In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, Lisa George speaks with Dr. Mary Brindle, pediatric surgeon, health systems researcher, and internationally recognized leader in surgical quality improvement and innovation.
Dr. Brindle shares how her clinical work and research have led her to focus on one of the most complex spaces in health care: the operating room. Surgical care is high risk, resource intensive, and deeply dependent on the interaction between people, processes, and technology. That makes it one of the most important places to study how innovation can improve outcomes.
The conversation explores the origins of the Health Everywhere Hub, a province-wide initiative designed to bring together clinicians, engineers, digital health experts, community partners, and researchers to solve major health challenges in Alberta. Dr. Brindle reflects on what it was like to move beyond traditional research approaches and work in a faster, more iterative innovation model shaped by collaboration with industry and innovation partners.
Lisa and Dr. Brindle also discuss the concept of the Living Lab in health care, and why testing innovation in real clinical and community settings matters so much. Rather than relying only on tightly controlled pilots, Living Labs allow teams to understand how technologies actually fit into workflows, how they are adopted by users, and where they need to change before they can succeed at scale.
Other key themes in the episode include:
- Why collaboration across professions and sectors is essential for meaningful innovation
- The biggest challenges currently facing OR teams in Canada
- Why access, equity, communication, and evidence-based care remain core priorities
- How bureaucracy slows innovation when frontline voices are not fully part of decision-making.
- The opportunity Alberta has to lead in surgical innovation by creating adaptable, innovation-ready environments
This episode is a thoughtful look at what it takes to move from good ideas to real-world impact in surgical care, and why the future of innovation depends on clinicians, researchers, industry, and patients working together.
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation –
Visit hereThis series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at:
road55.caWhat is Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation?
Welcome to Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, a series exploring the critical role of simulation in shaping the future of healthcare. This series highlights NAIT's Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation (CAMS) as a hub for healthcare simulation, workforce development, and innovation.
Through conversations with experts, industry leaders, and educators, we’ll explore how simulation is transforming patient care, medical training, and healthcare innovation. Each episode is designed to enhance awareness and understanding of CAMS while positioning it as a leader in this rapidly evolving field.
Join us as we share strategic insights, compelling stories, and forward-thinking perspectives on the power of simulation in advancing healthcare.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.nait.ca/centre-for-advanced-medical-simulation