On October 15th, 2024, NurseHack4Health, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, SONSIEL, Microsoft, ALL IN Wellbeing First for Healthcare, and J&J Foundation, hosted the annual NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon. 

Over eighty teams applied for the NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon, from that batch, ten finalists were selected. During the jam-packed live event, those ten finalists from around the world pitched their solutions relating to this year’s theme: Take it Apart | Fix it | Build it Better. 

Whether you couldn’t watch this year’s Pitch-A-Thon live or just want to refresh your memory on the featured innovations, The Nursing Beat has you covered! 

2024 Nurse Pitch-A-Thon Recap

During the Pitch-A-Thon, the 10 finalist teams came together to showcase their creativity and collaboration with solutions to revolutionize healthcare. 

Mount Sinai Health (Pressure Injury Prevention AI)

Mount Sinai Health introduced an AI-driven tool for pressure injury prevention, addressing the issue of missed wound risk assessments in patients. The tool integrates with Epic to provide real-time alerts for at-risk patients. During pilot testing, the team found a 9% increase in safe discharges. 

Yale New Haven Health (ePAG: Electronic Patient Assignment Generator)

Yale New Haven Hospital developed the Electronic Patient Assignment Generator (ePAG), an automated tool that streamlines fair patient assignments for nurses. By generating assignments based on EMR metrics and reassessing them every two hours, the ePAG aims to reduce nurse burnout and improve workflow efficiency. 

James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (EDIE: Employee De-Escalation Intervention for Emergency)

James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center pitched a solution to address workplace violence in healthcare through their Employee De-Escalation Intervention for Emergency (EDIE). This initiative combines an app and a specialized cart designed to equip nurses to handle mental health emergencies and provide de-escalation techniques. Their goal is to provide resources to prevent violent incidents.

Seattle Children’s Hospital (AI-Based Solution for PIV Failure)

Seattle Children’s Hospital’s solution is geared toward predicting peripheral IV catheter infusion failures. They use an AI-driven machine learning algorithm integrated into IV pump software. This innovation aims to activate alarms for potential failures, so nurses can intervene before serious issues arise.

Cedars-Sinai (Chart, Care, Connect: Conversational AI Assistant)

Cedars-Sinai presented an AI-powered nursing assistant that reduces nurses' documentation burdens. The app functions using voice commands to complete essential tasks without touching a computer. Nurses can say something like, “Document Mr. Jones ate 50% of his lunch,” or “Document Ms. Smith’s pain level is a 4/10.” 

Cook County Health (RightTRACK Real-Time Communication)

Cook County Health introduced RightTRACK, a solution for improving patient care coordination through real-time information sharing. For example, nurses can easily see updates on items like test procedures, transport requests, new orders, upcoming medications, or critical labs. This centralized dashboard addresses communication gaps, potentially reducing nursing unproductive time by 50%, and allowing nurses to spend more time caring for and teaching patients.

Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance (MAMA-CVD: Midwife Assisted Cardio Monitoring and Assessment)

Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance presented MAMA-CVD, aiming to reduce maternal mortality in Ghana by training midwives to detect cardiovascular risks using AI-powered ultrasound technology. The program combines online and in-person training to equip midwives for effective early detection and referrals. MAMA-CVD targets underserved rural areas to improve maternal health outcomes.

Hope for HIV/AIDS Life Support International (Scaling Up HIV Prevention Engagement in Cities)

Hope for HIV/AIDS Life Support International proposed a helpline to support those at risk for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, where stigma and limited resources often impede access to care. Their solution offers confidential counseling, information, and referrals through automated communication channels, reducing the burden on overwhelmed healthcare staff. The initiative aims to reach over 300,000 people in its first year, promoting early diagnosis and support. 

Healthypals Innovation Limited (Emergency Response App Nigeria)

Healthypals Innovation Limited proposed a solution to improve emergency healthcare access in Nigeria through an emergency doctor app, connecting users with nearby first responders during crises. The app also incorporates AI-powered first aid guides to assist users until professional help arrives. 

Jefferson Health (Care Forward L.U.C.I.)

Jefferson Health introduced L.U.C.I. (Location-based, User-Centric Interface), a virtual assistant designed to support nurses in managing routine tasks without interrupting patient care. L.U.C.I. operates through the integrated TV camera devices already in patients' rooms and uses proximity detection to tell L.U.C.I. that the nurse is present. The nurse can access documentation without leaving the bedside or having to log into another computer.

Congratulations goes to…

There’s no doubt that each of the ten finalists brought forth amazing ideas to transform healthcare and improve the lives of both patients and healthcare professionals. Kudos to every participating team for their hard work and dedication to this year’s theme: Take it Apart | Fix it | Build it Better.

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And a special congratulations goes to the 2024 Pitch-A-Thon awardees: Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance and Seattle Children’s Hospital! Together, they will receive a total of $185,500 in grant funding to implement their innovative healthcare solutions, with the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance receiving the majority of the funding. 

The Nursing Beat Interviews Previous Winners

After the pitches, as the judges were deliberating, The Nursing Beat CEO, Tamara AL-Yassin and COO, Hannah W. Berns, interviewed three past awardees:

Sally Newton-Mason, 2023 awardee, Vancouver Coastal Health (AutoChart)

Q: Why did you apply?

A: “What inspired me to apply was the experience of feeling distressed over trying to balance good documentation with good quality patient care, and also seeing my colleagues in the corner trying to get their documentation done.”

Q: How did the Pitch-A-Thon change the trajectory of AutoChart?

A: “It really changed our trajectory a lot. It's one thing to have an idea, but it's another thing to have funding that could support your idea. Just being able to connect with this community has been really big in our journey.”

Saffrin Granby, 2023 awardee, Vancouver Coastal Health (AutoChart)

Q: Were you nervous to participate?

A: “I was thrilled when I saw the posting, booked off work immediately, and was ready to go. But the day before, I realized I’d be pitching with strangers online, and self-doubt crept in. I told myself, ‘Just join the Zoom call and go for it,’ and it turned out to be a great experience.”

Q: How did the Pitch-A-Thon help you with AutoChart?

‍A: “I think it's given us resources to actually move forward, because it was one thing to have this idea versus like now actually getting some funding. So it's kind of taken our dream and had us forced to turn it into reality.”

Brittany Drumm, 2022 awardee, Geisinger (Paws to Reflect)

Q: What advice would you give someone who’s thinking about applying?

A: “You simply do it. Just take the leap. I have had the opportunity to have so many incredible conversations with those who have brilliant ideas, and often, perspectives, those ideas are not the right ones, are not good enough. And I would just say you are the right one, and you are good enough. And if you have any doubts in your mind, put it out in the universe, because the minute you do, everyone's going to be so excited to help support.”

Q: How is Paws to Reflect doing today?

A: “Paws to Reflect is thriving within our health system. Two years later, we knew we were building the ability to continue the program when we made the pitch, and our organization has continued to support this work. We, at the beginning, had no dogs and about 20 peer supporters. Today, we have 23 dogs, and we have 575 peer supporters. And in the last year and a half, we've been able to round on over 2500 employees with this program.” 

Final Thoughts

The 2024 NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon showcased the incredible innovations nurses are bringing to healthcare. If you're inspired by these groundbreaking ideas, don’t miss your chance to apply for the 2025 Pitch-A-Thon and be part of the future of nursing innovation!

In the meantime, check out the NurseHack4Health Innovation Academy, where you can learn design thinking and how to craft the perfect pitch to bring your idea to life. Participants who successfully complete the NurseHack4Health Innovation Academy will also receive two contact hours.

For more healthcare event coverage, subscribe to The Nursing Beat.

This article is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.