Successful Northern Ireland Connected Health Ecosystem Gathering Sep 19

The latest Northern Ireland Connected Health Ecosystem Gathering took place in the magnificent setting of the City Hall, Belfast on Tuesday 3^rd September 2019, the theme of which was ‘Supporting front line professionals and patients’.

Jointly hosted by Belfast City Council and the Business Services Organisation, Health and Social Care Board, NI, the audience was welcomed by Councillor John Finucane, Lord Mayor of Belfast, BSO Chief Executive, Liam McIvor and the ECHAlliance Ecosystems and Membership Director, Andy Bleaden. Attendees were updated by Linda McRandle on how the Department of Health are considering both professionals and patients views and Invest NI’s Director of Trade, Alan Wilson, provided an international business perspective to the gathering, noting the organisation’s worldwide presence and ways in which businesses in health and social care can be supported by Invest NI.

Staying with international perspectives, Kym Reading, Health Services Directories, Australia shared statistics on challenges in the area and initiatives underway to improve healthcare whilst supporting front line professionals and patients.

A healthy buzz of networking took place during the coffee break. Following the break, participants were alerted to the wide range of functions under the BSO umbrella including Nicola Moran, Clinical Physiotherapy Specialist in Stroke highlighting the impact of the MAGIC project on stroke rehabilitation; Jonathon Semple, Head of Logistics noting the impact of Electronic Materials management and Liam Mulholland, Head of Payroll Service, reflecting on the Customer Centric Service Transformation programme in relation to payroll requirements.

To demonstrate real time cases of collaboration two case studies were next presented. The first case study was jointly presented by Soo Hun, Public Health Agency, and Lisa Simmons, ORCHA, who talked through how their organisations are working together on the Dementia eHealth and Data Analytics Pathfinder Programme. The second example was shared by Dr Leigh Griffin, IBM Watson Health, on population health management and the transformation of health service delivery.

The highlight of the gathering was a presentation delivered by David McDonald, Chair of the Omnibus Partnership, who talked about the specific day to day realities of a powered wheelchair user. Refreshingly, David also put forward potential solutions to these realities and reinforced the Ecosystem principles to lead with a need and its focus to have patients and citizens at the heart of ecosystem thinking.  

Before Liam McIvor closed the gathering, Andy Bleaden took the audience through the updates on ECHAlliance projects,  extending international network of ecosystems, noting the growth in the current year and the potential ecosystems to be opening in the coming months and the range of membership options available as well as reasons to join.

You can view the agenda and speakers presentations below.

09:00 Registration, networking coffee, exhibitions

09:30 Welcome & Introductions
• Councillor John Finucane, Lord Mayor of Belfast
• Liam McIvor, Chief Executive, Business Services Organisation, Health and Social Care NI
• Andy Bleaden, Director Ecosystem Development, European Connected Health Alliance

10:00 The Department of Health considering Profession and Patient Views
• Linda McRandle, Senior Change Manager, eHealth & External Collaboration, Health and Social Care Board – Presentation

10:15 Invest NI sharing an international perspective on digital health
• Alan Wilson, Director of Trade, Invest Northern Ireland – Presentation

10:30 Supporting front line professionals and patients – Initiatives from Australia
• Kym Reading, Chief Operating Officer, Health Services Directories, Australia – Presentation

11:00 Networking coffee and exhibitions

11:30 Using Innovation to enhance services for patients, health professionals and administrators
• SBRI International Innovation NI – Project MAGIC – Nicola Moran, Senior Nurse, Health and Social Care NI – Presentation
• Letting Nurses Nurse – through the Toyota Production System – Jonathan Semple, Head of Logistics Health Supplies, Business Services Organisation – Presentation
• Customer Centric Service Transformation – Liam Mulholland, Head of Payroll, Business Services Organisation – Presentation

12.00 Working Collaboratively for Better Patient Outcomes – Case Studies
• Dementia eHealth and Data Analytics Pathfinder Programme – App Library
o Lisa Simmons, Clinical Implementation Lead, ORCHA – Presentation
o Soo Hun, Programme Manager, CCHSC, Public Health Agency – Presentation
• Population Health Management & The Transformation of Health Service Delivery
o Dr Leigh Griffin, Senior Healthcare Consultant, IBM Watson Health – Presentation

12:30 The Omnibus Partnership: Revealing Realities; Suggesting Solutions
• David McDonald, Chairperson, Omnibus Partnership

12:45 ECHAlliance International Ecosystem and Projects Update
• Andy Bleaden, Director Ecosystem Development, European Connected Health Alliance – Presentation

12.55 Ecosystem closing
• Liam McIvor, Chief Executive, Business Services Organisation, Health and Social Care NI

13:00 Networking lunch and exhibitions