Since launching its first Healthy Mom and Baby Innovation Competition in 2020, Parkview Health has embedded innovation into the fabric of its mission to improve health and inspire well-being. In partnership with MATTER, a leading healthcare incubator, the initial competition quickly evolved into a globally recognized platform for advancing maternal and pediatric health.

In its fifth year, Parkview has joined forces with Butler University and Hylant to present the 2025 Healthy Care, Healthy Costs Innovation Challenge. This expanded initiative focuses on identifying scalable, cost-effective solutions that improve outcomes for high-risk populations and reduce preventable healthcare costs. Building on Parkview’s legacy of innovation, the challenge now aims to tackle broader, system-wide issues in healthcare.

Through this journey, Parkview has gained valuable insight into what it takes to cultivate meaningful innovation that sparks bold ideas but also results in real-world impact.

Parkview learned that innovation isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing, scalable process. What began as a leap into the unknown has become a structured framework for sourcing and supporting breakthrough ideas. Over the years, Parkview has reviewed more than 186 submissions from 29 states and 19 countries, addressing everything from maternal mental health to pediatric chronic disease to comprehensive care access. Each year, the challenge expands its reach and impact.

At the heart of many standout submissions is a focus on access. From hands-on education through Safe Sleep Simulation, which equips safe sleep educators with training tools, to surgical innovations like NUA Surgical that enhance safety during C-sections, and NeuroBell’s breakthrough in early seizure detection for newborns, Parkview’s challenges consistently surface solutions designed to remove barriers to care. These innovations are rooted in health equity, because improving outcomes begin with ensuring that everyone can access the care they need.

Of course, even the most promising idea needs a champion. Parkview’s model has proven that early engagement with clinical experts, public health leaders, and subject matter specialists accelerates validation and helps de-risk implementation. By bringing startups into the conversation with people who live and work in healthcare, Parkview helps ensure innovations are both practical and impactful.

Collaboration is the engine driving Parkview’s innovation journey. From leveraging MATTER’s infrastructure to partnering with the Indiana Department of Health and community-based organizations like Healthier Moms & Babies, Parkview has built a robust network of allies committed to innovation. With the launch of the 2025 challenge, new partners Butler University and Hylant bring their expertise in research, business strategy, and implementation, creating a powerful trio to identify and scale breakthrough solutions.

Most importantly, Parkview’s commitment to innovation doesn’t end with the final pitch. Finalists are supported through mentorship, refinement, and even opportunities for real-world piloting.

This commitment was exemplified in 2022, when Ireland-based startup NeuroBell won the Healthy Mom and Baby Innovation Competition. That milestone opened the door to U.S. market entry through the MedTech Global Gateway, a strategic collaboration between Parkview’s Mirro Center for Research and Innovation, the Northeast IndianaRegional Partnership (NEI), and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). The Gateway was designed to help international health tech companies like NeuroBell navigate the complex U.S. healthcare landscape. For founder Dr. Mark O’Sullivan and his team, it offered a direct path to testing, scaling, and expanding their EEG monitoring solution for newborns.

This wasn’t just access to a clinic. It was access to a whole ecosystem, regulatory guidance, clinical research, and neonatal care expertise, all of which are accelerating NeuroBell’s journey toward a U.S. commercial launch in 2026.

The Global Gateway emerged as a natural next step, reflecting the growing strength of northeast Indiana’s health innovation ecosystem. And it all started with a challenge, a clinical champion, and a commitment to action.

What sets Parkview apart is its ability to bring global solutions to bear on local needs. By remaining rooted in the health priorities of northeast Indiana while attracting innovators from around the world, Parkview has turned a regional health system into a global launchpad. The results have been extraordinary: pilot-ready innovations, deeper partnerships, and solutions that improve care for both Indiana families and patients worldwide.

With the 2025 Healthy Care, Healthy Costs Innovation Challenge underway, Parkview and its partners are building on past success, expanding the platform to welcome ideas that reduce costs and improve care for high-risk populations.

Parkview’s journey proves that innovation isn’t about one big idea. It’s about building an environment where great ideas can thrive. When health systems, academic institutions, and industry leaders unite with purpose, meaningful change isn’t just possible; it’s inevitable.

The next chapter in healthcare innovation is here!

Join us Thursday, Aug. 28 at 4:00 p.m. ET for the 2025 Healthy Care, Healthy Costs Innovation Competition semifinal virtual pitch event! Watch top teams pitch solutions to cut costs and improve care, then cast your vote to help decide who moves forward!

Reserve your spot today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-healthy-care-healthy-costs-innovation-competition-tickets-1363524782329?aff=PVWebsite