Health ImpACT Challenge
A healthcare-led, state-supported initiative to set a shared direction for the future of health innovation in New Mexico.
Focus: innovative technology that can improve care, quality, access, and sustainability in NM
What is the Health ImpACT Challenge?
The Health ImpACT Challenge brings New Mexico healthcare leaders together to define the problems we need to solve next—and evaluate new technology and partnerships that can help.
Through the Challenge, participating leaders will:
Define priority healthcare challenges emerging in New Mexico
Review and evaluate startup technologies that can address them
Decide whether to host a pilot test when there’s a fit—with funding available to offset internal effort
Compare notes with peers and set shared direction for the future of health innovation in New Mexico
Health ImpACT is a state-backed initiative led by HealthInno in partnership with UNMHSC to build a coordinated, NM-led healthcare innovation pilot network. HealthInno coordinates the effort, handling outreach and startup vetting, supporting participating teams, and making sure learnings are shared back to the broader New Mexico community.
More details on participation and timelines coming in Feb 2026.
Why This Matters
Pressure to innovate, limited bandwidth
Healthcare teams are balancing staffing constraints, rising demand, and operational complexity. Most organizations don’t have extra time to run long, dedicated innovation cycles.
Too many tools, too little real-world proof
Promising solutions often stall because the path to outcomes and impact is unclear. Without a structured way to evaluate and support them, it’s hard to make confident decisions.
Investing in what comes next
Across the country, health systems are putting capital behind innovation programs to support long-term stability. But most teams can’t take on startup review and diligence work in addition to everything else.
How it Works
A coordinated, NM-led network that helps healthcare organizations explore new technology safely and practically.
01
Join as a Participant
Start where you are. Share input, compare notes with peers, and explore a pilot only if there’s a clear fit.
02
Set the priorities
Name the problems that matter most for New Mexico care delivery—operations, access, workforce pressures, or population health.
03
Evaluate options
HealthInno curates a short list. You assess fit, feasibility, and what “success” should look like in your setting.
04
Try only when it makes sense
If there’s a strong match, teams can run a time-bound pilot with scoped support. Funding may be available to help offset internal effort.
05
Decide next steps using results
Use what you learn to decide what’s next: stop, refine, expand, or explore a longer-term partnership.
Who It’s For
Healthcare Orgs & Execs
For executives and innovation leaders who want a clear, peer-led way to explore new technology and partnerships—without adding a heavy lift for already-stretched teams.
Health Tech Startups
For pilot-ready teams looking for thoughtful review with New Mexico healthcare partners, clear expectations, and a practical path to real-world testing when there’s a fit.
Example Categories
We’re focused on Advanced Computing Technology that are clinically grounded, operationally realistic, and in service of our communities.
Select each example to see what that could look like.
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What this refers to
Technology that helps care teams coordinate people, information, and next steps across clinics, roles, or organizations.What this looks like in practice
Connects primary care, specialists, behavioral health, care managers, and community services
Helps prevent missed follow-ups and care gaps
Reduces duplicated work and “handoff” errors
Typically supports
Care transitions, population health, rural coordination, and high-risk patient management.What it is not
Basic scheduling, simple referral lists, or manual care plans that don’t help teams coordinate across settings. -
What this refers to
Technology that supports behavioral health care delivery, access, or operations—especially where staffing is tight and demand is high.What this looks like in practice
Helps identify needs earlier (screening support, risk flags)
Supports programs like integrated behavioral health and collaborative care
Reduces administrative load for care teams (documentation, tracking, follow-up)
Typically supports
Integrated behavioral health, rural access, workforce shortages, and Medicaid populations.What it is not
Direct-to-consumer mental health apps with no clinical integration, or regulated diagnostic tools that require FDA clearance or clinical trials. -
What this refers to
Technology that enables new or improved ways of delivering care—especially outside traditional settings.What this looks like in practice
Virtual care enablement
Remote monitoring analytics (software/insights, not devices)
Triage and clinical workflow support that helps teams respond faster
Typically supports
Access expansion, care outside the hospital, clinician efficiency, and patient throughput.What it is not
Hardware devices, FDA-regulated diagnostics, or tools that require new clinical trials to be used as intended. -
What this refers to
Technology that reduces administrative burden and improves day-to-day operations inside healthcare organizations.What this looks like in practice
Documentation support (summaries, draft notes, coding prompts)
Automation of operational tasks (routing, intake steps, follow-up work)
Smarter staffing, scheduling, or resource planning
Typically supports
Clinician time savings, burnout reduction, cost containment, and operational ROI.What it is not
Generic task trackers, simple automation that doesn’t adapt to real conditions, or tools that don’t fit into existing workflows. -
What this refers to
Technology that helps patients participate more effectively in their care through timely communication and support.What this looks like in practice
Personalized follow-up and reminders
Education and check-ins that adjust based on patient needs
Support for adherence and ongoing engagement between visits
Typically supports
Chronic care, behavioral health, and rural or underserved communities.What it is not
Basic messaging tools, static patient portals, or marketing-only outreach. -
What this refers to
Technology that helps organizations use data to make better clinical or operational decisions—by integrating data, analyzing it, and turning it into action.What this looks like in practice
Forecasting and predictive analytics (risk, demand, capacity)
Bringing together data across EHR, claims, SDOH, and operations
Decision support insights for clinical and operational leaders
Typically supports
Population health, capacity planning, performance improvement, and operational decision-making.What it is not
Basic dashboards or reporting-only tools, or data products that can’t be tested in a small, time-bound pilot.
Ready to Get Involved?
Register to stay updated on Health ImpACT Challenge timelines and opportunities.
KEY PARTNERS
Health ImpACT is a collaborative effort, with each partner playing a key role.
Stay tuned as this list grows.
