​​​

Cinder to Flame provides services across the health system:

​

• Publicly funded health care and services, public health, and health regulators

• Privately funded health care services (e.g. clinics, diagnostic services, community and home health services, health insurance services, etc.)

• Corporations who provide services to support health (e.g. health professional and health sector associations, non-profit organizations that focus on a disease, health data and research institutes, etc.)

• Corporations who provide products to support health (e.g. pharmaceuticals, medical devices, equipment and supplies, medical software, etc.)

• Residential and other facilities that integrate health services for children and youth, homeless individuals and families, adults with disabilities and seniors.

​

Contextual Background

 

Cinder to Flame offers 25 years of diverse leadership experience in health care:
 

• pioneering medical directives (order writing privileges) to expedite quality patient care - with broad impact, across Canada and into the United States

• creating an education program to optimize the skill-sets and skill-mix of regulated and unregulated staff - 52 copies were sold internationally

• designing a high-level framework for advanced practice (principal investigator for a national survey research project), applicable across health professions

• formulating a clinical decision-making algorithm for high quality enteral nutrition care which sustained $100,000 savings annually for 20 years

• conducting 10 operational reviews in health care facilities that required broad stakeholder engagement from senior management to front-line employees

• leading employees through amalgamation and integration during four hospital mergers.

​

The health system (or the lack of a connected, coordinated and funded system) and their employees are under tremendous strain amid increasing demand for health care and services. Critical issues include limited access (e.g. primary health care); backlogs (e.g. cancer treatment and surgery); delays (e.g. emergency service response times); periodic closures (e.g. overwhelmed emergency rooms); and staffing shortages (e.g. family physicians, nurses and personal support workers who provide direct patient care). 

​

The unprecedented growth of the aging population will worsen the health care crisis. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) has estimated that the most fragile senior population (age 75 and over) is growing at the fastest rate and will more than double in most Canadian provinces and territories by 2037. This holds critical implications for health care due to the high prevalence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity with advanced age.

 

The high cost of living in Canada, the United States and across the world has resulted in two critical issues: lack of affordable, safe housing and food insecurity. These two critical factors among the social determinants of health are associated with diseases and medical conditions that increase health care usage and costs.

​

Cinder to Flame helps Corporations move beyond process or continuous quality improvement - these innovation strategies were never intended to solve significant challenges or manage a crisis. More impactful solutions to complex corporate, community and system challenges can only be realized through alignment for major innovation.

​

Cinder to Flame’s Comprehensive Program

​​

​The conceptual framework for the Cinder to Flame program is based upon robust research and evidence that underpins its design. The program applies a novel approach, derived from a diverse knowledge base spanning: creativity and innovation research, behavior change, adult education, educational psychology, knowledge translation, communication theory, quality improvement, project management, organizational culture and change theory, and high-performance team coaching.

​​

Cinder to Flame’s program builds the healthy corporate culture that enables your Corporation to harmonize and draw upon the strength of two innovation strategies: continuous quality (process) improvement and major innovation.

​

Cinder to Flame services do not replicate or overlap with the work of other internal departments. Rather, Cinder to Flame complements the ongoing roles of Innovation (Transformation), People and Culture (Human Resources) and integrates a proactive approach to Occupational Health.

​

The Comprehensive Program Includes 10 Service Deliverables:

​​

1.   Specialized Operational Review (baseline)

2.   Culture Metrics Report  

3.   Business Strategy & Action Plan

4.   Program Logic Model & Gantt Chart

5.   Inspirational Keynote Presentations

6.   Activities for Skill Building & Culture Change  

7.   Management, Leadership & Team Coaching

8.   Inventive Tools for Team Application  

9.   Innovative Solutions Canvas™

10. Specialized Operational Review (summative)

​​​​

Prior to every Cinder to Flame launch, a customized Program Logic Model is designed for your Corporation detailing inputs, outputs and quantifiable outcomes. This model is informed by a specialized Baseline Operational Review to identify the current state of corporate health and capacity for major innovation. The findings are detailed in a Culture Metrics report. Your leadership team is presented with the results and engaged in discussion to craft a Business Strategy and Action Plan that builds upon strengths, addresses gaps and barriers to corporate health and major innovation. Your Program Logic Model is converted into a Gantt Chart to map the achievement of your Cinder to Flame program deliverables.

​

​The Cinder to Flame program is unique in its approach and energetic, inviting employee participation in focus groups, coaching sessions and 12 inspirational Keynote Presentations.

​

It Is People Who Innovate. 

A Healthy Corporate Culture Is the Fuel for Major Innovation.​

 

Health professionals, other employees (e.g. food and housekeeping services) and administrators were champions throughout the pandemic. However, employees are experiencing burnout and some have decided to leave the workforce. Attention to the health and well-being of employees is critical for retention and to enable provision of safe and high quality health care and services into the future. Cinder to Flame’s program integrates health and well-being - as one of several facets of a healthy corporate culture - because research has established a strong connection to several prerequisites for major innovation.

​

At program onset, employees will strengthen skills for self-care and set individual goals for health and well-being while simultaneously building inventive thinking and performance skills. Research has tied health and well-being to these prerequisites for major innovation: energy level, positive mindset, motivation, resilience, receptiveness to change, and performance.

 

Other facets of a healthy corporate culture for major innovation focus on transformational leadership, maximizing team capacity for inventive thinking, and the context of the work environment (e.g. hybrid work arrangements). Targeted leadership, management and team coaching build essential skills for major innovation, such as: risk taking, managing disruption, navigating through ambiguity and harnessing failure as a positive opportunity for learning. 

​

​​As a Cinder to Flame client, you have access to Inventive Tools and applied activities for individual, team and leadership skill building to align for major innovation. One example is application of Cinder to Flame’s System of Systems Approach™ to enable examination of complex problems through a wide lens to generate more novel ideas and innovative solutions. Cinder to Flame’s clients can utilize these tools and replicate the approaches for future projects and corporate initiatives.

​

Cinder to Flame focuses on measurable results and the summary of ideas and innovative solutions to address one complex challenge will design your customized model called an Innovative Solutions Canvas™. It can be tested and further refined over time, and then scaled and spread when integrated into your annual and strategic plans.

​

The Cinder to Flame program ends with a Summative Operational Review to capture changes at program end, with recommendations for the future. Since building and changing culture is a gradual process that takes time, the Cinder to Flame program extends over a number of months. This enables employees to carry on with their daily workload while engaging in small bursts of activity to gradually instill new knowledge and practice skills. The goal is to build upon your strengths and align your Corporation - to generate more innovative solutions - that address challenges faced today and into the future.

​

Cinder to Flame services are flexible and customized to match your corporate needs and desires. For example, the length of the comprehensive program typically spans six months; however, it can extend over a longer time frame, depending upon your requirements.

​

All 10 service deliverables (with metrics) are packaged within the comprehensive program. However, the service deliverables can be unbundled. For example, the package of 12 Keynote Presentations (each are tied to applied activities) can be selected. There is also latitude to select individual Keynote Presentations - or - the set of Keynote Presentations that focus on employee health and well-being that simultaneously builds capacity for inventive thinking and performance.

​

Cinder to Flame's Customized Workshop

​

Another service option is Cinder to Flame’s workshop that is fully customized to your corporate needs. It will include selected elements of the 10 deliverables such as inspirational keynote presentations coupled with activities for skill-building and application of inventive tools.

​

This workshop introduces Cinder to Flame’s System of Systems Approach™ to develop a customized prototype (preliminary model) of an Innovative Solutions Canvas™ that addresses one complex challenge.

 

Your complex challenge might be unique to your Corporation or a shared concern across the health system, such as ensuring an adequate workforce of current and future health professionals (e.g. primary care physicians or nurses in direct patient care roles). Your Corporation, organization or agency can benefit from this workshop and assume the lead role in solving a shared challenge locally, within your organization.

 

Different levels of government also hold accountability to support the health and well-being of people, therefore your solutions may require government engagement and support (that goes beyond funding) to formulate or revise strategies, policies or health legislation. As well, new partnerships across public and private sectors can strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of your innovative solutions.

​​​

Cinder to Flame draws upon a wealth of resources (from the comprehensive program) to trigger a paradigm shift in thinking and potential actions to disrupt an emergency situation with innovative ideas and sustainable solutions. Following the workshop, your customized prototype of an Innovative Solutions Canvas™ can be further developed then tested and refined when integrated into your annual and strategic plans.