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Celebrating One Year Since Kickoff!

This April marks one year since the launch of the Bridge Northwest Program — a significant milestone in our shared journey to bring Meditech Expanse to Partner Organizations across Northwestern Ontario.  

Since our regional kickoff in April 2025, the Program has steadily progressed from a planning and design stage into the system build – which is underway across all Expanse modules with hundreds of dictionaries and thousands of individual pieces of clinical content being reviewed. 

A Regional Effort 

At the center of all this work are the people making it possible. Our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), working group members, and local teams continue to be the driving force behind this transformation. Representing every organization, discipline, and care setting, they bring invaluable knowledge, experience, and perspective to ensure that what we are building reflects the realities of healthcare across Northwestern Ontario. Their contributions — alongside the engagement of front-line staff, professional staff, and leaders — are what make this a truly regional effort. 

Participation by the Numbers 

• 850+ individuals from the 12 Partnering Organizations have been involved to date – including:
  • 80+ professional staff 
  • 100+ executives. 

• 40+ Working Groups & governing bodies are currently standing  

• 250+ Events /Meetings have been attended by Bridge Northwest’s Change Management Team 

Technical Readiness 

Device selections and infrastructure walkthroughs were completed across the 12 Partner Organization’s hospitals and care facilities.  

These sessions brought Bridge Northwest teams directly into care environments to engage with frontline staff, professional staff, and leaders. By walking through real workflows and care spaces together, teams gathered practical insights that are shaping how devices will support care delivery in a way that is efficient in day-to-day realities. 

• 5000+ device items are being ordered and configured over the summer.   

• Deployment of devices will begin later this Fall. 

Keeping Momentum 

As we mark this one-year milestone, we can also think about the year ahead of us. In the coming months, the Program will be focused on completing the system build, and carrying out testing, training, and preparation activities for Go-Live.  

Together, we’ve built strong momentum in our first year. Together, we will continue building a connected future for care across Northwestern Ontario. 

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Selection Process

Device selection followed a structured, transparent process, guided by frontline input, expert review, and use cases.

1. Hands-on Device Discovery Fairs

Device Discovery Fairs were held, bringing together frontline staff, department leaders and other stakeholders. Multiple manufacturers showcased devices through demonstrations, tutorials, and presentations, allowing participants to see, touch, and compare options while discussing real clinical and operational use cases.

2. Staff Feedback and Survey Results

Following the fairs, attendees shared feedback through a structured survey developed by the Program. Input related to usability, workflow fit, concerns, and needs was carefully reviewed and factored into device decisions — reinforcing transparency and ensuring staff voices were heard and considered.

3. Technical Readiness Working Group Review

The Technical Readiness Working Group reviewed survey results alongside clinical use cases, logistical considerations, and technical requirements. As subject-matter experts, Working Group members applied their collective experience to recommend devices that would work across diverse care environments.

4. Total Cost of Ownership Assessment

Devices were evaluated beyond initial purchase cost. Factors such as battery lifespan, replacement cycles, maintenance needs, and long-term support were considered to ensure selections are financially sustainable over time.

5. Learning from Regional Partners

Recommendations and lessons learned from ONE Health Information Technology Services (ONE HITS) and hospitals in Northeast Ontario — many already live with their devices — helped validate selections and reduce risk.

🎉 Highlights

Device Walkthroughs Complete

Before the holiday season, Bridge Northwest completed Device Walkthroughs across partner organizations throughout Northwestern Ontario—marking an important step forward in preparing for Meditech Expanse.

These walkthroughs weren’t about technology alone. They were about listening to the people who deliver care every day.

A People-Led Approach

Over the past several weeks, Bridge Northwest teams met directly with frontline staff, physicians, and department leaders in clinical and operational areas across the region. These conversations focused on understanding how work is actually done, what tools support teams best, and how device setups can enhance—not disrupt—care delivery.

By walking through care spaces together, staff shared practical insights around workflow, patient flow, mobility, documentation needs, and environmental considerations that simply can’t be captured without being on site.

The Device Walkthroughs built on earlier Device Discovery Fairs by taking feedback from testing environments into real clinical settings. This step allowed teams to validate device needs at the workstation level and confirm what changes will be required to support Expanse in a way that feels intuitive, reliable, and efficient for users.

What Comes Next

Insights gathered during the walkthroughs will now inform next steps as device needs are finalized and readiness activities continue into the new year. Most importantly, the feedback shared by staff and physicians will remain central as the program moves forward.

Thank You

A sincere thank you to the frontline staff, physicians, department managers, and local teams who welcomed us into their spaces and shared their expertise. Your voices are shaping how this transformation unfolds across Northwestern Ontario.

As we head into the holidays, Device Walkthroughs close one chapter of readiness—with people at the center and patient care as the ultimate goal.

Bridge Northwest is pleased to announce that Mark Farrow has started the position of Interim Regional Chief Information Officer (CIO) supporting Partnering Organizations across Northwestern Ontario.

Previously, Mark was the Chief Information Officer and Chief Privacy Officer at Oak Valley Health and the Vice President of Health Information Technology Systems and Chief Information Officer at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre.

Mark is a seasoned digital strategist and technical executive leader with an expansive career in the healthcare and technology sectors, specializing in implementing innovative information systems and digital solutions. He is an expert in leading large-scale, enterprise-wide IT projects and transforming healthcare organizations through advanced technology adoption. He has successfully led numerous healthcare IT initiatives, including electronic medical record (EMR) system implementations (including MEDITECH Expanse), cybersecurity programs, and AI-based health solutions.

Mark’s first involvement with the region came during the Bridge Northwest Scoping Workshop, held in partnership with ONE Health Information Technology Services (ONE HITS) late October in Thunder Bay. The event brought together teams from across Canada to review and refine the Scope Statements. A Scope Statement outlines which modules and functionalities will be implemented at each partner organization. Together, participants ensured the incredible work completed by our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) during content validation was accurately captured. These Scope Statements will lay the foundation for building MEDITECH Expanse for the North West Region.

In his interim role, Mark will collaborate with the Bridge Northwest team, ONE HITS, and hospital leadership across Northwestern Ontario to advance the implementation of Meditech Expanse and support regional opportunities for alignment, shared services, and IT/IS modernization.

Please join us in welcoming Mark Farrow to Northwestern Ontario and in supporting this important step forward in our regional digital health journey.

🎉 Event Highlights

Exploring the Future of Care: Bridge Northwest’s Device Discovery Fairs

As Bridge Northwest continues to advance toward the regional launch of Meditech Expanse, one of the key areas of focus has been ensuring the right technology is in place to support staff and patient care.

This past month, hub events were set up at hospitals in Central, East & West Northwestern Ontario to host device discovery fairs. — These were interactive events designed to showcase and test the equipment that will support the new electronic health record (EHR). Clinicians, IT staff, and hospital leaders had the chance to explore a range of options firsthand, including workstations on wheels (WOWs), wall-mounted computers, keyboards, mice, and other essential devices that will bring Expanse to life on the frontlines.

These fairs weren’t just about testing hardware — they were about connecting people to the tools that will make their daily work more efficient, reliable, and patient-focused using Meditech Expanse. The valuable feedback collected during these events is helping to guide next steps as the program further assess device needs.

What’s Next

With discovery complete, attention now shifts to confirming device needs across each partnering organization:

•  Local Team Engagement (Fall 2025): Device Need Walk-Throughs with support from the Technical Readiness Team, Change Specialists, and local clinical and IT representatives.

• On-Site Walk-Throughs (November–December 2025): Teams will review each department’s workspace and document the type, count, and placement of required devices.

• Summarizing Findings (Winter 2026): Information gathered from each site will be consolidated into a regional Device Needs Summary.

• Validation (January 2026): Each Partnering Organization will review and validate their device needs before final approval.

• Procurement (March 2026): Once validated, the final list will be submitted to begin the purchasing process.

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