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Launchfire and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Win 2021 Vega Digital Award

Launchfire, a leading game-based digital promo shop, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) have won a 2021 Vega Digital Award in the Marketing Effectiveness category for The NOSM Trivia Challenge.

The NOSM Trivia Challenge, challenged participants to answer educational trivia questions about health equity in Northern Ontario, and Indigenous and Francophone health, in support of creating access to equitable health care in the region. Entrants played for an individual cash prize of $1,000, and for a Northern Ontario community of their choice. The winning community would receive $10,000 towards their local health-care centre. More than 1,300 registrants participated in the challenge and the town of Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario was declared the winner. According to the Smooth Rock Falls Hospital Association president, three hydraulic lifts for their long-term care facility would be purchased with the winnings.

This is Launchfire’s second annual win at Vega Digital. Also, in May 2021, The NOSM Trivia Challenge was awarded a Communicator Award.

“The NOSM Trivia Challenge was a fun way to engage communities across Northern Ontario and share knowledge about the priority health concerns of our region,” says Joanne Musico, NOSM’s Director of Communications and External Relations. “Being limited in what we could do during the pandemic, Launchfire worked with us to design a platform that met all of our communication objectives and built in metrics to gauge its effectiveness. It was a very successful marketing initiative and we are honoured to be recognized with a Vega Digital Award.”

“We’re so proud of the work we’ve done with the NOSM,” said Launchfire’s Co-Founder and V.P. Business Solutions, AJ Pratt. “While the continued award recognition is pretty sweet, knowing that our work has made a meaningful difference for the community of Smooth Rock Falls is even sweeter. It’s always been our mission to build the best promotions that generate real impact. I think this proves that we’re achieving and surpassing that goal.”

With 1,392 international entries, the Vega Digital Awards leverages on its host, the International Awards Associate (IAA) to capture the attention of the creative digital media industry worldwide. “Given the context of recent events, seeing these brilliant minds at work convinces me that the digital medium is undoubtedly the future,” Kenjo Ong, the CEO of IAA remarked. “If this is the level of excellence while we are still in the ‘new normal’, it excites me to think about what the future holds.”

IAA invited exemplary professionals from the industry as jurors, as a measure to guarantee impartiality and high standards of assessment. The jury is responsible for selecting the best works out of the lot, in hopes of propelling the industry ahead as these works become a benchmark of excellence.

The complete list of 2021 Vega Digital winners is available on their website.

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About Launchfire

Launchfire (est. 1999) is a game-based digital promotions company that helps marketers drive engagement, educate consumers, and sell more stuff.  For more information, visit launchfire.com.

About NOSM

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is an award-winning socially accountable medical school renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research. With a focus on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy for health equity, NOSM relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples and communities of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities.

For more information, please contact: news@nosm.ca

NOSM stands against Islamophobia

There are no words to express the horrific deaths of the Muslim family in London, Ontario on Sunday. NOSM stands against Islamophobia and all acts of racism. Our NOSM community stands in unity with the Muslim community, reiterating the foundational NOSM values of social accountability, collaboration, inclusiveness and respect.

We continue our commitment to equity, increasing diversity, and strengthening the culture of inclusion at our school. Racism has no place at NOSM.

Our heartfelt condolences, on behalf of our entire NOSM community, to the family tragically and forever affected by this senseless act of racist violence, and to Muslim communities across Ontario.

Dr. Sarita Verma,
Dean, President and CEO
Northern Ontario School of Medicine

 

If you are in need of support, please refer to the following links:

MD Students

Residents

NODIP Students

Visiting Elective Learners

Rehabilitation Sciences Learners 

Physician Assistant Learners 

Staff

Full-time Faculty

Clinical Faculty

NOSM to Become First Stand-alone Medical University in Canada

On June 3, 2021, the Government of Ontario passed legislation to make the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) a university. With this status, NOSM becomes the first stand-alone medical university in Canada.

“This is a historic occasion for our medical school and all of Northern Ontario,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, Dean, President and CEO of NOSM. “We are grateful to Minister Romano and the Ford Government for this incredible transformation, as the first medical school in Canada founded with a social accountability mandate we are now the first medical university of its kind in the country.”

NOSM was established as a government strategy to address the health needs of the region, improve access to quality care, and contribute to the economic development of Northern Ontario. It was born of a grassroots movement, from communities across Northern Ontario advocating for a solution to regional health inequalities. Becoming a university translates that vision into a reality in the future.

Since opening its doors in 2005, NOSM has produced 714 MDs, 48 self-identify as Indigenous, 151 self-identify as Francophone with an additional 66 MDs set to graduate this spring. In addition, 579 residents have completed NOSM programs. More than half of these health practitioners have stayed in Northern Ontario, with the majority establishing their practice in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

“The Government is proud to support this legislation to grow world-class postsecondary education in Northern Ontario. Thanks to this legislation, Hearst will become Ontario’s second independent Francophone university, governed by and for Francophones. NOSM will become Canada’s first standalone independent medical school and be empowered to expand its current services and programs and address the health needs of the region. The legislation represents a major opportunity for Northern Ontario to build and expand two new independent universities. In the coming months the Ministry will be working with the two institutions and with northern communities and with stakeholders about the details of how NOSM and Hearst will operate in the future,” says Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities.

NOSM’s latest strategic plan, The NOSM Challenge 2025, will move forward with addressing the urgent crisis in physician workforce and health education and research reform.

“We will build upon the strength of our flagship campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with an expanded medical school, new residency programs, innovated health professions education, and population-based research within a pan-northern regional model. This is exciting for all of Northern Ontario,” says Dr. Verma. “NOSM University will have an immense impact on the health and wealth of Northern Ontarians.”

NOSM will begin broad consultations about the next steps over the summer months. More information about this will be communicated publicly in the coming weeks.

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About the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)

NOSM is an award-winning socially accountable medical school renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research. With a focus on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy for health equity, NOSM relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples and communities of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities.

  • NOSM was established as a separate legal entity ‒ an independent not-for-profit corporation with its own Board of Directors. Its affiliation with Laurentian University and Lakehead University was for the purpose of conferring degrees.
  • Other than the degree granting authority, all other operational and academic aspects of the medical school are established under NOSM’s authority.
  • The NOSM MD program is independently accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). NOSM’s accreditation will not change by becoming a university.
  • All degrees issued under the authority of Lakehead and Laurentian University in the past, will remain in good standing and not be affected.

About NOSM University

  • Once legislation is proclaimed in force, NOSM University will form a new Board of Governors and new Senate.
  • NOSM University will continue to receive 90% of its operating funds directly from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
  • NOSM University will continue to handle the administration of its own staff and faculty, curriculum, labs and equipment, and provide support and graduate its own learners. It will continue to provide its own finance, IT, research, and libraries.
  • NOSM University will remain deeply committed to its partnerships with Indigenous, Francophone, rural and remote communities that have been critical to NOSM’s mission and success.
  • NOSM’s partnerships and collaborations with over 500 organizations, 90-plus communities, and more than 1,800 clinical, human and medical sciences faculty dispersed across all of Northern Ontario will continue.
  • NOSM has recently renewed affiliations with the two Academic Health Science Centres, Health Sciences North in Sudbury and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and partners with Lakehead University, Laurentian University, Health Sciences North, Health Sciences North Research Institute, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute in the Northern Ontario Health Innovation Cluster.
  • As a University, NOSM will not be leaving Thunder Bay or Sudbury and will build on its collaborative relationships with Laurentian University and Lakehead University.
  • NOSM will conduct extensive consultations with Northern Ontarians about the vision for NOSM University.
  • NOSM University will join some of the world’s highest ranked medical schools that are freestanding medical universities and all fully accredited including: Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the University of Vienna, the Mayo, and Kaiser Permanente institutions in the United States.

For further information, please contact:

Joanne Musico
Director, Communications and External Relations
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Cell:     705-919-1370
Email:  jmusico@nosm.ca

NOSM University