DiabetesMine™ Launches 2011 Design Challenge; Fostering Innovation to Improve Life with Diabetes

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DiabetesMine™, a leading informational and community web site for people with diabetes, today announced kickoff of the 2011 DiabetesMine Design Challenge, a competition that fosters innovation in the creation of new tools designed to improve life with diabetes.

“gold mine of straight talk and encouragement for people living with diabetes”

This annual web-based competition, hosted at www.diabetesmine.com/designcontest, calls for fresh ideas for new devices, web applications, or other instruments designed to help people live better with diabetes. The contest is underwritten by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), an independent philanthropy committed to improving the way health care is delivered and financed in California and beyond. It is also supported by the global design and innovation firm IDEO, headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, and endorsed by Medgadget.com, the Internet journal of emerging medical technologies.

In past years, the competition garnered hundreds of ingenious entries – from colorful ‘virtual worlds’ that teach people about managing diabetes; to a variety of Smartphone applications that help track carbohydrates, glucose data and more; to safety scanners that guard against driving with dangerously low blood sugar. One standout Grand Prize last year was a visionary system combining a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump into a simple, aesthetic arm band.

“Advances in technology have already been hugely beneficial in terms of changing the way people live with diabetes, and we’re very committed to further cultivating new tools to help them live healthier, longer, and less stressful lives,” said Jeffrey Brewer, President and CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). “This contest has created a great deal of buzz within the diabetes industry, really helping to push the evolution of medical devices.”

This competition is open to any individuals or organizations passionate about diabetes and product design – whether you're an enterprising patient or caregiver, a startup company, a design student, an independent developer or engineer, or an R&D pro. Entries from participants age 17 and under are also welcome, and will be judged in a separate category.

To help refine and realize their design concepts, three winners will each receive the following prizes:


	• $7,000 in cash, plus:

		- a complimentary consulting session with Health and Wellness experts at the global design and innovation firm IDEO
		- a free access ticket to the “innovation incubator” Health 2.0 Conference planned for September 2011 in San Francisco, CA
		- introduction to Silicon Valley investors and other relevant experts
		- additional hands-on assistance towards commercialization of your design idea, as appropriate

Two additional prizes will also be awarded: $2,500 cash for the “Most Creative Idea” and $1,500 cash for the “Best Kids’ Concept” (age 17 and under)

		(total cash prizes $25,000)

For the second year in a row, open community voting on the website will determine the top 10 finalists for this competition. Final winner selections will be made by a group of expert judges with deep expertise in diabetes care, medical technologies, design, and venture capital funding. Submissions are accepted in the form of a 2-3 minute video to be uploaded to YouTube, or a 2-3 page written "elevator pitch" plus supporting graphics, also to be uploaded online. The deadline for entries is Friday, April 29^th, 2011, at 11:59 pm Pacific time. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 13^th, 2011.

“CHCF is committed to improving quality of care for patients with chronic conditions," said Sophia Chang, director of the Foundation's Better Chronic Disease Care program. “Once again, we are delighted to support this design contest, which encourages and rewards innovative thinking and the development of new tools for diabetes.”

The Design Challenge concept was born in Spring 2007, when creator of DiabetesMine Amy Tenderich posted an Open Letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, calling for the gurus of consumer design to help revolutionize design of diabetes devices. In the weeks and months that followed, numerous individuals and organizations came forward with compelling new prototypes, designs, and ideas.

“We’re very excited to expand the reach of the contest this year,” said Tenderich. “Not only do we look forward to another bounty of creative submissions, but we’re also planning a Diabetes Innovation Summit event that will bring together patient advocates, medical device designers, investors and other experts. It’s all about making ‘patient-centered care’ a truly meaningful term.”

Official contest information and rules can be found at http://www.diabetesmine.com/designcontest

About DiabetesMine.com

DiabetesMine.com is an information resource and a community networking place for people affected by diabetes. Its creator, Amy Tenderich, is a journalist who lives with Type 1 diabetes herself, and shares an unusual “cynically optimistic” view of the trials of living with this condition. DiabetesMine.com, which was created by and for patients as a “diabetes newspaper with a personal twist,” joined the Alliance Health Networks family of sites in January 2011. Visit this “gold mine of straight talk and encouragement for people living with diabetes” at www.diabetesmine.com.

About Alliance Health Networks

Alliance Health develops and hosts social health networks that unite individuals and market participants in dynamic condition-specific communities, including DiabeticConnect.com — now the largest social network for people affected by diabetes, with more than 500,000 registered members and 1.2 million unique monthly visits. Alliance Health sites provide tools and services specifically designed to help patients and caregivers share health-related information and experiences. For more information visit AllianceHealthNetworks.com.

About the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF)

The California HealthCare Foundation is an independent philanthropy committed to improving the way health care is delivered and financed in California and beyond. By promoting innovations in care and broader access to information, CHCF’s goal is to ensure that all Californians can get the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Learn more about the Foundation at www.CHCF.org.

For more information, please contact info @ diabetesmine.com or 650-652-9430.

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DiabetesMine is a registered trademark of Alliance Health Networks. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.