The 2018 Global Healthcare Innovation Academy (GHIA) took place in Kowloon, Hong Kong on August 29-30, 2018. Hosted by the School of Nursing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the event saw W21C Innovation Academy team, Montane Medical‘s Videolaryngoscope take top prize at the event. A tool for airway management, this multifunctional device’s modular design, unique attachment point and monitor stabilization gives health care providers the ability to use multiple techniques to secure an airway maximizing their chances of success in this life saving procedure.

The two-day, scientific and business pitch competition had 12 successful teams from the partner site’s local competitions in Alberta (W21C Innovation Academy, University of Calgary), Ontario (St. Mike’s Hospital’s Angel’s Den), Geneva, Switzerland (University Hospitals of Geneva’s Innovation Day), and Hong Kong ( Hong Kong Polytechnic University Innovation Day) competing for over $200,000 HKD in prize money.

2017 W21C Innovation Academy Social Innovation winner, QuickChart EMR, was co-awarded Most Promising Idea at the event, with Switzerland’s xMotion. Quickchart EMR is a smartphone-based electronic medical records app designed for organizations operating medical missions in low-resource international settings, it facilitates safe clinical practice, continuity of care, and robust metrics for medical projects in remote settings.

W21C previously hosted the 2016 GHIA event in Calgary. St. Michael’s Hospital will host the 2020 GHIA competition in Toronto.

If you are a healthcare innovator with a commercial product or a social innovation, be sure to apply to compete at the 2019 W21C Innovation Academy in Calgary to qualify for a place at GHIA 2020 in Toronto.

W21C would like to acknowledge the O’Brien Institute for Public Health and the Department of Medicine for their support of the 2018 GHIA competition.