Vision, Mission and and Values
The vision of the W21C is to "define the future of health care" and our mission is to is “to innovate, create, educate, and evolve to build new paradigms of health care delivery."
The W21C Initiative was developed in partnership by the Calgary Health Region (which is now part of the Alberta Health Services (AHS)) and the
University of
Calgary (U of C). The focal point of the initiative is Unit 36, a state-of-the-art medical teaching unit at the Foothills Medical Centre (FMC) in
Calgary,
Alberta,
Canada. Opened in May 2004, this ‘Medical Ward of the 21st Century’ serves as a beta test-site for prototypical hospital design, approaches to the delivery of care, and innovative medical technologies.
What makes Unit 36 so unique?We have developed a W21C Research and Innovation Agenda that complements the clinical practice and educational activities that are already underway. The Agenda directs research activities to take the greatest advantage of the W21C’s pioneering medical setting. The most recent phase of the Agenda included the development and Fall 2009 opening of the W21C Research and Innovation Centre located in the Teaching, Research and Wellness (TRW) Building, Faculty of Medicine, U of C.
We have designed a 'living laboratory' where researchers, healthcare professionals, and students can come together to form multidisciplinary and collaborative research partnerships. The knowledge created by these partnerships will lead to transformative and innovative practices, technologies, and products that will positively impact the delivery of health care at a national and international level.