Photo caption: (from left to right) Dr. Roumen Milev, Providence Care Vice President Medical and Academic Affairs, Cathy Szabo, Providence Care President and CEO, Dr. Nazanin Alavi, Psychiatrist and Director of the Centre for Digital Health Research at Providence Care, Allison Phillpot, Providence Care Vice President System Innovation, Chetan Phadke, Providence Care Director, Research and Innovation, Mohsen Omrani, Professor of Psychiatry, Queen's University and CEO of OPTT Online Psychotherapy Tool.
Designed to accelerate innovation in care delivery, the new Centre for Digital Health Research serves as a catalyst for transforming how health care is accessed and experienced across southeastern Ontario. Providence Care officially celebrated its grand opening on August 20, 2025 at Providence Care Hospital, marking the launch of the region’s first dedicated hub for innovation at the intersection of health care and digital technology.
The event brought together health care leaders, researchers, academic partners, and community members to mark this milestone in advancing digital health solutions.
Led by inaugural Director and Senior Associate Researcher at Providence Care, Dr. Nazanin Alavi, the Centre drives collaboration across disciplines to design, test, and implement evidence-based digital tools aimed at improving access to care, enhancing patient outcomes, and transforming the way health systems deliver services.
“Digital health has the power to fundamentally change the way we deliver care,” says Dr. Alavi. “By bringing together experts from across the province, we can make care more scalable, accessible, and tailored to the needs of patients, while giving clinicians more time to connect meaningfully with those they serve.”
Dr. Alavi is a staff psychiatrist and associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Queen's University and currently the Co-Program Medical Director of Mental Health and Addiction Care at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) and Chair of the Division of Adult Psychiatry (Acute). She is a nationally recognized leader in digital mental health innovation and has led over 15 clinical trials validating online psychotherapy modules for conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her work also explores artificial intelligence for patient triage, clinical decision-making, and tools to support better patient-doctor relationships, some of which have already been implemented at KHSC.
The Centre’s scope will extend beyond Dr. Alavi’s specialty of mental health and will also include partnering with specialists in cardiology, rehabilitation, chronic disease management, and primary care to explore how digital health can support all areas of medicine.
“Providence Care is committed to innovation that improves care for our patients, clients, and residents,” says Allison Philpot, Vice President, System Innovation & Executive Director, Medical Affairs and Research at Providence Care. “The Centre for Digital Health Research reflects our vision of a health care system where technology and compassion work hand in hand.”
The Centre is engaging with regional and provincial partners with early projects focusing on AI-powered triaging tools, online psychotherapy, and collaborations with Queen’s Smith School of Business.