September 1, 2026 Nurse anesthesiology resident wins $15,000 for central line dressing innovation Rosemont, Ill. — MudFlap was named the winner of the Rm8 iNoV8 Pitch Competition, held August 23 at the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) 2026 Annual Congress in Boston. Now in its third year, the competition brought together five finalists to pitch innovative solutions aimed at improving patient safety, patient outcomes, or provider experience. MudFlap is a transparent, non-sterile protective overlay designed to be applied over an existing central line dressing. Its non-adhesive center is designed to prevent the overlay from sticking to or disturbing the primary dressing when removed. MudFlap shields the dressing from moisture, secretions, and everyday snags and bumps and can be replaced when soiled, with the goal of reducing unplanned sterile dressing changes. Brett Garcia, BSN, RN, RRNA, a nurse anesthesiology resident at Texas Christian University and founder of MudFlap, received the competition’s $15,000 first-place prize and the opportunity to further develop his product with Rm8, AANA’s innovation lab. Garcia said he has been developing MudFlap independently, without a team or company behind him. “This competition put me in front of the people who are looking to help innovators with good ideas, and that access is something a solo innovator almost never gets,” he said. The idea for MudFlap grew out of Garcia’s years as a pediatric ICU nurse at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, where he frequently saw central line dressings become wet, soiled, or disrupted before the end of their intended wear period. Each incident could require an unplanned sterile dressing change, adding work for nurses and requiring the dressing over the insertion site to be removed and replaced, which can ultimately be a disruptor for patients. Garcia saw an opportunity to address the problem differently. Rather than redesigning the central line dressing itself, he created MudFlap to protect the dressing already in place and help it remain intact for as long as intended. “My hope for MudFlap is simple: that it preserves dressings, protects patients, and gives nurses one less thing to fight with at the bedside,” he said. “If it makes even a small part of a nurse’s day easier and a patient’s care safer, it will have done its job.” Garcia said he plans to use the prize money to continue developing MudFlap. His next steps include fluid challenge and durability testing, consulting with regulatory counsel on the FDA pathway, and producing another round of prototypes. “For a solo-funded project, especially for a student, $15,000 covers a meaningful chunk of exactly the work that has to happen before MudFlap can reach a bedside,” he added. Finalists received personalized pitch coaching before presenting their innovations live at Annual Congress to industry leaders and potential investors. The Rm8 iNoV8 Pitch Competition is supported by AANA Insurance Services and GuideStar Medical (EpiZact). Rm8 (pronounced “Room 8”), AANA’s innovation lab, supports innovators in developing and advancing solutions for healthcare and the nurse anesthesiology profession. Through its programs and initiatives, Rm8 provides an environment to incubate product and service ideas, support emerging startups, and connect healthcare innovators with the CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist community. Other prize winners in the 2026 Rm8 iNoV8 Pitch Competition were: Second place: AERIS Airway, Cody Birch, CEO Third place: Anesthesia Connect, Stephen Stawicki, CEO Fourth place: NELO, Chinelo Nwaogbo, CEO Fifth place: Clyvara, Christian Cansino, CEO #Press release Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Share Print