Local patients will soon benefit from earlier detection of osteoporosis and faster, more efficient treatment for a specific type of brain bleed, thanks to this year’s recipients of the Elaine and Michael Davies Award for Innovation.
The 2025 awards, funded through an endowment created by longtime Kingston community champions Elaine and the late Michael L. Davies, will provide a combined $83,000 to support two transformative hospital-based innovations at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).
Since 2023, the Davies Award has supported innovative, forward-thinking projects that enhance patient care at KHSC and Providence Care. This year’s winning proposals continue that legacy—using innovative tools and new models of care to address silent but serious health risks affecting thousands of patients across southeastern Ontario.
A team featuring KHSC’s Dr. Omar Islam, Nathan Tompkins and Kayla Raymond has been awarded $35,000 to implement Rho, a Health Canada–approved artificial intelligence (AI) tool that analyzes standard X-rays to identify patients at risk for low bone mineral density.
“Osteoporosis is a silent and underdiagnosed condition. One in three women and one in five men will experience an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime,” explains Dr. Islam. “Fortunately, it is treatable if detected early.”
The challenge is that most patients are never screened, and low bone mineral density cannot be seen on standard X-rays with the naked eye.
Rho changes that. The AI software automatically analyzes X-rays already taken for other reasons in people aged 50 and over. When it detects a high likelihood of low bone density, the software adds a “Rho score” to the radiologist’s report—prompting the clinician to recommend a formal bone density scan.
This transforms routine imaging into a proactive tool for fracture prevention by identifying high-risk patients earlier. The one-year pilot is expected to analyze more than 60,000 X-rays and significantly increase the number of patients receiving timely osteoporosis screening and treatment.
The second Davies Award for Innovation gives $48,000 to support a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Ryan Alkins, Dr. Gord Boyd and Dr. Stephanie Sibley. Their project introduces a new model of care for patients with chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH), a type of bleeding on the brain that disproportionately affects older adults.
“With our aging population, cSDH is becoming more and more common,” says Dr. Alkins. “Patients are often elderly and frail, and they typically wait days for surgery—even though delayed treatment increases the risk of deterioration.”
Currently, these patients rely on operating room availability, requiring specialized teams and resources. but the Davies-funded innovation will allow suitable patients to receive minimally invasive cSDH treatment at the bedside in the Intensive Care Unit, rather than waiting for an available operating room.
By performing the procedure at the bedside, patients will receive quicker treatment, minimizing the risks related to delays in care. This can lead to better neurological outcomes, reduced complications and a more positive patient experience.
The funding will be used to purchase specialized equipment, train staff and develop protocols for this new treatment—one that has proven successful in other centres and could save critical OR resources for other emergencies.
The Elaine and Michael Davies Innovation Endowment Fund, created by former Kingston General Hospital Board Chair and Life Governor Michael L. Davies and his wife Elaine, continues to help health-care teams design and implement practical, meaningful improvements to patient care.
This year’s recipients were announced at a ceremony at KHSC on March 18.