Published On: June 29, 2026
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) brought together hospital leaders, Board members, and staff last week for its second annual STEGH Sparks event – an initiative designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and new ideas to enhance patient care and experience.
Building on the success of its inaugural year, STEGH Sparks continues to provide a platform for team members across the organization to share forward-thinking ideas that are shaping the future of STEGH – modernizing our systems, strengthening our ways of working, and enhancing care for our community.
This year, the program received 22 expressions of interest, demonstrating strong engagement and creativity from staff across the hospital. From those submissions, 10 teams were selected to present their ideas at the event, showcasing solutions focused on improving patient care, enhancing efficiency, and strengthening the hospital’s role in the community.
Following a day of presentations and discussion, the following initiatives were selected to win a $1,000 education prize:
- Data Transformation – Nathan Fitch and Robert Lyle (Decision Support)
This presentation demonstrated how hospital data can be transformed and optimized using Power BI – turning raw clinical, operational, and financial data into structured, accurate insights to support leadership planning and decision making. - Daytime Feeding Schedules – Kelsey Russell-Murray, Ashley Wickens, and Delayne Van Dijk (Dietitians)
This presentation focused on feeding schedules for tube fed patients in hospital. The goal of the project was to transition the majority of tube fed patients to be fed exclusively during the day. The team reviewed the rationale for the transition, the potential benefits, and how they were able to make this change at STEGH.
“STEGH Sparks reflects the very best of our organization – our people, their ideas, and their passion for making a difference,” said Shawna Cunningham, Vice President – People, Services & Strategy at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. “What makes this event so meaningful is that innovation comes from within our teams. By creating space for these ideas to be shared and celebrated, we are strengthening not only our hospital, but the care we provide to our community.”
STEGH Sparks is part of the hospital’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, staff engagement, and building a culture where new ideas are encouraged and supported.
“As we continue to grow this program, STEGH Sparks reflects who we are as an organization – empowering our people to think differently, challenge the status quo, and bring forward ideas that improve how we deliver care,” added Cunningham.