Annual Report

2018/19

Institute for Better Health

Annual Report

2018/19

Institute for Better Health

Annual Report

2018/19

Institute for Better Health

Annual Report

2018/19

Institute for Better Health

Robert Reid. MD, PhD, Chief Scientist, Institute for Better Health Senior Vice-President, Science, Trillium Health Partners

MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP

The Institute for Better Health (IBH) was established to lead practical research and innovation in health service delivery and population health, support front-line providers to enable curiosity and discovery, and partner with patients, providers and the community to collaboratively create solutions to improve health. It has been a great year for research and innovation at Trillium Health Partners (THP). We have increased our research and innovation activity, expanded supports to assist providers and staff and grown our scientific expertise, all with the overall goal of shaping a healthier tomorrow for the community.

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Over the past year, $2.4 million in external funding has been spent on research and innovation activity across the organization, an 11 percent increase over last year. This includes 73 new projects, a 62 percent increase across THP since last year.

To foster and grow the existing culture of research and innovation, IBH appointed over 30 providers, researchers, staff and innovators across THP who are expanding the impact of research and innovation by leading activities at the front-line to improve care for patients. To build scientific capacity, IBH has attracted internationally renowned scientists to lead and support research projects that are aligned with the strategic priorities and needs of THP and the community.

I am extremely proud of the tremendous growth in research and innovation this past year. The highlights in this report are just a few examples of the exciting activities that are happening across THP to improve health for the community. These activities and continued growth would not be possible without the support from our patients, staff, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, learners, volunteers, donors and our board of directors - thank you for your support, passion and creativity. I look forward to another exciting year ahead to continue to grow our research and innovation activities, build scientific capacity and supports, and create partnerships to advance research and innovation to shape a healthier tomorrow.

Robert Reid, MD, PhD
Chief Scientist, Institute for Better Health
Senior Vice-President, Science, Trillium Health Partners

By the Numbers

192 Ongoing Research Projects. 51 Externally-led Projects.
62 Chart Reviews. 53 Clinical Trials. 35 Qualitative Studies. 42 Other Study Types.
141 THP-led Projects. Of those: 24 Scientist-led, 92 Physician-led, 2 Nurse-led, 2 Allied Health-led. 8 Student-led, 13 Other-led.
21+ THP Departments represented in research projects. 51+ External collaborators.
$2,482,786 - Total external research and innovation funded activity.
19 Innovation Award submissions. 213 THP staff, physicians and volunteers on Innovation Award submitting teams.

Delivering High Quality Care and Exceptional Experience

Engaging the Community to Improve Family and Child Health and Wellness

As the regional provider of maternal and child services, Trillium Health Partners (THP) is continuously seeking new ways to support and improve family and child health across Peel region. THP recognizes that children and families have complex care needs and it can be challenging to navigate through the health care system, as health care and social support organizations often operate separately. Principal Investigator, Ian Zenlea (MD, MPH) and Co-Principal Investigator, Sara Martel (PhD), and an interdisciplinary team at the Institute for Better Health believe that family and child health is influenced by factors beyond clinical care, including social and economic factors, health behaviours and the physical environment. The project team is committed to understanding the needs and priorities of families and children in the community and designing solutions together to improve health and wellness across the region. This year, the project team engaged 60 cross-sector organizations, including social services, health care, education, community support, and cultural associations to understand current needs and existing services for families and children. These findings will be used to better understand the priorities of the community and to co-design novel solutions to improve health and wellness for families in the region with a focus on services for children and youth in the region.

Partnering for Health Outcomes

Shaping the Future of Oncology Research for the Community

Oncology clinicians and researchers at Trillium Health Partners (THP) are exploring novel ways of delivering the highest quality care that is centered around patients and families to support their needs. There are currently 43 projects happening at the frontline in THP’s Oncology program to improve the delivery of care for patients at THP and in the community. As a Gynecologic Oncologist, Dr. Tomer Feigenberg (MD), faculty member at the Institute for Better Health, is currently leading 4 oncology studies at THP aimed at developing tailored treatment plans to improve the care for ovarian cancer and improve the health outcomes of the community. His portfolio of research is specifically focused on ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancers. Dr. Feigenberg is seeking to use the most cutting-edge research and how it can be applied to surgical oncology, such as evaluating current treatment practices for ovarian cancer in Ontario to determine factors that impact long-term survival and health outcomes.

Shaping a Healthier Community for Tomorrow

Transforming Mental Health Services Through Collaborative Partnerships

There are currently 1.3 million people in Ontario experiencing both physical and mental health illness. Because the current health care system is designed to focus on either physical or mental illness, many of these patients do not receive the most appropriate treatment to address their needs. The Medical Psychiatry Alliance (MPA), is a collaborative partnership between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Trillium Health Partners and the University of Toronto, whose goal is to transform the delivery of mental health services for patients with combined physical and mental health illness. The Institute for Better Health (IBH) has partnered with the MPA to support the evaluation of 4 projects, including the Child and Youth Project, which aims to create a collaborative care program to improve mental and physical health outcomes of patients, reduce wait times for mental health treatment, and reduce costs associated with untreated depression and diabetes in adolescents. In the past year, the collaborative care program has been successful in identifying challenges and improving mental health services for adolescents in the community. Researchers at IBH continue to partner with MPA to bring cutting-edge evidence into designing the collaborative care program and evaluating outcomes for patients, families and providers to improve physical and mental health for the community.

Key Milestones

Building Scientific Expertise to Shape a Healthier Tomorrow

With the support of Trillium Health Partners Foundation, the Institute for Better Health (IBH) is establishing Research Chairs to build programs of research to improve health for the community in the areas of population health and patient and family-centred care. Most recently, IBH welcomed Walter Wodchis (PhD) as the Research Chair of Implementation and Evaluation Science in collaboration with the University of Toronto. As an internationally recognized scientist, Dr. Wodchis is establishing a research program at THP to implement and test innovative approaches for improving the delivery and organization of health services for the community. This past year, Dr. Wodchis has been invited to present and share his work both nationally and internationally. In November 2018, Dr. Wodchis presented to health ministers and delegations from 11 countries at the Commonwealth Fund International Symposium on transforming care for high-need and high-cost patients. In addition to establishing Research Chairs, IBH is committed to advancing research and innovation by fostering mentorship and learning opportunities, such as the Maria Racioppo Scholarship for Integrative Care. Funded by Trillium Health Partners Foundation, the Scholarship provides dedicated research and innovation time within IBH to a THP staff member whose day-to-day role contributes to the experience, care and safety of patients.

Shaping the Conversation of Healthier Communities

The Institute for Better Health (IBH) believes in curiosity, creativity and continuous learning and strives to embed research and innovation in its work to solve real-life problems and support the unique needs of the changing community. This past year, IBH hosted the inaugural Hazel McCallion Endowed Lecture in Shaping Healthier Communities in collaboration with the Medical Psychiatry Alliance (MPA) Conference. This lecture has been named in recognition of a great leader in the community, Ms. Hazel McCallion who is a visionary not only for the City of Mississauga, but for all communities in how we can partner to achieve optimal health for all. The inaugural lecture was attended by patients, families, health care providers, researchers and educators from the community. Edward H. Wagner (MD, Director Emeritus, MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation), world renowned researcher, gave the inaugural lecture on bridging the gap between how we treat mental and physical health to improve overall quality of care. Following Dr. Wagner’s talk, there was an engaging discussion by panelists, Adalsteinn Brown (Dean, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto), Christina Jabalee (Director, Centre for Innovation in Peer Support) and Karli Farrow (Senior Vice President, Strategy, People and Corporate Affairs, Trillium Health Partners).

Solving Real Problems for our Community and Beyond

Between electronic medical records, digitized diagnostics and wearable medical devices, the average person will leave a trail of more than 1 million gigabytes of health-related data in their lifetime. By studying this data, there is vast potential for health care organizations to gain valuable insights into patient needs, preferences and values to better inform how we improve the delivery of care, health outcomes and experiences for the community. We are continuously seeking innovative ways to improve health through evidence-based decisions using analytics, leading practices and innovative approaches. An interdisciplinary team at the Institute for Better Health are creating a platform that will collect and analyze data from multiple sources inside and outside THP to gain key insights about the community we serve, including key determinants of health, such as social, cultural, economic and environmental factors. This platform will be a community resource to support research, innovation and health system needs, both within and outside the walls of THP.


Our Pillars

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Leading Research and Innovation

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Supporting Research and Innovation

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Creating Research and Innovation Partnerships

Research and Innovation Events

Simona Minotti

Penny Dowedoff

Gillian Mulvale

Liz Mansfield

Gallery

Thanks to our Community and Donors

Working with our community and donors, Trillium Health Partners Foundation raises the critical funds needed to address the highest priority needs of Trillium Health Partners. Trillium Health Partners Foundation

Trillium Health Partners

THP is committed to delivering high quality and exceptional patient experiences to our community of Mississauga and west Toronto. Trillium Health Partners