Category: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Healthcare organizations worldwide are embracing the concept of connective devices using the internet of medical things (IoMT). Logiksavvy Innovations (LSI) is a healthcare technology (HealthTech) startup that focuses on research and development (R&D) of innovative technologies that impact healthcare, self-care, and the community. LSI set out to develop an IoMT solution with the capability to detect and prevent critical health events. Working with AWS through the Health Equity Initiative, LSI collaborated with AWS ProServe to develop a viable proof-of-concept with the AWS Cloud.

Waterford.org is an early education nonprofit committed to advancing equity and excellence for young learners. Waterford.org provides personalized programs for learners from pre-kindergarten to second grade, and support services for families and educators so the adults in a child’s life can help them reach their full potential. To deliver these educational resources to families and children, Waterford.org uses AWS.

In this guest post, Ajay K. Gupta, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of HSR.health, explains how healthcare technology (HealthTech) nonprofit HSR.health uses geospatial artificial intelligence and AWS to develop solutions that support improvements in healthcare and health equity around the world.

Climate change is a significant factor in many health-related issues, from the increase of pest-related illness, to food scarcity, access to clean air and water, and beyond. Recognizing the power the cloud has to amplify technologies that mitigate many of these issues, AWS is sponsoring a new fellowship with Halcyon, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit supporting impact-driven startups. Designed for entrepreneurs seeking to build climate resilience across Latin America and the Caribbean, the Halcyon Climate Resilience Intensive Fellowship aims to combat the compounding effects of climate change on poverty, food insecurity, health disparities, and displacement.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the number one cause of death for student athletes and the leading cause of death on school campuses. The nonprofit Who We Play For (WWPF) advocates for SCA prevention through advocacy, automated external defibrillator (AED) placement, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, and heart screenings, which include low-cost electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings from physicians that are experts in pediatric ECG interpretation. To scale their efforts, WWPF collaborated with AWS to build a ML solution to help extend the chance to get screened for SCA to every young person, potentially saving many lives each year.

AWS announced the 10 finalists for the 2022 AWS Healthcare Accelerator focused on improving health equity. This year’s cohort brought forward innovative ideas that will improve access to care, provide actionable health equity data, expand access to medical transport, and help people without a home reach housing and health goals. Over the course of the four-week Accelerator program, these 10 startups will receive technical and business mentorship from AWS and KidsX experts, up to $25,000 in AWS Computing Credits, and collaboration opportunities with AWS healthcare customers, industry leaders, and members of AWS Partner Network (APN) looking for healthcare solutions.

eVisit’s role as a participant in the AWS Health Equity Initiative provided me with the opportunity to serve as a panelist at this year’s AWS Summit Washington, DC in May. I presented alongside other AWS health equity program partners to outline our collective efforts to increase access to healthcare services in underserved communities, reduce disparities by addressing social determinants of health (SDoH), and leverage data to promote equitable systems of care.

In 2021, AWS announced global support for Girls in Tech, a nonprofit founded in 2007 dedicated to eliminating the gender gap in tech. Last week, AWS and Girls In Tech hosted an Evening with Experts event at Amazon HQ2 in Arlington, VA. The in-person event provided an opportunity for women in the local area to hear from public sector and public service technology experts on professional growth opportunities and partnerships to reshape the industry to be more equitable and efficient.

At AWS, we believe the cloud can help address long-standing social and structural disparities that impact health outcomes. That’s why we have chosen to focus the next AWS Healthcare Accelerator on health equity. Launching today, this accelerator builds on our larger focus on this issue that includes a $40M commitment we made last September to support customers developing solutions to reduce health inequities. The AWS Healthcare Accelerator, delivered in collaboration with KidsX, aims to empower all startups that focus on improving health equity.

Latin America is set to achieve gender parity in 69 years, according to the latest World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Gender Gap Report. The same report shows that women experience a bigger gender gap in fast-growing fields like cloud computing, where women represent 25% or below of the workforce. At AWS, we believe that to address this challenge, we must give individuals around the world, from all backgrounds, the opportunity to develop cloud skills and begin promising careers in technology. Learn more about the AWS Habilidades Tech program and our collaboration on the Organization of American States (OAS) Cyberwomen Challenge.