Two University of Central Florida (UCF) undergraduate students took first place in the University of South Florida’s (USF) State of Florida Healthcare Innovation Competition on April 7. They received a cash price of $10,000 for their invention of Smartway, a female urinary device that also secured them the 2013 UCF Joust championship. Competitors in the USF healthcare innovation competition comprised college student innovators at the undergraduate, graduate, master’s and doctorate levels.
UCF students Taylor Cheeley and Nicole Enterlein, creators of Smartway, surpassed seven other healthcare innovation designs including a non-invasive device that measures parameters for heart failure, an application to help those with disabilities, and a portable, solar-powered device for sanitizing medical equipment.
“We are paving the way in uncharted territory here in the U.S.,” said Taylor Cheeley. “Presenting in front of high-level executives and investors, while being from non-business backgrounds ourselves, does put us out of our comfort zones, but Nicole and I have both grown so much since starting Smartway. Every move that we make is precisely calculated and supported by data and research. We wanted to gain medical credibility, and with half of the judges being from Florida Blue, and the other half from USF’s medical school, we were able to do that.”
Teams in the healthcare competition came from USF, the University of Florida, the University of Miami, Florida International University, UCF, the University of North Florida, Florida Atlantic University and Nova Southeastern University. The competition pooled judges from Florida Blue, local business professionals, USF faculty and judges from the National Academy of Investors.
The seven presentations included:
- Google Glass applications for people with cognitive and physical disabilities;
- A portable, solar-powered autoclave for sanitizing medical equipment;
- A product that allows consumers to measure UV sun exposure;
- An operating room table-mounted motorized surgical device that allows greater precision for spinal ultrasounds.
- A non-invasive device that measures parameters for heart failure;
- A neighborhood grocery store catering to low-income families; and
- A female urinary device that enables women to stand while urinating
The State of Florida Healthcare Innovation Competition is an opportunity for Florida students to revolutionize the healthcare industry by innovative designs, concepts and ideas. This year, the competition offered $17,500 in cash prizes—$10,000 for first, $5,000 for second and $2,500 for third. The program hopes to inspire early healthcare entrepreneurship and innovation within Florida.
“The students will have to be laser-focused on what’s new and different about the innovation, identify a solution for solving a problem in healthcare, and articulate how this new innovation will positively impact the quality and delivery of healthcare,” said Director Michael Fountain for USF’s Center for Entrepreneurship.
Taylor Cheeley and Nicole Enterlein also won The Joust competition for their invention of the Smartway urinary device in 2013, winning them $12,500 and a year of professional guidance by the UCF Business Incubation Program. The Smartway cup is a disposable urine funnel that enables women to stand when using a public restroom, reducing contact with contaminated surfaces and potentially harmful diseases.
“We’re working on a nationwide launch with CVS and Walgreens that will place Smartway in over 16,000 stores in the US,” said Taylor Cheeley. “We’re also pursuing a federal contract with the military, partnership with the Girl Scouts and placement in hospitals and testing facilities. The future for Smartway is astronomical. We’re saturating the market, one purse at a time.”
Established in 1968, the UCF College of Business Administration offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting are accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business now and in the future. As such, the college establishes partnerships with some of the nation’s most innovative leaders to model new and best practices that harness evolving technology. In addition, the college promotes a unique culture of engagement, risk-taking, cross-disciplinary collaboration and data-driven decision making in an effort to ensure students are well prepared to enter a dynamic marketplace.