Health Council of Canada announces Health Innovation Award winners

TORONTO , Jan. 26 /CNW/ - In Fall 2009, the Health Council of Canada asked Canadian college and university students the challenging question: "What do you propose to help renew and sustain Canadian health care, and why?" Submissions flowed in from across the country and panelist judges from the Health Council of Canada have rendered their decision.

Today, the winners of the inaugural Health Innovation Awards were announced by the Health Council of Canada . The winners, in individual and group categories, are:

    
    Individual Category:
    -   1st Place: Kathryn Nicholson, University of Western Ontario, Patient
        Empowerment: The Key to Renewing Canada's Health Care System
    -   2nd Place: Tiffany Chui, Queen's University, Improving Emergency Room
        Wait-times and Patient Quality Care with Mashup Technologies
    -   2nd Place: John Hu, Simon Fraser University, Re-orienting the Built
        Environment: Contributions of 'Mixed-Use Skyscraper Systems' to
        Sustainable Healthcare

    Group Category
    -   1st Place: Samantha Rivers, Erica Siba, Davy Tawadrous, Sylvia Zhou,
        University of Western Ontario, Reducing Wait Times: Quality Pays
        Initiative & Patient Transfer Policy
    -   2nd Place: Melissa Abramovic, Chantal Mougeot, University of
        Saskatchewan, Patient and Practitioner Accountability for a
        Sustainable Health Care System
    

"The Health Council of Canada is pleased with the quality of the submissions we received. It certainly wasn't easy to pick the winners," said John G. Abbott, CEO of the Health Council of Canada . "Above all else, it was encouraging to see our leaders of tomorrow take such an interest in the renewal and sustainability of our health care system."

The winning submissions will be featured at HealthCouncilCanada.ca and in a nationally-distributed Health Council of Canada e-newsletter. Winners will receive their awards at a reception in Ottawa on February 22, 2010 .

Background

The Health Council of Canada , created by the 2003 First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal is mandated to monitor and report on the progress of health care renewal in Canada . Councillors are appointed by the participating provinces, territories and the Government of Canada .

For more information on the Health Council of Canada or to view Council reports, visit www.healthcouncilcanada.ca.

For further information: or to arrange an interview, please contact: Pierre Lachaine, Health Council of Canada - Media Relations, Phone [phone], Cell [phone], [email protected]