Guelph General and university solidify research pact

GUELPH, Ont. – Guelph General Hospital (GGH) and the University of Guelph (U of G) have formalized their partnership through a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU signifies an important milestone for the Guelph region as the organizations seek to positively impact community health and sustainability, foster innovation in healthcare delivery, and enhance educational programs.

“True to our vision of ‘Together, a healthier community for everyone’, this partnership represents our commitment to collaborating beyond our own walls to ensure our patients receive the best possible care. This MOU is wonderful news and signifies an important step forward for our community,” said Mark Walton (pictured on left), president and CEO, Guelph General Hospital.

Both GGH and U of G are positioned to address the challenges that are impacting the health of the community. While the organizations share a rich history of collaboration, the MOU sets the framework for leveraging one another’s strengths to overcome community challenges. Key areas of focus include:

• Enhanced research and development efforts in healthcare, medicine, life sciences and related fields;
• Improved clinical care, patient outcomes, and healthcare delivery methods;
• Supporting education and training programs for medical professionals, students, and researchers and explore opportunities for inter-professional education;
• Fostering innovation and technology transfer between the healthcare and academic sectors;
• And addressing community health needs through joint outreach and engagement activities.

As part of the MOU, U of G’s commitments range from contributing its expertise in One Health and team-based care to help solve health problems that can’t be easily addressed in traditional disciplinary silos, to sharing its expertise and leveraging its research in rural community development to address inequities for rural centres.

GGH has committed to looking at accelerated learning and student placement models, including recently welcoming four students as part of U of G’s President’s Summer Co-op Initiative and two students as part of co-op work terms.

Going forward the organizations will continue to work together to shape future generations of community leaders through education, mentorship, and hands on experience.

“We believe that solution-oriented, collaborative partnerships are more important today than they’ve ever been. Research-intensive, learner-centred universities like U of G are ideal partners for healthcare providers as both work to address complex challenges and provide public value in a way that organizations and entire sectors simply can’t do alone,” said Charlotte Yates (pictured on right), president and vice-chancellor, University of Guelph.

About The University of Guelph
The University of Guelph is one of Canada’s top comprehensive and research-intensive universities. Established in 1964, the university’s reputation for innovation comes from offering more than one hundred majors across a range of disciplines – physical and life sciences, arts and humanities, social sciences, business, agricultural and veterinary sciences. Learner-centred, programs are designed to deliver an experience that integrates broad-based learning with concentrated study in specialized and applied fields.

About Guelph General Hospital
Guelph General Hospital is a dynamic, comprehensive acute care facility providing a full range of services to the residents of Guelph and Wellington County. Services include 24-hour emergency coverage, advanced technology and diagnostic support, and specialty programs. GGH is a regional provider of general vascular surgery and a designated provincial Bariatric Centre of Excellence. GGH is also a proud partner in the Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team.