Personal Connected Health Alliance and Green Electronics Council Partner to Host GEC Catalyst Awards at 2018 Connected Health Conference

May 01, 2018

Nominations for the 2018 GEC Catalyst Awards, focused on supporting wellness through sustainable and scaled applications of IT, are being accepted through May 16

Winners will be unveiled in October at the Connected Health Conference

Arlington, VA and Portland, Oregon, April 23, 2018 – The Green Electronics Council (GEC) and Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHAlliance), a HIMSS organization, are partnering to feature the GEC Catalyst Awards at the 2018 Connected Health Conference. The theme for this year’s GEC Catalyst Awards, “Advancing Human Wellness Through IT,” aligns with the Connected Health Conference theme, “Balancing Technology and the Human Element.”

Awarded annually, the GEC Catalyst Awards seek to inspire innovation in the design, manufacture and use of Information Technology (IT) to advance sustainability. Nominations are being accepted online through May 16, 2018. A judging committee of healthcare and technology experts will determine the 2018 GEC Catalyst Award winners. The winners will be announced during the Connected Health Conference, hosted by PCHAlliance, taking place October 17-19 in Boston.

“The intersection of healthcare and technology innovation has never been more pronounced, and GEC is honored to highlight these innovations by partnering with PCHAlliance and holding the 2018 GEC Catalyst Awards ceremony at the Connected Health Conference,” said Nancy Gillis, CEO of the Green Electronics Council.

 “We are pleased to join forces with GEC to advance innovation that supports the positive impact sustainable and scaled applications of IT can have on human wellness,” added Rich Scarfo, Vice President, PCHAlliance and Director of the Connected Health Conference. "PCHAlliance believes we can achieve better health through information and technology, particularly in light of the aging population and persistent health disparities, and welcomes the GEC Catalyst Awards as an important dimension of our program at CHC18.”

The 2018 GEC Catalyst Awards Judging Committee is comprised of six experts from the industry, academic and non-profit sectors:

  • Jim Ellis, Executive Director, Research Alliances and Technology Development, Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic
  • Erwan Rivet, Senior Director, Head of Software Engineering, Merck Group
  • John Sharp, Senior Manager, Personal Connected Health Alliance
  • Joel Sigler, National Environmental Program Leader, Kaiser Permanente
  • Indu Subaiya, Health 2.0 Executive Vice President, HIMSS
  • Dr. Yuebing Zheng, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science & Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

GEC provides two GEC Catalyst Awards. The first is “Catalyzing Impact at Scale,” which recognizes initiatives that have achieved a large-scale sustainability impact due to their design, manufacture and/or use of IT. The second is “Catalyzing Disruptive Innovation,” which recognizes organizations that have designed cutting-edge technologies or used technology in such a way that, if adopted widely, could lead to exponential sustainability gains. More information, including nomination requirements, are available on the GEC Catalyst Awards webpage.

PCHAlliance brings together the industry's two leading events – the Connected Health Conference (formerly the mHealth Summit) and the Partners Connected Health Symposium – to create an unmatched thought leadership experience. This year's theme, Balancing Technology and the Human Element, will showcase forward-thinking approaches and technologies that are driving integration of connected health into consumer health and care delivery. CHC18 will deliver the latest thinking, emerging applications and technologies, undiscovered entrepreneurs and proven leaders in connected health. The Connected Health Conference will take place October 17-19 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. Registration will open soon.

About the Green Electronics Council

The Green Electronics Council is a non-profit that works with stakeholders around the world to develop a shared vision for more sustainable electronics and the practical tools to realize it. Founded to inspire and catalyze environmental leadership throughout the lifecycle of electronic technologies, GEC manages EPEAT, the definitive global rating system for sustainable electronics, and provides thought leadership on the use

of technology to advance sustainability. These activities work to promote a world in which there are only sustainable electronics. For more information, please the Green Electronics Council website.

About the Personal Connected Health Alliance

The Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHAlliance), a non-profit organization formed by HIMSS (Health Information and Management Systems Society), believes that health is personal and extends beyond healthcare. PCHAlliance accelerates technical, business, policy and social strategies necessary to advance personal connected health. PCHAlliance members are a vibrant ecosystem of technology and life sciences industry icons and innovative, early stage companies along with governments, academic institutions, and associations from around the world. To support its vision, PCHAlliance convenes the global personal connected health community at the annual Connected Health Conference, the premier international event for the exchange of research, evidence, ideas, innovations and opportunities in personal connected health. The Alliance also publishes and promotes adoption of the Continua Design Guidelines, recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the international standard for safe, secure, and reliable exchange of data to and from personal health devices.