Innovation in Action: Eight Health Centers Target Financial Sustainability
Innovation in Action: Eight Health Centers Target Financial Sustainability
Apr 27, 2026
By: NACHC Staff
NACHC’s Center for Innovation has launched the 2026 Innovation Incubator program. This year, the cohort focuses on the theme of Financial Diversification & Sustainability. In its third iteration, the Incubator operates on the premise that innovation often fails when “fixers” jump to solutions without understanding the root cause. To shift this dynamic, the program provides seed funding and a “sandbox” to test new ideas without immediate real-world consequences. NACHC’s Incubator training relies on collaborative growth, where health centers convene in person and during virtual meetings to learn and implement innovation concepts through NACHC’s reinvigorated Innovation Incubator Curriculum
The eight selected health centers receive funding, training, and access to subject matter experts over a 9-month period to design sustainable and replicable solutions. The 2026 cohort includes:
The cohort recently completed an intensive in-person training on March 26 and 27, 2026. On day one, participants engaged in “Brain Blasts” to generate a wide array of ideas and approaches to their specific patient-centered challenges.
“I like how we were pushed in uncomfortable directions. Even if we didn’t go all the way, we landed in an advanced place based on the push and compromise.” – Workshop Participant
“I loved all the touch points with other health centers. It really made the experience very helpful.” – Community Health Service, Inc.
On day two, the training transitioned from theoretical concepts to testable actions. Teams identified risky assumptions and used “scrappy” tools like storyboards and rudimentary drawings to prototype their ideas. In doing so, the health centers were able to devise plans to progress quickly and gather rapid feedback from staff and patients before investing significant resources.
“Being in the room with peers and SMEs allowed us to test, refine, and strengthen ideas in real time. Hearing how other health centers are approaching similar challenges was also helpful and expanded our thinking. A key takeaway for our team was grounding our Big Idea and prototypes in what we heard during staff, patient, and community interviews. The process helped us turn what we heard from our community into something real, testable, and sustainable.” – Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
After the training, the health centers jump into testing multiple components of their idea on staff and patients. This summer, they’ll develop a business plan and prepare for a full pilot to ensure that their patient-centered solution is able to generate revenue for long-term sustainability. The 2026 program will culminate in a live pitch session in the fall, where health centers will show off their hard work to industry experts and stakeholders.
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