Innovative Ideas Take Center Stage

Meet the Semi-Finalists Competing for a Top Prize of $100,000 in HealthForce NH Competition to Help Solve the Health Care Workforce Shortage

Concord, NH – After extensive evaluation and deliberation by a panel of judges, the HealthForce NH team at the Foundation for Healthy Communities today announced the six semi-finalists of the Innovation Challenge, designed to promote and support innovative ventures in the health care workforce space in New Hampshire (NH).

The semi-finalists come from a variety of backgrounds and organizations from around the state, with proposals focused on areas such as education and training, technology and sustainability with the end goal of the initiatives helping bolster the health care workforce in the Granite State.

“The semi-finalists have shown incredible creativity, which is exactly what is needed to address the critical health care workforce needs,” said Kate Luczko, Senior Director, HealthForce NH. “As we move forward in the competition, I know each will bring their unique strengths to the stage, making for an exciting journey ahead.”

The semi-finalists are:

Career Quest: Charting Your Healthcare Pathway – Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH), Nashua

Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH) is teaming up with Major Choice, LLC, to help people re-entering the workforce or in dead-end jobs identify meaningful health careers and training pathways that suit their work preferences, personality, and long-term goals to optimize success.

LNA for Success – Expanding Access to Healthcare Training and Career Pathways for NH Immigrants – International Institute of New England, Manchester

The International Institute of New England will duplicate its successful partnership model to support more immigrants to advance their English, access clinical training, and achieve certification to become LNAs and meet the state’s workforce needs.

NH Nursing Workforce Center – New Hampshire Nurses Association, Concord

How many nurses do we need and how many do we have? The vision for the NH Nursing Workforce Center is to be the hub for disseminating nursing data. Working with partners, they will plan innovative statewide interventions and make sound policy decisions.

Offloader AI – Bedford

Offloader AI empowers healthcare teams to boost operational efficiency and focus more on patient care in a way that’s never been done before. The world’s first multi-lingual AI medical co-pilot that offloads tedious tasks while reducing burnout.

PULSE – Preparing & Uplifting Local Students for Employment – HealthFirst Family Care Center, Laconia

HealthFirst is tackling NH’s workforce shortages by building a homegrown talent pipeline through partnerships with local schools in what they hope to be their formal internal Training Center. They will provide hands-on clinical experience for students from a young age.

SMH Workforce Development Program – Speare Memorial Hospital, Plymouth

To offset burgeoning contract staffing costs SMH has developed a staffing solution to increase engagement and recruitment of high-school educated applicants in apprenticeship programs and expand opportunities for advancement in clinical roles.

The competition to win up to $100,000 for first place, up to $60,000 for second place, and up to $40,000 for third place heads into the next round. The semi-finalists will now participate in a live pitch event, open to the public, on April 2^nd at 5:30 p.m. at the NH Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, 100 St. Anselm Drive in Manchester. Final winners will be announced on April 14^th at an event open to the public at 5:30 p.m. at NHTI, 31 College Drive in Concord. Bangor Savings Bank is graciously sponsoring the final event.

“As we approach the determination of the finalists, it’s important to keep in mind that it is the vision of all involved that will not only shape the competition, but more importantly, have a lasting impact on health care workforce development in the state,” said Luczko.

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