Ontario's Health Technologies Fund now accepting applications

TORONTO, July 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Ontario's $20 million Health Technologies Fund (HTF) is open for business.

Announced in May by William Charnetski, Ontario's Chief Health Innovation Strategist, the Fund will support the development of leading, market-ready, made-in-Ontario health technologies by accelerating prototyping, evaluation, adoption and diffusion in the Ontario health care sector.

The Fund is being delivered by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's Office of the Chief Health Innovation Strategist (OCHIS). The first priority area for the HTF is Better Care Closer to Home. It will support Health Innovation Teams from across Ontario to work on projects related to home and community care through virtual, digital and mobile health-care technologies.

"My office works on behalf of health technology innovators to remove barriers and improve access to Ontario's health care system," said William Charnetski, Ontario's Chief Health Innovation Strategist. "The Health Technologies Fund will help us do just that by accelerating the adoption and diffusion of new innovative health technologies and processes to improve patient outcomes, add value to the system and create jobs in Ontario."

The Fund will support projects that reflect priority areas of the Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care to provide patients with faster access to the right care, better home and community care, the information they need to stay healthy and a health care system that's sustainable for generations to come.

"Investing in innovative made-in-Ontario health technology projects will help improve patient experience and transform our health care system," said Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. "The Office of the Chief Health Innovation Strategist will help ensure these health innovations are adopted by our health care system to improve the quality of care and health outcomes for Ontario's patients."

"We are pleased to be working with Ontario's Chief Health Innovation Strategist to bring innovation and greater use of technology to Ontario's healthcare system," said Dr. Tom Corr, OCE's President and CEO. "Through the work we did with innovators and healthcare providers as part of our AdvancingHealth program last year, we are well-positioned to ensure this fund supports projects with the greatest potential for game-changing results."

OCHIS works closely with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science and the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services to ensure all areas of government are working together to fulfill its mandate.

Application information is available through OCE's Health Technologies Fund website.

About Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Inc. (www.oce-ontario.org)

Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) drives the commercialization of cutting-edge research to build the economy of tomorrow and secure Ontario's global competitiveness. OCE fosters the training and development of the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs and is a key partner with Ontario's industry, universities, colleges, research hospitals, domestic and foreign investors, and government ministries. A champion of leading-edge technologies, best practices, innovation, entrepreneurship and research, OCE invests in such areas as advanced health, information and communications technology, digital media, advanced materials and manufacturing, agri-food, aerospace, transportation, energy, and the environment including water and mining. OCE is a key partner in delivering Ontario's Innovation Agenda as a member of the province's Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE), which helps Ontario-based entrepreneurs and industry rapidly grow their company and create jobs. Learn more at www.onebusiness.ca

SOURCE Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc.

Stuart Green, Manager, Media Relations, Ontario Centres of Excellence, 416-861-1092 x 1022, [email protected]