️Celebrating Innovation: The 2025 CAN Health Network Awards

On October 29, 2025, Shannex took the stage at the CAN Health Network Conference Award Ceremony to accept the Groundbreaker Award. This celebration of innovation, collaboration, and transformative leadership in Canadian healthcare recognized those who had dared to reimagine what’s possible and succeeded.

The 2025 ceremony began with opening remarks from Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, four-time Olympic Gold Medalist, physician, and Assistant General Manager of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Her words set a powerful tone, honouring the spirit of innovation and resilience that defines innovation champions.

Following Hayley’s remarks, the awards were presented by Dr. Dante Morra, CAN Health Founder & CEO, alongside Dr. Wickenheiser, who presented the Groundbreaker Award to Jason Shannon, President, Shannex, Greg Heard, Vice President, Innovation and Technology, and Christy Nickerson-Rak, Research and Innovation Lead. 

The Groundbreaker Award represented several innovative CAN Health projects in partnership with Shannex, including: 

•  2025 – Tochtech Sleepsense, led by CEO Jessica Yang, improved sleep quality for long term care residents. 
•  2024 – The Atlantic Institute of Resilience, under Dr. Jackie Kinley’s leadership, delivered virtual mental health resilience training for healthcare team members. 
•  2023 – Blanc Labs introduced Robotic Process Automation to streamline employee onboarding, championed by Luciano Lera Bossi. 
• 2022 – Tenera’s implementation in retirement living, guided by CEO Stephen Fitzgerald, marked a new chapter in resident care. 

Each initiative reflected the heart of innovation: partnerships that empowered, technologies that transformed, and people who cared deeply. 

As the 2025 winners were honoured, the ceremony served as a reminder that innovation is not just about ideas, it’s about action, impact, and the people who make it happen. Congratulations to all the recipients who have helped shape a healthier future for Canadians.