SHN’s Education Strategy
At Scarborough Health Network (SHN), we are dedicated to creating exceptional educational experiences that educate, inspire, and empower learners to advance healthcare excellence and innovation within Scarborough’s diverse community. Education is central to our mission of building a healthier community, and by supporting and developing our learners, we foster a new generation of healthcare leaders prepared to address the evolving needs of our patients and community.
Our Education Strategy provides a bold framework for equipping learners with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience needed to thrive in today’s healthcare environment. By empowering learners from all disciplines, as well as the preceptors and staff who support them, we are fostering a culture of continuous learning and excellence. By investing in education, we are bringing cutting-edge training, research, and expertise right to our hospital. SHN is building a foundation for lasting impact in Scarborough – where healthcare excellence and community-centered care are at the core of every interaction.
Through this strategy, we will:
- Invest in the redevelopment and development of state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure to create learning environments that support evolving curriculum needs and foster practice, hands-on training experiences.
- Enhance and expand educational opportunities across SHN, empowering learners to develop their experience in a supportive, inclusive setting.
- Build policies, processes, and practices that enable and optimize the learner experience, from onboarding to offboarding.
Vision and Mission
Strategic Pillars
Our Education Strategy consists of five strategic pillars:
Goal
Create a culture of teaching and academic excellence throughout SHN where education is highly valued and prioritized
Priorities
- Strengthen academic eminence and reputation both locally and provincially
- Provide professional development opportunities for staff and educators (e.g., career-long professional development opportunities)
- Recruit and retain strong educational leaders and professionals
- Prioritize learner safety and well-being (e.g., safety plans, EDI, mental health plans)
Goal
Lead Clinical and Non-clinical education to advance patient care
Priorities
- Teach and train students from diverse professions to build high-performing interprofessional teams to provide comprehensive care
- Develop comprehensive programs that integrate learning experiences across medicine, nursing, pharmacy, allied health professionals, and non-clinical healthcare professions (e.g., business, finance, marketing) to promote a collaborative and integrated approach to healthcare education
- Expand partnerships and relationships with both traditional and non-traditional partners
Goal
Tailor education to address the Scarborough community’s most critical health needs and challenges to improve outcomes
Priorities
- Advance population health and equity needs of Scarborough
- Expose and train learners to address the unique health needs of our patient population
- Ensure that cultural competency remains a priority in SHN’s education program
Goal
Leverage the capabilities of technology to advance education and provide innovative learning environments
Priorities
- Incorporate state-of-the-art technology, digital health tools, and simulation-based learning into educational programs
- Equip learners for the increasingly technological healthcare landscape in telemedicine and AI, and provide extensive case scenarios to promote problem-solving and interprofessional collaboration
- Challenge what is considered ‘typical learning’ environments
Goal
Leverage the capabilities of technology to advance education and provide innovative learning environments
Priorities
- Create a state-of-the-art education and research centre
- Redevelopment of current internal spaces
Our Education Strategy 2024-2029 represents our commitment to cultivating a learning environment that supports excellence, innovation and a deep understanding of the needs of our patients and community. Through these efforts, SHN will continue to inspire and development healthcare leaders of tomorrow, dedicated to providing exceptional care and services for our community.