Innovation

Ontario announces winners of health innovation awards

TORONTO – A program that allows cancer patients to enter their symptoms via the internet, a mobile health clinic in Northwestern Ontario, and a program to bring fresh produce to a Waterloo Region hospital are among the winners of the 2008 Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Awards.

Winners were selected in six categories from a pool of 18 finalists drawn from more than 400 submissions. The awards are part of the Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo, an annual showcase of initiatives that are driving advancement in Ontario’s healthcare system. The Expo is presented by Ontario’s 14 Local Health Integration Networks and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.


Award winners in each of the six categories are:

• NorWest Community Health Centres – North West Local Health Integration Network, The Mobile Unit of the NorWest Community Health Centre. Created a one-stop mobile health clinic that travels to remote northern communities.

Finalist
Trillium Medical Centre – Champlain Local Health Integration Network. Hawkesbury Family Health Care Group Shared Care Pilot Project. Pioneered an innovative program that provides holistic, patient-centred counselling and support to patients with chronic diseases.

Finalist
Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital – Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network. Virtual Tour of Long-Term Care Placement Destinations. Developed a video that allows families to take virtual tours of local Long-Term Care Homes, to make the best choice for their family member.


IMPROVING QUALITY AND PATIENT SAFETY

Winner
Toronto Rehab – Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. Cardiac Rehabilitation Home Program – An Alternative Model of Care. Created a 6 month rehabilitation home program for patients living with heart disease.

Finalist
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre – Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. LacTrack at Sunnybrook – Bar Coding from Breast to Baby. Designed a program to prevent breast milk errors.

Finalist
Intelligent Assistive Technology and Systems Lab – Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. The COACH: An intelligent home prompting system. Developed an intelligent prompting system for older adults with dementia.


INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH HUMAN RESOURCES

Winner
The Ottawa Hospital – Champlain Local Health Integration Network. The Clinical Nurse Expert: A Safety Net for the Future. Created a system to provide clinical support for nurses

Finalist
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre – North West Local Health Integration Network. Go Team. Designed a program to facilitate teambuilding and leadership in health care

Finalist
Lakeridge Health Corporation – Central East Local Health Integration Network. Rural Health Training Institute: An Innovative Training Model. Improved and created strategic partnerships for the enhancement of rural health service delivery.


INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH PROMOTION

Winner
St. Mary’s General Hospital – Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network. A fresh approach to health promotion. Facilitated hospital-based community produce markets to promote healthy food choices.

Finalist
Lang’s Farm Village Association – Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network. Retired, Ready and Roving. Established strategic partnerships to improve delivery of care and services to isolated seniors.

Finalist
Community & Primary Health Care – Lanark, Leeds & Grenville – South East Local Health Integration Network. Enhanced Access to Primary Health Care – Mobile Health Services. Created a mobile health unit to improve the delivery of primary healthcare to remote communities.


INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Winner
Cancer Care Ontario – All Local Health Integration Networks. Interactive System Assessment and Collection (ISAAC) for cancer patients. Developed software to improve communication of symptom scores and enhance patient engagement in the treatment process.

Finalist
ConnexOntario Health Services Information – All Local Health Integration Networks. The e-Network Solution for Mental Health & Addictions Information Management. Designed tools to enhance the flow of information and reporting capacity between mental health and addiction organizations and their key stakeholders.

Finalist
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre – Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. TC LHIN Referral Tracking System: Supporting Timely Access to Care. Created a web-based electronic system to help manage referrals to the Toronto Central LHIN hip and knee replacement program.


IMPROVING EFFICIENCY THROUGH PROCESS REDESIGN

Winner
Grey Bruce Health Services (GBHS) – South West Local Health Integration Network. Roaming Scopes for Flexible Endoscopy. Established a flexible endoscopy service between hospitals to meet procedure demand.

Finalist
The Hospital for Sick Children – Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. Meal Train. Developed an innovative and flexible model of meal delivery emphasizing choice and nutrition for patients.

Finalist
The Ottawa Hospital – Champlain Local Health Integration Network. Growing Up and Moving Out: Blood and Marrow Transplantation Evolve. Created a multidisciplinary clinical care program for transplant patients in a day hospital setting.

“I am very proud of this year’s finalists and award winners,” said George Smitherman (pictured above), Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. “These awards highlight the creative and innovative thinking that is necessary, even essential, to reducing wait times and improving access to quality family healthcare in Ontario.”

More than three hundred organizations displayed their innovations at this year’s Expo. The first Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo was held in; 2006.

Learn more about the winners and finalists for this year’s Innovations in Health Care awards www.health.gov.on.ca/transformation/innovation.