The 2014 Tech Impact Awards: Health

WINNER

Limeade

Location: Bellevue | Employees: 90

Under pressure to keep health care costs under control, many businesses have turned to wellness programs to encourage healthy behavior. But theres a huge difference between creating one of these programs and getting employees to use it.

This is Limeades specialty. The Bellevue-based firm offers a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform customized to each client that transforms wellness programs into engaging games, complete with challenges and rewards. Using behavior science, data and integration with back-end systems like payroll, Limeade turns marginally used HR programs into companywide focuses. The strategy is delivering dividends for more than 100 clients, including Chipotle, Jamba Juice and the State of Washington. According to the company, a large medical center using Limeades programs saw more than 90 percent of its employees complete their preventive care in a year, up from 30 percent the previous year.

CEO Henry Albrecht says Limeades mission to boost company cultures is just beginning. In addition to health and fitness initiatives, clients are starting to use Limeades platform to unify strategic HR initiatives, he says, increasing participation in programs ranging from training and professional development to financial health and community service.

SILVER AWARD

Genelex Corporation

Location: Seattle | Employees: 73

Through its genetic testing and support tools for doctors, Genelex Corporation is out to eliminate the fourth-leading cause of death in America: adverse drug reactions. For all the innovations made in drug testing and medical data collection, incorrect prescriptions are still a massive problem, costing the American health care system more than $289 billion each year, according to Genelexs estimates. The companys effectiveness in tackling the issue has made it one of the fastest growing private companies in the Puget Sound region and perhaps one of the most beneficial.