Fergus McKee
MEDIC at IDEAWORKS,
Mohawk College
Ian Furst
CEO & Surgeon,
Swisscross
Mohawk College’s applied research arm, IDEAWORKS, turns innovation into impact — as seen with its partnership with Swisscross.
Big challenges require collaboration and community. When the Swisscross Foundation sought a way to streamline patient care in war-affected regions, it needed more than just technology — it needed a trusted research partner who could act as an extension of its team, working together to develop a comprehensive solution.
That’s why Swisscross turned to Mohawk College’s IDEAWORKS and its mHealth & eHealth Development and Innovation Centre (MEDIC).
Turning ideas into reality
“IDEAWORKS is the applied research arm of Mohawk College,” says Fergus McKee, Manager of Digital Health Projects at MEDIC. “We’re one of the best applied research colleges in Canada. We partner with businesses — from local companies here in Hamilton, Ont., to organizations across Canada and internationally — to take an idea from inception and turn it into reality.”
We partner with businesses — from local companies here in Hamilton, Ont., to organizations across Canada and internationally — to take an idea from inception and turn it into reality.
IDEAWORKS serves as an active hub of applied research and innovation and offers tailored support to industry and community partners. IDEAWORKS provides its partners with access to faculty expertise, an inspired student workforce, exceptional facilities, and top-notch technology. This includes the mHealth and eHealth Development and Innovation Centre (MEDIC); the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC); the Energy and Power Innovation Centre (EPIC); the Centre for Climate Change Management (CCCM), the Unmanned and Remote Sensing Innovation Centre (URSIC); CERI (Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives); the Industrial Internet of Things Lab (IIoT) and Sustainable Building Technologies. IDEAWORKS is where research transforms into impact.
“We work within the Hamilton ecosystem — partnering with organizations like Innovation Factory, the City of Hamilton, and McMaster University,” says McKee. “Our goal is to create wins for our partners, not just for Mohawk College.”
Our goal is to create wins for our partners, not just for Mohawk College.
An impactful partnership
IDEAWORKS’ MEDIC focuses on advancing digital health through innovative solutions, making it a perfect match for Swisscross’ project.
“Swisscross provides humanitarian reconstructive surgery for people affected by war,” says Ian Furst, a surgeon and CEO at Swisscross. “Our goal is to help rebuild health care systems disrupted by war, and we needed a way to identify and assess patients in need.”
Swisscross approached MEDIC about developing an app to manage the patient journey, from onboarding and triage to surgery and follow-up.
“The stakes are critical — not just for the patient but for the health care teams that rely on this information,” says Furst. “That’s why we needed a partner who understood the larger picture and was very careful with the build.”
“It was exactly the kind of work we like to do — meaningful with positive real-world impact,” says McKee.
The app MEDIC developed allows doctors in refugee camps and public hospitals to securely triage patients more efficiently and to transmit medical assessments, X-rays, and other supporting documents in low-resource settings. “The system uses AI to analyze and structure data, helping surgeons prioritize care,” adds McKee.
“Since launching in October 2021, we’ve received over 3,000 patient requests, and the pace is accelerating,” says Furst. “We’ve worked with developers all around the world, trying to get this done for several years. MEDIC saw the vision and implemented it precisely.”
Mohawk College acts as an extension of its partners’ teams, adapting to their unique needs. Learn how the team at IDEAWORKS can help turn your great ideas into something real and impactful at ideaworks.mohawkcollege.ca.
