Brightshores Health System is announcing it will lead the regional implementation of an AI digital wound assessment tool, after securing additional co-funding from DIGITAL.
Supported by a Nurse Practitioner clinical lead from Grey County Long Term Care, and with project management and evaluation from the Brightshores Office of Research and Innovation (ORI), this technology will be implemented at the Hanover District Hospital, South Bruce Grey Health Centre and CarePartners.
After successfully rolling out the Skin and Wound tool from Swift Medical across Brightshores’ six hospital sites over the past two years, the ORI is scaling up use across Grey and Bruce counties.
This work exemplifies collaboration — between three local acute care hospitals, home and community health care and long-term care — to tackle wound care challenges across the region.
The Swift platform incorporates AI to determine wound surface area, depth and tissue type; and is instrumental in aiding clinicians ability to predict individual healing trajectories to standardize wound assessments.
Data collected by Brightshores shows the tool can encourage patients to follow treatment plans and that the ability to track wound healing has been received positively.
As patients transition between hospital and home and community health care, having wound history available to providers can enhance the continuity of care.
This collaborative project recently received additional dollars in co-funding from DIGITAL. As part of the regional rollout, partners will develop a community of practice that invites other stakeholders to help improve integration of wound care work throughout the region. The project will continue until the end of February 2027.
Quotes
“This technology has been a welcome tool, providing our front-line staff with extremely accurate wound care assessments. This tool also improves patient education by acting as a visual resource and reducing the burden on our limited nurse wound specialists.”
Ann Ford, President and CEO, Brightshores Health System
“With the Scale Up project we will be helping other partners in Grey Bruce onboard the technology quickly and together work towards building a regional wound care approach. It will be focused on standardized assessments, improved documentation and enhanced communication between organizations as patients transition between acute and home care.”
Rebecca Brookham, Director, Office of Research and Innovation, Brightshores Health System
“DIGITAL’s additional investment will help scale a proven Canadian innovation so more patients and providers can benefit from AI-enabled wound care. The team has demonstrated how this technology can support more consistent assessments, better documentation, and stronger continuity of care. We’re proud to support partners working together to adopt made-in-Canada solutions that address real health-system challenges and improve health outcomes.”
Nadia Shaikh-Naeem, Vice President, Programs, DIGITAL
“Grey County is pleased to be a contributing partner in this initiative. Our involvement reflects a shared commitment to innovation and the use of advanced technology to improve health care outcomes across the region.”
Jennifer Cornell, Director of Long-Term Care and Senior Services, Grey County
“Implementation of this technology will foster more descriptive communication between our staff and patients, allowing patients to view their wound status and changes over time.”
Saskia MacMillan, VP and Chief Nursing Executive, Hanover District Hospital
“Access to specialty wound resources can be very limited throughout the region. We are looking forward to implementing a tool that will enhance the ability of our staff to assess wounds in a timely and standardized manner.”
Cara Singh, VP, Chief Nursing Executive, South Bruce Grey Health Centre
“Grey Bruce CarePartners will be implementing this technology in community clinics and within home visits. The ability to receive a history of wound images and assessments over time as a patient moves from hospital to home care will enhance our nurses’ ability to have a fulsome understanding of the patient history and know what next steps are most appropriate.”
Deb Forbeck, Executive Director – Care Excellence, CarePartners
Media Contact: Ian Gibb, Communications Specialist | igibb@brightshores.ca | 519-376-2121 ext. 1220
About Brightshores Health System
Brightshores operates six hospitals in one of the largest geographic regions in Ontario. Our dedicated team of 2,100+ staff, 250+ physicians and 500+ volunteers serve a rural region that is home to 175,000 residents, thousands of seasonal residents and sees more than two million annual short-stay visitors. We offer a full range of services across Grey and Bruce counties, including 24/7 emergency care at each hospital site. As a regional system, we provide specialized care for cancer, stroke, mental health and addictions, and more, ensuring patients receive the expert treatment they need close to home.