Ontario's Next Big Health Innovation

Developers to come together to create new technological solutions to solve
healthcare challenges

TORONTO, March 26, 2015 /CNW/ - On March 30^th the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) is hosting a day of conversation, collaboration and creation to develop Ontario's next big health innovation. The event, "Coding the Future of Healthcare" brings together technology creators and healthcare professionals from across Ontario to discuss and create technical solutions that solve the everyday challenges faced by frontline healthcare providers.

"Telemedicine continues to help improve the delivery and management of care throughout our province every day. Today, we're excited to facilitate an innovative workshop with technology experts to create telemedicine tools and programs to enhance the lives of Canadians for generations to come," says Ed Brown, Chief Executive Officer, OTN. "Tailored and integrated solutions will provide Ontario with the tools it needs to create a sustainable, patient-centered healthcare system."  

The event will mark the official launch of a "Hacking Health Design Challenge" – a competition, organized by Hacking Health, which brings together developers and designers in the province to create digital tools to solve some of Ontario's most pressing healthcare issues. OTN will present the developers a handful of challenges to solve in the areas of chronic disease management, provider-to-provider communications and patient self-monitoring in the home.  

More than 100 developers will work together in small teams over an eight week period to create new health technologies. Teams will meet every two weeks to collaborate on their projects before presenting their final ideas at the Canada's National e-Health Conference on May 31^st, facilitated by Canada's Health Informatics Association, Canada Health Infoway, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

The Coding the Future of Healthcare event will feature a one-on-one conversation between Ed Brown, CEO of OTN, and broadcaster and internet evangelist, Jesse Hirsh, to discuss how telemedicine and digital health are pointing the way to the future of healthcare in Ontario.

Media are invited to attend the event on March 30^th in Toronto. For more information about how to attend or interview opportunities, please see the following information below:

Interview Opportunities:

• Dr. Ed Brown, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Telemedicine Network, is available to speak about the future of healthcare, the impact of telemedicine, and how OTN's programs are creating a new model of care. With Dr. Brown's leadership, OTN has become a catalyst for collaboration which has led to the creation of one of the largest and most active integrated telemedicine networks in the world.

Details of the event are as follows:

WHAT:	OTN Presents: Coding the Future of Healthcare
WHEN:	11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Lunch will be served) – Conversation with Ed Brown and Jesse Hirsh to begin at 11:15 a.m.
WHERE:	MaRS Discovery District, Auditorium
	101 College St., Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7

About Ontario Telemedicine Network

The world leader in telemedicine, OTN helps Ontarians get more out of the health care system by bridging the distance of time and geography to bring more patients the care they need, where and when they need it. Using innovative technology, OTN streamlines the healthcare process, while also expanding the way knowledge is shared and how the medical community interacts with each other and with patients. An independent, not-for-profit organization, OTN is funded by the Government of Ontario and Canada Health Infoway. For more information please visit www.otn.ca and www.otnresults.ca.

SOURCE Ontario Telemedicine Network

or to arrange interviews, please contact: Victor Gravili, [email protected], 416.849.5027