Changemakers at Unity Health

Unity Health is constantly striving to improve patient care experiences. Across our network, many people are creatively tackling complex challenges through innovation, education and engagement. Meet the teams who are changing the field with their hard work.

Research

Research at Unity Health is focused on world-class research and innovation that transform patient care and population wellbeing. The Research Institute is comprised of the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

Here are some of this year’s major achievements in research:

• Unity Health Toronto becomes a formal member of The Centre for Research and Applications in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT). A unique partnership with U of T and the NRC, CRAFT develops leading-edge microfluidic devices that address many challenges in human health.
• MAP Centre research influenced a bill that ushered in the long-anticipated agreement on universal pharmacare. The bill, which became law on Oct. 10, will help the federal and provincial governments implement a “first phase” of universal pharmacare, providing free access to diabetes medication and contraceptives. 
• AI tool “CHARTWatch” leads to a massive decrease in mortality. Led by Dr. Amol Verma, a study assessing CHARTWatch found that the AI early warning system developed at St. Michael’s showed a significant 26 per cent reduction in unanticipated mortality after the tool was implemented on the general internal medicine ward.
• Drs. Andrew Pinto and Benita Hosseini awarded $18.9 million to create the PREPARED network – a “coast-to-coast” shield to protect Canada in the next pandemic. The funding will help create a national pandemic preparedness system that will improve Canada’s capacity to identify and track new pathogens, monitor disease spread and speed up development of diagnostic tests, vaccines and therapeutics. 
• Unity Health hosts world’s top scientists for international Fibrosis Symposium. The major conference, led by Drs. Boris Hinz and Andras Kapus, included talks by nine world-renowned researchers, presentations by Unity’s excellent scientists and a trainee meeting with poster presentations.
• Dr. Sakina Rizvi appointed as the new Chair of the ASR Suicide & Depression Studies Program. As chair, Rizvi will develop and lead research to prevent, diagnose and treat patients with depression and suicidality. 
• Dr. Arthur Slutsky, former VP of Research and Innovation, was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Slutsky was recognized for his novel research that’s transformed treatment of respiratory failure, including for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), who have a mortality rate of up to 45 per cent. 

Education

Education is foundational at Unity Health Toronto, creating unique learning experiences for thousands of staff, physicians, learners, patients and families through forward-thinking models of clinical education. Education supports development for teachers and preceptors and invests in systems and technologies to make the learning experience as innovative and compassionate as the care we deliver.

Here is what we accomplished this year:

• Developed a new Education Strategic Plan 2025-28: Educating For Tomorrow through significant internal and external engagement. It focuses on creating exceptional learning experiences, inspiring teachers for tomorrow, and building sustainable structures and systems.
• Library Services supported 249 literature search requests, up 27.7 per cent from last year, and 48 workshops for 5186 participants.
• The Patient & Family Education Program supported 18,382 patients through our Online Health Library. 
• Translational simulation played a key role in improving and streamlining workflow processes to optimize the implementation of Epic, and enables continuous quality improvement across the network. The Simulation Program supported hands-on training and learning for 4669 frontline clinicians, administrators, leaders, learners, and more, hosting 504 simulation events for a total of 2497 simulation hours.
• In one of the largest training efforts in Unity Health’s history, the Electronic Patient Record Change Management and Education team, with support from the Digital Education team and others across the organization, developed a training program, resources and environment to support almost 15,000 staff, physicians and learners in using the new system – getting everyone trained in under two months.

Sustainability

Sustainability is central to Unity Health Toronto’s work of delivering world class care to patients, families and communities. A healthy planet goes hand in hand with a healthy population, and the innovative solutions and projects below highlight how our people are working to drive sustainability forward and reduce our environmental impact.

Here are some of this year’s major achievements in sustainability:

• Unity Health Toronto’s Sustainability Plan 2024-2029 was published, integrating both energy and sustainability work into one cohesive strategy.
• Unity Health Toronto’s first decarbonization request for proposals went to market, marking a major step in progressing the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Roadmap with a target of 15 per cent reduction of emissions. 
• Sustainability is being embedded into construction and renovation projects through the development of a sustainable construction guideline that provides a set of standardized project practices for energy efficient design and diverting sustainable materials from landfill.
• The completion of two new accessible public gardens on the North and South end of the St. Joseph’s property offer a refuge for staff, patients, families, and our community where they can access the psychological, cognitive and emotional benefits of connecting with nature. 
• Teams from all three sites were recognized by the Spotlight on Sustainability for their contributions to preserving and protecting the environment while supporting the delivery of excellent patient care. 
  • At Providence, the Compassionate Equipment Recycling Program, created by the Health Disciplines Practice Team, Houses of Providence and Maintenance and Plant Operations, safely refurbishes and redistributes used mobility equipment to patients in need, reducing landfill waste and supporting safe care delivery. 
  • At St. Michael’s, the Academy Family Health Team embedded sustainability into patient care, staff practices and community engagement in many ways, from reducing exam paper use and greenhouse gas emissions to promotion plant-rich diets, active transportation and nature-based health initiatives. 
  • At St. Joseph’s, the Unity Health Food Services team made strides in sustainability through menu changes and a commitment to the Cool Food Pledge, tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of 25 per cent reduction by 2030, while ensuring every meal is nutritious for people and the planet.

Anti Racism, Equity & Social Accountability

The Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Accountability team supports Unity Health to reach our shared goal of being an anti-racist, anti-oppressive and equitable leader in health care. We do this by promoting a culture of equity—both for our patients and our people—through strategic partnerships, coaching, education and quality improvement. 

Take a look at some of the team’s achievements from this past year:

• Supported the implementation of Unity Health’s new electronic patient record (EPR) system:
  • Introduced new equity-focused fields into our new EPR system, such as chosen name, accessibility needs, pronouns and gender identity, to support patient experience. 
  • Launched an online training program to teach frontline teams how to appropriately collect information about and refer to patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity, addressing and mitigating potential harm caused when collecting and using sensitive information from patients. 
  • Will analyze data from the sexual orientation and gender identify fields in our new EPR system to understand data quality and whether the new system is improving the care experience for patients belonging to groups experiencing marginalization.
• Launched new policies, plans and procedures:
  • Established a five-year accessibility plan, with support from the Equity of Access Committee, that moves Unity Health beyond basic compliance with the regulatory requirements outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
  • Launched policies on gender identity, gender expression, sex and sexual orientation, and gender transitions and affirmation, supporting the creation of safe, on-site spaces for people in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and supporting an employee’s right to change and/or affirm their gender expression.
  • Started work to create a data governance framework and policy for sociodemographic data collection, monitoring and use (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender identity, etc.).
  • Conducted an inventory and analysis of all equity-oriented quality improvement initiatives across clinical programs to better understand our patient-focused equity efforts. 
  • Started development of an anti-racism policy framework to further establish and implement shared principles and accountabilities towards anti-racism across the network. 
• Began our first exploratory look at care experience and race and how to use race-based data safely through a pilot examining the experience of Black patients on the General Internal Medicine Unit at St. Michael’s. 
• Became the first Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) hospital to set an outcomes based target for Black representation among senior leaders, and met our 2024 target, holding ourselves accountable to improving representation at the leadership level.
• Posted for a Chair in Anti-Racism and Health Equity, with expertise in anti-Black racism, to help drive knowledge translation and innovation in solutions to better address, identify, and eliminate racism within health care.
• Launched the LIFT (Leading Inclusive Futures Together) youth mentorship program to inspire and support Black, Indigenous and racialized high school students to pursue careers in medicine.
• Continued the phased replacement of all gendered single-room washroom, change room and shower room signage with functional (non-gendered) signage that respects everyone’s right to use the space that feels most appropriate for them.

Office of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships

The Office of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships (OIWRP) and its Wellness Team provide a range of culturally-appropriate programs, services and supports for Indigenous patients, families and caregivers. This year, the OIWRP built a strong foundation for its work by securing funding, expanding its team and strengthening relationships across Unity Health.

Achievements from the year:

• Secured major donor funding to expand the Indigenous Wellness Team and support the Indigenous Health Program and Service.
• Completed significant work on the Indigenous Wellness Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital, a 650-square-foot space where the Wellness Team will provide services and supports to Indigenous patients. The space will also be used to hold education, training and ceremonial events.
• Worked with the Executive Committee to prioritize recommendations from Indigenous patients, caregivers and community members on how to improve healthcare and health outcomes for Indigenous peoples at Unity Health hospitals. 
• Worked with the Epic team on interim issues of data governance and the management of data pertaining to Indigenous patients, while working with ARESA to create a data governance framework which values and respects the realities of Indigenous people, families and communities and is in alignment with their visions of self-determination.
• Collaborated with Human Resources to develop and refine ways to recruit and hire Indigenous physicians and staff.
• Continued to build collaborative relationships with the Indigenous Cancer Program and the Oncology, Engineering and Security teams at Unity Health Toronto and encouraged team leaders to complete an Indigenous cultural safety course.
• Made several Ontario Health modules on Indigenous health accessible on Unity Health’s online learning platform so that all physicians and staff can easily take the courses.
• Held a Dance for Healing at all three hospital sites. The ceremonies, featuring Indigenous dancers wearing traditional Jingle Dresses, were an opportunity to share Indigenous culture with the wider Unity Health community and promote prayer and healing.

Patient & Family Partners

Patient and Family Partners (PFPs) work alongside hospital staff, physicians and leaders to enhance the quality and safety of care delivery while striving to improve the overall care experience of patients and their families. They represent diverse perspectives from the communities we serve.

Here are some of their achievements:

• PFPs participated in 68 new activities, supporting working groups, committees, strategy and program planning, wayfinding and redesign and much more
• 17 new PFPs joined the network, for a new total of 77
• 26 programs across the network engaged PFPs to include patient perspectives into their projects
• PFPs participated as members of 16 leadership-level hiring panels to ensure new staff at Unity Health Toronto live our values and are dedicated to patient family-partnered care
• PFPs were integral to the preparation for and the rollout of the new Electronic Patient Record, as well as the patient portal MyChart powered by Epic, ensuring the platforms are inclusive, accessible and collaborative for patients, families and communities
• PFPs used their lived experience to provide input on promotional materials for a Compassionate Equipment Recycling Program, offering wheelchairs and walkers to individuals experiencing difficulty accessing equipment
• PFPs Fran Odette and Janet Rodriguez, along with Unity Health staff, co-created a two-hour virtual collaborative learning activity about disrupting ableism in healthcare that was successfully offered on two occasions, to over 50 learners
• 15 PFPs make up the Unity Patient Family Council, which plays an integral role in bringing patient and family perspectives to projects and policies such as the Unity Health’s 2025-26 Quality Improvement Plan and policies including the Family Presence & Visitor Policy and Goals of Care & CPR Status Policy, among others
• More of our highlights are featured in the 2024 Year in Review

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