See how two Innovation Challenge winners are turning momentum into meaningful change.
While healthcare can feel like rough waters at times, bright ideas buoy a way forward. Just ask employees who chart the course.
Sutter Health’s Innovation Challenge was created to surface solutions from employees and clinicians closest to the work who are tackling some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges.
As Sutter Health team members cast their votes in the 2026 Innovation Challenge to help decide which teams will move to the final Shark Tank-style Pitch Day, two past winners are offering a glimpse into what happens after the win and how innovative ideas can evolve into solutions that reach patients across the health system.
The Cognitive Screener winner from 2024 and the Mindful Tech winner from 2025 share how both projects have advanced since winning the Innovation Challenge.
- Earlier Detection for Cognitive Impairment: Earlier detection and faster access to care is now possible through a six-minute digital screening. By leveraging advanced practice clinicians at two initial pilot sites, the new care pathway has enabled follow-up to happen in weeks instead of months. Expansion is currently underway across additional primary care centers in Sacramento and San Francisco.
- One-Stop-Shop Diabetes Care: Children with Type 1 diabetes and their families will receive education, medications, supplies and ongoing support in one coordinated place — helping families navigate the challenges that often accompany a new diagnosis. New digital patient education was integrated into Sutter’s online patient portal in July, with direct-to-home delivery of medications and supplies through Sutter expected to begin in October, creating a more seamless care experience.
Watch the video below to hear directly from the people behind these projects and learn how their ideas have evolved since winning the Innovation Challenge.
