Building a Maritime Pediatric Learning Health System with Youth, Families, Clinicians, and Community Partners
A look inside implementing a learning health system to advance equitable pediatric care
Maritime Child Health (MCH) is a five-year donor-funded initiative at IWK Health established to address complex challenges facing pediatric healthcare today. Across five provincial health organizations, children and families access care through multiple pathways, resulting in variation in levels of service delivery and unequal access to evidence-based care.
Using a learning health system (LHS) approach, MCH connects real-time data, lived experience, research, and care to continuously identify what works, address gaps, and drive action. MCH aims to create an adaptive system that meets the needs of children, youth, families, and clinicians regardless of where they live or work
Recognizing that strong partnerships are at the heart of an effective LHS, MCH prioritized collaboration to build momentum and a shared vision to propel their mandate forward. In this session, you’ll hear about MCH’s approach to developing a pediatric LHS and the role of implementation science in moving from theory to action. We’ll share examples of the initiatives MCH has undertaken to engage youth and families, clinicians, and community partners from across the Maritimes. Looking to the future, we’ll discuss what’s next to advance both the science and practice of a pediatric interprovincial LHS.
Meet the speakers
Grace MacIntyre BSc.
Grace graduated from Dalhousie University with a BSc in Health Promotion (2025). She is a former patient partner turned research assistant. Grace has worked in the Strengthening Transitions in Care (STIC) Lab at IWK Health within Dr. Christine Cassidy’s program of research since 2024. She is involved with projects related to the transition from pediatric to adult care, integrated knowledge transition, equity-focused implementation science, and learning health systems (LHS). Recently, Grace completed a Mitacs Accelerate Internship with Maritime Child Health where she led a study to understand patients’ and caregivers’ needs, values, and perspectives related to engagement in a health-equity focused pediatric LHS. Working closely with the Maritime Child Health team and Dr. Cassidy, Grace supports the integration of implementation science and patient-oriented research methods into the science and practice of the LHS. In her free time, Grace enjoys baking and cooking, listening to podcasts, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.
Katie McDonald (MN RN)
Katie McDonald MN RN, is the manager of Maritime Child Health. In this role she is accountable for providing leadership and fostering partnerships aimed at building an integrated and accessible system of pediatric services to improve outcomes for Maritime children, youth and families. From Halifax, Nova Scotia, she is a pediatric nurse who has spent the last 15 years supporting pediatric care, education, and service planning. She is committed to ensuring all children and youth have access to equitable, quality pediatric care as close to home as possible. She recognizes and is grateful to be able to live, work, and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Dr. Christine Cassidy (PhD RN)
Dr. Christine Cassidy, PhD, RN is a Registered Nurse, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University, and Clinician Scientist at IWK Health. She is the Co-Director of the Strengthening Transitions in Care Lab at IWK Health. She received her BScN from the University of Prince Edward Island and PhD in Nursing from Dalhousie University. Dr. Cassidy completed a CIHR Health System Impact Postdoctoral Fellowship at IWK Health and University of Ottawa with the Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Research Network. Her program of research uses an IKT approach to design, implement, and evaluate knowledge translation interventions for transitions in care and advance learning health systems. As Scientific Lead of Maritime Child Health, Dr. Cassidy provides support to ensure the integration of a learning health systems approach and implementation science principles into the strategic plan and initiatives of Maritime Child Health.