Chapel Hill, NC | September 16, 2019
Chapel Hill, NC – On the heels of securing a collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, DHIT (Digital Health Institute for Transformation) is pleased to announce the creation of a talent and technology highway between North Carolina and Québec, Canada, with the support of the Government of Québec. The Province of Québec is a key international hub for digital health transformation, from its community-driven approach to healthcare, to its use of artificial intelligence and agile cultural frameworks. A delegation of research organizations and digital health startups from Québec will attend the DHIT Summit in November 2019 for the first time. Additionally, Dr. Fabrice Brunet, President and CEO of University of Montreal Health Centre (CHUM), one of the largest and most progressive health systems in Canada, will participate in the DHIT Summit as keynote speaker.
“In April 2019, I had the opportunity to attend a familiarization tour hosted by the Government of Québec, and was inspired by the leadership and talent in Montréal. This ongoing collaboration will create a talent and technology highway between Québec and North Carolina, which will be transformative to the digital health ecosystem in both our regions,” said Michael Levy, DHIT President.
The Summit will feature a Technology Zone for participants to experience the latest in digital health solutions, as well as a pitch session for Québec and North Carolina start-ups and scale-ups to showcase their innovative solutions to potential partners and investors. The day after the Summit, DHIT will host a matchmaking session for Québec and North Carolina companies to get to know one another. This session will establish opportunities for collaboration that span nations and align talent, assets, and resources to transform the digital health ecosystem.
“We wish to take the already strong economic relationship between Québec and North Carolina to a new level, particularly by taking advantage of the importance of innovation and the dynamism of our businesses in the health sector. Developing applications using artificial intelligence will have a major impact on the health of our populations over the next few years, and international partnerships such as those established with the Digital Health Institute for Transformation are essential to fully realizing the benefits from technological and scientific advances. This participation of Québec start-ups at the DHIT Summit in November will be an exciting first for us in the Southeastern United States,” commented Donald Leblanc, Québec Delegate for the Southeastern United States based in Atlanta.
DHIT’s upcoming Summit, Digital Health 360: Accelerating the Future of Health will convene internationally recognized thought leaders and key stakeholders from around the world to dig deep into how Digital Health can be used to transform health extensively. The Summit will bring together a diverse mix of stakeholders from across the digital health ecosystem, from educators, researchers, payors and providers, to entrepreneurs, technologists, and investors. Members of the DHIT Advisory Board will also be present. Advisory Board members consist of local and international thought leaders from education, research, and healthcare delivery.
“We are so excited to have Dr. Brunet participate in the DHIT Summit as our keynote speaker. I had an opportunity to hear Dr. Brunet speak about his vision last April in Montréal, and was inspired to hear of the urgency and action for a very different operating narrative than our historical models of care and engagement. His understanding of what it will take to adapt and transform with the use of these AI-driven digital health tools was refreshing and mirrors DHIT’s operating philosophy as well,” said Michael Levy, DHIT President.
ABOUT DHIT
The Digital Health Institute for Transformation (DHIT) is a non-profit education and research institute supporting communities through the process of digital health transformation. We collaborate with leading academic institutions, associations, and industry to cultivate talent and ecosystems with our immersive learning platform, harnessing real-world experiences that drive the adoption of next generation skills, capabilities, and mindsets needed to foster the digital health leaders and innovators of the future, today. For more information, visit dhitglobal.org.
ABOUT THE QUÉBEC GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN ATLANTA
The Québec Government Office in Atlanta opened its doors in 1978 to take advantage of the strong growth of the southern United States. In addition to defending and advancing Québec’s interests, the mandate of the Québec Government Office in Atlanta is to develop and promote economic, political and institutional ties with the seven states in the region, that is, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. It also contributes to the activities of the Southeastern United States – Canadian Provinces Alliance (SEUS-CP), of which Québec is a founding member.
ABOUT CHUM
The University of Montréal Health Centre (CHUM) is an innovative hospital that welcomes half a million patients annually. It offers highly specialized care to patients and all Quebecers. Thanks to its unique expertise and innovations, it improves the health of the growing and aging population. The CHUM has a vocation of care, research, teaching, and health promotion, as well as evaluation of technologies and modes of intervention in health.
If you would like more information on this topic, please contact Keith Duprey at 404-452-5214 or by emailing cultivate@dhitglobal.org.