At Boardroom Labs, we’re committed to creating transformative change by empowering organizations to innovate and thrive. Our work with the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities (SCHC) reflects our mission to drive meaningful improvements in community services and create scalable solutions.

The Challenge:

Scarborough, home to 1,000,000 residents with 77% visible minorities and 57% foreign-born, relies on SCHC for crucial services. SCHC is integral to the community, handling 40,000 food bank visits, 3,400 visits to community health centers, and 6,100 palliative care visits in 2021 alone. With 205 employees, 350 volunteers, and 33,000 volunteer hours, SCHC also administered 2,500 vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its vital role, SCHC needed to innovate and streamline its operations to enhance service delivery and address growing demands amidst resource constraints.

Our Approach:

We partnered with SCHC through a bespoke Innovation Champions program to build a foundation for sustainable innovation. The initial workshop series helped identify barriers and opportunities for improvement. Building on this, we launched a cross-functional Impact Architect group where team members take ownership of their own ventures while receiving targeted training. Additionally, we collaborated with SCHC’s executive leadership team to develop a comprehensive innovation strategy, ensuring alignment with the organization’s long-term goals and vision.

The Result:

Our collaboration led to the successful launch of several pilots and ventures. Notably, we implemented a virtual reality (VR) initiative to foster empathy among caregivers serving individuals with acquired brain injuries or dementia. These pilots and new ventures have secured hundreds of thousands in additional funding and have significantly enhanced SCHC’s service delivery and operational efficiency. SCHC is now better equipped to meet the evolving needs of Scarborough’s residents and serves as a model for other health centers across Ontario.