What is Health Innovation Kingston (HIYGK)
The City of Kingston in collaboration with 7 partners is leading an initiative, Health Innovation Kingston (HI YGK), to encourage health focused start-ups to access resources to develop and grow in Kingston. Our health sector is rich in talent and resources, and has often been referred to as a “living lab”. Learn more about our partners here.
HI YGK Initiatives
February – June 2023 - Family Physician Report
St. Lawrence College interviewed recently recruited Family Physicians to better understand the process and opportunities for improvement & created a report for the Workforce Development Analyst Office of Strategy, Innovation, & Partnerships at the City of Kingston. The project objectives included:
Facilitate interviews with family physicians to gather their experiences, insights, and feedback on the program.
Report insights from the interviews in a final report that will strengthen the attraction and retention of different areas of the program to the City of Kingston.
June 28, 2023, from 4 pm-6 pm, "Growing Together: Transforming our Mental Health, Transforming our Communities"
St. Lawrence College and the Neuma Centre for Social Wellness collaborated to host a free event titled "Growing Together: Transforming our Mental Health, Transforming our Communities". This event embodied our shared vision of improving mental health and enhancing community well-being through innovative approaches. It took place at the Innovation Hub and was streamed online, as we explored mental health through the lens of psychedelic exploration. This free event was a unique opportunity to delve into how psychedelics can potentially shape our understanding of wellness and mental health.
April 20, 2023, at 5:30 p.m., Health Innovation: Positioning Canadian Health Innovations for Success
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (DDQIC), in collaboration with Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) & St. Lawrence Collage as part of the Health Innovation Kingston (HI YGK) Initiative, worked together to put on a special Ignition Café focused on health innovation.
Ignition Café is Kingston’s go-to monthly meet-up for entrepreneurship and innovation. At this special Café, we had speakers and networking for innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and experts from Kingston’s healthcare and health innovation community.
Opening the evening, Nicole Mittmann spoke to the Health Technology Assessment in Canada and the role of CADTH in recommending public funding. Gary Ryan followed, focusing on making the Canadian Health Care Market Friendlier to Canadian Health Technology Companies.
Before presentations started at 5:40 pm, the opportunity for local health innovation companies to showcase their technologies and ventures was on display.
Outcomes from this session included:
Hearing from keynote speakers about the data and evidence required to have your technology considered for use in a healthcare setting,
Learning the process for technology to be funded for a pilot, and
Understanding how to match your technology and innovations to real-world challenges in the healthcare system.
March 3 & April 21, 2023: PORCH Collaboration Discussion Meetings
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (DDQIC) & community partners convened to hear PORCH present their initiative and engage in a dialogue about potential support and collaboration opportunities. PORCH has operated since June 2022 in Kingston, primarily serving marginalized communities and demonstrating numerous success stories.
Key points from the March 3 meeting:
PORCH's operational details: on the road 4 days a week, stationed at Integrated Care Hub, and visiting Tiny Homes
Expansion efforts: reaching rural youth in partnership with Maltby One Roof Project, seeking additional partners, locations, and staff
Event collaboration: open to partnering for one-time events and adapting RV to meet community needs if feasible
Innovation focus: exploring new ways to reach marginalized individuals and seeking a dedicated person to facilitate discussions
RV capabilities: equipped with fresh water and waste water containment systems, as well as an onboard generator
Key points from the April 21 meeting:
Leadership needs: PORCH highlighted the need for a central coordinator or leader to spearhead their initiative. This person or organization would manage the overall strategy, coordinate with different stakeholders, and drive the initiative forward
Communication and grant proposals: The need was expressed for someone to develop a communication strategy to effectively share their message and mission. In addition, they need assistance with grant proposals to secure the necessary funding for their projects
Community building: Building strong relationships with communities and stakeholders is a priority for PORCH. They seek assistance cultivating these relationships and fostering a sense of unity and collaboration among different parties
Collaborative approach: PORCH underscored their dependence on collaboration, reiterating their openness to work with various partners in achieving their mission
Gratitude for meetings: PORCH expressed their appreciation for the past two meetings with DDQIC and community partners, noting that they were very helpful in generating ideas and identifying the right people to connect with for their initiative
January 31, 2023: Rural Health Transportation Solutions Exploration Meeting
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (DDQIC) and community participants gathered again to assess the Rural Health Transportation Ecosystem Map created on December 6th. Several groups were identified as actively working on impactful solutions in this area, with PORCH (Portable Outreach Care Hub) being a key player. PORCH is a repurposed RV designed to deliver mental and physical health services to vulnerable individuals in need of care. The group held an initial discussion with PORCH, who expressed interest in attending future meetings to showcase their initiative and explore potential collaborative opportunities. This partnership promises to be highly advantageous, as it can bring diverse perspectives and contribute to the ongoing dialogue.
Key takeaways from the meeting:
Evaluation of the Rural Health Transportation Ecosystem Map developed on December 6th
Identification of groups working on impactful solutions, with PORCH being a notable example
PORCH's potential collaboration and presentation at future meetings to share insights and foster mutual support
Emphasis on the importance of diverse representation and various viewpoints in the discussions
December 6 2022 Rural Health Innovation Ecosystem Mapping Meeting
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC) convened around 20 community members from the KFLA region, including innovators and rural community and healthcare leaders. The main objective of this session with stakeholders was to develop a Rural Health Innovation Ecosystem Map solely focused on Transportation. Together, we mapped physical assets, initiatives, working groups, and institutions across the region.
The next steps are:
Identify groups that already have worked or are currently working on impactful solutions in this area
Confirm if these groups would be interested in collaborating by becoming part of a Rural Health Opportunities Lab
June – August 2022 Problem Statement Portal & HI YGK Social Media Campaign
Spark SLC ran a front-line focused social media campaign focusing on the “problem statement portal” and resources developed by the Innovation Hub @ SLC, and the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre. The campaign garnered over three thousand views on the Innovation Hub digital channels alone.
May 24, 2022 at 6 p.m., Innovating Together for Better Health
Led by Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), the Innovation Hub of St. Lawrence College and the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre as part of the HI YGK health innovation initiative, join Frontenac Lennox and Addington Ontario Health Team (FLA OHT) leaders to learn how they are co-designing a more integrated, equitable health-care system through digital innovation and integrated care models.
In this session participants learned about:
Frontenac Lennox and Addington Ontario Health Team that is transforming our local health-care system through innovations in digital health and integrated care models
Opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs to collaborate with the FLA OHT on this transformation journey
Opportunities for innovation to address rural health challenges
The presentation and video from this event can be found here: https://kingstonhsc.ca/innovation/workshops
March 29, 2022, Rural Health Innovation In the KFLA Region: Continuing the Conversation
The key outcomes for the March 29th event included:
Learn how the concept of the health home is changing the way healthcare connects and communicates.
Gain insight into how compassionate communities are providing much-needed support to patients and caregivers.
Walk away with a stronger understanding of how we can change our future and ensure people can get the care they want and need.
The slide deck from David Townsend’s presentation can be found here. The panel recording has been uploaded on the DDQIC YouTube channel.
January 19, 2022: Rural Health Innovation in the KFL&A Region: Challenges and Opportunities
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC) convened students and community members from the KFLA region, including entrepreneurs, innovators, and healthcare leaders. Together, we explored challenges and opportunities, provided education about rural health and identified where there is room to pilot innovations across the region. The main objectives of this session were to:
Launch DDQIC's Health Innovation Program, focusing on the rural aspect;
Socialize KFLA health innovation priorities & challenges;
Identify additional or complementary community resources and organizations that could help with the identified innovation priority theme areas;
Outline how to help entrepreneurs understand what it takes to bring innovations into a rural community; and
Identify how to funnel rural problem statements into the local ecosystem of healthcare innovation.
November 30, 2021 at 4:30pm, Bringing your Innovations into a Hospital Setting
The purpose of this session was to gather partners from the HI YGK Innovation ecosystem, as well as executives, innovation and procurement leaders from Kingston Health Sciences Center, the KHSC Research Institute and the Queen’s University Faculty of Health Sciences, to explore their identified innovation priorities and provide education about how to procure or pilot innovations into a hospital setting.
October 7, 2021 at 3pm, Designing Effective Problem Statements with Linn Vizard
Hosted by the Innovation Hub of St.Lawrence College as part of the HI YGK health innovation initiative, Linn Vizard, one of Canada's leading advocates in Service Design, led a virtual webinar about learning how to better navigate problem statements. Academics, students, entrepreneurs, health care professionals and design thinkers all learned how to ask and dissect questions, to better solve problems.
Outcomes from the 50-minute session included:
• Learning what a problem statement is and why they are important.
• Understanding problem statements and where they fit in the innovation process.
• Gained insight into common frameworks or approaches for developing problem statements.
• Walking away with tips and common pitfalls when developing problem statements.
Links for Further Reading:
Nielsen Norman Group: Problem Statements in UX Discovery
MaRS: Challenge Statements
Government of Canada: Start Your Prize/Challenge Design by Defining the Problem
Book - Roger Martin: The Opposable Mind
Bettina D’ávila: Reframing the Problem
Big Bang Partnership: Problem Statements for Innovation and Growth
Worksheets and How-Tos
Ideo.org Design Kit - Frame your Design Challenge
TTC Labs: How to Build a Challenge Statement
Development Impact and You - Problem Definition
Problem Statement Initiative
One of the goals of the HI YGK initiative is to create and develop problem statements that can help lead to innovative advancement within the health sector.
A problem statement is a concise description of a problem that needs to be solved. It’s a helpful scoping device, focusing the team on the problem it needs to explore and subsequently solve.
Why are Problem statements important?
Properly defining a problem statement at the beginning of a project or initiative will dramatically improve the success of the project or initiative.
Problem statements help guide problem solving, analysis, hypotheses, and solutions.
Below are some examples of problem statements!
Problem Statement Collection
We want to hear from you! Use our problem statement template to input your health-related challenge statements below.
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Nous reconnaissons l'appui du gouvernement du Canada à travers l'Agence fédèrale de développement économique pour le sud de l'Ontario.
While all of the following programs and services will be delivered in English, certain programs and services will be made available in French in accordance with the terms of the Contribution Agreement between the City of Kingston and the Government of Canada. Please contact us to discuss your interests and needs.
Alors que tous les programmes et services seront offerts en anglais, certains programmes et services seront accessibles en fraçais conformément aux modalités de l'accord de contribution entre la Ville de Kingston et le Gouvernement du Canada. Prenez contact avec nous pour discuter de vos intérêts et de vos besoins.