Oracle Health and Children's National
Hospital's annual Bear PACK competition helps advance pediatric
digital health innovation, adoption, and access
AUSTIN,
Texas, Feb. 1,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle Health and Children's
National Hospital announced the winners of the third annual Bear
Institute Pediatric Accelerator Challenge for Kids (Bear PACK), a
start-up competition aimed at fostering digital health innovation
for children. The winners – Bend Health Inc., Kismet Health,
RareCareNow, and Thynk Inc. – were recognized across four
innovation tracks for their efforts to improve child health
outcomes, enhance the care experience for patients, families, and
clinicians, and reduce the cost of care for patients and health
systems.
With more than 250 standalone pediatric hospitals in the U.S.
today, there is a significant opportunity for pediatric care
technology startups to overcome unique funding and go-to-market
challenges, more successfully build and sustain their businesses,
and have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of children
and their families.
"Bear PACK includes the entire pediatric healthcare community to
help close the gap in innovative solutions dedicated to helping
children," said Jessica Herstek,
M.D., chief medical information officer, Children's National
Hospital. "Together, Oracle Health and Children's National Hospital
are helping startups accelerate innovation and technology adoption
by showcasing new products and connecting mission-driven
entrepreneurs with pediatric healthcare providers and
administrators."
"Working with Children's National Hospital, we're continuing to
make meaningful progress on bringing more digital health solutions
for kids to market, helping to improve pediatric patient experience
and health outcomes globally," said Nasim
Afsar, M.D., M.B.A., M.H.M., senior vice president and chief
health officer, Oracle Health. "With less than one percent of
global digital health funding being allocated for children's
health1, the Bear PACK challenge has never felt
more important or needed."
The 2023 winners in each category are:
- Early-State Innovation: RareCareNow
Using a telehealth platform, RareCareNow is
helping patients who have been diagnosed and are seeking
treatment for rare and genomic diseases in the U.S.
With molecular diagnostics integrated earlier
in the care process, patients can more quickly identify and
connect with a specialist using RareCareNow's network
of physicians providing care specific to their
needs. Patients will not only receive genetic
counseling and treatment plans but will have a long-term
provider for ongoing care coordination and
symptom management.
Alexander
Katz, chief medical officer and co-founder,
RareCareNow
"Our goal is to reimagine how genomic
medicine is practiced by bringing cutting edge
molecular diagnostics into the care process as early as
possible, and then providing ongoing care and
coordination for all patients so they can benefit from their
genomic results. We're improving access to care for patients with
genomic and rare diseases, and in doing so we can ease the
uncertainty of the diagnosis and the diagnostic
odyssey. By embracing telehealth and technology, we will
empower patients and families to be proactive in their own
care."
- Concept Validation: Kismet Health
Designed by and for providers, Kismet Health's pediatric virtual
care platform offers a digital playspace that allows
clinicians to communicate with patients through their language of
play, increasing overall patient engagement and
effectiveness. Kismet's collaborative care technology allows
providers to bring healthcare access to families where and when
they need it most, allowing for longitudinal care throughout the
entire year and more equitable outcomes.
Christie
Sander, co-founder, president and COO, Kismet Health
"It's an honor to be selected for this
innovative program with like-minded individuals who are also
passionate about revolutionizing the future of pediatric
healthcare. Kismet has launched with digital health companies
and smaller clinics, with the goal now to integrate with EHRs like
Oracle Health's to expand to children's hospitals, health systems,
and government programs – ultimately meeting families where they
are and closing the gap in care access."
- Early Commercialization: Thynk Inc.
Thynk developed an immersive game designed to help children
improve cognitive skills and overall mental wellness in a safe and
fun environment. Youth play an adventure game on a mobile device
while wearing a headset that uses proprietary EEG technology that
reads brainwaves to determine their level of focused attention.
This measured focus level also controls the speed and success of
the in-game character as it completes various missions, and the
difficulty level adjusts accordingly. With regular use, children
can improve 13 cognitive skills including focused attention,
impulse management, and develop their self-regulation skills, all
of which are important for academic success and personal
growth.
Christopher
Tracy, co-founder, board director and COO, Thynk
"Our product has proven lasting effects in
improving focus and attention for children who may be struggling
with such skills. The outcomes of eight successful clinical studies
with more than 300 users of our product have shown improvements in
behavior, test scores, homework completion, and math and reading
fluency. In addition to teaming with healthcare organizations,
we're working to also reach underserved populations who may lack
access to the tools needed to improve cognitive skills."
- Growth Trajectory: Bend Health Inc.
Bend Health is a national mental health provider for kids and their
families designed to increase access, reduce wait times, and
decrease costs of pediatric mental healthcare. As the only provider
using an enhanced Collaborative Care Model in partnership with
pediatric primary care, Bend's data-driven platform allows primary
care providers to easily refer and connect patients with virtual
therapists. They then receive regular updates on care progress,
more closely aligning medical and behavioral care. Offering
services such as coaching, therapy, and expedited psychiatric care,
Bend integrates virtual video visits, chat messaging, and digital
experiences to achieve better outcomes through measurement-based
care. Collaborating with leading insurers, employers, and health
systems, as well as providing self-pay options, Bend Health ensures
widespread accessibility to its services.
Quote from Dr. Monika
Roots, president and co-founder, Bend Health
"At Bend Health, pediatricians receive
regular patient progress updates, empowering them to make informed
care decisions based on timely mental health measures. Bend's
collaborative care teams enable practitioners to accurately
diagnose children and provide a holistic approach that consistently
achieves clinically significant results for both kids and their
families. Our seven peer-reviewed studies demonstrate these
positive outcomes, with 80% of kids showing improvement in 60-90
days, and 4 out of 5 caregivers reporting reduced stress within a
month of joining Bend."
1Children's digital health innovation received less
than 1% ($167 million) of global
digital health funding ($22 billion)
in 2020, according to StartUp Health's annual report on digital
health funding.
About Children's National Hospital
Children's National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., was established in 1870 to
help every child grow up stronger. Today, it is the No. 5
children's hospital in the nation and ranked in all specialties
evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Children's National is
transforming pediatric medicine for all children. The Children's
National Research & Innovation Campus opened in 2021, a
first-of-its-kind pediatric hub dedicated to developing new and
better ways to care for kids. Children's National has been
designated three times in a row as a
Magnet® hospital, demonstrating the highest
standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric
academic health system offers expert care through a convenient,
community-based primary care network and specialty care locations
in the D.C. metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia. Children's National is home to
the Children's National Research
Institute and Sheikh Zayed
Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. It is
recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and
as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local,
regional and national levels. As a non-profit, Children's National
relies on generous donors to help ensure that every child receives
the care they need.
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About Oracle
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about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us
at www.oracle.com.
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