2008 Small, Rural and Northern Award of Excellence

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is pleased to present the Small, Rural and Northern Award of Excellence. This prestigious award recognizes innovation and excellence in the delivery of patient care within a small, rural and/or northern hospital and is open to individuals or teams who are employees, medical staff, volunteers or trustees.

The committee was looking for an individual or team that demonstrated innovation in one of the following categories:

  • System Integration;
  • Patient Care Leadership;
  • Technological Innovation;
  • Clinical Efficiencies; or
  • Knowledge Management and Best Practices.

This year, the SRN Award of Excellence is presented to the North Network and Ontario Telemedicine Network, or OTN.

Dr. Brown and Dr. Williams are medical and technological pioneers in Ontario.

Through their persistence, dedication and leadership, North Network was launched in 1998 as a provincially funded telemedicine network to provide for patient consultations and hospital-educational videoconferencing.

The North Network program has provided patient consultations and continuing professional education opportunities to northern and rural communities in Ontario via two-way television, electronic medical devices and other advanced technologies.

By 2004, more than 15,000 patient consultations at over 110 partner sites in Northern Ontario had been completed.

Its structure also supported existing health care providers and multidisciplinary health care teams while also providing a framework for regional leadership.        

The NORTH Network program emphasized the integration of telemedicine into everyday practice by making the technology easy to use, sharing telemedicine and telemedicine technology expertise to all of its partners, and increasing awareness among health providers and the public of the benefits of telemedicine.

In 2006, the North Network merged with CareConnect in Eastern Ontario, and VideoCare in Southwestern Ontario,to form OTN.

Today, more than 2,000 health care professionals deliver care using OTN.

OTN’s programs and services are delivered in over 500 sites across the province. In 2007, over 32,000 clinical consultations in Ontario were conducted using telemedicine.

OTN has made Ontario the most sophisticated, extensive telemedicine environment in Canada and a world leader, which is a tremendous accomplishment.



Congratulations to Dr. Ed Brown and Dr. Rob Williams from North Network and Ontario Telemedicine Network, or OTNwho were selected as the 2008 Small, Rural and Northern Health Care award winners. Presenting the award to Dr. Brown and Dr. Williams is Wally Wiwchar, OHA Board Chair (left to right).