LHS Labs is proud to host the 4th Annual Surgical Innovation Week in partnership with the University of British Columbia’s Department of Surgery. As the Canadian population ages and disparities in access to timely care continue, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to make healthcare more efficient and effective. Our goal is to empower surgical residents with the tools and confidence to become leaders in healthcare innovation.

Surgical Innovation Week workshops are crafted to give surgical residents hands-on exposure to healthcare innovation and the necessary tools to become trailblazers in this field. The curriculum is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary innovation training program that culminates in pitch competitions, offering practical, scalable solutions to real-world surgical challenges.

Our vision extends beyond training; we aim to evolve the renowned design thinking models from Stanford, USC, and Hopkins, tailoring them to the unique context of Canadian healthcare. This initiative is not just about fostering innovation but also about positioning Vancouver as a premier hub for health innovation, attracting industry leaders, clinicians, and innovators from across North America.

This year’s event showcases the solutions developed by five teams, comprising UBC General, Cardiac, and ENT Surgery Residents, as well as UBC Engineers in Scrubs. These teams will tackle a top-secret, real-world innovation challenge, presenting their solutions to a panel of distinguished judges and healthcare leaders.

In partnership with Entrepreneurship@UBC, UBC Engineers in Scrubs, and with significant support from the Vancouver General Hospital Foundation, Surgical Innovation Week is an intensive course that molds participants into clinical Innovators. These innovators are not only skilled in design thinking and entrepreneurship but also bring a deep understanding of the clinical environment to their innovations.

With a target to train 200 clinician innovators over the next five years, we aim to create a pipeline of projects that intersect surgery, engineering, business, and healthcare administration. Our graduates, many of whom pursue further innovation training or join healthcare technology companies, are testament to the program's success in fostering empathetic physicians who prioritize patient-centric solutions.