seattle-based employees to have virtual doctor appointments, schedule house calls, and refill prescriptions. The program is made possible by a collaboration with Oasis Medical Group, who is providing the physicians for the program (distancing Amazon from access to its employees’ medical information). AmazonCare hopes to cut costs and streamline access to care. It follows on the heels of a partnership with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway, which created Haven Healthcare, a medical insurance for employees. In addition, Amazon recently acquired Pillpack, an online pharmacy that directly competes with giants like CVS and Walgreens. If AmazonCare proves to be successful, Amazon may choose to expand the program to help improve patient care for their employees across the country.

Deadline for Pilot Opportunity is October 7th!

CalMHSA is seeking technological solutions that address a county-shared need of increasing access to mental health services to a variety of target populations. Apply now to be part of a multi-year innovation project that will assess and pilot virtual mental health care solutions. A RFSQ (Request for Statement of Qualifications) will need to be completed by interested companies that have the capacity to meet one of more of the following criteria:

• Implement technology-based mental health solutions accessed through multiple platforms (for example, computer, smartphone, etc.) to identify and engage individuals

• Provide automated screening and assessments

• Improve access to mental health and supportive services focused on prevention, early intervention, family support, social connectedness peer support

• Decreased use of psychiatric hospitals and emergency services

The multi-year innovation project will consist of an open application period (September 12th – October 7th, 2019) and a subsequent pilot period that allows the opportunity for vendors to be added to the Help@Hand Product Portfolio. If you have a digital technology that has the potential to save lives and serve the mental health needs of Californians, you have less than 5 days to apply!

Showcase Your Health Approach and Apply to GuideWell's Caring for Caregivers Challenge

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, there were more than 43 million adults in the United States who provided unpaid care to a family member in 2015. People or families who actively provide long-term care for aging, chronically ill or disabled adult family members face a broad array of challenges within their daily lives. These challenges include stress, burnout, financial burdens, career sacrifices, sleep deprivation, depression, isolation and lack of privacy.

GuideWell is diligently tackling these issues with help from health innovators through the new Caring for Caregivers Challenge. The challenge is open to for-profit and non-profit organizations that demonstrate the ability to develop and sustainably deploy innovative, scalable approaches that support family caregivers and improve their ability to care for loved ones. Applications close on Nov. 15, 2019.

For more details, see: https://guidewellinnovation.com/health-innovation-challenge

Calling All Superheroes: Apply to the Life Summit 2019

The AI LA Community (AI LA), a California non-profit comprised of 5,000+ cross-disciplinary stakeholders is hosting their inaugural invite-only Life Summit on October 17th with Innovate Pasadena (IP) at Caltech during Connect Week. This invitation-only Summit at Caltech has been designed for health system leaders—including health care experts, data scientists, med-tech startups, civic service providers and researchers—to work together with successful, passionate professionals from a variety of industries.

The Summit will include facilitated breakout sessions, during which Pasadena ArtCenter students will help visualize and align insights, questions and conversations using design-methodologies.The goal is to develop actionable recommendations in a short period of time while also developing a plethora of new ideas and insights individuals can bring back to their own organization.

This is an opportunity for you to learn how health care systems are thinking about their problems, add value with your expertise while participating in a working group, and meet other like-minded professionals.

Apply here by October 10th!

Announcing GuideWell's Caring for Caregivers Challenge

Caregivers who  care for aging, ill and disabled adult family members face a broad array of challenges within their daily lives. These challenges include stress, burnout, financial burdens, career sacrifices, sleep deprivation, depression, isolation, and lack of privacy. GuideWell believes it “takes a village” to sustainably support family caregivers, and that single point solutions are typically not broad enough to provide comprehensive relief to family caregivers.

GuideWell, in collaboration with Catalyst @ Health 2.0, is excited to announce the Caring for Caregivers Challenge -- a Health Innovation Challenge that seeks companies or non-profits with programs, platforms, technology systems or services that have the potential to eliminate critical challenges family caregivers face. Comprehensive approaches should connect caregivers to resources, technologies, corporate benefits, and community networks to help them with their unique personal health and wellness needs. Approaches should serve:

1. Family caregivers caring for family members over the age of 65

2. Family caregivers caring for partners or adult children under the age of 65 who  are mentally disabled, permanently homebound due to a physical disability, terminally ill or who suffer from Alzheimer’s, congestive heart & pulmonary disease, cancer, and/or stroke.

The Caring for Caregivers Challenge is open to for-profit and non-profit organizations that earned a minimum of $250,000 in 2018 revenues. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their ability to develop and sustainably deploy innovative, scalable approaches that support the mental, social and economic health of family caregivers and improve their ability to care for loved ones.

In order to increase the scope and scale of support resources for family caregivers, applicants may consist of a team of diverse organizations that come together to jointly develop novel, scalable approaches. Team-based applicants must include at least two established corporate/non-profit entities on a team that jointly earned a minimum of $500,000 in 2018 revenues.

Key Benefits for Participants

●     Potential to win up to $100,000 in non-dilutive funding to further expand your solution

●     Ability to form strategic partnerships that result in a comprehensive approach that addresses multiple facets of family-based caregiving

●     Opportunity to pilot your solution in partnership with GuideWell

●     Access to mentors and subject matter experts in the health care industry

●     No cost or equity requirements to participate (other than travel to program activities)

●     Opportunity for potential industry PR and exposure in print, TV and digital marketing outlets

Applications are open! To learn more and apply, see: https://guidewellinnovation.com/health-innovation-challenge/

Announcing the GuideWell Matchmaking Summit

 GuideWell Innovation, in collaboration with Catalyst @ Health 2.0, is thrilled to announce the opening of applications for the GuideWell Matchmaking Summit - a new corporate/investor matchmaking event hosted at the GuideWell Innovation Center in Orlando, FL on August 29-30, 2019.

This exciting opportunity connects established healthcare organizations and investors with growing health technology companies. Through professionally curated meetings, the event is designed to encourage synergistic relationships while promoting the testing, commercialization, financing and adoption of innovative digital health tools. Meetings are arranged based on participating organizations’ needs and areas of expertise, allowing for the cultivation of diverse partnership opportunities between digital health innovators, healthcare corporations, and investors that support the growing digital health ecosystem. 

The GuideWell Matchmaking Summit is a 2-day event that will be held at the GuideWell Innovation Center in Orlando, FL. The first day of the Summit will be a corporate matchmaking opportunity for invited scale up health technology companies to meet with healthcare organizations that are qualified customer prospects. participants will have a series of meetings that are arranged based on “matched” areas of focus. Innovators will have the opportunity to demo their technology, detail their value proposition, and discuss business avenues with potential partners. Concurrently, healthcare leaders can identify up-and-coming digital health products to utilize at their organizations.

The second day of the Summit will be an investor showcase/matchmaking event for invited health technology scale ups to connect with a national network of venture capitalists. Scale up health technology companies will be competitively selected to attend the Summit based on customer/investor fit with attending corporations and investors.  

Key Benefits for Participants

Corporations

●      Concise meetings with vetted innovators to maximize time efficiency

●      Source pilot ready solutions that fit your needs

●      Identify investment opportunities

●      Opportunity to discuss goals and potentially form partnerships

 Innovators

●      Impactful meetings with key healthcare stakeholders

●      Chance to pitch your product and receive valuable feedback

●      Opportunity to build commercial partnerships with established leaders

●      Network with a variety of health tech innovators and prominent professionals

Investors

●      Pre-vetted portfolio of scale up health tech companies with proven traction

●      Ability to conduct short introductory meetings in an optimized format

●      Opportunity to network with peer health tech investors from across the U.S.

●      Chance to connect with network of healthcare corporate executives

How it Works

Please join us on August 29-30, 2019 to be part of this exciting opportunity! The deadline for applications is Monday, July 22, 2019 at 11:59pm ET. Event details and online applications are available at https://guidewellinnovation.com/matchmaking-summit/.

New GuideWell Innovation Scale Up Accelerator Program

GuideWell Innovation, in collaboration with Springboard Enterprises, is hosting an exciting new 10-week Scale Up Accelerator program for women-founded health tech companies (or those with at least one female key executive) located in the Southeastern US (FL, GA, AL, MS, LA, NC, SC, KY, TN). Because both women-led startups and the South East are lagging in access and closure of venture capital, this unique cohort is dedicated to accelerating the growth and financing of companies within these demographics.

The program will run from Jun 26th – Aug 30th and includes a kickoff boot camp (June 26th – 28th) at the GuideWell Innovation Center in Orlando, FL. Most of the program will be conducted virtually other than the 3-day kickoff boot camp and a innovator/investor matchmaking showcase at the end of August. During weeks 2-9, the cohort companies will be matched with various advisors and are expected to connect with advisors every week. In addition, each week will incorporate a virtual 2-hour workshop/collaboration session led by subject matter experts on key challenge topics faced by most early-stage health tech companies.

Required criteria for the cohort:

• Company must be a health, wellness or medical device technology company that addresses critical gaps in providing affordable, accessible health care or holistic health/wellness solutions for diverse populations and communities in the United States

• Life sciences companies are NOT eligible for this cohort

• Women founders or key executives must own a minimum of 25% of the company’s equity

• The company must be headquartered and have a minimum of 50% of its staff located in the Southeastern US (FL, GA, AL, MS, LA, NC, SC, TN, KY)

• Can show proof of “Scale Up” traction through revenues, capital raised, customer acquisition, and product development (see below)

• Addressing a huge market opportunity in the U.S. healthcare, holistic health or wellness industry

Scale Up traction:

Eligible companies must meet GuideWell’s minimum “Scale Up” requirements. A Scale Up company is a growing technology startup with verifiable traction in its chosen marketplace. Traction may be different based on the company’s chosen market, but is typically demonstrated by one or more of the following:

• A minimum of $500,000 in revenues

• A minimum of $500,000 in seed capital raised

• Patents in place for unique digital innovation or medical devices

• FDA approval process underway for products requiring FDA approval

• Verifiable (reference required) customer pilots

• Accelerating product adoption (especially for consumer-focused solutions)

GuideWell is partnering with Springboard Enterprises, a nationally recognized accelerator for women-led, high growth, scalable businesses. Since launching its first program in 2000, Springboard has worked with 735 women who have raised $8.5B in capital and drove companies to 17 IPOs and 185 M&A exits. They bring forward a deep, highly experienced mentor network to help support this cohort and provide incredible industry expertise.

Act quickly! The deadline to apply is Friday May 31st 2019. Program details and the online application portal are available at: https://guidewellinnovation.com/guidewell-scale-up-accelerator/.