The Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is celebrating one year of a program that’s given students hands-on experience in clinical spaces with the goal of improving the patient experience in the health system.
Medventions Atlantic, led by the Health Innovation Hub and carried out in partnership with Sunnybrook Research Institute, Mitacs, INOVAIT and Dalhousie University, immerses bright young students and recent grads in clinical settings, giving them hands-on experience in how medtech solutions can help remedy gaps in care.
Nova Scotia is the first site in Canada outside of Sunnybrook Research Institute, where Medventions originated, to launch this program.
Over the past year, Medventions Atlantic has supported three cohorts of 20 passionate fellows, who worked hands-on within the health system under the guidance of more than 75 mentors. These bright minds rolled up their sleeves, uncovering the challenges and innovating practical solutions to improve patient care.
The Medventions program attracts young people with different educational backgrounds and interests – from industrial engineering to biomedical engineering to sales and health sciences – and places them in the heart of Nova Scotia’s healthcare system. There, they see the complexities of care delivery firsthand and collaborate as a team to break barriers in care delivery.
“One of the wonderful aspects of Medventions is the way it brings people together – students, clinicians, researchers, innovators and mentors – to give young minds with bright futures in the healthcare space hands-on experiences in clinical settings,” said Health Innovation Hub Managing Director Doris Grant.
“Their energy and fresh perspectives are driving change in the healthcare system and showing that the next wave of innovation is already right here in Nova Scotia.”
Driving impact through partnerships
The success of this program, and the access our Medventions fellows have to the health and innovation spaces, is made possible through partnerships.
Through this program, the Health Innovation Hub is expanding on and leveraging collaborations with health system leaders, clinical teams and industry partners to empower these students and recent graduates to become changemakers in the health system.
“Medventions is more than a training program, it’s a catalyst for systemic change,” said co-founder Dr. Bradley Strauss.
“By embedding young visionaries in the healthcare system, we’re not only creating solutions, we're fostering a culture of innovation that will benefit patients and healthcare workers in Nova Scotia and beyond.”
Celebrating the third cohort
The third cohort of Medventions fellows to come through the program impressed a room of doctors, innovators, mentors and more in early December when they presented their prototype for a tool aimed at reducing patient stress during cardiac procedures.
Over their four-month term, Kiriya Awad, Sydni Bird, Shubhum Shaplot and Cuyler Yu developed Aluma: a headset that uses sensory, auditory and visual features to mitigate stress and anxiety patients often feel when undergoing procedures in the catheterization lab.
The four fellows worked under the guidance of interventional cardiologist Dr. Ali Hillani and Dr. Clif Johnston, Academic Director of the Emera ideaHUB at Dalhousie University, incorporating feedback from Nova Scotia Health staff as they developed their solution to improve patient care.
Second year poised for success
Medventions Atlantic is another way the Health Innovation Hub is highlighting Nova Scotia’s health innovation sector on the national stage.
Speaking at Medventions Toronto Innovation Day, Health Innovation Hub Manager of Business Development, Eilidh Lindsay-Sinclair shared the success of this one-of-a-kind program, highlighting the ways it aligns with the organization’s strategic healthcare priorities.
“We believe that multidisciplinary teams can uniquely address healthcare challenges,” she said.
“Our size as a smaller province works to our advantage when it comes to Medventions, as it allows our fellows to benefit from our tight-knit networks.”
As Medventions Atlantic enters its second year, the Health Innovation Hub welcomed another cohort of fellows in January, who will focus their energy, creativity and passion for health innovation on orthopedic surgery.
The anniversary of the launch of Medventions Atlantic serves as a reminder that the future of healthcare, both in Nova Scotia and beyond, is being shaped right here in the province.
“We’re just getting started,” Grant said.
“The possibilities for Medventions Atlantic are limitless, and we’re thrilled to expand on this incredible opportunity for bright, young minds in collaboration with our partners and the health innovation community.”
