AHA Announces Winners of Inaugural Innovation Challenge

The AHA today announced that Parkview Health of Fort Wayne, IN; University of Pennsylvania Health System of Philadelphia; and West Tennessee Healthcare of Jackson, TN are the winners of AHA’s inaugural Innovation Challenge. “The AHA Innovation Challenge was a unique opportunity for teams from AHA member hospitals and health systems to share creative approaches for integrated care delivery redesign and financing targeted to populations with complex needs,” said AHA Chair-elect Brian Gragnolati, president and CEO of Atlantic Health System, during today’s award presentation. AHA received 91 submissions, and Parkview Health won the first-place $100,000 prize for its technology-enabled on-demand support care model for addiction recovery that addressed a vulnerable population of opioid use disorder patients in Northeast Indiana. University of Pennsylvania Health System won the second-place $25,000 prize for its “Heart Safe Motherhood,” which presented a thoughtful, patient-centered, innovative approach that leveraged technology and redefined the role of obstetrical providers to drive better outcomes for women with pregnancy-related and chronic hypertension in the immediate post-partum period. The third-place winner of a $15,000 prize was West Tennessee Healthcare whose submission with Pathways Behavioral Health identified several co-dependent issues that significantly impact medical and mental health, well-being, community economics and resources, and developed an innovative collaborative solution.