Canadian Physician-Founded Ava Industries Named Best Electronic Health Record Service in the 2026 MedTech Breakthrough Awards
TORONTO, May 26, 2026 /CNW/ - Ava Industries (Ava), the Canadian electronic medical record (EMR) company built by physicians for physicians, has been named "Best Electronic Health Record Service" in the 2026 MedTech Breakthrough Awards program, a global recognition platform honouring innovation in digital health and medical technology.
The global MedTech Breakthrough Awards recognize leading companies and technologies shaping the future of healthcare across categories including electronic health records, patient engagement, artificial intelligence, virtual care, cybersecurity, and healthcare operations. This year's program received more than 4,000 nominations globally.
Founded in Canada by physicians, Ava has grown by building around the realities of clinical work. As many provinces continue to rely on EMRs released more than 20 years ago, with some provinces seeing legacy systems used by up to 70% of clinics, Ava helps teams move forward to a modern system. To date, Ava has migrated more than 6.5 million patient charts and continues to support clinics through transitions from older EMR systems.
"Ava was built because physicians were tired of technology getting in the way of care," said Dr. Matt Henschke, President and Chief Visionary Officer at Ava Industries and a 2025 Canadian Life Sciences Top 20 Under 40 recipient. "This recognition reflects the work our team has put into building something that feels practical in a clinic, not theoretical in a boardroom. Across Canada, clinicians are carrying an enormous administrative weight. Our responsibility is to help reduce that burden so providers can spend more time focused on patients, not paperwork."
Unlike traditional systems that rely heavily on third-party add-ons and disconnected workflows, Ava builds AI tools directly into the clinical experience. Features such as Ava Scribe, AI-powered charting, document classification, care plan generation, and built-in patient communication are designed to support physicians within their existing workflow rather than forcing clinics to adapt around the technology.
Ava's growth has also been shaped by its focus on physician experience and long-term sustainability in healthcare. According to the Canadian Medical Association, physicians in Canada spend 42.7 million hours annually on administrative tasks, with 19.8 million hours spent on unnecessary work, contributing to rising burnout and pressure across the healthcare system. Ava's approach centres on simplifying documentation, improving clinic operations, and helping care teams move through the day with fewer barriers.
"We believe healthcare technology should feel supportive, intuitive, and connected to how care actually happens," said Dr. Mike Forseth, CEO of Ava Industries and Calgary's 2025 Family Physician of the Year. "This award is meaningful because it recognizes not only innovation, but the impact innovation can have when it is grounded in real clinical experience."
Over the past year, Ava has strengthened its presence across Western Canada while accelerating its national growth, including growing traction in Ontario. That momentum is reflected in deeper adoption across British Columbia, enterprise clinic implementations, Ontario market activity, and the launch of Ava Intelligence products designed to reduce repetitive administrative work in healthcare. The company has also advanced key partnerships and interoperability initiatives across the healthcare ecosystem, including work on standardized patient summaries and electronic lab ordering.
About Ava Industries
Ava Industries is a Canadian healthcare technology company and leading electronic medical record provider, founded, built, and programmed by physicians who continue to practice medicine. Created in response to the administrative burden and fragmented systems that pull clinicians away from care, Ava delivers a cloud-based EMR designed to support real-world clinical workflows across community and group practices.
Trusted by thousands of healthcare professionals across hundreds of clinics, Ava supports the care of millions of Canadians each year. Ava is a leading EMR in Alberta, has seen rapid adoption across British Columbia, and continues to build momentum in Ontario as more clinics look for modern, cloud-based technology. Its intelligent tools simplify clinical work, strengthen provider-patient communication, and advance interoperability and AI across the healthcare system. Ava has also been recognized on Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 list as a Company to Watch and is certified as a B Corp.
For more information, visit www.avaindustries.ca
About MedTech Breakthrough
Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the MedTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence and innovation in medical & health technology companies, products, services and people. The MedTech Breakthrough Awards provide a platform for public recognition around the achievements of breakthrough healthcare and medical companies and products in categories that include Patient Experience & Engagement, Health & Fitness, Medical Devices, Clinical Administration, Connected Healthcare, Medical Data, Healthcare Cybersecurity and more. For more information, visit MedTechBreakthrough.com.
Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
SOURCE Ava Industries Ltd
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Darren James Ilao, Ava Industries, [email protected], (587) 606-0063
Share this article