Partnership between PRHC and Trent brings data analytics and clinical expertise together to inform care planning and patient transitions

Peterborough, ON – Trent University and Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) are thrilled to announce the recipients of the Natalie Beavis Collaborative Grant.

An interdisciplinary team, led by Sarah Berges and Laura Driscoll from PRHC and Dr. Quazi Abidur Rahman, Professor in the Computer Sciences department at Trent University, has been awarded this year’s grant for their project: Data-Driven Patient Profiling to Understand ALC, Patient Flow, and Care Trajectories in Older Adults.

This research will combine healthcare data and clinical and health system expertise from PRHC and data analytics expertise from Trent to better understand the characteristics and care trajectories of older adults. Understanding these patterns will support earlier care planning, reduce avoidable delays in transitions of care, and inform how healthcare and community services are organized for different groups of older adults.

“The value of data and technology lies in how we use them to better understand and respond to patients’ needs,” said Evan Lyons, EVP, Digital Services & Transformation & CIO at PRHC. “By bringing together PRHC’s clinical expertise and Trent’s expertise in data analytics, this research will help us identify patterns in patient care journeys that can inform earlier planning and smoother transitions. It’s an opportunity to turn data into meaningful insights that support more coordinated care.”

The research grant selection was made by an evaluation committee that included senior leaders from both organizations. This research project was selected for its strong collaborative scope; meaningful equity, diversity and inclusion considerations; and for the future research opportunities it offers.

“Trent University is pleased to see this grant helping facilitate regionally responsive collaborations between Trent and PRHC, collaborations that leverage the University’s strength in interdisciplinary research and the first-hand patient care experience of the PRHC team,” said Dr. Tana Allen, Vice-President of Research & Innovation at Trent. “This project will showcase how academic disciplines like computer science and data analytics are important to the delivery of effective and efficient care that supports individual and community well-being.”

Named in memory of Natalie Beavis, a proud Trent alumna and former PRHC Director who championed collaborative research and innovation, the grant reflects her enduring legacy of leadership and commitment to advancing knowledge and care.

The program provides up to $21,525 in total funding, including $14,025 in cash support and $5,000 to $7,500 in matching funds through Mitacs Accelerate or Business Strategy Internship (BSI) programs.

Projects will be supported for up to 12 months, with embedded student research trainees engaged for four-to six-month internships, ensuring a strong focus on mentorship and experiential learning.

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About Trent University

One of Canada’s top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that’s personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent’s unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent’s students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues.

Trent’s Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.

About Peterborough Regional Health Centre

  • With 500 inpatient beds, PRHC is a regional acute care referral centre serving one of the fastest-growing and aging populations in Canada across a broad urban and rural geography extending north to Haliburton, south to Northumberland, east to Quinte, and west to Durham.
  • PRHC’s 2024-2029 Strategic Plan highlights our commitment to build our teaching and research focus. Learn more about our strategic plan here.
  • PRHC is working to meet the growing demand for care in our community and region. With the support of generous donors through the PRHC Foundation, we aim to empower world-class care, closer to home; fuel innovation and bring new, life-saving services to our region; attract the best and brightest healthcare professionals; and find solutions to critical hospital challenges. Find out more about the Campaign for PRHC here.

For more information:

Michelene Ough | Director, Communications | mough@prhc.on.ca

Celia Ernst | Assistant Director, Communications | Trent University | celiaernst@trentu.ca