Mountain America Credit Union Partners with University of Utah Health’s Center for Medical Innovation on Bench to Bedside Program

Mountain America Credit Union is proud to announce a new partnership with the University of Utah Health’s Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) to sponsor the Bench to Bedside health care innovation program. This collaboration underscores Mountain America’s ongoing commitment to strengthening communities, supporting education, and fostering innovation that improves health outcomes across the region.

Now in its 16th year, Bench to Bedside is a seven-month experiential program that empowers multidisciplinary student teams to identify unmet clinical needs and develop innovative solutions that transform patient care. Throughout the program, students work alongside health care professionals, engineers, business mentors, and industry leaders to navigate real-world challenges—from defining clinical problems and evaluating the patent landscape to prototyping solutions and building go-to-market strategies. The culmination is a high-profile competition where teams pitch their innovations to expert judges, with milestone funding awarded to top teams to support further development.

“We’re thrilled to support CMI’s Bench to Bedside program,” said Nathan Anderson, chief operating officer and executive vice president of Mountain America Credit Union. “This partnership aligns with our mission to uplift our communities and invest in future leaders. By empowering student innovators to tackle complex health care challenges, we’re helping to spark solutions that define patient care and make a lasting impact for generations to come.”

Bench to Bedside has become a premier platform for fostering collaboration and entrepreneurship among students across diverse disciplines. Participants benefit from hands-on experience, access to prototyping and design resources, and invaluable mentorship—all while contributing to Utah’s thriving health care and technology ecosystem. To date, the program has successfully engaged 1,845 students in 408 teams, generating impressive outputs such as 120 new companies, 233 patents, and over $1.5 million in total milestone funding.

“We are grateful for Mountain America Credit Union’s support of Bench to Bedside,” said Mark Paul, executive director of CMI. “Partnerships like this expand our ability to provide students with the resources and encouragement they need to push bold ideas forward. At the heart of Bench to Bedside is the belief that when young innovators are given the tools and guidance to bring their ideas to life, breakthrough solutions that benefit patients and communities everywhere can emerge.”

Mountain America Credit Union’s sponsorship will help extend the reach and impact of the Bench to Bedside program and ensure that more student innovators have the opportunity to bring their ideas from concept to reality.

For more information about the Center for Medical Innovation and Bench to Bedside visit cmi.uofuhealth.org.