A core focus at the Institute for Better Health (IBH) is building Learning Health System capacity by generating cutting-edge science and innovation on novel ways to engage, design, deliver, and finance healthcare in partnership with the health system. To further advance Learning Health System initiatives across Trillium Health Partners (THP) and our community, Learning Health System (LHS) Accelerator Grants have been awarded across seven key projects.
In response to the strength of the submissions and in the spirit of the impact for which this award is intended, the funding envelope was increased from $75,000 to $150,000 with philanthropic support from the THP Foundation. “We received many strong submissions representing diverse projects with strong partnerships across a range of operational portfolios within THP and our community,” says Dr. Laura Desveaux, IBH’s Scientific Director and Learning Health System Lead. “A central tenet of Learning Health Systems is addressing challenges our community is facing today. In order to do that, it is essential to have patients, community, scientists, clinicians, and operational leaders at the same table. The partnerships across the applications were inspiring and a testament to the growth in both our LHS capabilities and our collaborative relationships in the pursuit of improving population health and shaping a healthier tomorrow.”
The LHS Accelerator Grants will support key projects to engage multidisciplinary teams of scientists, research associates, students, and THP operational leaders to advance innovative and impactful research that helps answer key questions needed to improve the health of the Peel population. “The goal for this funding program is to catalyze new, emerging, and early-stage research ideas that will provide the insights needed for larger co-design efforts, evaluations, and trials while also building Learning Health System capacity at THP,” says Dr. Desveaux.
Meet the 2023 LHS Accelerator Grant recipients:
Project Leads: Dr. Janet Chung and Dr. Shelley Vanderhout
THP Partner: Karen Conway, Program Director, Surgery & Perioperative Services
Title: Addressing Wait Times in the Division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at THP
Amount Awarded: $20,000
Project Leads: Dr. Tomer Feigenberg and Dr. Elizabeth Mansfield
THP Partner: Karen Conway, Program Director, Surgery & Perioperative Services
Title: Investigating Human Factors Affecting Operating Room Turn-Over Time and Identifying Opportunities for Improvement, a Quality Improvement Initiative
Amount Awarded: $25,000
Project Leads: Dr. Dianne Fierheller and Dr. Ian Zenlea
THP Partner: Alison Quigley, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services
Title: Beyond the numbers: Building a Learning Health Care Community (LHCC) Model for Women’s and Children’s Health in Peel
Amount Awarded: $20,000
Project Leads: Dr. Marissa Bird and Dr. Laura Desveaux
THP Partner: Jay Naik, Director, Talent and Organizational Development
Title: Organizational Ambidexterity: Measuring and Mapping our Capabilities at THP
Amount Awarded: $25,000
Project Leads: Dr. Laura Rosella
THP Partner: Shalu Bains, Chief Information and Analytics Officer
Title: Informing the Integration of Novel Inequity Measures for Hospital Reporting
Amount Awarded: $20,000
Project Leads: Dr. Terence Tang
THP Partner: Stephanie Joyce, Senior Vice President Patient Care Services & Health System Integration
Title: Exploring How a Health System May Leverage an Innovative Web-Based Co-Housing and Care Matching Solution to Meet the Needs of Older Adults in the Community
Amount Awarded: $20,000
Project Leads: Dr. Tiffany Zigras and Dr. Elizabeth Mansfield
THP Partner: Dr. Scott Barry, Chief and Medical Director, Oncology
Title: Improving Sexual Health in Survivorship after Treatment of Gynecologic Malignancies: A Qualitative Interview Study to Understand the Patients Perspective
Amount Awarded: $20,000
The LHS Accelerator Grant-funded projects demonstrate how IBH and THP are partnering to successfully build Learning Health System capacity. “The grant is a catalyst for change,” says Farah Khan, Senior Vice-President of Patient Care Services at THP. “It empowers us to collaborate, innovate and develop solutions that will positively impact how we care for our patients and those beyond our hospital walls.” And as this work unfolds, we can anticipate how it will reshape the way we deliver and experience healthcare, and ultimately improve the health of our community.