PHIR+E: Advancing Innovation with Providence Research

Providence Health Innovation, Research + Engagement (PHIR+E), a part of and the link between Providence Research and Innovarium, makes vital connections between researchers and other members of the Providence Health Care community and the resources they need to innovate. PHIR+E supports the creation and implementation of new solutions to healthcare challenges in real-world settings.

Enabling innovation through connection

PHIR+E is an integral part of Innovarium, Providence Health Care’s innovation engine that unites various complementary research elements, creating an environment that provides resources and support to accelerate innovation. The PHIR+E team specializes in forming strategic partnerships and helps bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including individuals, academic institutions, and government and industry partners. In this way, PHIR+E connects resources, opportunities and platforms to advance innovative medical research ideas. 

PHIR+E amplifies PHC’s position as a leader in healthcare innovation, building visibility and interest amongst peers, stakeholders, and other potential collaborators, while helping to retain and attract the best minds. It hosts workshops, networking events, competitions and other programs that provide opportunities for researchers, clinicians and other innovators to acquire the skills and experiences vital to develop innovative ideas and healthcare solutions. It also connects them with experts in areas such as ethics, contracts and finance. 

“PHIR+E was established to maximize the impact of research at PHC. By establishing these bidirectional partnerships between our researchers and external stakeholders, and through working in collaboration with the other components of Innovarium, PHIR+E enables research translation and a greater return on investment,” says Dr. Darryl Knight, President, Providence Research, Vice-President, Research & Academic Affairs, Providence Health Care, Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. 
 

PHIR+E in Action

A significant part of the initiative involves hosting and organizing novel events and opportunities meant to spark new ideas and accelerate healthcare solutions. PHIR+E’s flagship event, Skunkworks, brings together a diverse range of participants to address local issues that have global significance, such as Pain, Wounds and Aging, themes of previous Skunkworks. This year, Skunkworks’ theme is Chronic Disease. 

Skunkworks is an opportunity for people from different disciplines to collaborate and brainstorm creative solutions, presenting their ideas to a panel of judges. Winning teams participating in the Skunkworks competition receive funding, sector expertise, and support to make their proposed solution a reality. You can learn more about the event here.

“It was wonderful to meet so many colleagues from other parts of the system,” says Dr. Sammy Chan, a participant in Skunkworks: Hacking Aging. “The wide range of perspectives made the solutions so much richer and well thought out.”

PHIR+E supports ideas originating at Skunkworks by providing funding or by connecting the teams with needed resources. For example, the Mend & Tend pilot program, which brings wound care to residents of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, originated at Skunkworks: Hacking Wounds in 2022. Another project in development is the Oasis Connect App, which is designed to enhance care delivery and family engagement within Canadian long-term care homes. PHIR+E enabled the team that pitched the idea at Skunkworks: Hacking Aging in 2023 to develop a prototype with support from the Centre for Digital Media.

Maximizing opportunities at the CSRC

The new state-of-the-art Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC) at the new St. Paul’s Hospital will see scientific breakthroughs translated into real-world health care, extending the continuum of care to ensure patients get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. The CSRC will include infrastructure for cutting-edge technology such as 3D bio-printing, data, and analytics which will contribute to B. C’s positioning as a global hub in life sciences. 

Building on our culture of innovation

PHIR+E is dedicated to cultivating an environment where innovation thrives. The program works to clear the path to discovering and implementing new solutions, and to empower innovators in the process of refining their ideas and achieving breakthroughs.

PHIR+E supports innovations developed by Providence Research and PHC clinicians, connecting them with the resources needed for implementation. Along with the other elements of Innovarium, including Providence Health Care Ventures and Ideas Forward, PHIR+E plays a pivotal role in advancing innovation at Providence Health Care.

To learn more about PHIR+E, please visit our website. 

Questions? Contact Ivone Martins Executive Director, Providence Health Innovation, Research + Engagement (PHIR+E) IMartins@providencehealth.bc.ca