This paper addresses innovation in the public health sector, aiming to describe and analyze the profiles of the cases that have won the Innovation Award in Federal Public Administration, between 1995 and 2011. The study is of a qualitative and descriptive nature, and it was carried out by analyzing 19 cases in healthcare, collected from the National School of Public Administration (Enap) website. These cases were analyzed according to the following dimensions: identification of cases, objectives, type, scope and results of the work. The results show incremental innovations, predominantly in those types of innovation of processes and services, focusing on the search for operational efficiency, and those cases had national coverage. Finally, we suggest measures for governmental incentives for innovation in the public sector, and a research agenda for innovation in the public health sector.
innovation; health; public service
