Healthbox has teamed-up with Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) and five leading hospitals and health systems — including Advocate Health Care, Ascension, Community Health Network, Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare and Ridgeview Medical Center — for its third Chicago accelerator. Eight companies have been selected for the program to show how the healthcare industry is looking beyond its traditional relationships, looking for solutions that both solve immediate daily challenges and begin to explore future needs in an ever-evolving reimbursement system.

“The market is crowding with healthcare startups touting their newest disruptive solution that is addressing healthcare’s largest challenge,” says Nina Nashif, founder and CEO of Healthbox. “The eight companies entering Healthbox Chicago though, have really differentiated themselves not only by their technology and passion, but through a solid understanding of the strategic support they need to validate their product in the market and grow a solid business.”

The eight companies in the third Healthbox Chicago accelerator are:

• 3rd Eye Health is a Chicago-based company that provides a secure platform for conducting telemedicine consults using wearable devices like Google Glass.
• Benecure – also Chicago based, it provides a platform that drives behavior change for chronic disease patients through gamification, tracking and incentives, with an initial focus on hypertension.
• FitnessCubed has created Cubii, an under the desk elliptical that encourages activity in the workplace through a streamlined design and mobile connectivity. The company has already managed to prove its concept through a crowdfunding campaign.
• LIYEN has built Slyder, a spacer for asthma inhalers that increases compliance through innovative design and user customization. It is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Luna Lights is another “contender” from Chicago. It has developed a fall prevention solution for elderly that includes a smart lighting system and cloud-based analytics.
• MyCareText is an Atlanta, Georgia-based company behind a platform that enables health systems to send secure text and email messages to patients and caregivers throughout the patient journey.
• Secure Healing automates compliance audits for health system IT departments for faster detection of inappropriate access. It is based in Houston, Texas.
• Varsa Health is a platform for behavioral health providers that gathers data from patient-reported outcome surveys, wearable devices and a patient’s circle of care. Like most companies from the group, it operates from Chicago.

After pitching to a group of over 100 Chicago industry professionals, the companies will be guided through a customized curriculum to drive product and business development.