InnoCentive Launches Global Health Pavilion With First Challenge on Improving the U.S. Healthcare System
InnoCentive, Inc., the leader in prize based innovation, today announced the launch of the Global Health Pavilion, a new section of the InnoCentive Open Innovation Marketplace featuring Challenges in search of creative solutions to problems that affect the health and well-being of people across the planet. One of the Pavilion’s first health dedicated Challenges is the ChangeNow4Health Ideation Challenge, seeking ideas for improving the U.S. health care system for a cash award of USD $10,000.
News Highlights
— InnoCentive has launched the Global Health Pavilion to introduce their community of more than 140,000 Solvers to Challenges directly affecting the well-being of the world’s population that will provide rewards starting at $5,000.
— The Global Health Pavilion follows in the successful footsteps of the “Accelerating Innovation for Development” Pavilion, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation.
— Founded by Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), ChangeNow4Health is an open coalition committed to improving the way consumers receive, and the industry delivers and administers health care services
— The coalition seeks to incubate, expand and make available solutions that are working in one part of the industry and can bring positive change to others.
— For a Solution to be considered, the idea must be able to be implemented quickly and effectively. This is an Ideation Challenge so creativity and common sense qualify Solvers to participate.
— There is a guaranteed award of $10,000 that will be paid to the best submission(s), determined by the Seeker, the ChangeNow4Health Coalition. The Seeker can choose to pay the award in full to one Solver or split the award between multiple submissions. No single award will be less than $1000.
— The deadline to submit an idea for this challenge is July 23, 2008.
— Winners will be announced by Aug. 31, 2008. Humana will consider the possibility of a joint venture to incubate the winning idea and bring it to reality through the company’s Innovation Center.
Executive Quotes
“We have come a long way in the area of health advancements and we have made a great deal of progress in ways we never thought possible. Despite this, much of the world is still in the midst of a health crisis, with the AIDS epidemic spreading and a shocking number of the global population lacking access to basic healthcare resources. InnoCentive’s mission is to contribute to the discovery of Solutions to important global Challenges and the creation of the Global Health Pavilion represents our commitment to uncovering innovations to help those most in need.”
— Dwayne Spradlin, CEO, InnoCentive Inc.
“Our health care system is seriously dysfunctional and it’s time we all come together and do something about it. The U.S. spent almost $2.2 trillion in 2007(1), but we are not seeing corresponding improvements in quality of care. ChangeNow4Health is designed to be an online, real-time catalyst and clearinghouse that action-oriented individuals can use to propose solutions and start solving problems now.”
— Dr. Jacque Sokolov, a nationally recognized health care consultant and one of ChangeNow4Health’s founding partners
About ChangeNow4Health
ChangeNow4Health is an open coalition committed to improving the nation’s health care system through the facilitation of action. The coalition is made up of like-minded individuals and organizations who have come together to share best practices and develop solutions to address the issues our system faces. The goal of ChangeNow4Health is to improve the way consumers receive, and the industry delivers and administers healthcare services by implementing solutions that can have a positive impact today.
About InnoCentive
Founded in 2001, InnoCentive built the first global web community for open innovation, enabling scientists, engineers, professionals and entrepreneurs to collaborate to deliver breakthrough solutions for R&D-driven organizations. InnoCentive Seekers, who collectively spend billions of dollars on R&D, submit complex problems to the InnoCentive Marketplace where more than 140,000 engineers, scientists, inventors, business people, and research organizations in more than 175 countries are invited to solve them. Solvers who deliver the most innovative solutions receive financial awards ranging up to US$1,000,000. InnoCentive’s Seekers include commercial, government and non-profit organizations such as Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen, Solvay, GlobalGiving and The Rockefeller Foundation.
For more information on InnoCentive, go to: www.innocentive.com.
InnoCentive and InnoCentive Challenge are registered trademarks of InnoCentive, Inc. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
(1) “Health Spending Projections Through 2017: The Baby-Boom Generation is Coming to Medicare,” Health Affairs 27, no. 2 (2008): w145-w155 (published online 26 February 2008)
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For More Information contact: Jessica Devaney or Carole Hutchinson Email Contact 617-431-1020
SOURCE: InnoCentive