Latest news with #ThriveAllenCounty
Business Journals
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
NXTUS opens applications for 2025 health startup competition
A Wichita organization is on the hunt for healthcare solutions, inviting startups from across the nation to showcase their innovations in Kansas. Story Highlights NXTUS Inc. opens applications for 2025 Community Health Pilot Competition. Program matches health tech startups with Kansas organizations. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas sponsors competition. Wichita entrepreneurial organization NXTUS Inc. is set to bring another year of a startup competition that innovates health care. NXTUS announced this week that it has opened applications for its 2025 Community Health and Vibrancy Pilot Competition. The NXSTAGE contest, with others including a focus on customers, enterprises and technology, is in its fifth year. The program matches startups with technology solutions with potential customer health organizations in Kansas. The 2025 iteration of the competition builds on the program's 55 pilot projects around Kansas and incorporates startups from across the country. Applicants for the program are typically startups with technology tools related to wellness, mental health, maternal health, substance abuse, civic engagement, health tech or any other product that enhances the well-being of the people in the community. Applications for this year's community health and vibrancy contest are available online. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has been the presenting sponsor of the competition since 2021. 'We believe that healthier communities don't just happen — they're built through teamwork, new ideas and a shared commitment to lasting change,' said Virginia Barnes, BCBSKS director of Blue Health Initiatives. 'By connecting forward-thinking startups with Kansas organizations eager to improve the health of their communities, we're helping remove barriers, accelerate progress and shape a healthier future for all Kansans." The program this year has five partner organizations with NXTUS: Russell Regional Hospital, Thrive Allen County, Hodgeman County, LiveWell Northwest Kansas and Jenrus Freelance Marketing. "This opportunity affords us something we would otherwise never have had access to: upcoming entrepreneurs with amazing ideas on how to move the needle for a plethora of health-care issues," Lisse Regehr, President & CEO of Thrive Allen County, said in a news release. Regehr said the Iola-based organization worked with Pearsuite, a startup with a social care navigation program that has participated in the health-care program before, for a project that assisted over 700 individuals needing medical attention across Allen and Butler counties. Last year, the program attracted 136 competitors from 31 states and 11 countries. The program is known for unearthing local health-care innovators, which include recognizing local teenager Ayaan Parikh, who started a nonprofit focused on telemedicine, as one of its finalists. Over the coming months, partner organizations will evaluate competitors for the most promising technology solutions they believe are poised to help Kansas communities thrive. A finalist cohort of 8-10 startups will visit Kansas this fall to meet with the pilot partners and other customer prospects from around the state.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Organization's cuts could be felt across Southeast Kansas
ALLEN COUNTY, Kan. — An Allen County organization will see federal funding cut by 90%, and the impact could be felt across the region. Iola based 'Thrive Allen County' learned last month of plans by the federal government to reduce funding for the 'Navigator' program by 90%. 'Navigators' assist with finding health insurance programs through the federal 'Affordable Care Act' marketplace. Thrive Allen County works with multiple organizations throughout Kansas, like the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, to place Navigators in communities. Thrive President and CEO Lisse Regehr says Navigators are used by several people in the community, especially farmers who are self-employed — but the cuts are going to reduce how much they can do next year. 'Unfortunately, I've already let some of the organizations know, we're currently working with seven, right now, for next year I've got five written in, because there's no way we can continue all seven. And, so, cuts are being made. I've already got four team members that know that come August, they don't have jobs,' said Regehr. Regehr says Thrive will continue the Navigator program next year, but in a much smaller fashion. She says the organization is looking at other funding sources to help keep it going in as many locations as possible. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
