Mohawk Medbuy's Recent Forum Addresses Health Care Opportunities for SMEs
In October, Mohawk Medbuy invited a group of Small Medium Enterprise (SME) representatives from leading health care organizations to a forum at our Burlington office. The purpose was to discuss the challenges they face in accessing and participating in health care initiatives and bringing their innovations to the sector.
SMEs – companies with fewer than 500 employees – make up more than 99 percent of Canada’s workforce and apart from agriculture, account for over 50 percent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Canadian SMEs are significant drivers of the economy, and of innovation, representing growth that will contribute to the prosperity of our nation in the future.
Mohawk Medbuy welcomed Gary Ryan, Executive Director of the Coordinated Accessible National Health Network (CAN Health Network) to present their national funding opportunities for innovation. CAN Health Network is a new partnership of leading Canadian medical and technology institutions with a common objective: to identify challenges in health care organizations and determine how technology may act as a solution. The Network will enable MedTech Companies to work with health care providers in developing innovative solutions that address common Canadian health care challenges.
Mohawk Medbuy is proud to partner with CAN Health Network in a ‘Canada First’ approach to introducing technology into our health care system. Mohawk Medbuy will provide support in terms of researching possible partnerships and help with the procurement process.
“We have to make sure our Members are using the right procurement methodology to give Canadian companies a benefit in some way, shape, or form,” said Ryan. “We need to make sure that any one procurement applies to all Members which means we’ve got to create some form of a buying group, which is exactly what Mohawk Medbuy provides.”
During the forum, participants were encouraged to express their views and ask questions regarding Mohawk Medbuy’s commitment to supporting health care initiatives and innovations involving SMEs.
“As we introduce new technologies and innovative products, it is challenging to introduce into a marketplace that is very process oriented in approving new products,” said Tom Dorman, Director of Sales at Wright Medical. “This type of approach, in trying to facilitate innovative technologies is very helpful.”
Ontario Government officials from Health Services – Health Transformation, Health Services – Supply Chain Modernization, and officials from the Ministry of Economic Development were also among the attendees.
To learn more about the SME Forum, watch the video here