HIROC Conference 2025: Safety Grants Supporting Innovation

Gillian Brandon-Hart
Two photos from the HIROC Conference above the title of the article. The photo on the left shows Cathy McCumber speaking on stage holding the patient passport created with their Safety Grant. The photo on right shows Marley Budreau smiling while speaking on stage.

This is part two of our exclusive peek into the HIROC Conference. Missed part one? Check it out!

In this article you’ll learn how two HIROC Subscribers supported innovation at their organizations through HIROC’s Safety Grants Program.

Improving Access to Gender Affirming Healthcare

Marley Budreau, Clinical Director at Community Health Centres of Northumberland, shared how they used their HIROC Safety Grant to improve access to equitable care for those who are trans or gender diverse. This is especially important as wait times for gender affirming healthcare programs in Ontario and rates of depression and suicide for this population are both increasing.

A critical part of this project was co-designing the Gender Care Clinic with those they are serving. 

“One thing that we did well is going out into the community and connecting with individuals who are trans and gender diverse to understand their needs within the local context and what services we could offer,” Budreau said.

The team also partnered with several other health and community organizations and created Gender Care Champions, care teams consisting of healthcare workers including physicians, mental health nurses, and social workers.

The project has been met with a great response. In November, Community Health Centres of Northumberland opened the county’s first Gender Care Clinic, and already received 17 referrals towards their first-year goal of 20. The clinic provides knowledge, education, and support to primary care providers in the county. It also offers a safe space for trans and gender diverse people through the Gender Journeys Peer Support Group and Trans Health Peer Supporter one-on-one sessions.

Next, the team plans to establish regular Gender Care Clinic days, get education on surgical planning, and expand their peer support groups.

Session speakers standing on the conference stage and smiling at the camera.
(L-R) HIROC's Trevor Hall, who presented the session, with speakers Cathy McCumber and Marley Budreau.


Enhancing Safety for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Patients

At the HIROC Conference we also heard from Cathy McCumber, Manager Nursing Professional Practice at Queensway Carleton Hospital, who spoke about using their HIROC Safety Grant to better support inpatient and outpatient clients at their Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Clinic.

GDM, glucose intolerance that begins during pregnancy in non-diabetic patients, is associated with pregnancy complications. Effective treatment and management are key. Education is critical so patients can manage their GDM in the community with diet and, if required, insulin or oral medication. However, as McCumber noted, education can be a challenge as the clinic needs to give patients “a vast amount of information in a very short amount of time because they have to be able to self-manage this at home.”

In 2022, Queensway Carleton Hospital’s GDM Clinic saw a major shift back to in-person visits post-pandemic and higher patient volumes.

The team knew they had to put the patient at the centre of their care planning. With the HIROC Safety Grant funding they hired a master’s student to conduct patient focus groups and surveys. They also reviewed the way the clinic was used and mapped their services and gaps.

Finally, the team created a patient passport with patient and staff design feedback. The patient passport was built with the help of a registered nurse and registered dietician who were hired with Safety Grant funding as well. Launched in March 2025, the patient passport is a booklet given to all patients to bring to their GDM Clinic appointments. It contains contact information for the GDM Clinic and sections for patients to fill out, including what’s important to them and a diabetic log.

“With our HIROC funding, we were able to hire a dedicated registered nurse and registered dietician to really build all of the different elements of our passport. I can honestly say, without HIROC’s support, we would still be building this today,” McCumber added.

The team now plans to improve their translation services, create a cultural diet options handout, and track the use of the patient passport.

Thank you to our speakers for sharing some of the many ways HIROC’s Safety Grants Program is inspiring and elevating safety at their organizations. And if you haven’t heard the news, HIROC’s grant program is growing with the addition of a new two-year Collaborate Safety Grant. Applications are open until late June.

If you missed part one of our HIROC Conference recap series, don’t forget to check it out too.

And stay tuned for the third and final article!
 

By Gillian Brandon-Hart, Communications and Marketing Specialist, HIROC