Highlighting Made-in-Canada Health Care Innovations  

Every year, a multitude of innovative products and services are developed to help improve health care. Ironically, hospitals have limited time and resources to assess them, creating a barrier to entry for vendors – and limiting the potential benefits to patients. 

In keeping with our mission to deliver exceptional value to our Member hospitals, Mohawk Medbuy (MMC) developed our Innovation LaunchPad in 2015 to evaluate promising new health care products and services. Vendor submissions to the LaunchPad are assessed by a group of MMC clinicians, pharmacists and procurement professionals. If the product or service meets the criteria listed below, we bring them to the attention of our Members and establish a pricing agreement to facilitate easy access and trial.  

Innovation LaunchPad products and services must provide a tangible, incremental benefit to: 

  • patient health 

  • delivery of patient care 

  • safety of patients and health care providers 

  • administrative efficiencies 

  • environmental sustainability 

Insights Into Resiliency 

Many of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic reinforce the importance of domestic production for supply chain resiliency. With those learnings in mind, we’re bringing you a taste of the of the latest made-in-Canada products we’ve introduced through our Innovation LaunchPad program. From simple, effective tools that prevent repetitive strain to products that enhance nutrition and improve safety, these innovations were developed and manufactured in Canada: 
 
Repetitive strain (RS) is a constant concern in the health care setting. Lifty, the brainchild of an Ontario nurse, is designed to help prevent RS injuries. Made of latex-free, autoclavable material, its ergonomic design is usable in a variety of clinical settings.  
 
Frozen food products can be helpful for a variety of patient issues such as nausea and testing a patient’s swallowing reflex – yet many products are manufactured with artificial sweeteners and added dyes. Made with 100% Canadian fruit, like apples from New Brunswick, and blueberries from Nova Scotia, Sum Good Freezies provide enhanced nutritional value in the therapeutic setting, without artificial additives. 
 
Bleach-based cleaners can be harsh, but the goal of PCS Buffered PH Oxidizing Disinfectant Cleaner is to prevent pathogen transmission with a formulation that reduces unnecessary chemicals. It minimizes irritation for users, while supporting occupation health standards. 
 
Disconnecting an IV or feeding tube line isn’t as easy as it sounds – and can be time-consuming for clinicians. That’s why a Canadian oncology nurse developed the Yewtwist IV Line Disconnection Tool. Its simple and effective design provides extra grip – making lines easier to disconnect without the risk of damaging them. 
 
We may think of them as vestiges of the pandemic, but N95s are essential personal protective equipment for some clinical situations. Designed for peak protection while allowing maximum breathability, the Canada Masq N95 Respirator is domestically manufactured and designed to fit a wide variety of face shapes and sizes – an important feature that optimizes fit testing and comfort. 

 

All of these Made-in-Canada innovations have MMC pricing agreements that can be accessed via our Member Portal. Download our Made-In-Canada resource for product summaries, contract numbers and more.  
 
If you’re a health care vendor that has a new, innovative product or service, learn more about our Innovation LaunchPad here.

Mohawk Medbuy Communications