Students, professionals from every discipline invited to ‘hack’ a health problem for prizes

Hacking isn’t exclusively about coding anymore, especially when it comes to health. On Saturday, Oct. 5 anyone with an entrepreneurial, problem-solving streak is invited to join “Hacking Health,” a team-based case competition where participants will put their expertise and innovation to work to “solve” the problem of provider burnout.

The Hacking Health event is being hosted for the second time by Geisinger’s Steele Institute for Health Innovation and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM).

Matthew Hope, a member of GCSOM’s MD Class of 2021, participated in the inaugural Hacking Health in 2018. “This isn’t just about tech,” he said. “Multidisciplinary teams are asked to ‘hack’ a problem – to attack it from a variety of perspectives in a collaborative way. Last year the problem presented was healthcare affordability. Our team had members with backgrounds in administration, policy and medicine, as well as tech. We forged a solution based on price transparency.”

This year, “hackers” will be asked to think about possible solutions for the “burnout” many healthcare providers experience because of operational inefficiencies linked to electronic health record (EHR) systems documentation requirements and the current regulatory landscape.

Participants can be anyone, from any background. This event is looking for diverse thinkers. Teams are welcome; however, members must register individually.  No team?  No problem!  Individual registrants have the opportunity to join a team to learn and design think with!

The top proposal will be rewarded with a cash prize of $5,000, while the top two runner-up teams will receive a smaller cash prize and the opportunity to meet with some of Geisinger’s Steele Institute for Health Innovation leadership. The Steele Institute is dedicated to forging solutions that improve health, the patient experience, care delivery and affordability. The top three teams will have the opportunity for a potential initial investment to develop their solution then later pitch for a second investment.

Every participant will have an experience that tests their creativity and imagination. The day will be filled with breakout educational sessions on design think, commercialization and lean process improvement. In addition, every participant will get to work in a multidisciplinary team that will build insight into other fields and how varied expertise is required to solve healthcare’s most pressing problems.

Register here! Participants must register by Friday, Sept. 20, to receive a gift. Day-of registration will also be available. Preregistration cost is $25 until Sept. 20, and $30 on the day of the event. Food and beverages will be provided to participants during the event.

For more information about the event, visit geisinger.edu/hackathon.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.  Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.