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Votes and donations can help advance health care innovation in B.C. and beyond

Hosted by and in support of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, the 2021 BMO Capital Markets Innovators’ Challenge on May 6 aims to unite the local community of innovators and investors in an effort to transform patient care
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Accelerating health care innovation. (Photo: iStock)

Solutions to health care’s greatest challenges won’t come from one idea or one person. They will come from a community of innovators and investors, using their time, talent, and financial support to create system-wide change.

In a collective effort to connect the power of innovation with the power of philanthropy, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation invites people in B.C. to attend the 2021 BMO Capital Markets Innovators' Challenge — virtually — on the evening of May 6.

Emceed by 980 CKNW's Simi Sara with a keynote by Dr. Carl Hansen, CEO of AbCellera, this fun and competitive evening will bring out Vancouver Coastal Health’s all-star physicians and scientists to engage in a spirited battle for funding to advance innovative ideas designed to transform health care.

Dr. Najib Ayas, Dr. Ryan Flannigan, and Dr. Martha J Ignaszewski will present their groundbreaking research projects that examine sleep apnea, soft robotics, and point-of-care opioid detection to the Accelerator panel of industry experts. Each idea has the potential to have a tremendous impact on the lives of patients — not just in B.C., but around the world.

VGH2Transforming patient care. (Photo: VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation)

The virtual event will give these researchers a chance to compete for the public’s votes and philanthropic funding from guests that include Vancouver’s brightest entrepreneurs, investor stakeholders, and corporate leaders.

By shifting this event online, more people than ever before will be able to cast their vote — thus having a direct impact on the acceleration of these health technologies, treatments, and other innovations to address health care’s biggest challenges.

Donor funding is vital to accelerating early-stage research. Promising early results can lead to additional grant funding, helping to expand their work, and ultimately impact more patients.

In previous years, this event provided key funding for new surgical techniques, improved wound healing, a wearable device to improve balance for Parkinson’s patients, and the development of an Emergency Department phone app.

In addition to this year’s live virtual event, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 Raffle will raise vital funding for life-changing research and innovation that will improve patient care in B.C. and save more lives.

From now until May 14, you can buy your tickets for the 50/50 Raffle at vghfoundation.rafflenexus.com before the winner is drawn on May 20.

Register for the Innovators’ Challenge by May 3 at vghfoundation.ca/innovatorschallenge and vote for your research project of choice.