![[Photos: Courtesy of Health Wildcatters]](https://s24806.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/01-Health-Wildcatters-2019-Texas-Healthcare-Challenge.jpg)
Dallas-based seed accelerator Health Wildcatters will hold the 7th annual Texas Healthcare Challenge Hackathon this weekend, April 4–5, at Pegasus Park, the Dallas-based innovation hub.
“The Texas Healthcare Challenge continues to highlight the incredible depth of talent and ingenuity within our region,” Dr. Hubert Zajicek, CEO and co-founder of Health Wildcatters, said in a statement. “The TXHCC Hackathon equips its participants with the tools and mentorship needed to develop solutions to major healthcare problems.”
This year’s two-day hackathon attracted over 200 applicants, with 120 participants selected to form cross-functional teams of students, researchers, clinicians, engineers, and entrepreneurs. The hackathon will be supported by more than 25 healthcare experts, mentors, and industry leaders serving as judges, speakers, and mentors throughout the event, Health Wildcatters said.
The accelerator said that the Texas Healthcare Challenge is designed to catalyze real-world healthcare solutions by bringing together multidisciplinary minds to take on the industry’s pressing challenges.
A focus on community health
This year’s Texas Health Resources Track, themed “Measuring and Improving the Health of Our Communities,” challenges participants to create solutions that address key health issues through data, technology, and cross-sector collaboration. Health Wildcatters said that focus areas include maternal mortality, chronic disease management such as hypertension, healthcare access, food insecurity, and preventive cancer screenings, with an emphasis on innovative, data-driven approaches that improve measurable health outcomes and strengthen community well-being.
The accelerator said the event will culminate Saturday afternoon, when finalist teams will pitch their solutions to a panel of judges representing leading healthcare institutions and innovation organizations, including Texas Health Resources, SMU Cox School of Business Spears Institute, Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation, University of Texas at Dallas, and Health Wildcatters’ mentor network.
Sponsors include Texas Health, SMU Cox, Dallas College, and more
This year’s hackathon is made possible by the support of presenting sponsor Texas Health Resources, and additional key sponsors including SMU Cox School of Business Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Dallas College. Also, support was provided by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Dell Technologies for Startups, Dallas College, The University of Texas at Arlington, SuperAgent, and Biotech+ at Pegasus Park.
Health Wildcatters has 118 portfolio companies that have raised collectively over $300 million in the last 12 years. In November, it announced that it was expanding its office at Pegasus Park to advance its mission of supporting “transformative healthcare startups.”
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R E A D N E X T
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