UOIT reaches affiliation agreement in health informatics with Providence Care

Undergraduate and graduate students in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) and the Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT) will now have access to new opportunities for practical clinical experiences and research thanks to a new affiliation agreement between UOIT and Kingston, Ontario-based Providence Care.

The agreement was officially ratified during a recent visit to Providence Care by Dr. Carolyn McGregor, Canada Research Chair in Health Informatics, associate professor and associate dean, Research, FBIT. Dr. McGregor is also cross-appointed with the FHS.

Providence Care will benefit from more direct access to, and an increase in opportunities for collaboration with faculty and students at UOIT, who are involved in cutting-edge research in health informatics and the application of technology solutions to health care. Providence Care has already enjoyed the benefits of training in Patient Journey Modelling Architecture (PaJMa) methodology developed by Dr. McGregor and Dr. Jennifer Percival, assistant professor, FBIT, and the expertise that has grown out of their association with Ontario Shores, The Hospital for Sick Children, the Cross-Canada Neonatal Intensive Care Project and other international health-care institutions. Currently, three Health Sciences students from UOIT are helping develop new PaJMa models for three inpatient units at Providence Care. They will also be involved in research on evaluation of the modelling process.

Providence Care is southeastern Ontario's leading provider of specialized mental health care, physical medicine and rehabilitation, specialized geriatric services, complex continuing care, palliative care and long-term care. It is a major teaching and research centre for Queen's University, and is an educational partner to St. Lawrence College and other post-secondary institutions.