First-Ever NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon to provide up to $250K in funding for healthcare workforce well-being solutions

NurseHack4Health Logo with partners and collaborators

Health systems are invited to form nurse-led teams to pitch new ideas for redesigning a healthy work environment where the workforce can thrive.

BOSTON, MA, USA, May 17, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Society of Nurse Scientists Innovators Entrepreneurs & Leaders (SONSIEL), Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft, in collaboration with #FirstRespondersFirst and its ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare campaign, are launching the first-ever NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon aimed at redesigning a healthy work environment where hospital-based workforces can thrive. Awardees of the Pitch-A-Thon will receive grant funding up to $250,000 to implement their idea within their health system.

“Through the NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon, we are supporting nurse-led interdisciplinary teams to collaborate and problem-solve for some of the chronic pain points that inhibit a healthy work environment,” said Hiyam Nadel, RN, MBA, Director Center for Innovations In Care Delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital and SONSIEL President-elect and Co-Founding member. “Nurses have a deep understanding of gaps, challenges and inefficiencies to health and healthcare. With this immense insight, nurses should be given ample opportunity to work closely with other leaders who have the means and resources to address the barriers to a thriving workforce and health system.”

The NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon: Redesigning a Healthy Work Environment is made possible through a unique collaboration between SONSIEL, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, #FirstRespondersFirst and ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare. The program gives nurses and other health system leaders and clinicians an opportunity to ideate, create and pitch solutions for critical issues that are leading to unsustainable levels of burnout, turnover, and job dissatisfaction. The clear opportunities include, but are not limited to, removing low-value work, rethinking staffing models, learning new models of care, supporting mental health beyond the traditional EAP and creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Nurse-led interdisciplinary teams can include physicians, patient care technicians, Human Resources specialists, and members of Information Technology, Engineering, and Leadership. Teams will submit their video application for consideration by August 18, then the top entries will be invited to pitch their innovative solutions at a virtual session on October 6. Awardees of the Pitch-A-Thon will receive grant funding up to $250,000 to implement their idea within their health system.

“Participating in the NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon is not only an opportunity to advance the efforts of a particular hospital or health system but a chance for teams to be recognized as a leading health system working for the positive change the nursing profession desperately needs,” said Nico Sciasci, MS, FIEL Executive Director – SONSIEL. “Many health system leaders have recognized the persistent problems nurses face and an immediate need for solutions. That inspired us to create this program; it gives leaders a chance to support their staff in a tangible way.”

In addition to the pitch itself, select teams will have the opportunity to attend virtual pitch preparation sessions over the summer, where they’ll gain insight and counsel from experts in these topics.

“This NurseHack4Health event is an opportunity you don’t want to miss,” expressed past NurseHack4Health hackathon participant Andrea Jaramillo, BSN, RN, FIEL. “I’ve always had ideas about how to optimize our work environment, and while the support was there from my administration, funding and execution proved too challenging on our own. These organizations are making it possible for nurses like me to elevate a simple idea into a tangible value proposition that can solve real-world healthcare problems we all face every day.”

Participation in the Pitch-A-Thon is free and the application and proposal process has been designed to be as easy as possible so teams can focus their time and energy on the ideas. Additional information, including eligibility requirements and a calendar invitation to attend a virtual informational meeting on June 1, can be found online at nursehack4health.org.

ABOUT SONSIEL
SONSIEL is a national and international platform for nurses, to engage and advocate for nursing’s role in influencing and directly impacting health and the healthcare ecosystem through innovation and entrepreneurship. Nurses are on the front lines, working with all healthcare team members to keep patients and the community safe. For more information about SONSIEL, please visit https://sonsiel.org/. Follow SONSIEL on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SONSIEL2 (@SONSIEL2); Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Sonsielnurse/ (@SONSIELnurse); and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sonsielnurse/ (@SONSIELNURSE).

ABOUT MICROSOFT
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Learn more at Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare | Microsoft.

ABOUT #FIRSTRESPONDERSFIRST and ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare
#FirstRespondersFirst, an initiative of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, takes a whole human approach to addressing the needs of frontline workers in order to support their ability to serve on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. #FirstRespondersFirst’s fundraising call to action helps provide essential supplies, protective equipment, accommodations, child care, food, and critical mental health support and resources to ensure that our frontline workforce is protected, well-supported and resilient. Learn more about the #FirstRespondersFirst initiative here.

ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare is a call to action by #FirstRespondersFirst and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation as a coalition of leading healthcare organizations committed to prioritizing the well-being of the healthcare workforce.

#FirstRespondersFirst is a fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. EIF is a Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity that meets all 20 Better Business Bureau charity standards and carries the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Nico Sciasci
SONSIEL
[email protected]
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