On Nov. 8, Intel is sponsoring the Intel Innovation Award at the 2011 Health IT Leadership Summit in Atlanta. Four semifinalists have made it through the judging process and one will be awarded the top prize at the event. Each will be presenting their product or service during the Summit, and to give you a better insight into these four innovative organizations we will be running guest blog posts from the semifinalist this week. Today’s guest blogger is Bart Foster, CEO and founder of SoloHealth. Be sure to watch for the winner of the Intel Innovation Award next week following the Summit.

Everywhere you look news headlines proclaim a truth we all know all too well: Our healthcare system is broken. And no entity is left untouched from healthcare’s deterioration whether that be consumers or medical providers or insurers or healthcare and wellness companies. Plans and reforms for change are coming from our government and other organizations. But I believe healthcare’s greatest promise can be realized through consumer empowerment and technology. 

Why? Awareness and prevention are tried-and-true practices that are absolutely essential to a healthier America – both physically and financially. Today’s consumer is invigorated by a self-service and what-can-I-do-for-myself attitude. Technology is advancing today’s empowered consumer.

At SoloHealth, our entire business model is based around the simple consumer equation: Education + Awareness = Action. Seventeenth century intellect and author Thomas Paine so prophetically once said, “A mind once enlightened can never be darkened again.” We believe this is true, especially as it relates to an individual’s health and wellness.

SoloHealth is a consumer-driven health technology company that develops platforms that leverage today’s latest technology to benefit consumers. Our SoloHealth Station is a next-generation, consumer health and wellness kiosk with both the functionality and technology to drive consumer education, awareness and ultimately action.

Powered by the latest Intel® technologies, the SoloHealth Station is a comprehensive health kiosk that screens vision, blood pressure, weight, and body mass index, and provides an overall health assessment free of charge. It also gives consumers access to a database of local doctors. In fact, Intel released a study on the innovations and benefits behind our kiosk, which has a primary goal to help empower consumers with the knowledge and awareness of their health to propel them to act. 

The facts are glaringly obvious for all:  healthcare costs are out-of-control and American’s health and wellness issues and disease are rising every day, making for a quickly deteriorating national healthcare system. But we know awareness and prevention leads to a healthier America. And we know that technology can help propel that to action. Let’s keep pushing forward, as an industry, towards the goal of a better and healthier America.