Community Health Innovation Program Names Finalists, Sets Showcase Event
Mary Beth Jarvis speaking at the 2022 Community Health and Vibrancy Showcase event
Wichita, Kan. – Aug. 8, 2023 – NXTUS, Inc.’s 2023 NXTSTAGE Community Health & Vibrancy Pilot Competition, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS), today announced nine program finalists.
The competition, which attracted 128 competitors from 27 states and 11 countries, is also supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
“Kansas communities experience a wide variety of challenges ensuring equitable access to health and the drivers of health -- things like social isolation, economic stability, nutrition insecurity and more," said Virginia Barnes, Blue Health Initiatives director at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, which has sponsored the program since 2021. “We're thrilled to have these companies and their technologies identified to help us make Kansas a healthier place to live, work and play.”
Statewide pilot partners participate in the program to find innovative solutions to their community health and growth challenges. Returning 2022 pilot partners Hodgeman County Economic Development, LiveWell Northwest Kansas, Scott County Development Committee, and Thrive Allen County were joined for 2023 by Russell Hospital and the Wichita Medical Practice Association of the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
These partners will select competition winners and announce pilot projects at an Innovation Showcase on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 11:30 a.m. at Botanica, The Wichita Gardens. To attend the event, register via EventBrite.
“By pairing future-minded community organizations with leading startups and their game-changing technologies, we’re helping accelerate the pace of community health innovation in Kansas,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, NXTUS president and CEO. “When Kansas grows as a proving ground for tomorrow’s solutions, we can help our people and our communities, both rural and urban, thrive.”
The nine finalists hail from seven states, with one based in Kansas and three from Oklahoma. The program attracted very diverse competitors, with 83 percent having females or minorities on their founding teams. Of the finalists, 89 percent have ethnic minorities or females as founders.
In the past two years, 27 local and state-wide projects stemmed from this competition. These were focused on access to health care and mental health treatment, improving quality of life for seniors, management of diabetes and other chronic conditions, as well as promotion of small and micro-businesses in rural communities. The 2023 finalist group offers technology tools focused on some of these same issues, as well as ‘food as medicine,’ post-partum recovery for women, and community health workers in schools to improve health equity.
Here are the 2023 NXSTAGE Community Health & Vibrancy Finalists:
Eddii Health (New York City) offers a platform for Type 1 diabetes patients that gamifies real-time glucose data using fun, supportive and educational features that engage the user in the long run.
The GONO Food Finder (Minneapolis) app defines whether foods are good/bad for your medical conditions and wellness goals, evidenced by unbiased, peer-reviewed medical studies.
Medic All (Wichita, Kan.) is a telemedical nonprofit that offers free consultations, medical tests, and prescriptions to eliminate barriers to care.
Myri Health (Norman, Okla.) is an evidence-based postpartum resource that provides personalized rehab based on delivery type, communities for parents to connect, and tracking resources in a low-cost, mobile app format.
Pear Suite (Tulsa, Okla.) empowers community health workers and health- and social-service organizations to launch care navigation programs to meet the social and health needs of older adults.
Polco (Madison, Wisc.) helps government officials understand constituent satisfaction with public services, gather quality public input, and make better data-informed decisions.
Remble (Tulsa, Okla.) is a mental health app with courses, activities, and tools created by licensed therapists.
Serenity (Denver) brings together everyone providing care for our older adults on a single platform, to communicate, collaborate, and educate. #CareTogether
Welfie (San Diego) is a Health Equity platform delivering health and education equity to families on Medicaid via community health workers.