In connection with the Quebec City ACCORD program, Sam Hamad, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade (MDEIE) and Minister Responsible for the Quebec City Region, and Richard Côté, Vice-Chair of the City of Quebec's Executive Committee, have jointly announced $557,000 in financial support for the implementation of phases 4 and 5 of the technology demonstration project involving clinical efficiency in the healthcare network. Quebec International, which is serving as the support organization, is mandated with managing the financial aid component of the project.
The project is spearheaded by a consortium of five companies from the Quebec City region that will be investing a total of $573,000 in phases 4 and 5. The member companies of the Telehealth and Clinical Mobility Consortium are Asentri, Domedic, Hospitalis Solutions, Fujitsu and Mirego. This initiative is aimed at improving the quality of follow-up services provided to homecare patients by integrating new technological solutions (as a complement to existing solutions) within healthcare professionals' work environments. The project is being carried out with the invaluable support of the healthcare network, particularly the Alphonse Desjardins Health and Social Services Centre (CSSS), Laval University's Integrated University Healthcare Network (RUIS), the Quebec City University Hospital Centre (CHUQ) and the Vieille Capitale CSSS. The participation of these organizations will make it possible to demonstrate the solutions' efficiency in clinical settings as well as in a healthcare context.
"The ACCORD program is a major economic driver for the region. It provides concrete support for the development of our economy's key sectors, which account for 60% of the new jobs created in the past five years. Our efforts are also designed to foster innovative and groundbreaking projects launched by companies in sectors of excellence such as the life sciences, which will strengthen our region and make it more competitive in the international arena," said Mr. Hamad.
Each of the companies in the consortium already has technologies that can be used to monitor homecare. The twin challenges are to make these technologies compatible with a view to creating a genuine operational platform and to demonstrate their efficiency in a clinical setting.
For the companies, gaining clinical setting access is a key step in the crucial marketing phase since efficiency demonstrations can be supported by results compiled in a healthcare context. Once the marketing phase has been completed, the consortium companies will have developed invaluable skills that are sure to bring them significant competitive advantages.
"This project exemplifies the spirit of innovation that drives Quebec City and that has become its economic hallmark. By supporting the Telehealth and Clinical Mobility Consortium, the City of Quebec is contributing to the creation of high-level jobs, reinforcing exportable cutting-edge expertise and positioning Quebec City among the global elite of innovative cities," said Mr. Côté.
The project, which is divided into five phases, will be completed in August 2012.
Phase 1: preliminary analysis and planning
Phase 2: technological and clinical integration
Phase 3: solutions development and assembly
Phase 4: pilot project kick-off
Phase 5: analysis of results and launch of the marketing stage
The approval of each phase is contingent on the success of the previous phase. Carrying out the project will require a total investment of nearly $2 million, half of which will be provided by the consortium companies.
"The invaluable support of the Government of Quebec and the City of Quebec through the Quebec City ACCORD program, along with the deep commitment of Quebec International and the healthcare network partners, are sizeable advantages that have made this project possible and allow us to look to the future with a sense of confidence," said Jean Morin, President of the Telehealth and Clinical Mobility Consortium and Vice-President, Partnerships and Strategic Alliances at Hospitalis Solutions.
About the ACCORD program and the life sciences sector of excellence
The ACCORD program is a high-priority governmental initiative aimed at boosting the economy in various regions of Quebec. The provincial Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade (MDEIE) is responsible for implementing the ACCORD program, which aims to position Quebec's regions as globally recognized hubs of specific industrial skills. This initiative taps into various regional strengths, including its dynamic business community and mobilization capacity. The life sciences sector in the Quebec City region seeks to develop companies and other sectors of excellence based on technological convergence and integration with a view to speeding development and maximizing the marketing of healthcare and well-being products.
About the Quebec City Regional Innovation Fund
The Quebec City Regional Innovation Fund was created to channel the efforts of the main ACCORD program partners with a view to delivering groundbreaking projects on a fast-track basis in each sector. This initiative, which is exclusive to the Quebec City region, is designed to increase the availability of financial resources by creating a critical mass through the cumulative effects of various financial partners. The Fund's main partners are the City of Quebec, the Quebec City Bureau (BCN), the Quebec Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade (MDEIE), Employment Quebec, Quebec International, the Quebec City Local Development Centre and the Quebec City Regional Conference of Elected Officials (CRECN). The MDEIE is investing $130,000 in this project, while the City of Quebec is investing $427,000.
