MHI Program Details

Where are you completing your practicum?
My practicum placement is at Verto Health – a Toronto-based scale-up health informatics and technology company which aims to deliver healthcare providers effective digital health solutions.

Describe your practicum role:
I am working as an Implementation Analyst, and am responsible for:

• Assisting in the identification, development, implementation and sustainment of clinical IT projects
• Engaging with key stakeholders for requirements gathering, product evaluations and research for project support
• Providing high-quality support and quality assurance for client-specific deployments
• Effectively find solutions to fill in gaps and solve the challenges experienced with Verto’s products.  This includes converting these issues into actionable optimizations for the technical team

How do you think the MHI program equips students to effectively contribute towards advancing their practicum work?
The MHI program equips students with a mosaic of skills which aids us in effectively adapting to a large variety of roles within digital health. In fact, the program structure ensures that the students are provided with the opportunity to explore digital health from different perspectives including clinical IT, project management, system design, quantitative skills and more. Despite having minimal work experience with implementation and project management, I am thriving in my current role as I draw from my academic experiences from the MHI program. Therefore, I confidently state that the MHI program equips students with a strong foundation to effectively contribute to advancing our practicum work.

Where are you completing your practicum?
I am completing my practicum at BoardWalk Group, a startup healthcare consulting firm in Toronto. BoardWalk offers a variety of services to healthcare organizations all over Canada, including program/service review and optimization, strategic planning, performance measurement, and integrated care service development. As it is a startup, I have been lucky enough to be given opportunities to take on leadership roles in projects and given ownership over my work.

Describe your practicum role:
As an associate consultant, I assist with deliverables and project managing several projects for our clients. An example of a project I have been working on is completing a current state analysis of a large community mental health organization and providing future state recommendations for implementing a new EHR system within this organization. Other projects include developing and piloting a simulation-based Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) curriculum in LTC homes and implementing a new HR software in a healthcare community services organization. Examples of activities I complete are creating process maps, slide decks for our projects, and performing data analysis.

How do you think the MHI program equips students to effectively contribute towards advancing their practicum work?
The MHI program has provided learnings in core competencies in the field, which has given me the knowledge needed to operate in the healthcare space. The program has provided a breadth of learnings from applied topics such as quantitative skills and working with data to more nuanced topics such as human factors & system design in healthcare. The program also encourages strategic thinking and taking on leadership roles which have been influential in me pursuing a role at a startup.

Where are you completing your practicum?
I am completing my practicum at the Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, which is the health services research arm of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. Bridgepoint is leading a new field of study strategically designed to respond to one of the most pressing areas of need for healthcare research in Ontario and around the world: examining ways to improve the care and the entire life experience of patients living with complex chronic health conditions.

Describe your practicum role:
My practicum role is focused on the Digital Bridge Project – a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Transitions in Care project, that is developing information communication technology to support hospital to home transitions for patients with complex care needs. The implementation of the Digital Bridge involves two technologies: Care Connector and ePRO. The goal behind these platforms is to promote appropriate, timely, and person-centred communication between patients and their care teams in the hospital and community to ensure smooth and effective care transitions in an effort to prevent hospital readmissions. Through my practicum placement, I am working on redesigning the technology enabled workflows using technical diagrams as well as contributing to the co-design process to ensure that these technologies will meet the needs of providers, patients, and caregivers.

How do you think the MHI program equips students to effectively contribute towards advancing their practicum work?
The MHI program provides students with practical skills and relevant knowledge that enables them to make meaningful contributions during their practicum work. Throughout the MHI program, students learn concepts that are applicable to health informatics implementations, including change management theory and project management approaches. Furthermore, students are exposed to technical skills such as the utilization of Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) and SQL language. In addition, candidates are trained to create technical diagrams including BPMN, Data Flow Diagrams, and Architecture Diagrams. These tangible skills enable MHI candidates to make valuable contributions when faced with complex problems, allowing them to contribute to significant improvements within health care.