Linda Jorgoni, Program Director of Emergency Services at Humber River Health
The growing pressures and increasing demand on health care systems have exposed systemic inefficiencies, underscoring the urgent need to break from the status quo and embrace new ways to deliver care. As health care needs continue to outpace available resources, and patients face longer wait times and reduced access to timely care, the integration of technologies – particularly artificial intelligence (AI) – presents transformative opportunities to improve health care delivery.
Humber River Health (Humber) has been at the forefront of implementing digital health solutions with the aim of reimagining and redefining how care is provided. Since the opening of its Wilson site in 2015, Humber has operated as a fully digital hospital that is addressing challenges faced across the health care system head-on; one of which is the persistent barriers to timely and efficient emergency care.
Despite operating Ontario's busiest emergency department (ED), Humber consistently achieves some of the shortest wait times and highest patient outcomes in the province. According to Ontario Health, the average wait time for emergency patients requiring admission at Humber over the past year was just over 10 hours – seven hours faster than the provincial average.
A key driver behind these reduced wait times is Humber's deep integration of technological innovations.
Humber was founded on the principle of being lean, green, and digital, with a strong commitment to innovation. From the very beginning, Humber's identity has been rooted in leveraging digital solutions to drive efficiencies that protect and enhance the quality of care. The organization's ability to work with advanced technology has allowed for the continued development of innovations like the Command Centre, which is instrumental in managing a demanding ED while optimizing both patient flow and outcomes.
Real-time data and analytics support patient-centred decision-making
Humber's state-of-the-art Command Centre, the first of its kind in Canada, functions as a NASA-style “mission control" for the hospital. It seamlessly connects departments across the network, equipping staff with critical, data-driven insights that empower them to deliver care more effectively. By utilizing rudimentary machine learning—an AI approach where computers analyze large amounts of data to improve their performance—the Command Centre monitors patient, operational, and clinical data in real time.
“Providing patients with high-quality care is Humber's number one priority, which requires us to be both efficient and effective," says Dr. Peter Voros, Vice-President of Clinical Programs at Humber River Health. “The Command Centre is essential for managing our emergency department, allowing us to make informed decisions that enhance overall efficiency while addressing the long wait times and capacity challenges that many hospitals face."
At the core of the Command Centre is the Wall of Analytics, lined with large monitors that display tiles powered by AI. These tiles combine real-time data, early warning systems, machine learning, and predictive analysis, monitoring everything from patient status to length of stay and turnover rates. This dynamic setup optimizes hospital flow and alerts staff to potential patient risks, ensuring safer outcomes and more effective decision-making.
This sophisticated tracking and data capture directly supports Humber's ED operations. The Inbound Tile provides a live feed of the ED, keeping tabs on capacity, wait times, and patients awaiting transfer to the appropriate level of care. If predetermined wait time thresholds are exceeded, the tile alerts frontline staff, ensuring all patients are seen and moved through the hospital promptly. For instance, if a long-term care patient risks losing their bed due to an extended stay, an orange warning on the Command Centre's screen prompts nursing staff to prioritize their discharge whenever safe to do so.
Leveraging technology and AI to reduce wait times and improve patient flow
Humber is constantly seeking innovative ways to apply new technologies like AI throughout the hospital. Recent upgrades to the Enabling Support Services Tile leverage AI to optimize patient flow by predicting when and where housekeepers and porters will be needed. This proactive approach is crucial; if empty rooms aren't cleaned promptly or if patients experience delays in transport for procedures, significant bottlenecks can arise within the hospital.
Recently, Humber became one of only nine organizations to receive funding from SCALE AI as part of the accelerator's AI for Healthcare Initiative. This funding will support the introduction of an AI-Enabled Virtual Queue Management Application for the ED, currently being tested in collaboration with Deloitte and the MEDITECH Collaborative. Once completed, this application will harness AI and machine learning to forecast and adjust predicted wait times based on factors like patient volume, staffing changes or an anticipated influx of ambulances.
“Not only is Humber's population large, but it is diverse, as Humber is in the heart of one of the province's most economically and ethnically diverse communities," says Linda Jorgoni, Program Director of Emergency Services at Humber River Health. “This high volume can impact both resources and patient satisfaction, which is why Humber is building a digital health platform that will ultimately reduce the time patients spend waiting in the ED."
By early 2025, patients will also be able to make bookings remotely via their smartphones. This dual approach will enhance accessibility and streamline care, optimizing both hospital flow and patient convenience.
Humber's commitment to doing health care differently is proof that enhancing patient care and operational efficiency are not mutually exclusive. By adapting and implementing technology in ways that support and empower patients, staff, and physicians, Humber is tackling the challenges faced by most hospitals—like long wait times, capacity issues, and inefficient patient flow—positioning itself to meet growing demand while delivering the efficient, high-reliability care patients deserve.