Parkview Health, Butler University, and Hylant team up to source, fund, and deploy global innovations that reduce preventable healthcare spending.
Solving healthcare's affordability challenge requires new ideas, better tools and forward-thinking technology.
To accelerate breakthrough solutions, Parkview Health partnered with Butler University and insurance brokerage leader Hylant to host the fifth annual Global Innovation Competition: the “Healthy Care, Healthy Costs” challenge.
Rooted in Hard Indiana Health Data
The initiative began with the “Total Cost of Care Data Challenge” at Butler University, where student research teams analyzed state Medicaid data provided by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA).
Their findings pinpointed specific, preventable health events driving up costs across Indiana:
- Senior Falls: Over 30% of Indiana seniors experience falls annually. Routine fall risk assessments alone could save the state $115 million annually.
- Physical Immobility: Inactivity among older adults significantly accelerates cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and prolonged hospital stays.
These data points established the precise challenge criteria given to global health-tech innovators.
Sourcing Global Solutions
Out of 65 international applicants, nine semifinalists presented solutions and four pioneering startups advanced as finalists:
- KinetiTec (formerly Bedside Bike), Newburgh, IN: Semifinal $10,000 prize winner. Transforms hospital beds into exercise devices, keeping hospitalized patients active to prevent blood clots, pressure sores and extended stays.
- Kilele Health, Oakwood, OH: Develops wearable blood chemistry sensors for continuous chronic disease monitoring, shifting care from crisis response to proactive management.
- Septo (Munster, IN): Creates smart, visual bandages that detect skin infections around joints before overt symptoms appear, preventing costly hospital readmissions.
- TheraMotive (Brooklyn, NY): Deploys mobile physical therapy through AI-augmented, fully equipped vans, bringing physical rehabilitation directly to underserved neighborhoods.
From Concept to Clinical Application
Finalist teams participated in an intensive accelerator program, working alongside clinical and strategic executives from Parkview, Butler and Hylant to refine their business models and prepare for adoption within health systems.
Some ideas soon could find their way into clinical settings to help improve preventable health events that drive up costs across Indiana. Parkview is currently working with KinetiTec on a pilot to study’s the company’s bedside cycling technology on hospitalized, heart failure patients.
“Each of these teams brings a fresh, innovative approach to some of healthcare's biggest challenges,” said Ethel Massing, Director of Parkview Strategic Enterprises and Innovation at the Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation. “We're proud to support their journey as they develop solutions with the potential to improve outcomes and transform care delivery in Indiana and beyond.”
