— INnOVATION AWARD · 2026

The Heart of Healthcare Innovation Award

Funding early healthcare ideas before the world sees them.

Healthcare is full of people improving patient experience, workflow, safety, comfort, accessibility, compassion, and care every single day. Some of the best ideas come from nurses, physicians, caregivers, patients, students, and loved ones sitting beside a hospital bed thinking: "There has to be a better way."
The Heart of Healthcare Innovation Award exists to help those early ideas take their first step forward.
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View Award Guidelines
— What this is

An award for ideas that haven't been believed in yet.

The Heart of Healthcare Innovation Award was created to support
early-stage healthcare innovation
ideas that have the potential to improve patient care,
healthcare experiences, workflow, accessibility,
compassion, safety, or clinical outcomes.
This award exists to help meaningful healthcare ideas
move forward during the earliest phases
of innovation — before traditional funding, traction, company infrastructure,
or industry access may exist.
Some of the most meaningful healthcare ideas do not come from formal
innovation channels. They come from lived experience —
from noticing what could be better during moments of care, frustration,
compassion, observation, or hope.
AN INITIATIVE BY
Comfort You Can Feel. Support You Can Trust.
— THE ORIGIN STORY

One clinician. One observation. No prototype. No funding. Just the belief that healthcare could be better.

20+ YEARS
Seeing. Listening. Learning.
More than two decades caring for patients and noticing the everyday moments that often go unseen.
ONE IDEA
The idea came first.
Everything else was built one step at a time.
TODAY
Making an impact. One observation became a healthcare innovation improving patient care across the country.
YOUR TURN
The next chapter hasn't been written yet. Begin.
YOUR IDEA
Deserves its first chance. $5,000 Innovation Award To help the next meaningful healthcare idea.
Spongies Comfort Heart of Healthcare Innovation Award · Est. 2026
Award details

What the recipient receives.

$5,000 Innovation Award
Unrestricted funds to help take your idea forward.
Spotlight Feature
Your story shared with the healthcare innovation community.
Recognition
Public recognition from Spongies Comfort.
Mentorship & Network
Potential future mentorship and network opportunities.
Support Taking Next Steps
Guidance on where your idea could go from here.
A Vote of Belief
Recognition that your idea matters — before the proof, before the traction.
Who should apply

Anyone close enough to care to notice what could be better:

Nurses
Physicians
Therapists
Technologists
Caregivers
Patients
Students
Healthcare staff
Innovators
Environmental services
Support staff
Family members
Community members

You do notneed:

An LLC
Patents
Funding
A startup
Traction
A prototype
Entrepreneurial experience
This award is intentionally designed for early-stage ideas.
WHY THIS EXISTS
why this exists

Before funding. Before traction. Before anyone believesin them.

Some of the most meaningful healthcare ideas are born from lived experiences, moments of frustration, compassion, observation, or hope.
The Heart of Healthcare Innovation Award exists to help those early ideas take their first step forward.

Every innovation, company, movement, and solution once began as an idea in someone's mind.

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS

A simple humanprocess

Submit Application

Share your idea — no prototype or company required.

Application Review

Each submission is reviewed by our judging panel.

Finalist Selection

A small group of finalists is selected.

Winner Announcement

The recipient is celebrated publicly.
Timeline

Key dates to keep in mind

September 1st 2026

Applications Open

November 2026

Applications Reviewed and finalists selected

October 30th 2026

Applications Close

December 2026

Winner Announcement

September 1st 2026

Applications Open

October 30th 2026

Applications Close

November 2026

Apllications Reviewed and finalists selected

December 2026

Winner Announcement
Before market

This award is about rewarding ideas at the very beginning

Before the business plan.
Before the prototype.
Before the traction.
Before the proof.
Every meaningful solution starts as an idea and belief is what helps it become real.
Belief in others.
Belief in ourselves.
Belief that one person with one idea can change someone’s life.
Judging Panel

Dedicated to Advancing Innovation

Katherine Stokes
Founder & CEO, Spongies Comfort
MRI Technologist • Healthcare Inventor
After more than 20 years caring for patients, Katherine transformed one everyday clinical observation into The Heart™, now used by healthcare organizations across the country.
She founded the Heart of Healthcare Innovation Award because she believes every meaningful healthcare innovation deserves a chance. By supporting ideas at their earliest stages, she hopes to help the next observation become the next innovation.
Ruchin Kansal
Founder, Kansal & Company
Healthcare Innovation Leader • Author • Professor
With 20+ years leading innovation inside organizations like Boehringer Ingelheim and Siemens Healthineers, Ruchin has turned complex healthcare challenges into real-world solutions, including the world's first connected inhaler.
Author of Redefining Innovation, he now teaches at Seton Hall and Brown, coaching leaders and evaluating bold ideas that push healthcare forward.
Mary Jenner
Founder & CEO, The Butterfly Pig & Innovative Care Institute

Registered Nurse • Pediatric Care Innovator • Host of Care Rewritten
With her tools being used in over 150 hospitals worldwide, and by tens of thousands of families, Mary has created a scalable solution to enhance child-friendly healthcare.
Through her deeper work with hospitals, Mary is on a mission to eliminate preventable medical trauma - not by asking overstretched clinicians to do more, but by redesigning the systems around them.
— SPREAD THE WORLD

Help us reach healthcare innovators everywhere.

Some of the best healthcare ideas are quietly sitting inside hospitals, clinics, classrooms, imaging departments, infusion centers, ambulances, and patient communities right now. Help us spread the word to the people who may be carrying an idea that deserves a chance.
Download Flyer

Be part of what comes next.

Stay connected with the Healthcare innovation Award community - whether you’re a future applicant, supporter, sponsor, healthcare innovator, or someone who believes ideas matter.
Thank you! You will be reminded once applications opens
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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a prototype?
No. This award is specifically designed to support ideas in their earliest stages — including concepts that may only exist as notes, sketches, observations, or early ideas.
Do I need a company or LLC?
No. Applicants do not need a company, LLC, business structure, or startup experience to apply.
Can students apply?
Yes. Students who are at least 18 years old are welcome to apply.
Is this only for medical devices?
No. We welcome a wide range of healthcare-related innovation ideas, including ideas related to patient experience, workflow, accessibility, communication, caregiver support, healthcare technology, education, environments of care, emotional support, operational improvement, and more. Both physical and non-physical ideas are welcome.
Will I retain ownership of my idea?
Yes. Applicants retain ownership of their submitted ideas and intellectual property. Submitting an application does not transfer ownership rights to Spongies Comfort or any affiliated judges, sponsors, advisors, or partners.
Can teams apply?
Yes. Both individuals and teams are welcome to apply. If applying as a team, please designate one primary contact person within the application.
Do I need funding or traction already?
No. This award is intentionally designed for early-stage ideas before traditional traction, funding, proof of concept, or company infrastructure may exist.