MEDIC receives renewal grant for digital healthcare

HAMILTON, Ont. – Mohawk College’s mHealth & eHealth Development and Innovation Centre (MEDIC) has received a renewal grant of $1.75 million for its nationally recognized Technology Access Centre in Digital Health.

Over the next five years, funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) will be used to support hundreds of applied research projects and partnerships with Canadian companies, driving innovation in digital health, virtual care, interoperability and software development.

“We are grateful to NSERC and its College and Community Innovation program for this funding,” said Alison Horton (pictured), Mohawk College vice president, academic, who announced the funding to digital healthcare specialists during the college’s annual Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource (FHIR) North virtual conference. “This renewal allows the talented MEDIC team to continue providing the digital health sector with world-class applied research support. At the same time, it offers dozens of student researchers the opportunity to apply their keen, innovative perspectives to pressing digital challenges and to gain hands-on experience in the field.”

Established as an applied research innovation centre in 2009, MEDIC was first recognized by the federal government as a Technology Access Centre in 2016. Since then MEDIC has completed over 1,100 applied research projects, and training contracts, partnering with health IT start-ups, leading Canadian digital health companies and global NGOs.

“COVID-19 restrictions have created a significant need for digital health data interconnectivity, as well as increased demand for virtual care,” said Jeffrey McIsaac, dean of applied research at Mohawk. “MEDIC’s expertise in interoperability, app development and health system design is in high demand. This funding will also allow MEDIC to integrate further expertise from across the college, including IoT, accessibility and medical technologies.”

MEDIC has provided work experience to more than 100 college students and continues to support the development of skills needed in the digital health community. MEDIC works in close partnership with Mohawk’s recently established four-year Bachelor of Digital Health Degree and Digital Health graduate certificate.

MEDIC is part of IDEAWORKS, Mohawk’s research and innovation division. Mohawk College was named as Canada’s fourth top research college in the 2020-2021 Research Infosource Ranking.

NSERC’s College and Community Innovation program funding is part of the federal government’s recent investment of $38 million to colleges, CEGEPs, and polytechnics.