ANNOUNCEMENTS
2022 IFHE CONGRESS OFFERS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT, LEARN
THE CANADIAN HEALTHCARE Engineering Society (CHES) and the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering’s (IFHE) executive committee invite you all to plan a trip to Toronto, to attend IFHE’s 27th Congress. For five days, from Sept. 17-21, you will have the opportunity to share knowledge, learn and network with colleagues from around the world. The Congress will take place in the city’s downtown core at harbourfront hotel Westin Harbour Castle, which overlooks Lake Ontario. Nearby is the location of the opening reception, the Hockey Hall of Fame — home of the Stanley Cup and the finest collection of hockey artifacts in the world. The theme of the congress is Unleashing Innovation: Healthcare Engineering Excellence. There will be two keynote speakers: Hayley Wickenheiser (Day 1) and David Williams (Day 2). Now a physician and senior director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Wickenheiser is a former women’s national ice hockey player who represented Canada at the Winter Olympics five times, capturing four gold medals and one silver medal. David Williams is a former NASA astronaut and physician. Most recently, he served as Ontario’s chief medical officer of health from 20152021, navigating the province through much of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to this stellar keynote lineup, three tracks of educational presentations are planned with speakers from around the globe. On the social side, there will be a gala banquet on the evening of Sept. 19 at one of Toronto’s few heritage complexes, the Liberty Grand. Located just minutes from Westin Harbour Castle along 14 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
the city’s waterfront, the historic building exudes traditional early 1900s elegance. In addition to this, the companion program includes two tours — one in nearby Niagara Falls and surrounding wine country, and the other of downtown Toronto. An optional golf game is also planned for the morning of Sept. 18, for those that are interested. On the last day of the congress, technical tours will be offered of three healthcare facilities: University of Toronto-affiliated Hospital for Sick Children, Canada’s most research-intensive hospital and the second largest paediatric research hospital in the world; Humber River Hospital, North America’s first all-digital hospital known worldwide for its high-tech building systems and achieving unprecedented energy efficiency targets; and Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, a complex care and rehabilitation hospital formerly known as Bridgepoint Active Healthcare. One of the most anticipated moments of the congress is the awards ceremony. In addition to our regular annual CHES awards presentation, awards will be given in two newly IFHEcreated categories: the Global Healthcare Energy awards, which honour healthcare facilities for reducing their energy use, and the International Building award. Details about these inaugural awards are available on the CHES website, along with information on how to apply. For more information on the 2022 IFHE Congress, visit www.ifhe2022.org, www.ches.org or www.ifhe.info. Any questions can be directed to steve.rees@ahs.ca. —Steve Rees, first vice-president, IFHE
