HALIFAX: Some of the most innovative healthcare minds in Canada are now working under one roof at the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub.
The Health Innovation Hub unveiled its new collaborative space today, which will bring together partners from all facets of healthcare – clinical staff, researchers, industry, and government – to solve the province’s most pressing healthcare challenges for the benefit of all Nova Scotians.
The Health Innovation Hub focuses on delivering better healthcare, faster, by partnering with medical companies to accelerate clinical trials, test and try new technology, and launch market-ready solutions.
“The Health Innovation Hub is an important piece of the puzzle to address the strains on our healthcare system. It accelerates the development of new treatments, technologies and solutions – ensuring that Nova Scotia is a leader in care today and in the future, here and globally,” said Premier Tim Houston. “The province is investing in many solutions to build Nova Scotians a world-class healthcare system and the Health Innovation Hub is one more way we are making a positive impact.”
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The Health Innovation Hub is a priority of the province’s Action for Health plan, transforming the healthcare system through innovation, research, and partnerships to improve access to care, and the overall patient experience.
“Since the Health Innovation Hub was launched, some of our brightest minds have come together to tackle some of the biggest healthcare problems we face, and to work on solutions locally with our partners,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “We are already seeing results, including efforts to modernize our healthcare system, improve access for Nova Scotians, and expand virtual care.”
The Health Innovation Hub is attracting local, national, and international companies that want to partner and invest in Atlantic Canada – a global community of entrepreneurs, innovators, leading researchers, and clinicians involved in creating solutions.
“The Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is the front door to working with the health authority in reducing barriers and providing support, space, and networks to transform care,” said Karen Oldfield, interim president and CEO of Nova Scotia Health. “Our model makes us nimble as we move at the pace of industry, working with our partners on solutions to some of our biggest healthcare problems.”
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One of those solutions is the Health Innovation Hub’s Network of Innovators, a new program that fosters innovative change, turning new ideas into products, processes, and technologies to improve healthcare for Nova Scotians.
“It can be a challenge to lead change in a large and complex organization,” said Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy, Vice-President, Research, Innovation and Discovery and Chief Nurse Executive. “The Network of Innovators wraps resources around innovators who have fantastic ideas and helps bring those ideas to market so they can benefit patients right here in Nova Scotia and beyond.”
The creative minds supported through this network are focused on delivering better solutions for patients and providers and will help produce the next generation of heathcare breakthroughs. They will cultivate change within the healthcare system, building in-house answers to challenges that can be used internally and sold globally.
“Network initiatives will transform the healthcare system through education and entrepreneurship, while helping to train, attract, and retain the best in our system,” Tomblin Murphy said.
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The network will provide access to several new funding streams to support the development of new approaches to fixing Nova Scotia’s healthcare challenges. This funding helps offset the costs of research, of working with graduate students, and developing and testing new ideas.
The network also provides training in entrepreneurial skills to new innovators and opportunities to raise participants’ profiles as leaders in their field, spreading their impact provincially, nationally, and globally.
