Queen’s and KGH led initiative named Network of Centre of Excellence

A new research network focused on improving healthcare for an aging population positions Canada as a global leader in providing the highest quality of care for the seriously ill elderly.

Daren Heyland, Queen's professor of medicine will lead the Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network (TECH VALUE NET) as its scientific director.

“As one of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), TECH VALUE NET has a tremendous opportunity to create new knowledge and best practices around the use of health care technologies for seriously ill elderly patients and their families, thereby improving their health outcomes,” says Dr. Heyland who is also a staff physician at Kingston General Hospital (KGH) and Director of the hospital's Clinical Evaluation Research Unit (CERU).

Researchers aim to develop and implement technologies for an elderly population that will save lives, improve quality of life, increase the quality of the dying process, increase patient and family satisfaction with the care they receive and increase job satisfaction for health care providers in our health institutions.

TECH VALUE NET will receive $23.9 million in funding from the Government of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence program and an additional $22 million from industry and institutional partners.

“Queen's University is proud to act as the host institution for the hub of this new national research network,” says Steven Liss, Vice-President, Research, Queen's University. “With support from the NCE program and industry partners, TECH VALUE NET will be a catalyst for groundbreaking multidisciplinary research to improve health care for aging Canadians.”

"KGH is pleased to house TECH VALUE NET,” says Leslee Thompson, KGH President and CEO. “Improving the care of seriously ill, elderly patients and their families through the development, rigorous evaluation and ethical implementation of health care technologies, is a clear fit with our strategic directions at KGH.”

The network brings together 44 researchers from 19 institutions, and partners from government, industry and the community to assess health care technologies ranging from low tech (nutrition and exercise) to high tech (mechanical ventilation and advanced life support). The TECH VALUE NET board of directors is chaired by the Honourable Sharon Carstairs.

“TECH VALUE NET is a fine example of the world-class expertise at Queen's and the Faculty of Health Sciences,” says Richard Reznick, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University. “The network's commitment to education and training will provide many national and international learning opportunities on establishing best practices for practitioners, faculty, and researchers.”

The NCE program was founded with the aim of mobilizing Canada's best research and development talent to build a more advanced, healthy, competitive, and prosperous Canada. By funding research partnerships between academia, industry, government, and not-for-profit organizations, NCE programs turn Canadian research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for all Canadians.

More information on TECH VALUE NET