The Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is proud to welcome four Dalhousie University Corporate Residency MBA Students to our team this semester. Learn more about David Kerr, a Toronto native with a passion for medical technology and start up opportunities.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I’m originally from Toronto and came to Halifax to complete my bachelor degree. I initially wanted to go to medical school to become a neurosurgeon, but throughout my experiences in my degree I fell in love with the world of med tech and start-ups.
I realized there are a multitude of ways that someone could help people and positively impact health
I’m an avid traveler and can’t wait to experience the world through its collection of cultures and unique foods again.
Who or what inspires you? Why do you love what you do?
I’m inspired by a collection of individuals I’ve met throughout life, who’ve helped me grow and become the person I am today. I’m driven by my passion for helping people, which is why I wanted to get involved in healthcare.
Today, working at the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub, I am part of a team that shares that same drive and my passion for helping people has never been more realized. Every day I’m surrounded by inspiring people who all want to improve healthcare.
I love what I do because I know the initiatives I work on will benefit patients. I know that there’s always more to do in healthcare, and I work with the team that’s ready to really move the needle and go the distance.
I’m also a giant tech nerd and this job lets me sit at the edge of innovation, imagination, and implementation. I get to bridge companies and clinicians to determine the need and creative solutions. I haven’t had two days that are the same and I absolutely love it!
What attracted you to apply to Nova Scotia Health for your corporate residency?
I’ve always dreamed of a job that could combine my scientific inclinations and business fluency in an impactful way. When I researched the Hub’s leadership and their strategic objectives, I couldn’t think of a better fit.
What have you learned and enjoyed in your first month working with our Innovation team?
So much! There have been countless learning opportunities, from shadowing in meetings and seminars to working collaboratively with clinicians and industry partners on initiatives.
What I love about working for the Health Innovation Hub is its agility. It’s a collaborative and goal-oriented environment that reminds me of the vibrance of a startup combined with the problem solving and critical thinking practices of consulting. At the Health Innovation Hub, I’m surrounded by a diverse group of individuals and a myriad of unique perspectives that make for amazing collaboration - truly outside of the box thinking. I’ve had the opportunity to liaise with industry, clinicians, and other government organizations, focused on driving innovation and elevating health care in Nova Scotia.
Here the impossible is possible. No one says it can’t be done. Only “How can we make it happen?” That’s why I love working for Health Innovation Hub.
What do you hope to achieve during your eight months with Nova Scotia Health?
I hope to be part of as many initiatives as possible and see them through from ideation to successful implementation. Knowing something I worked on made a difference in someone’s life is really all I want to achieve.
What do you think the future of innovation at Nova Scotia Health looks like?
I think it’s a bright and global mosaic of collaborations with industry partners, developing innovative technology in Nova Scotia and bringing the latest and greatest innovations to patients. I believe the future of innovation at Nova Scotia Health is as a national leader in patient care and a global hot spot for collaboration.
About the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub
The Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is leading innovation and research within the healthcare system to deliver high-impact solutions for patients and providers. Through strategic partnerships with clinical champions, industry, healthcare foundations, governments and academic partners, Nova Scotia Health’s Innovation Hub is transforming healthcare through the best available evidence and innovative solutions. It’s also a catalyst that is fostering an innovative mindset and approaches to bring about positive system change.
