On September 26, the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) and the University Health Network’s (UHN) cardiovascular team received the Ontario Health System Quality and Innovation Award for Improved Indigenous Health. The award recognized their collaborative efforts in developing the Medly program at WAHA.
Medly is a digital health platform designed for patients with heart failure. The program allows patients to monitor their health and symptoms while staying connected to their care team. Through digital tools such as smartphones and smartwatches, Medly offers personalized advice on managing symptoms and alerts healthcare providers to any significant changes in the patient’s condition. These timely alerts enable care teams to respond quickly and prevent further health deterioration.
Currently, approximately 300 patients in the Weeneebayko region (western James Bay and Hudson Bay region) are enrolled in the Medly program. Almost 100 of these patients use the remote digital monitoring app.
“This program is amazing, and we continue to be hopeful, thankful and grateful for the best cardiac care.” – Kristen Beck, RPN, WAHA Medly Clinical Coordinator
The awards ceremony, hosted by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, featured seven categories: Improved Patient Experience, Improved Population Health, Improved Value and Sustainability, Increased Equity, Improved Care Team Well-being, Improved Indigenous Health, and Excellence in Health Communications.
This year, over 200 nominations were submitted from across Ontario. Each nomination went through three rounds of evaluation before the top three finalists in each category were selected and invited to the ceremony. Winners were honored with a custom-designed award by Ontario sculptor Edward Falkenberg. The award, titled Circle of Care, symbolizes healthcare workers holding their values within a caring circle.
Watch a recording of the awards here. WAHA and UHN are presented with their award at the 31:21 minute mark.