For the past seven years, The Cigna Group’s annual iTournament has challenged employees to develop innovative solutions to solve some of health care’s biggest challenges and improve patient outcomes.

This year’s program, continuing under the direction of the Aspire employee resource group, and in partnership with the office of excellence and transformation, had a record-breaking 220 proposals submitted, with eight advancing to the final round. Finalists presented their ideas on Pitch Day to a panel of executive leaders at The Cigna Group:

• Dr. David Brailer, EVP, chief health and transformation officer
• Chris DeRosa, EVP, business improvement and innovation, and head of the office of excellence and transformation
• DP Koka, interim chief information officer
• Kari Stevens, EVP and chief human resources officer

James Wieselman Schulman, of Evernorth’s disruptive solution design team, served as master of ceremonies. Offstage, he was responsible for bringing the event together. “It’s essential to put humans at the center of our work,” Wieselman Schulman said. “From there, we can build viable, technically feasible solutions.”

Reimagining prior authorization

The top prize went to Team Two, who presented a plan titled, “Critical Chronic Condition Burden Reduction,” to reimagine prior authorization so it is less of a burden for providers, and a quicker, more stress-free process for patients.

The plan was rooted in the idea that smarter and faster approvals will result in healthier outcomes. (Pictured left: Skylar and Jonathan Fetterman)

“We wanted to come up with an idea that wasn't just about saving Cigna money or blanket speeding up the process,” said Jonathan Fetterman, business analytics manager for eviCore, who was part of Team Two. “We wanted to create something that operationalized empathy, pairing speed with more personal care, that better matches the reality of our patients.”

The team, along with other finalists, now can explore further development of their idea, as well as the chance to work with leaders from across the company to potentially bring it to life.

Compassionate intake process for neurodiverse patients and their families

For Michael Hall, a case management analyst at Evernorth, innovation began with a personal journey—one shaped by his experience as a father navigating the health care system for his autistic son. (Pictured left: Michael Hall and Jacqueline Gainer)

“It’s a confusing and often lonely journey,” Hall said. “Families can feel isolated trying to find the right care.”

Hall, a member of Team Six, used that experience to help design a more compassionate intake process for neurodiverse patients and their families. His team’s proposal titled, “Flourish Coaching: A Cross-Functional Autism Support Team to Bridge Behavioral & Medical Care,” focused on creating a single, consistent point of contact to guide patients through their health care journey.

“It’s about putting all the care at the first touchpoint,” Hall said. “From benefits to clinicians to coaching—someone who stays with you and helps guide you every step of the way.”

Hall’s group won the People’s Choice Award for their “Flourish Coaching” concept, with more than 1,000 colleagues voting for their idea.

For Hall, the People’s Choice win was personal. A conversation with his son helped refine the pitch. “I told him what I planned to say, and he said, ‘That’s not the autistic experience,’” Hall recalled. “He helped me reshape it—and that made all the difference.”