Competition announced to reduce ED wait times

KITCHENER, Ont. – Like many hospitals across Ontario, Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN pronounced wren) faces emergency department (ED) wait time challenges. In partnership with the University of Waterloo, WRHN has announced an exciting opportunity to transform patient care and improve ED flow in Ontario.

The two organizations have launched an Innovation Challenge to encourage non-profits and public entities, innovators and solution developers, technology companies, and interdisciplinary teams who are passionate about healthcare optimization, to submit proposals that address critical areas such as:

• Alternative pathways for non-urgent care
• Patient diversion strategies leveraging community resources
• Real-time patient monitoring and flow management technologies
• Innovations to enhance triage efficiency
• Solutions to improve communication and collaboration among health-care teams

Previously, WRHN used different strategies such as a fast track, introduced a geriatric emergency medicine (GEM) role and advanced screening for at-risk older adults, streamlined triage and registration processes, implemented an electronic health record and other strategies to improve flow and ED wait times.

Despite these efforts, wait times for non-admitted patients remain challenging and affect patient care outcomes and the provider experience.

By partnering with innovators, solution developers, and industry partners, the partners aim to co-design and test innovative system-wide solutions to ensure safety, feasibility, and real-world impact that will transform ED flow and inform public policy.

This is an opportunity for you to gain recognition at a prestigious healthcare innovation event, collaborate with WRHN, industry leaders, and academic partners, and access funding for pilot projects. Validated, impact-driven solutions will be presented and proposed to the provincial government and funding partners for funding and broader implementation.

To review the full challenge details and apply, please see the Final Challenge Brief or read the details on the University of Waterloo website. The deadline to submit your application is April 23, 2025, 12:00 a.m. (midnight) to innovationchallenge@grhosp.on.ca.