CAHO Welcomes Adoption of Health Innovation Recommendations in Budget 2015

TORONTO, April 23, 2015 /CNW/ - The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) welcomes the announcement in the 2015 Ontario Budget that the government will adopt all of the recommendations of the Ontario Health Innovation Council (OHIC).  Accelerating innovation in health care is both a significant challenge and a critical opportunity for raising the quality of care for the patients we serve and increasing productivity across the health care system. 

Executive Director of CAHO, Karen Michell, said, "The Ontario government's adoption of the OHIC recommendations is another example of the government's commitment to Ontario's innovation agenda.  CAHO stands ready to partner with the Chief Health Innovation Strategist to bring these recommendations to life.  We look forward to helping optimize pathways to adoption for technology and innovation across the system.  Ultimately, a more innovative health care system will make Ontario healthier, wealthier, and smarter."

CAHO's Chair Leslee Thompson, CEO, Kingston General Hospital, and Vice-Chair, Catherine Zahn, CEO, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, were OHIC members.  CAHO was pleased to contribute to OHIC's recommendations.  Working together with government, industry and the health research and health care sectors, we now have an important opportunity to make the most of the assets we have in the Ontario health innovation ecosystem, from research discoveries to adoption into clinical care.  This will continue to help position Ontario as a global health innovation leader. 

CAHO's 24 research hospitals form the R&D arm of Ontario's health care system and our members invest $1.4 billion annually in health research in the province. Our hospitals are also home to 16,400 researchers and research staff from Canada and around the world. This investment generates a total of $3.4 billion in economic output and supports 41,000 direct and indirect jobs across the province.

About CAHO

The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario is the non-profit association of Ontario's 24 research hospitals. CAHO provides a focal point for strategic initiatives on behalf of our member hospitals. As research intensive hospitals, CAHO members are fully affiliated with a university medical or health sciences faculty. Our hospitals provide the most complex and urgent care, teach the next generation of health care providers and foster health care innovation derived from discovery research. For more information, visit www.caho-hospitals.com

SOURCE Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario

For further information: Elise Bradt, Communications Specialist, t. 416-205-1469, [e-mail], www.caho-hospitals.com, @CAHOhospitals