Guidelines and FAQs

Innovation Category

• What is the Innovation category?

  For this category, we are looking for submissions of innovative initiatives that will make positive, breakthrough change in the care of serious illness.

  Submissions of initiatives will take place throughout the month of October 2023 (October 1-31, 2023).

• What should the innovations focus on?

  There are no defined areas of innovation for this Challenge. We welcome inspiring initiatives that stem from all areas of care.  These can include, but are not limited to, health equity, COVID-19, upstream palliative care, spread of skills, and much more.

• Can my organization participate in the Innovation category if we are not a CAPC member?

  You do not have to be part of a CAPC member organization to participate in this category of the Challenge. This category is focused on innovation and is open to all health care organizations nationwide. CAPC membership, however, enables you to use all of CAPC’s courses for skill-building and CAPC’s breadth of technical assistance. If your organization is interested in becoming a CAPC member, contact us at 347-835-3367 or membership@capc.org.

• Is this a challenge for organizations or individuals?

  This is a Challenge between organizations. Individuals, or groups of individuals, must submit on behalf of their organization. Multiple organizations may collaborate on a single initiative and may sign up and submit together.

  Submissions of initiatives will take place October 1-31, 2023.

• Can multiple organizations work together?

  Yes! Multiple organizations may collaborate on a single initiative and submit together. Please choose one person (“lead author”) for the submission, to avoid duplicate entries. The lead author can list co-authors on the website submission form.

• Are there any specific submission requirements for the Innovation category?

  Initiatives must have started after January 1, 2019. They must have been implemented long enough to show outcomes.

  You will be asked to submit the following:

  Impact (max. 500 words)
  Use the questions below as guidance:

  Does your initiative address a problem that needs to be solved? Does the solution have the potential to have significant impact? If a new initiative, what is the confidence in whether the project will achieve its solution? Will it influence multiple people or a large population, or will it have a significant impact on a small, vulnerable population?

  Evidence-Base (max. 500 Words)
  Use the questions below as guidance:
  
  What were your results? What methods of evaluation were used? How did the results compare to the specific objectives you originally identified and planned for? When planning the initiative, was there evidence (primary or secondary) to suggest that solution presented, or critical components of it, would yield results? Does the evidence suggest that the initiative and solution can be adapted to other contexts, such as expanding to new populations or geographies, or to reach a greater number of people over time, and still retain its effectiveness?

  Feasibility (max. 500 Words)
  Use the questions below as guidance:

  What is/was plan for implementation, including key tactics, measurable objectives, strategies, and tools?  What are the skills and resources necessary to accomplish the initiative?

  Were there plans for potential risks, such as changes in key personnel, or changes in political and social environments? Were any difficulties encountered? If so, how were they handled?

  Were other organizations involved?

  Scalability (max. 500 Words)
  Use the questions below as guidance:

  Does the initiative have the potential to be adapted, such as expanding to new populations, or reaching a larger group of people over time, all while retaining its effectiveness? If so, how? 

  Sustainability (max. 500 Words)
  Use the questions below as guidance:

  Do the budget and plan represent a realistic understanding of successful implementation? How will the initiative have sustained impact (e.g., institutional adoption; partnerships; potential support from other sources etc.)? Will the effects be immediate or long-term? Does the team have the skills, capacity, relationships, and experience to sustain the initiative? Does the initiative have buy-in from institution leadership?

• What is the timeline for the Innovation category?

  Submissions of the full project will take place throughout the month of October 2023 (October 1-31, 2023). If you’d like to receive an email notification when the submission period opens, along with guidelines and tips for developing a successful submission, sign up here.

• How do we submit our initiative?

  Submissions will take place October 1-31, 2023, via a web-based submission form. The link to the form will be posted here on October 1, 2023. Please see the “What are the submission guidelines?” FAQ below for more information about what is expected of your submission.

• What is the judging process?

  CAPC will use a scoring rubric to assess submissions. All submissions will be scored and winners selected by a panel of CAPC expert faculty.

  Participants will be required to address the following areas for evaluation: Impact, Evidence-Base, Feasibility, Scalability, and Sustainability.

• Can we compete in both categories?

  CAPC member organizations can compete in both categories.

  If you work for a nonmember organization, you can still participate in the Innovation category.

• Will we be able to upload supporting materials?

  While supporting materials are not required, you may upload up to four (4) relevant documents. This includes photos, videos, and PDFs. Make sure that any documents such as PowerPoint decks, Microsoft Word documents, etc. are converted to a PDF prior to upload. Additionally, any URLs (e.g., YouTube video, link to a website) can be included in a PDF.

• Are there examples of submissions from the previous round?

  You can review the work from previous winners and finalists on the Winners and Finalists page. For the winners, you can click each project name for extensive details. For the finalists, you can click each organization name to expand the summary of their initiative.

• Can we have multiple entries in this category?

  Yes. It is fine to submit more than one entry for this category.

• Is there a local Challenge for New York City in this category?

  No. The local New York City competition applies only to the Clinical Training category (see above). Learn more here.

  New York City-based organizations, however,  are encouraged to compete in the Innovation category as well, but this category is national only. You do not have to be a CAPC member to compete in the Innovation category.

• I still have questions. Is there someone who can help?

  For any questions about the Tipping Point Challenge, please email Melissa Scholl at melissa.scholl@mssm.edu.