In case you were disappointed with your Spotify Wrapped this year, our year-in-review is something worth celebrating.
TRANSFORM HF made quite an impact in 2024. First, here’s a look at the numbers.
We funded four new teams through our Collaboration Starter Grants, supporting TRANSFORM HF members as they form collaborations with new partners on early-stage projects that help advance equitable access to high quality heart failure care through digital innovation.
We welcomed six new trainees into our CaRDM Eq program – the first and only training program of its kind in Canada designing cardiovascular diagnostic and monitoring devices for equity. We’re now providing technical skills and hands-on experience to 21 participants, ensuring they are well-equipped to thrive in careers within industry, government, and academic sectors.
We granted Trainee Awards to three trainees who are researching new technology or models of care to address inequities in heart failure care, including remote after-hours support, wearable technology, and mental health modules for heart failure patients.
We also celebrated some firsts in 2024:
Bringing new technologies into clinical practice through the Digital Hub.
Launched in the fall, our Digital Hub program connects researchers and companies to cutting edge resources, clinical expertise, and people with lived experience of heart failure to move cardiovascular health technologies from the lab into the hands of healthcare providers and patients.
Receiving an Ontario Health System Innovation Award for our partnership with Weeneebayko Area Health Authority.
Together, we’re bringing specialized care closer to home for Indigenous communities in the James and Hudson Bay region. Our award-winning, unique model integrates remote monitoring and digital solutions to increase access to cardiovascular care, currently supporting nearly 300 patients in the region.
And as the seasons changed, you evolved too.
TRANSFORM HF members – including faculty members, clinical staff, and trainees – participated in a 3-day On-the-Land learning program led by Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle on Indigenous health and cultural safety. Findings from this training program culminated in an article demonstrating an increased knowledge of Indigenous health, enhanced the ability to be meaningful allies, and strengthened connections to the land associated with land-based learning.
We funded 7 engineering students through our Undergraduate Summer Research Program, offering an opportunity to train alongside our multidisciplinary community of researchers. In August, we hosted a Summer Student Showcase event with the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and the Translational Biology & Engineering Program to celebrate the amazing work of 30+ students who spent the summer tackling cardiovascular research projects.
Our Fall Network Event brought together our network of clinicians, scientists, trainees, people with lived experience, industry reps, and community partners for a dynamic morning. The event featured perspectives on the latest topics in digital health innovation, from sustainability to designing for equity, as well as lots of networking and engaging discussions.
You were interested in a variety of topics this year, but four of them were near and dear to your heart. Here's how our network divided up their love:
And that's a wrap!
We’re grateful to have you in our network. From all of us at TRANSFORM HF, thanks for making 2024 so special.
