Speed geeking event will offer glimpse at technologies to improve health and save lives

TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2018 – An infant in a neonatal unit, a teen with mental health challenges and just about anyone leaving an emergency department could benefit from health technology innovations that will be showcased at a “speed geeking” event in Toronto on Tuesday.

Presenters will have just five minutes to make the case for their technologies, which are being developed through the Health Ecosphere, a multi-partner collaboration led by York University and Southlake Regional Health Centre. Along with University Health Network, the partners are working with businesses and research institutes to develop personalized healthcare technologies including healthcare apps, medical devices and big data platforms.

Eleven of the technologies will be showcased at the speed geeking event, including:

• Artemis, a cloud-based platform that tracks physiological changes in premature babies and provides a real-time predictive analytics tool to support clinical decision-making for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.
• Improving Mood in Youth, an online intervention for youth, particularly from First Nations-Indigenous and other ethnic backgrounds, with psychiatrically-diagnosed depressive disorders, combining cognitive-behavioural therapy and meditation. Its goal is to reduce wait lists and enable comprehensive service across Ontario.
• Ned, short for “No Evident Disease”, is a seamless mobile platform designed for prostate cancer survivors and their clinicians. Already in use, it collects patient-reported outcomes and PSA test results from Ontario Laboratories Information System which provides a cohesive picture of the patient’s well-being and enables shared strategies for improved quality of life.
• Dash MD, a free mobile app that will help patients track, manage and find the care they need once they’ve been discharged from the hospital. It will be tested in the emergency department and childbirth centre of Markham Stouffville Hospital.

WHAT:           Speed Geeking event – Technology innovations in healthcare
Health Ecosphere Innovation Pipeline Project
WHEN:          Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, 1 to 3pm
WHERE:        TELUS Tower, 25 York Street, Toronto – Third Floor, MAP
More Info:    http://health-ecosphere.com/

About the Health Ecosphere
The Health Ecosphere Innovation Pipeline Project (HEIPP) received a commitment of $15 million in federal funding in 2016, which is being matched by almost $19.5 million from 55 partners who are developing more than 40 new healthcare technologies. The goal is to help patients with chronic disease change their behaviour and by using big data analytics, to develop and commercialize predictive health solutions.

York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.York U’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Southlake Regional Health Centre is a full-service hospital with a regional, clinically advanced focus.  Southlake offers 380 patient beds and accommodates more than 110,000 visits to the Emergency Department, 30,000 in-patient admissions, and 530,000 out-patient visits each year. As a regionally designated site, Southlake is responsible for developing and providing advanced levels of care to the more than one million people who reside in York Region, Simcoe County, and in some cases, as far north as Muskoka. Advanced regional services include, arthritis care, cancer care, cardiac care, cataract surgery, child and adolescent eating disorders, mental health services for children, paediatrics and perinatal care as well as thoracic surgery.Southlake is proud to have a team of more than 3,200 employees, 580 physicians, and 900 volunteers. Combined with its commitment to provide the best possible care to patients, the hospital’s goal is to achieve the ultimate patient experience.

Media Contacts:
Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University, 416 455 4710, wallsj@yorku.ca
Matt Haggerty, Corporate Communications, Southlake Regional Health Centre, 289-380-0576, mhaggerty@southlakeregional.ca
Jessica Fifield, Communications Coordinator, eHealth Innovation, University Health Network, 647-830-0478, Jessica.fifield@uhn.ca