Collaborating to Drive Community Impact
Providence Care and SLC Students working towards a stronger community
The Innovation Hub is excited to embark on an impactful design thinking journey in collaboration with the Health Care Administration program and Providence Care. On January 17th, the first client meeting took the form of a panel discussion at the Hub, highlighting the power of partnerships between faculty, students, and community organizations. This was one of the first steps in collaboration between Providence Care and HCA students, who, under the guidance of Professors Ekta Singh and Kellie Daniel, started working on two critical projects addressing real-world challenges faced by Providence Care.
This collaboration exemplifies how education, community service, and innovation can intersect to create meaningful change. The Innovation Hub is proud to support this initiative by equipping students with design thinking tools and workshops, enabling them to approach these projects with creativity and empathy.
Providence Care: A Legacy of Compassion and Care
Providence Care has been a cornerstone of Kingston’s healthcare system for nearly 70 years. Originally founded by nuns as a faith-based organization, it has grown alongside the city, embracing a multi-faith and inclusive approach to care.
Today, Providence Care offers a wide range of services, from mental health care to rehabilitation and support for individuals navigating aging-related challenges. This March, they will open Kingston’s first hospice house, which will feature 10 beds to alleviate strain on existing services and provide essential end-of-life care to the community. Through tireless volunteer efforts, generous donations, and ongoing fundraising, Providence Care continues to make a profound impact in Kingston.
A Design Thinking Approach to Real-World Challenges
The collaboration between Providence Care and the HCA students is supported by the Innovation Hub’s design thinking tools and workshops, which help students approach complex problems with empathy, structure, and creativity.
The event on January 17th focused on introducing two key projects:
Enhancing the Caregiver Program
Caregivers play an essential role in healthcare, often providing support during the most challenging times. Providence Care’s caregiver program aims to empower caregivers by improving their confidence, reducing the risk of prolonged grief disorder, and ensuring access to crucial resources.
During the panel discussion, students explored the challenges facing this program and key questions for ideation:
Should the program be offered virtually, and what workarounds might ensure accessibility?
How can Providence Care help build caregiver confidence and reduce long-term grief impacts?
Supporting the New Hospice House
With Kingston’s first hospice house opening in March, students are also tasked with identifying the training, communication, and scheduling needs crucial to its success. The hospice house will not only provide compassionate end-of-life care but also ease the burden on existing services.
The students approached this challenge with a focus on understanding how Providence Care can effectively prepare its staff and volunteers to deliver care in this new setting.
Tools for Success
Preparation for the January 17th panel began with the Innovation Hub providing the Discussion Guide Template to the HCA students. This tool helped students brainstorm questions, focus their ideas, and steer the conversation effectively during the panel discussion with Providence Care representatives.
Following the panel, the students began using the Innovation Hub’s Persona Creation Template to develop a comprehensive picture of Providence Care. This persona exercise allowed students to explore Providence Care’s goals, challenges, and needs, ensuring a deeper understanding of their community partner.
On January 22nd, the students joined the Innovation Hub for an Empathy Design Thinking Workshop, where we guided them through tools like Barrier Identification and Problem Statement templates. These tools helped students uncover Providence Care’s core needs and frame their projects around actionable, human-centred solutions.
The students will continue to rely on the Innovation Hub’s design thinking framework throughout their work with Providence Care, ensuring their solutions are both creative and impactful.
Thank You to Our Partners
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Providence Care for their decades of service to Kingston and for partnering with SLC students to tackle these important challenges. A special thank you goes to Professors Ekta Singh and Kellie Daniel for their leadership and commitment to providing students with opportunities to make a tangible impact in the community.
Stay Tuned
The journey with Providence Care is far from over. HCA students will continue working closely with the Innovation Hub, applying design thinking principles to create meaningful solutions for the caregiver program and the hospice house. Stay tuned for more updates as this inspiring collaboration unfolds!