Last year, the Ivey International Centre for Health Innovation launched a Health Innovation Blog as part of its commitment to supporting thought leadership in the health care sector. Western and Ivey students who submitted blogs were eligible to win the Health Innovation Blog Award, a prize of $250.
Joie Chow, a dual-degree HBA and Medical Sciences student, was selected as the first Blog Award winner.
Her blog, “Housing for health: Why social housing is imperative to improving Aboriginal health conditions,” discusses how the solutions to the housing crisis in First Nations Metis and Inuit communities may lie within local, non-profit organizations. She calls for funding from the government, as one-in-three First Nations people live in homes that require major repair, compared to one-in-12 other Canadians. Recent research has shown a significant correlation between sustainable housing and overall health.
The Health Centre launched its blog initiative to provide a platform for staff, students, and community members to identify specific challenges, issues, or gaps within the health system that require an innovative solution. Since the initiative began in September 2016, the Centre has published over 20 thought pieces, with a wide array of thought-provoking topics in Canada’s health care system.
