A delivery room innovation, a healing garden, and a trauma-informed adult education system are among this year’s winners of the BioTechUSA Health Award
The awards were presented at a gala ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts on the 20th of November. The event honoured Hungarian healthcare organisations implementing innovative solutions in infrastructure and medical education, thanks to the 24 million forints grant from the award founded by the owners of the exclusively Hungarian-owned BioTechUSA group. The award winners included a real-time digital delivery room event log, a nature-based psychiatric rehabilitation space and a multimedia, trauma-informed adult education system. The gala was not only a celebration for the award winners and audience, but also meant a community donation of 7 million forints raised for the BMSZKI Trauma-Aware Gynaecology Clinic.
Established last year by the owners of the BioTechUSA Group, the Lévai family, the award aims to launch new healthcare solutions and methodological developments that could shape national attitudes and introduce entirely new operating principles in the healthcare sector. As in previous years, applications were accepted in three categories: the most outstanding healthcare innovation, infrastructure development plan, and medical education campaign of the year.
A total of 55 applications were received, and the three best were selected by a jury of communication and healthcare professionals. The other three were chosen by the public. The award’s professional partner was once again the Hungarian Hospital Association, and the media partners were Central Media Group and Player Media Group. Category winners received funding of 5 million forints, while organisations selected by the public received 3 million forints.
The category for the most outstanding healthcare innovation of the year was won by the NeoTracker project of the Department of Neonatology at Semmelweis University, which is a real-time, digital delivery room event log. The NeoTracker system records events and physiological parameters in the delivery room in line with Newborn Life Support recommendations. During the pilot phase, 200–300 events will be recorded. If implemented nationwide, the system will impact the care of 75,000–80,000 newborns.
The Tolna County Balassa János Hospital’s “Healing Garden” project, a nature-based psychiatric rehabilitation space, won the award for the most outstanding infrastructure development plan of the year. Thanks to BioTechUSA, a therapeutic garden with raised beds, medicinal herbs, lighting and a drinking fountain will be created next to the psychiatric ward.
The most outstanding medical education campaign of the year was the Orfeusz programme of the ‘Living and Loving Without a Mother/Father’ Public Benefit Foundation, which aims to raise awareness of trauma. To this end, they are implementing a multimedia, trauma-informed adult education system comprising e-learning materials, podcasts and workshops.
A total of 33,000 votes were cast in the public vote, with each of the three category winners receiving 3 million forints in funding. The Hungarian Society of Preventive and Lifestyle Medicine, the Elmondhatom (Now I Can Tell) Foundation and the Association for the Support of Children with Diabetes from Győr received this year’s BioTechUSA Health Award and accompanying prize money.
‘As part of our social responsibility programme, we have supported 200 health and civil organisations with a total of 600 million forints to date. Over the past few years, we have seen that there are many innovative and professional healthcare experts who are committed and have ideas that can make their life-saving work more effective and efficient. We are very pleased that, as in previous years, we have identified and rewarded many valuable and innovative solutions. We are confident that, thanks to our support, initiatives can be implemented to improve the situation for those affected and the domestic healthcare system. I am particularly proud that we organised a community fundraiser at the awards ceremony, and that with the help of our partners and friends, we can continue the important work of last year’s winning organisation,’ said Bálint Lévai, CEO and co-owner of the BioTechUSA Group.
Thanks to the participants at the gala, more than 7 million forints were raised. This will enable one of last year’s award winners, the Budapest Methodological Social Centre and Institutions (BMSZKI) — specifically its Trauma-Informed Gynaecology Clinic — to continue operating. The organisation provides free gynaecological services to homeless and disadvantaged women, and will be able to continue doing so thanks to the support.