As we approach the fourth year of our integrated Academics portfolio, Women’s College Hospital (WCH) is proud to highlight the continued growth and success of our portfolio, which encompasses the Research & Innovation Institute, the Learning Institute, and the Learning Health System (LHS) Collaboratory.
This past year has seen the development and expansion of several student programs aimed at advancing equity, a sustained increase in the number of funded grants, as well as several impactful external and internal events.
We also made impressive advancements towards realizing our goal of becoming a Learning Health System (LHS).
“Our continued success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team, embedded into all areas of the hospital,” says Dr. Rulan Parekh, VP of Academics at WCH.
“We continuously strive to foster a collaborative environment where everyone at Women’s College Hospital can actively lead and participate in research, scholarly quality improvement, and education scholarship.”
Below is a snapshot of Accomplishments in Academics at Women’s College Hospital for 2023/2024
People: Building Teams and Expanding Equity
As our educational programs continue to gain popularity with students, we are excited to have received 958 applications for the 2023/24 Emily Stowe Scholars Program (ESSP) and WCH Summer Student Research Program (SSRP). These programs are designed to advance equity and representation within Academics. WCH welcomed 32 post-secondary students, including undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, with 13 of these students receiving partial or full funding through the ESSP.
In addition, eight high school students, fully funded by the ESSP, participated in a six-week program that included on-site activities and networking opportunities. The program concluded with a dedicated Research Symposium Day celebrating their accomplishments paired with 33 student presentations.
Internally, new team members were brought on board to help advance academic priorities.
Projects: Fostering a Culture of Curiosity and Engagement
In our journey towards becoming a Learning Health System (LHS), we have made great strides over the past year. The team has successfully developed and showcased the LHS Strategy and Roadmap across Academics and established a new Steering Committee focused on governance and oversight.
Three working groups are now operational to support LHS efforts, focusing on key topics including patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs), datasets relevant to the LHS, and LHS Collaboratory – structure and function.
The Research Grants team continues to support WCH in securing significant research funding opportunities. With their support, WCH research teams achieved a 43 per cent success rate for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funding results in the Fall 2023 Project Grant competition. The national success rate was 24.4 per cent. Overall, the number of funded grants over the past five years has increased by 72 per cent.
New modules continue to be developed as part of Project Launch and introduced to WCH via soft launches, roadshows, and hands-on training. “Ongoing stakeholder enthusiasm paired with thoughtful feedback for this multi-phased project has helped drive improved performance and continuous engagement, explains Evelina Rutkowski, manager of academic operational excellence. “We couldn’t have done it without our stakeholders.”
Events: Building Bridges and Breaking Down Barriers
Science and innovation are critical to healthcare advancement, and several key events exemplify our continued focus on excellence at WCH and women in science. Last October, WCH collaborated with the Gairdner Foundation for the second time to host Women of Gairdner, a panel event featuring Gairdner laureates Dr. Gelareh Zadeh, Dr. Bonnie L. Bassler and Dr. Lynne E. Maquat. These renowned scientists shared insights into their unique career paths, work and challenges, as well as the need for greater equity within the health sciences. The event specifically aimed to inspire STEM-focused high school students from across 70+ schools from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented communities. They were joined by youth from community organizations, mentorship programs, and undergraduate students.
The Shoppers Drug Mart® Run for Women is the largest event series in Canada dedicated to women’s mental health. In June 2023, Academics at WCH led the inaugural “Academics Warriors” team in the 1, 5, and 10km walk/run routes while supporting women’s mental health programs at WCH. The small but mighty team continues to recruit members while enhancing their fundraising efforts!
Further opportunities for engagement and advancing equity within health research included a half-day strategic planning session in May 2023. Staff members from the Research and Innovation Institute and
The Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV) gathered to provide input on our current strategy and inform the future direction of Academics at WCH. The second annual Day of Excellence in Academics was held in May 2024 and showcased WCH’s accomplishments in quality improvement, research, and education. The event began with the Jim Ruderman Lecture on Leadership & Innovation, presented by Dr. Noah Ivers, followed by an interprofessional poster presentation and an awards ceremony celebrating the education, quality improvement and research conducted at WCH. Individuals and teams from across the hospital submitted 57 posters, displayed on the first and second floors in the days leading up to the event. Twenty-two awards were also presented.
“We have seen so much progress in the last year and since the launch of the integrated academics portfolio,” concludes Dr. Parekh. “I have no doubt that our team will continue this momentum throughout 2025 and into the years beyond.”