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Canadian-developed technology will support patient navigation and care coordination through a scalable model for Emergency Department innovation in Ontario
Waterloo Region, ON — October 22, 2026 — Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) and Canadian digital health company Akinox are partnering through the CAN Health Network to deploy and evaluate an innovative digital solution designed to improve Emergency Department patient navigation, communication and follow-up coordination. The technology will be piloted within WRHN’s new Specialized Treatment Zone (STZ).
The STZ provides a streamlined follow-up pathway for patients who have been assessed and treated in the Emergency Department and require timely reassessment, testing, treatment, or specialized follow-up care. Located adjacent to the Emergency Department, the STZ offers patients a more predictable and efficient care experience while helping reduce avoidable return visits to the Emergency Department and supporting overall patient flow. Through made-in-Canada technology, Akinox Linx+ ED Dispatch will support eligible patients while remaining connected to their care team through this technology.
“Improving Emergency Department care requires bringing WRHN’s care teams and technology partners together around a clearly defined patient and operational need,” says Danina Kapetanovic, Vice President, Innovation and AI Strategy, WRHN, and Chief Health Innovation Officer, University of Waterloo. “Through CareNext, our partnership with the University of Waterloo, we are building the capacity to translate those needs into practical changes in care. This collaboration with Akinox and CAN Health Network brings care redesign, technology implementation and evaluation together, so we can understand what works for patients and their care teams, and what it would take to scale.”
“Within the STZ, the technology will support WRHN’s team in coordinating follow-up appointments, communicating updates and instructions, and notifying patients when they need to return for care,” says Kapetanovic. “This approach is designed to give patients greater flexibility while helping ED teams manage patient flow, reduce administrative burden and maintain continuity of care.”
Over the coming months, WRHN and Akinox will evaluate the solution’s impact on patient navigation, appointment coordination, communication reliability, clinical workflows and patient experience. The evaluation will also examine operational feasibility, safety and alignment with hospital registration and reporting requirements.
“Emergency Departments (ED) need practical solutions and tools that improve patient flow, support clinical teams and make care easier for patients,” says Mark Casselman, Chief Growth Officer at Akinox. “Through our partnership with WRHN and CAN Health Network, we’re deploying technology that will facilitate communication and coordination between patients and the teams who care for them. ED Dispatch is designed to keep patients informed, coordinate their return for care and create a better experience for patients, and more efficient workflows for ED teams.”
By combining clinical expertise, Canadian technology and a structured evaluation framework, WRHN and Akinox aim to establish a practical, evidence-based approach that can contribute to emergency department improvement across Ontario.
About WRHN
Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN, pronounced wren) represents the merger of two Hospitals into a single, integrated healthcare organization. Built on over 90 years of partnership, WRHN is home to seven regional programs and comprehensive healthcare services to meet the current and emerging needs in Waterloo-Wellington and beyond.
WRHN is redefining the healthcare experience through collaboration and innovation, addressing barriers to access, advancing care delivery, and setting new standards in compassionate, empowered, community-driven healthcare. By harnessing our region’s strengths in innovation, technology and collaboration and applying data, artificial intelligence (AI), research and new models of care, we’re developing solutions that improve access, coordination and patient outcomes. In partnership with the University of Waterloo through CareNext, WRHN is leveraging the region’s academic excellence and technological leadership to develop and scale innovative approaches to care that’s personal, seamless, and reimagined. Learn more at WRHN.ca.
About Akinox
Founded in 2010, Akinox is a Canadian digital health company trusted by governments, healthcare organizations, industry partners, clinicians and patients. Akinox designs and supports secure, interoperable platforms that connect services, digitize and streamline healthcare workflows and help health systems deliver more coordinated care. Its solutions are designed to reduce administrative burden and save time for care teams while better engaging clinicians and patients throughout the care journey to support improved access, experiences and health outcomes.
The Akinox LINX platform supports care coordination and orchestration at regional and provincial scale, enabling services ranging from emergency medical dispatch and virtual emergency departments to virtual care and connected care pathways. The Akinox CarePath platform leverages AI to transform complex patient records into actionable, source-linked clinical summaries, automate documentation and streamline clinical workflows, helping clinicians spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on patient care. Working closely with healthcare partners, Akinox develops practical solutions that respond to the evolving needs of patients, providers and health systems. Akinox solutions have supported the care of more than 10 million people to date. Learn more at akinox.com
About CAN Health Network
The Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network is a federally funded, national not-for-profit organization that brings health care operators together to identify challenges, validate Canadian innovations in real-world settings, and support their procurement and scale across Canada and into global markets. Since its launch in 2019, CAN Health has supported commercialization projects with more than 100 Canadian companies. CAN Health is designed to help health care organizations build on one another’s work, reducing duplication and creating faster pathways for proven Canadian technologies to reach patients and care teams. Learn more at canhealthnetwork.ca.
Media Contacts
Waterloo Regional Health Network
Cassandra Easton
Public Affairs Lead, Waterloo Regional Health Network
[email protected] | 519-584-5548
Akinox
Mark Casselman
Chief Growth Officer, Akinox
[email protected]
CAN Health Network
Hannah Boonstra
Senior Communications Advisor, CAN Health Network
[email protected] | 613-854-0279