3.0
Advancing With Purpose
Opening doors through innovation and agility
Touchstone addresses the assessment and learning needs of health professionals throughout their careers and advances solutions to address health workforce challenges. Nurse Ready and the PRO portal are powerful examples of advanced technology being applied to help overcome barriers to entry for newcomers.
Creating Best-in-class, Technology-enabled Processes To Support Internationally Trained Physicians On The Path To Licensure And Beyond.
Touchstone is committed to continuous improvement across our programs and processes. In 2024/25, Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) implemented a new online artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled portal to centralize and optimize the process of credential verification via screening and validation of internationally trained physicians’ readiness to practice medicine in Ontario.
The PRO pilot launched just two years ago and saw its inaugural cohort of family physicians begin to practice in underserved communities in fall 2024. Thanks to improved efficiency, quality and consistency, the portal is driving rigorous program expansion so that more family doctors can deliver care to more patients in Ontario.
Implementing Agile Solutions To Ensure Success For International Medical Graduates In A Changing Environment.
The Government of Ontario’s welcome decision to open a greater number of residency spots to international medical graduates in Ontario significantly increased demand for the Pre-Residency Program this year.
To accommodate the largest cohort of internationally educated physicians in the province’s history, Touchstone ramped up services – including recruitment of additional instructors and physician facilitators – to seamlessly match the 18 per cent increase in participants.
Touchstone developed, maintains and delivers the Pre-Residency Program in partnership with Ontario’s Ministry of Health and all the medical schools in the province. The program covers essential competency areas such as ethics and familiarizes international medical graduates with the experience of residency, so they know what to expect in the role. Other key topics include Ontario-specific medico-legal matters, health resources and approaches to patient care.
Leveraging Advanced Technology To Support Smooth Integration Of Internationally Educated Nurses Entering The Workforce
Touchstone’s Nurse Ready is an interactive tool that helps internationally educated nurses build confidence and improve employment readiness. Since its launch in 2023, the application has been embraced by users and health organizations who value professional practice skills and a clinically competent workforce.
In 2024/25, Touchstone was pleased to present Nurse Ready to a global audience during the Inter-Governmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum, and Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland.
Touchstone developed Nurse Ready with funding from Canada’s Foreign Credentials Recognition Program and the contributions of many language and nursing experts. Anchored in a blueprint that references nursing language and communication competencies from multiple sources, the tool leverages AI to identify issues for attention and generates customized feedback on the requirements for nursing certification and practice.
Energized by the high levels of engagement and more than 27,000 downloads since launch in 2023, work is ongoing to expand Nurse Ready and its uses.
"Touchstone Institute's Pre-Residency Program is a critical mechanism for International Medical Graduates, preparing them for the rigorous demands of Canadian specialty training. Its thoughtfully designed curriculum, which includes high-stakes simulation exercises, underscores Touchstone's commitment to the seamless integration of IMGs into residency roles."
Dr. Eusang Ahn
Pre-Residency Program Instructor and Facilitator
Emergency Physician, Trauma Team Leader, The Ottawa Hospital
Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa
