Alberta Innovates Launches Digital4Health Program to Address Health and Wellness Needs in the Province

NEWS RELEASE

EDMONTON, ALBERTA, November 7, 2023 – Alberta Innovates is launching a new program to support industry and health and wellness partners to address needs in the province using digital health technologies to create new ways of delivering care.

By working with partner organizations, the Digital4Health (D4H) program aims to pilot, evaluate, and adopt technologies to deliver better health and wellness outcomes for Albertans. Through this challenge-driven approach, companies can directly address gaps and needs of system partners through real-world testing for lasting impact.

The objectives of the D4H program are to:

• Develop, pilot-test and evaluate novel citizen-centric care models using market-ready digital health solutions.
• Facilitate Health Service Delivery Partners and leverage digital health solutions to address priority health system challenges.
• Enable Technology Solution Providers to gain real-world evidence for their Digital Health Solutions.
• Help create a connected health ecosystem.
• Mobilize knowledge gained about health system barriers and enablers to create better ways of delivering healthcare in Alberta.

We are announcing the Disrupting Benefits Challenge, offered in partnership with Alberta Blue Cross, as the first challenge in the D4H program. This challenge is now open to digital health companies that can address the needs of Alberta Blue Cross employer-sponsored plan members, announced December 2022. Selected digital health companies will have the opportunity to pilot their solutions for up to 24 months to validate their unique technologies while addressing the growing needs of all Albertans. The Disrupting Benefits Challenge will close on December 6, 2023. Visit the Disrupting Benefits Challenge web page for application details and more information.

Health and Wellness organizations interested in partnering with Alberta Innovates under the Digital4Health program can find additional information on the D4H web page and can connect directly with our team by completing a Challenge Intake Form.

QUOTES

“Alberta Innovates recognizes that the path to impact is through partnership and collaboration. The Digital4Health program provides a unique opportunity to respond to key health and wellness priorities with partner organizations in our province. Together with Alberta Blue Cross, we’re working together to deploy promising digital technology solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of Alberta’s workforce.”

- Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates

“We engage in partnerships to address identified gaps and to fill a need where one organization cannot address a problem on its own. Successful partnerships require collaboration, co-creation and shared decision making that align with organizational values and goals. As such, Alberta Blue Cross is pleased to partner with Alberta Innovates to identify data-enabled technologies to address growing demand among workforces for innovative and personalized approaches to support positive behaviour change. Through new models and innovative approaches, we can solve these complex problems impacting employee well-being in the workplace.”

- Melanie Fuller, Director of Wellness, Alberta Blue Cross

Alberta Innovates manages nearly 1,300 projects in a portfolio valued at $1.33 billion. We work with innovators in all sectors of the economy and all corners of the province to drive entrepreneurship, applied research and industry development. With our impact-based funding programs and services, we are transforming energy systems for a net-zero world, promoting the responsible use of land and water, leveraging provincial strengths in agriculture, and contributing to improved health and well-being by harnessing digital tech and data. We are also advancing emerging technologies and strengthening entrepreneurship for a strong and diversified economy. We operate in 11 locations with more than one million sq. ft. of industrial testing and lab facilities, and 600 acres of farmland. We employ nearly 600 highly skilled scientists, business and technical professionals. From funding to commercialization, we are Alberta’s innovation engine! See what entrepreneurs say about our coaching and support.

Learn how Alberta Innovates.