Unity Health, U of T researchers could reshape Canadian health care
As medical residents at the University of Toronto, Amol Verma and Fahad Razak were struck by how many hospital decisions about quality-improvement were made based on opinion or whoever was the most persuasive voice in a room.
“They didn’t necessarily have the data to back that up,” Verma says.
So, the pair set to work with their colleagues across the university to build a data network housed at Unity Health Toronto that linked together dozens of hospitals in Ontario, saving the province tens of millions in health-care costs, freeing up hospital beds and preventing unnecessary deaths – all while safeguarding patients’ privacy.
What began as an effort to improve decision-making in Ontario hospitals has since evolved into a national health data network called Vital that recently secured $100 million in federal support through Canada’s national AI strategy.
The milestone marks a major step for Verma and Razak – both scientists at Unity Health – as their made-in-Ontario model is poised to expand beyond its current footprint of 160 hospitals across Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.
Vital will allow researchers to harness anonymized data to improve patient care and conduct large-scale research projects that will ultimately save lives. Ultimately, there are plans to expand the network, based at Unity Health’s St. Michael’s Hospital, to encompass all 13 of Canada’s provinces and territories – with seven already expressing interest and readiness to join the network.
“U of T is proud of the visionary leadership of Amol Verma and Fahad Razak, who have drawn on the highly collaborative ecosystem of researchers, hospital partners and leading AI institutes in the Toronto region to build a tool that is having a transformative impact on health care in Ontario,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.
Story by By Rahul Kalvapalle/ Photo: Fahad Razak, left, and Amol Verma, right – both Unity Health scientists and U of T researchers – with Evan Solomon, Canada’s minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation, at St. Michael’s Hospital, where the national Vital platform will be housed (photo by Katie Cooper/Unity Health)
“With support from Canada’s national AI strategy, Vital is now poised to scale that impact across the country, advancing a bold vision for data-driven health care and reinforcing U of T’s commitment to world-leading innovation in AI.”