Healthcare Research Allocation – by Team CReATive

About us

This project aims to reduce the Heart Function clinic patients’ average in-clinic wait times by at least 10% from baseline by April 30th, 2023.

LMPRC 2023 - Kimberly Crasta speaking with Dr. Michael Ohh

Objectives

This project plans to:

  1. Determine the most significant contributor(s) to redundancies, unnecessary work, or not efficiently utilizing the time of individuals working in a healthcare setting.
  2. Identify one area for change that could increase the efficiency measured by work completed per time unit and/or decrease the cost of resources used while maintaining a high quality of care for patients within the cardiology clinic. 
  3. Develop a prototype of an intervention that will be testable and implementable in a cardiology clinical setting that aims to remove or reduce the contributors to the identified area to increase healthcare efficiencies.

Capstone defense video

Watch the capstone defense video

Team members

Mohamed Abdalla

Mohamed Abdalla

Dr. Mohamed Abdalla graduated from medical school in 1996, and specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

See Mohamed's full profile
Kim Crasta

Kimberly Crasta

Passion for community development, an inclusive health care system and my personal health journey fuels Kimberly's educational choices. Kim graduated with an Honours Bachelor in Life Sciences Co-op, double minoring in Chemical Biology & Psychology. Over the last nine years, Kim has worked for Autism Canada, THP’s surgical orthopedic clinic, Environment & Climate Change Canada, STEMCELL Technologies and continue to volunteer for three community-based heath education platforms.

See Kim's full profile
Ellis Gao

Zihan (Ellis) Gao

Ellis completed an Honours Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto with a double major in Physiology and Health & Disease and a minor in Psychology. While entering undergraduate studies driven by the desire to become a surgeon, the opportunities to participate in multiple research and capstone projects have facilitated her interest in research in addition to the medical practices of a surgeon.

See Ellis' full profile
Sai-Amrit Maharaj

Sai-Amrit Maharaj

From a young age, Sai-Amrit has been passionate about the field of healthcare and medicine. During his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences, he founded an online platform that connects leading healthcare professionals to students looking to pursue a career in healthcare. Currently, he is working in Dr. Rulan Parekh’s lab at the Hospital for Sick Children as a Clinical Research Student.

See Sai-Amrit's full profile

Project Advisory Committee

Dr. James Brophy

Dr. James Brophy

Clinical Cardiologist

Dr. James Brophy holds a joint appointment in the Departments of EBOH and Medicine where he works as a clinical cardiologist. Research interests are eclectic and include cardiovascular epidemiology, Bayesian statistics, outcomes research, pharmacoepidemiology, health technology assessment, economic analyses and clinical research which are supported partially through a FRQS chair in health technology assessment and evidence-based medicine.

Dr. Nicole Look Hong

Dr. Nicole Look Hong

Associate Scientist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto

Dr. Nicole Look Hong's clinical practice focuses on breast cancer and melanoma. She is appointed as an assistant professor and will focus her research activities on economic evaluations and the application of qualitative methodology in surgical studies.

Tatiana Lomasko

Dr. Tatiana Lomasko

Capstone Committee, Instructor, PAC member

TRP Supervisors

Director Dr. Joseph Ferenbok

Dr. Joseph Ferenbok

TRP Director

Driven to improve patient care, Prof. Ferenbok catapults projects forward with passion, wisdom, and a contagious chuckle. He is an Associate Director of the Health Innovation Hub, a Faculty of Medicine initiative intended to connect, align, serve, and facilitate the translation, innovation, and commercialization of 'Health Matters'.

See Joseph's full profile

About us

About us

This project aims to reduce the Heart Function clinic patients’ average in-clinic wait times by at least 10% from baseline by April 30th, 2023.

LMPRC 2023 - Kimberly Crasta speaking with Dr. Michael Ohh

Objectives

This project plans to:

  1. Determine the most significant contributor(s) to redundancies, unnecessary work, or not efficiently utilizing the time of individuals working in a healthcare setting.
  2. Identify one area for change that could increase the efficiency measured by work completed per time unit and/or decrease the cost of resources used while maintaining a high quality of care for patients within the cardiology clinic. 
  3. Develop a prototype of an intervention that will be testable and implementable in a cardiology clinical setting that aims to remove or reduce the contributors to the identified area to increase healthcare efficiencies.

Capstone defense video

Watch the capstone defense video

Team members

Mohamed Abdalla

Mohamed Abdalla

Dr. Mohamed Abdalla graduated from medical school in 1996, and specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

See Mohamed's full profile
Kim Crasta

Kimberly Crasta

Passion for community development, an inclusive health care system and my personal health journey fuels Kimberly's educational choices. Kim graduated with an Honours Bachelor in Life Sciences Co-op, double minoring in Chemical Biology & Psychology. Over the last nine years, Kim has worked for Autism Canada, THP’s surgical orthopedic clinic, Environment & Climate Change Canada, STEMCELL Technologies and continue to volunteer for three community-based heath education platforms.

See Kim's full profile
Ellis Gao

Zihan (Ellis) Gao

Ellis completed an Honours Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto with a double major in Physiology and Health & Disease and a minor in Psychology. While entering undergraduate studies driven by the desire to become a surgeon, the opportunities to participate in multiple research and capstone projects have facilitated her interest in research in addition to the medical practices of a surgeon.

See Ellis' full profile
Sai-Amrit Maharaj

Sai-Amrit Maharaj

From a young age, Sai-Amrit has been passionate about the field of healthcare and medicine. During his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences, he founded an online platform that connects leading healthcare professionals to students looking to pursue a career in healthcare. Currently, he is working in Dr. Rulan Parekh’s lab at the Hospital for Sick Children as a Clinical Research Student.

See Sai-Amrit's full profile

Project Advisory Committee

Dr. James Brophy

Dr. James Brophy

Clinical Cardiologist

Dr. James Brophy holds a joint appointment in the Departments of EBOH and Medicine where he works as a clinical cardiologist. Research interests are eclectic and include cardiovascular epidemiology, Bayesian statistics, outcomes research, pharmacoepidemiology, health technology assessment, economic analyses and clinical research which are supported partially through a FRQS chair in health technology assessment and evidence-based medicine.

Dr. Nicole Look Hong

Dr. Nicole Look Hong

Associate Scientist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto

Dr. Nicole Look Hong's clinical practice focuses on breast cancer and melanoma. She is appointed as an assistant professor and will focus her research activities on economic evaluations and the application of qualitative methodology in surgical studies.

Tatiana Lomasko

Dr. Tatiana Lomasko

Capstone Committee, Instructor, PAC member

TRP Supervisors

Director Dr. Joseph Ferenbok

Dr. Joseph Ferenbok

TRP Director

Driven to improve patient care, Prof. Ferenbok catapults projects forward with passion, wisdom, and a contagious chuckle. He is an Associate Director of the Health Innovation Hub, a Faculty of Medicine initiative intended to connect, align, serve, and facilitate the translation, innovation, and commercialization of 'Health Matters'.

See Joseph's full profile

Background

Our project emerged from a shared concern for the health and safety of wildland firefighters facing increasingly challenging conditions. Recognizing the critical role respiratory protective equipment plays in their well-being, we assembled a diverse team of engineers, researchers, and experienced wildland firefighters. Through collaborative efforts and a human-centered design approach, we aim to improve and innovate existing equipment to better align the demands of wildland firefighting. By combining technical expertise with on-the-ground insights, we aspire to contribute meaningful advancements to the field, ultimately enhancing the protection and resilience of those who safeguard our wildlands during fire seasons. Through iterative collaboration and a deep understanding of on-the-ground realities, our project aspires to make meaningful advancements in the field, ultimately contributing to the heightened protection and resilience of those who tirelessly safeguard our wildlands.

Team members

Sumegha Jain

Sumegha Jain

See full profile
Janna Mohamed

Janna Mohamed

Janna is passionate about people and the planet. She believes that by collaborating across disciplines, we can problem-solve and innovate to tackle complex health challenges and translate evidence into action

See full profile
Arani Ravichandra

Arani Ravichandran

See full profile
Scientist
Stella Rho
Stella Rho

TRP Supervisors

Director Dr. Joseph Ferenbok

Joseph Ferenbok

TRP Director

Driven to improve patient care, Prof. Ferenbok catapults projects forward with passion, wisdom, and a contagious chuckle. He is an Associate Director of the Health Innovation Hub, a Faculty of Medicine initiative intended to connect, align, serve, and facilitate the translation, innovation, and commercialization of 'Health Matters'.

See full profile
Edyta Marcon, Advisor, Capstone Committee, Instructor, Supervisor, TRP Team

Edyta Marcon

Concept Translator Senior Research Associate, Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto

Edyta loves to encounter new questions, apply new knowledge, and meet new people. As a Senior Research Associate at the U of T Donnelly Centre, she currently studies how RNA modifications regulate gene expression and how they relate to human health and disease. Her interests extend beyond the laboratory into the application of scientific research using human centric design thinking.