Theme 2: Remote Monitoring and Virtual Care The Sky is the Limit Using drones to increase access to health care in remote communities Lead: Wade Hawkins . . INNOVATION STAGE Proof of Concept and Implementation/Integration Health Innovation Focus Health Promotion & Prevention Population and Setting Adults; Indigenous Communities; Rural & Remote Technology and Intervention Robotics, actuators, and human interfaces BENEFITS For Users Improved Access to Care: Drones provide timely delivery of medical supplies and tests to communities otherwise inaccessible by traditional means. Empowered Care: Tele-mentoring enables individuals to administer tests and procedures, fostering self-sufficiency and confidence. Timely Medical Interventions: Faster access to medical resources reduces delays in diagnosis and treatment, improving health outcomes. For The System Reduced Geographic Barriers: Drones eliminate logistical challenges in delivering healthcare to remote areas. Enhanced Efficiency: The integration of tele-mentoring reduces the need for healthcare providers to be physically present, optimizing resource use. Scalable Solution: This initiative can be expanded to other remote and underserved regions facing similar challenges. Community Partnerships: Collaboration with Indigenous communities ensures culturally sensitive implementation and strengthens trust in the healthcare system. Project Theme Information Current State Remote communities, particularly Indigenous communities, face significant barriers in accessing timely healthcare services due to geographic isolation and limited medical infrastructure. These challenges lead to delays in diagnostics, treatment, and medical support, compromising the health and well-being of residents in these areas. Innovative solutions are needed to overcome these logistical and accessibility challenges. Other Known Use Cases Partnerships with Xsensor and Baxter are undergoing to evaluate the impact of eHealth tools on patient outcomes. The specific focus will be on two products: 1) Xsensor’s ForeSite® Intelligent Surface, an artificial intelligence-powered continuous skin monitoring... What is the Innovation This initiative introduces the use of drones to deliver medical supplies, tests, and intervention procedures to remote communities. In addition to delivery, the project incorporates tele-mentoring and self-administration guidance for medical tests and procedures, ensuring that healthcare services are accessible and effective despite geographical constraints. How it Works The project utilizes drones to transport medical supplies and test kits directly to remote communities. Alongside delivery, the initiative supports tele-mentoring, enabling healthcare providers to guide community members in performing self-administered medical tests and procedures. The project is implemented in partnership with Indigenous communities, ensuring culturally appropriate solutions. A comprehensive evaluation will assess the impact of this approach on healthcare access and outcomes. Other Known Cases: Medical Supply Delivery: Drones are used to deliver emergency medical supplies, vaccines, and blood to remote or disaster-struck areas. For example, Zipline has successfully delivered blood products to hospitals in rural Rwanda and Ghana. Search and Rescue Operations: Drones assist in locating missing or injured persons in hard-to-reach areas, using thermal imaging to find people in forests, mountains, or during natural disasters. Telemedicine: Drones equipped with communication devices deliver medical kits and allow doctors to guide patients remotely. This concept has been tested in disaster zones where medical personnel cannot reach quickly. Organ Transportation: Drones have been tested to transport organs for transplant between hospitals, reducing transportation time significantly and improving patient outcomes. Get Involved Explore Partnerships Email Wade Hawkins to explore partnership opportunities Get in touch wade.hawkins@sait.ca . View other projects and explore the Health Everywhere Portfolio to see how local innovations are transforming care across the province. Explore the Health Everywhere Portfolio to see how local innovations are solving real-world challenges and shaping the future of care across the province. View The Portfolio ABOUT The Health Everywhere Hub portfolio map showcases academic-led projects tackling real healthcare challenges across Alberta. By highlighting shared goals and commonalities, we hope to spark collaboration and amplify impact across the system. It’s more than a list of projects - this evolving collection shows what’s possible when partnerships, bold ideas, and real-world testing come together. Previous Item Next Item

Discover research that brings eHealth and mHealth innovations into the hands of Albertans. Research Themes RESEARCH THEMES Health Everywhere is rethinking the patient journey—using digital innovation to move care beyond hospital walls and into people’s lives. Our research themes focus on connecting traditional care with virtual and remote options, improving data access, and strengthening the innovation ecosystem. Our mission is to improve patient-centered care, healthcare access, and timeliness for Alberta's diverse populations. Enhancing Healthcare Equity in Alberta A More Integrated Healthcare System The Health Everywhere Hub remains committed to supporting its members throughout their innovation journeys, acting as a connector, enabler, and advocate to ensure long-term sustainability and impact. We envision a vibrant interconnected eHealth and mHealth ecosystem that leverages Alberta's strengths to drive economic and technological growth. OUR RESEARCH Together, our research supports a future where care is more connected, timely, and personalized—wherever and whenever it’s needed. Bridging Community and Acute Care Led by: Matthew James and Neesh Pannu Alberta’s acute care system is well integrated, but community-based services remain fragmented. This theme enables seamless, inclusive, and scalable healthcare implementation in acute and community-based care settings. It focuses on digital innovations that can be scaled across the province, with an emphasis on building strong, sustained connections between clinicians and the communities they care for. Learn More Remote Monitoring and Virtual Care Led by: Martin Ferguson-Pell and Mary Brindle While digital technology has advanced rapidly, uptake into healthcare remains limited. This theme builds a foundation for testing and scaling virtual and mobile health innovations for virtual care delivery. By advancing virtual care tools and remote monitoring systems, this research theme aims to empower patients to take charge of their health, reduce the need to travel, and close the digital divide that limits access to care. Learn More Connectivity and Data Access Led by: Tyler Williamson Health data can save lives—but only when it’s accessible. Right now, many providers don’t have access to the information they need. This theme focuses on building systems that allow data to flow securely and efficiently across the healthcare landscape. It’s about creating a more connected system—one where every piece of information contributes to better care. Learn More Integrative Innovation Ecosystem Support Led by: Chad Saunders Innovation can’t happen in isolation. This theme supports the growth of a vibrant digital health ecosystem by connecting innovators with the people, infrastructure, and resources they need. By mapping and strengthening the ecosystem, we can ensure that promising solutions have the support required to scale and succeed. Learn More THEME 1 Bridging Community and Acute Care Uniting researchers, decision-makers, and digital health innovators to ensure seamless, inclusive, and scalable healthcare implementation in acute and community-based care settings. Led by: Matthew James and Neesh Pannu A series of projects to better understand the factors, processes, and tools needed to support a vibrant ecosystem. This includes real-time, longitudinal research on if eHealth and mHealth technology development and innovation in Alberta is meeting current goals. Evaluating the current eHealth and mHealth ecosystem While innovators experience challenges navigating the support available to them, there are also unique services that innovators in eHealth and mHealth require that are not readily available. We will work to identify and fill critical gaps in the services available to innovators. Bespoke ecosystem support services See More Theme 4: Integrated Innovation Ecosystem Support OUR RESEARCH By addressing gaps and opportunities in the current ecosystem, our aim is to create a dynamic eHealth and mHealth ecosystem, by identifying resources, matching them with innovators, and improving overall integration. Led by: Chad Saunders Land Acknowledgement The University of Calgary, located in the heart of Southern Alberta, both acknowledges and pays tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).

Dr. Neesh Pannu is a Bridging Community and Acute Care Lead at Health Everywhere. Neesh is a distinguished nephrologist and Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, is a highly accomplished medical professional. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Alberta and furthered her training at Stanford University, culminating in a master's degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Harvard University. Dr. Neesh Pannu, a distinguished nephrologist and Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, is a highly accomplished medical professional. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Alberta and furthered her training at Stanford University, culminating in a master's degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Harvard University. Dr. Pannu's research focuses on acute kidney injury , delving into aspects of diagnosis, management, and outcomes in this critical field. Actively engaged in impactful organizations such as the Alberta Kidney Disease Network (AKDN) and the Interdisciplinary Chronic Disease Collaboration (ICDC), she contributes significantly to advancements in nephrology. Beyond her research endeavors, Dr. Pannu holds key leadership positions as the co-Scientific Director of the Kidney Strategic Clinical Network and the assistant Dean of Clinical Research Platforms at the University of Alberta, showcasing her commitment to advancing healthcare and clinical research. Bridging Community and Acute Care Lead Dr. Neesh Pannu  npannu@ualberta.ca PREVIOUS THEME LEAD NEXT THEME LEAD Uptake VC Personalizing Recovery After Acute Kidney Events Like npannu@ualberta.ca Dr. Neesh Panu Bridging Community and Acute Care Lead Dr. Neesh Pannu, a distinguished nephrologist and Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, is a highly accomplished medical professional. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Alberta and furthered her training at Stanford University, culminating in a master's degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Harvard University. Dr. Pannu's research focuses on acute kidney injury, delving into aspects of diagnosis, management, and outcomes in this critical field. Actively engaged in impactful organizations such as the Alberta Kidney Disease Network (AKDN) and the Interdisciplinary Chronic Disease Collaboration (ICDC), she contributes significantly to advancements in nephrology. Beyond her research endeavors, Dr. Pannu holds key leadership positions as the co-Scientific Director of the Kidney Strategic Clinical Network and the assistant Dean of Clinical Research Platforms at the University of Alberta, showcasing her commitment to advancing healthcare and clinical research.

We envision a vibrant eHealth and mHealth ecosystem, accelerating innovation, growth, and transforming healthcare through collaboration and partnerships. THEME 1: BRIDGING COMMUNITY AND ACUTE CARE Date Advancing eHealth Innovation to Enable Intelligent Patient Monitoring January 2024 Prevention of pressure injuries (PIs) is a priority for healthcare systems worldwide. Also referred to as pressure ulcers or bedsores, this condition is a skin and soft tissue injury that forms because of constant or prolonged pressure on the skin, typically occurring at bony areas on the body. Most prevalent in healthcare settings where the patient is unable to move frequently enough to relieve the pressure, PIs are painful for the patient and can lead to a deterioration in health, increased hospital stays, and even death. To address this issue, W21C partnered with XSENSOR Technology Corporation, a Calgary-based company that designs, manufactures, and sells advanced pressure-imaging systems for use in medical environments worldwide. With support from W21C’s research team, this led to the creation of a novel pressure sensing device - the ForeSite PT™ System. In late 2007, an opportunity arose for W21C to partner with XSENSOR in the development and testing of a health innovation. The main objectives of this initiative were to better understand the potential of innovative technology to support healthcare providers in caring for patients at risk of pressure injuries. W21C’s initial role was to collect and analyze focus group feedback from physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and pressure mapping experts. Over time this progressed to usability testing of a protype device in a simulated Intensive Care Unit. Each phase of W21C research was followed by a design cycle at XSENSOR that consisted of research on every aspect of the system, including overall architecture, transducer design, sensing electronics, software, mechanical design, and packaging. Through funding provided by Alberta Innovates ‘Accelerating Innovations into Care’ program, XSENSOR once again, approached W21C in 2023 to support the evaluation and impact on workflow of an updated system (referred to as ForeSite IS) in acute and long-term care, and to evaluate the device’s ability to predict skin breakdown of patients at elevated risk of PIs. This study is currently under way at Foothills Medical Centre and throughout several long-term care sites in the Calgary area. To learn more about this project and its commercial capabilities, please visit XSENSOR’s website . Image Sources: Adobe Stock (top), XSENSOR.com (middle) Alex Baron, W21C Research and Innovation Centre

We envision a vibrant eHealth and mHealth ecosystem, accelerating innovation, growth, and transforming healthcare through collaboration and partnerships. 3 UCalgary projects receive $20.3M in provincial innovation grants NEWS Date Pamela Hyde, Office of the Vice-President (Research) | Sept 6, 2023 Project Contact: Image Source: iStock UCalgary’s innovation ecosystem just received a $20.3-million boost, thanks to Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund (MIF). On Sept. 5, Nate Glubish, minister of technology and innovation, announced that three UCalgary projects have received four years of funding to lead province-wide strategic initiatives to accelerate research and commercialization in the areas of medical devices, electronic and mobile health, and space and defence technologies. “Provincial support for high-tech research and innovation will help our post-secondary scholars move from groundbreaking technological ideas to entrepreneurial realities, fuelling a more diverse economy and making a positive impact in the wider community ,” says Dr. Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary. Major Innovation Fund projects are highly collaborative, requiring the engagement of scholars from institutions across Alberta, industry partners, and the communities that the projects intend to serve. It is an outcomes-focused program, funding projects that will attract and retain top talent, diversify Alberta’s economy, support industries and local businesses, and leverage additional investments. “UCalgary’s innovation ecosystem is growing thanks to the drive of our research community and investments like the Major Innovation Fund ,” says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research). “These three projects will streamline the research-to-commercialization pipeline for their sector and create opportunities for both innovative research and widespread of adoption of novel, made-in-Alberta solutions .” UCalgary’s projects are the Alberta Medical Device Innovation Consortium, Health Everywhere, and Space and Defence Technologies Alberta. Health Everywhere Lead investigator: Dr. Mary Brindle , MD, professor, Cumming School of Medicine Alberta has pockets of excellence in eHealth (digital health technologies) and mHealth (mobile health technologies), which include novel programs and innovations. However, much of this excellence is disconnected and has tremendous untapped potential for collaboration and commercialization, and widespread adoption. The vision of Health Everywhere is a vibrant eHealth and mHealth ecosystem in Alberta that builds on a foundation of strength in innovation to drive economic and technological growth. “The rapid evolution of technology, the increasing complexity of medicine and the limitations of our current systems of patient care underscore the need for a human-centered approach to digital health ,” says Brindle. “Health Everywhere will use digital-health technologies to allow patients to receive the best possible medical treatment whether it is in the hospital or in their own homes, and strengthen connections between care in the hospital and care in communities .” Co-developed with community, industry, and academic stakeholders, Health Everywhere will be a provincial hub of digital health excellence that brings together integrated programs, leading experts, and resources to enable efficient and effective commercialization, spread, and scale of eHealth and mHealth technologies. “The Health Everywhere program will create an ecosystem that puts exciting and impactful innovations in technology, computer science, and data analytics into the hands of teams who can use them to benefit the patients of today and tomorrow ,” says Brindle. Health Everywhere is a UCalgary-led project, in partnership with the University of Alberta, Athabasca University, Lethbridge College, MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, NAIT, Red Deer Polytechnic and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

Leveraging new technologies and workflows to provide rural and remote patients access to specialized rehabilitation and musculoskeletal assessments. We envision a vibrant eHealth and mHealth ecosystem, accelerating innovation, growth, and transforming healthcare through collaboration and partnerships. Enhancing Recovery After Surgery THEME 2: REMOTE MONITORING AND VIRTUAL CARE Date Alex Baron | January 2024 As we age it can take longer for our bodies to heal from trauma. As many as 40% of patients that undergo surgery will have major complications that lead to long-term health problems, such as heart disease or stroke. This is especially true for adults over the age of 65 following a major surgery, with many experiencing difficulties in returning to their pre-operation levels of function. Led by Dr. Duminda Wijeysundera, MD, at the University of Toronto, the Functional Improvement Trajectories After Surgery (FIT After Surgery) study aims to gain a better understanding of how often and why some patients experience significant disability after surgery. As one of 14 study sites across Canada, W21C is currently working with the Calgary site lead, Dr. Melinda Davis, MD, director of Master Teaching Program, clinical associate professor, Cumming School of Medicine, on recruitment efforts at the Foothills Medical Centre, actively engaging with patients prior to their surgery. Patient recruitment for the Calgary site began in July 2021 and is ongoing. Researchers are excited about the possibilities this work could reveal, especially as Canada’s population continues to age and the likelihood of more seniors needing major surgery every year is increasing. Having a better understanding of when and why patients experience disability after surgery will enable patients to make better-informed decisions about having surgery and allow physicians to identify patients that may need additional support following surgery. Overall recruitment and follow up for the study is expected to finish in 2023, with preliminary results anticipated in early 2024. By capitalizing on W21C's capabilities in eHealth and mHealth technologies, fostering collaboration, and actively engaging communities, the Health Everywhere Hub is poised to play a pivotal role in improving seniors' recovery experiences post-major surgeries. Project Contact: Dr. Mary Brindle Image Sources: Adobe Stock

Stay up to date about the most recent developments from Health Everywhere and the wider innovation community by accessing the latest news. News Filters Publication Year All Years 2023 2022 Theme 4 2024 Articles All Articles Theme 1 Theme 2 Theme 3 Theme 4 General Articles UCalgary-based program expands province-wide GENERAL SPARK program receives grant from Alberta Innovates, supporting post-secondary innovators across Alberta. September 11, 2023 3 UCalgary projects receive $20.3M in provincial innovation grants GENERAL UCalgary's innovation ecosystem just received a $20.3-million boost, thanks to Alberta's Major Innovation Fund. September 6, 2023 Theme 1 - Bridging Community and Acute Care Uniting researchers, decision-makers, and digital health innovators to ensure seamless, inclusive, and scalable healthcare implementation in acute and community-based care settings. Advancing eHealth innovation to enable intelligent patient monitoring THEME 1 Partnerships with Xsensor and Baxter to evaluate the impact of eHealth tools on patient outcomes and detect early... January 2024 Health innovation for infection prevention and control THEME 1 This bundle of projects focuses on industry partnerships and the application of eHealth tools to... Date TBD Theme 2 - Remote Monitoring and Virtual Care By leveraging academic research, industry collaboration, and community engagement, Health Everywhere creates a foundation for scaling virtual and mobile health innovations for virtual care. Enhancing recovery after surgery THEME 2 An international program with Alberta leadership that aims to use rehabilitation both prior and following... January 2024 Improving specialist access programs THEME 2 Leveraging new technologies and workflows to provide rural and remote patients access to specialized... Date TBD Theme 3 - Connectivity and Data Access We face significant challenges with the lack of health data integration, leading to interoperability issues among patients and care providers. This theme seeks to establish secure and seamless data access and interoperability for improved healthcare. Building the basic infrastructure to allow data to flow securely THEME 3 Evaluate distributed data vending (DDV) with blockchain to transform electronic health records (EHRs) by encouraging... Date TBD Developing a pipeline for exceptional analytics and research THEME 3 Develop a synthetic data sandbox that drives innovation by allowing innovators to develop products using synthetic... Date TBD Theme 4 - Integrated Innovation Ecosystem Support By addressing gaps and opportunities in the current ecosystem, our aim is to create a dynamic eHealth and mHealth ecosystem, by identifying resources, matching them with innovators, and improving overall integration. Evaluating the current eHealth and mHealth ecosystem THEME 4 A series of projects to better understand the factors, processes, and tools needed to support a vibrant ecosystem. This... Date TBD Bespoke ecosystem support services THEME 4 While innovators experience challenges navigating the support available to them, there are also unique services... Date TBD

We envision a vibrant eHealth and mHealth ecosystem, accelerating innovation, growth, and transforming healthcare through collaboration and partnerships. THEME 1: BRIDGING COMMUNITY AND ACUTE CARE Date Advancing eHealth Innovation to Enable Intelligent Patient Monitoring January 2024 Prevention of pressure injuries (PIs) is a priority for healthcare systems worldwide. Also referred to as pressure ulcers or bedsores, this condition is a skin and soft tissue injury that forms because of constant or prolonged pressure on the skin, typically occurring at bony areas on the body. Most prevalent in healthcare settings where the patient is unable to move frequently enough to relieve the pressure, PIs are painful for the patient and can lead to a deterioration in health, increased hospital stays, and even death. To address this issue, W21C partnered with XSENSOR Technology Corporation, a Calgary-based company that designs, manufactures, and sells advanced pressure-imaging systems for use in medical environments worldwide. With support from W21C’s research team, this led to the creation of a novel pressure sensing device - the ForeSite PT™ System. In late 2007, an opportunity arose for W21C to partner with XSENSOR in the development and testing of a health innovation. The main objectives of this initiative were to better understand the potential of innovative technology to support healthcare providers in caring for patients at risk of pressure injuries. W21C’s initial role was to collect and analyze focus group feedback from physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and pressure mapping experts. Over time this progressed to usability testing of a protype device in a simulated Intensive Care Unit. Each phase of W21C research was followed by a design cycle at XSENSOR that consisted of research on every aspect of the system, including overall architecture, transducer design, sensing electronics, software, mechanical design, and packaging. Through funding provided by Alberta Innovates ‘Accelerating Innovations into Care’ program, XSENSOR once again, approached W21C in 2023 to support the evaluation and impact on workflow of an updated system (referred to as ForeSite IS) in acute and long-term care, and to evaluate the device’s ability to predict skin breakdown of patients at elevated risk of PIs. This study is currently under way at Foothills Medical Centre and throughout several long-term care sites in the Calgary area. To learn more about this project and its commercial capabilities, please visit XSENSOR’s website . Image Sources: Adobe Stock (top), XSENSOR.com (middle)

Theme 2: Remote Monitoring and Virtual Care Enhancing the Management of Pressure Injuries Through Technology-Enhanced Communities of Practice Exploring technology and policy solutions to common problem areas in pressure injury prevention, diagnosis and management Lead: Chester Ho Co-Lead: Martin Ferguson-Pell Team Member: Javad Soleimani INNOVATION STAGE Exploration Health Innovation Focus Acute Illness & Injury Population and Setting Adults Technology and Intervention — BENEFITS For Users Rural Clinicians: Gain access to wound care specialists and tools that improve diagnosis and management of chronic wounds. Wound Care Specialists: Provide support more efficiently, feel less isolated, and contribute to systemic improvements in care. Interdisciplinary Clinicians: Play a role in identifying root causes and prevention strategies, enhancing collaborative care. Patients: Experience better clinical outcomes, faster recovery, and reduced risk of recurrence. For The System Improved Care Quality: Address key gaps in pressure injury management, enhancing quality indicators. Increased Efficiency: Reduce bed occupancy and resource demands for wound care. Better Collaboration: Foster interdisciplinary teamwork through integrated virtual technologies. Cost Savings: Lower costs associated with prolonged hospital stays and pressure injury complications. Project Theme Information Current State Hospital-acquired pressure injuries affect one in six patients in Alberta’s acute care sites, causing significant pain, complications, and even death. These injuries are critical indicators of healthcare quality, with high rates often reflecting systemic issues in care delivery. Accurate staging and assessment are essential for selecting effective treatment plans, but these processes are especially challenging in rural and remote areas due to limited access to wound care specialists. Given the wide scope of this clinical problem, the project focuses on identifying the highest-priority gaps that can be addressed using virtual care technologies. Pressure injuries, also known as bedsores or pressure ulcers, are common in healthcare settings, particularly among patients with limited mobility, such as those with spinal injuries. These injuries can cause severe pain and lead to life-threatening complications if untreated. Because pressure injuries are generally preventable, their prevalence is often viewed as an indicator of the quality of care. An audit of acute care sites in Alberta revealed that approximately one in every six patients had a pressure injury. However, assessing and staging these injuries is challenging, as it relies heavily on subjective human evaluation, typically by nurses without specialized wound care training. Many Registered Nurses (RNs) are uncomfortable with the responsibility, fearing inaccuracy in staging due to a lack of specialized expertise. Other Known Use Cases Partnerships with Xsensor and Baxter are undergoing to evaluate the impact of eHealth tools on patient outcomes. The specific focus will be on two products: 1) Xsensor’s ForeSite® Intelligent Surface, an artificial intelligence-powered continuous skin monitoring... What is the Innovation The project applies a design thinking approach to improve pressure injury (PI) management by using virtual care technologies. A key innovation is demonstrating technology that enables wound care specialists to provide effective virtual support to rural clinicians. The approach integrates tools for tracking wound staging and progression while incorporating input from interdisciplinary clinicians to identify the root causes of pressure injuries and measures to prevent recurrence. A virtual community of practice fosters collaboration among rural and urban clinicians, wound care specialists, and technology providers to co-develop and test solutions that address care gaps and enhance outcomes. By addressing high-priority gaps and leveraging virtual care technologies, the Pressure Wound Design Thinking project aims to create a scalable, collaborative model that improves pressure injury management in rural and remote areas, ultimately enhancing care quality and clinical outcomes. How it Works Design Thinking Methodology: Collaborate with stakeholders to identify high-priority challenges, co-develop practical solutions, and test implementations in both simulated and real-world environments. Integration of Interdisciplinary Contributions: Incorporate insights from interdisciplinary clinicians to address root causes of pressure injuries and identify prevention measures. Community of Practice: Create a virtual network for rural and urban clinicians to share expertise, focusing on PI staging, care improvement, and long-term prevention strategies. Barrier Identification: Address obstacles to implementing virtual wound care, including access to technology and training in rural communities. Get Involved Contact to Collaborate Contact to Martin Ferguson-Pell to collaborate Get in touch fe4@ualberta.ca . View other projects and explore the Health Everywhere Portfolio to see how local innovations are transforming care across the province. Explore the Health Everywhere Portfolio to see how local innovations are solving real-world challenges and shaping the future of care across the province. View The Portfolio ABOUT The Health Everywhere Hub portfolio map showcases academic-led projects tackling real healthcare challenges across Alberta. By highlighting shared goals and commonalities, we hope to spark collaboration and amplify impact across the system. It’s more than a list of projects - this evolving collection shows what’s possible when partnerships, bold ideas, and real-world testing come together. Previous Item Next Item

UCalgary’s innovation ecosystem just received a $20.3-million boost, thanks to Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund (MIF). We envision a vibrant eHealth and mHealth ecosystem, accelerating innovation, growth, and transforming healthcare through collaboration and partnerships. 3 UCalgary projects receive $20.3M in provincial innovation grants NEWS Date Pamela Hyde, Office of the Vice-President (Research) | Sept 6, 2023 Project Contact: Image Source: iStock UCalgary’s innovation ecosystem just received a $20.3-million boost, thanks to Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund (MIF). On Sept. 5, Nate Glubish, minister of technology and innovation, announced that three UCalgary projects have received four years of funding to lead province-wide strategic initiatives to accelerate research and commercialization in the areas of medical devices, electronic and mobile health, and space and defence technologies. “Provincial support for high-tech research and innovation will help our post-secondary scholars move from groundbreaking technological ideas to entrepreneurial realities, fuelling a more diverse economy and making a positive impact in the wider community ,” says Dr. Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary. Major Innovation Fund projects are highly collaborative, requiring the engagement of scholars from institutions across Alberta, industry partners, and the communities that the projects intend to serve. It is an outcomes-focused program, funding projects that will attract and retain top talent, diversify Alberta’s economy, support industries and local businesses, and leverage additional investments. “UCalgary’s innovation ecosystem is growing thanks to the drive of our research community and investments like the Major Innovation Fund ,” says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research). “These three projects will streamline the research-to-commercialization pipeline for their sector and create opportunities for both innovative research and widespread of adoption of novel, made-in-Alberta solutions .” UCalgary’s projects are the Alberta Medical Device Innovation Consortium, Health Everywhere, and Space and Defence Technologies Alberta. Health Everywhere Lead investigator: Dr. Mary Brindle , MD, professor, Cumming School of Medicine Alberta has pockets of excellence in eHealth (digital health technologies) and mHealth (mobile health technologies), which include novel programs and innovations. However, much of this excellence is disconnected and has tremendous untapped potential for collaboration and commercialization, and widespread adoption. The vision of Health Everywhere is a vibrant eHealth and mHealth ecosystem in Alberta that builds on a foundation of strength in innovation to drive economic and technological growth. “The rapid evolution of technology, the increasing complexity of medicine and the limitations of our current systems of patient care underscore the need for a human-centered approach to digital health ,” says Brindle. “Health Everywhere will use digital-health technologies to allow patients to receive the best possible medical treatment whether it is in the hospital or in their own homes, and strengthen connections between care in the hospital and care in communities .” Co-developed with community, industry, and academic stakeholders, Health Everywhere will be a provincial hub of digital health excellence that brings together integrated programs, leading experts, and resources to enable efficient and effective commercialization, spread, and scale of eHealth and mHealth technologies. “The Health Everywhere program will create an ecosystem that puts exciting and impactful innovations in technology, computer science, and data analytics into the hands of teams who can use them to benefit the patients of today and tomorrow ,” says Brindle. Health Everywhere is a UCalgary-led project, in partnership with the University of Alberta, Athabasca University, Lethbridge College, MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, NAIT, Red Deer Polytechnic and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).