NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Business Alliance and two of the region’s largest healthcare organizations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana(BCBSLA) and Ochsner Health System, announced they are seeking new partners to address critical behavioral health needs for their customers.Â
The team is currently accepting applications for the 2020 New Orleans Health Innovators Challenges. The Health Innovators Challenge is a nationwide call for startups to offer solutions to significant healthcare problems. Applicants compete to win cash prizes, opportunities to pilot programs in some of the region’s largest medical institutions, and in-kind donations. Applications must be submitted online at www.nolaba.org/challenge by Jan. 15, 2020.
This year’s challenge is to develop a targeted intervention addressing social isolation in the aging adult population. In just 10 years, the number of people in the United States age 65 and older increased from 37.2 million to 52 million. With more seniors choosing to age in place and live alone, addressing the prevalence of social isolation has become a global health priority.
“Growth stage companies need talent, funding capital and customers as they make their case to investors and strategic partners. The Health Innovators Challenge directly addresses the funding capital and customer validation needs,” said Quentin L. Messer., Jr., president and CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance. “With Blue Cross and Ochsner Health System, we are proud to invite the world’s leading entrepreneurs focused on behavioral health to present their solutions here in New Orleans and begin to transform lives globally, using New Orleans as a launching pad.”
Additional challenges presented by Tulane Health System, Lafayette General Health, LCMC Health’s New Orleans East Hospital, Tulane University, the City of New Orleans Health Department and the Claiborne Corridor Cultural Innovation District can be found at www.nolaba.org/challenge.
The New Orleans Health Innovators Challenge was created in 2017 by the New Orleans Business Alliance, Blue Cross and Ochsner Health System to drive healthcare innovation and investment in New Orleans by creating a community where doctors, patients, nurses, hospital leaders, scientists, designers and leaders can collaborate, connect and co-create the future of medicine for New Orleans and beyond.
