Courage in Community Hospitals Looks Different—And It Matters More
By: Kathleen Corey, Director, Medical Affairs, Academic Affairs, and LHEARN, Carley McPherson, Director, Research, Dr. Nadia Ismiil, Chief, Research, Academic Affairs, and LHEARN, and Dr. Randy Wax, Chief of Staff
At Lakeridge Health, we believe that community hospitals are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful transformation in the health-care system. While community hospitals often lack the extensive funding, infrastructure, or formal academic or research designations of large centres, the needs of our patients—and the expectation for safe, high-quality, evidence-informed care—are the same. What distinguishes community hospitals is not a lack of capability, but their courage, creativity, and commitment to deliver more with less — and to do so in ways that are deeply connected to their communities.
Across Ontario, community hospitals make up 84 per cent of all hospitals and care for more than 70 per cent of the province’s inpatient beds[1]. This means that the majority of health care happens close to home. Yet, for decades, community hospitals have been largely absent from provincial research strategies or major medical education pipelines—despite being the places where patients most need access to new knowledge, innovation, and training. It’s time for learning and innovation to happen here too, alongside the care that communities rely on every day.
Community hospitals also serve some of the most diverse and rapidly growing populations in Canada. Our focus on health equity and population health is helping us identify and address when people are not receiving equitable health care or achieving expected health outcomes compared to others. Our commitment to core principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and anti-racism (IDEAA) guide everything we do in creating an optimal experience for patients, families, and team members as we provide high-quality care. At Lakeridge Health, we see firsthand how social determinants, cultural contexts, and structural barriers shape health outcomes.
These realities show us why equity-focused, population-informed approaches are essential to delivering truly high-quality care. Meeting these needs require strong research practices as well as interprofessional collaboration and learning, where physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, learners, and all team members work together, learn from one another, and share accountability for the care we provide. These principles are not additions to our work; they are fundamental to who we are as a community hospital and to the kind of health system we are building for Durham Region.
Lakeridge Health is helping to change that narrative - not through aspiration, but through intentional investment, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to equity and community needs.
Evidence shows that hospitals engaged in research and academic activity provide higher quality care. They adopt new treatments more quickly, strengthen safety culture, and equip teams with the skills to navigate complex care environments. They attract and train the next generation of health-care professionals, and most importantly, they generate evidence that directly benefits the communities they serve.
Recognizing this, Lakeridge Health made a bold, values-driven decision to invest in research, education, simulation, academic governance, and robust medical leadership - not because it was required, but because it was the right thing for Durham Region.
At Lakeridge Health, we believe that every great health system begins with learning - learning from research that advances care, from simulation, from interdisciplinary teams, and from the thousands of learners who pass through our doors each year. Fostering this vibrant, forward-looking academic ecosystem – amplified through the Lakeridge Health Education and Research Network (LHEARN) - equips team members with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to deliver truly excellent care. Together, these elements ensure that the care we provide is guided by curiosity, innovation, evidence, and continuous improvement.
Today, Lakeridge Health is demonstrating what courageous leadership in a community hospital truly looks like: strengthening and expanding research we do that matters to our community, creating more opportunities for learners, and empowering teams to lead with evidence, curiosity, and collaboration.
Courage here is not loud. It is steady, intentional, and deeply rooted in service to our community – a privilege we do not take lightly.
This courage is transforming what a community hospital can be — for Durham Region. It is a bold vision and a roadmap from our roots as a community hospital toward becoming a Research Institute and an Academic Health Sciences Centre fully integrated within a community-based health care system.
