To demonstrate the impact that applied research projects make on all Manitobans, we present RPI’s 20 Stories for 20 Years. A compilation showcasing successful partnerships from the past and the present, with a constant focus on the future.

QDoc is a free, provincially funded software application that connects patients to doctors using real-time video. This allows patients in Manitoba, Nunavut and NW Ontario to access non-emergent healthcare from the comfort of their home, potentially saving hours of driving or waiting time. 

Looking back, Ralph Dueck, Chair of RRC Polytech’s ACE Project Space, says, “The collaboration with QDoc stands out because of both the impact and the innovation in healthcare that it brings to the local community.”

QDoc has rapidly expanded since launching in May 2022. The service sees over 4500 patients a month and saves 550 ER visits a month on average, and those numbers keep increasing month-over-month, according to QDoc. While they initially only had doctors available, in early 2024, QDoc completed a pilot project that brought nurse practitioners onto the platform. Now, QDOC has over 200 local healthcare providers. 

RRC Polytech got involved back in June 2021. With tight timelines and many projects going at once, QDoc co-founders Dr. Norman Silver and David Berkowits reached out to existing partners at the College to see if students could help with the software development. It was a perfect opportunity for the ACE Project Space, an interactive workspace where students, entrepreneurs and other companies can collaborate to bring ideas to life.

“The partnership not only allowed Red River students to develop software development skills but also benefited our company by introducing fresh perspectives,” says Blessings Manatsa, QDoc’s Software Developer Team Lead.

Working with ACE Project Space is unique because students lead and act as consultants rather than joining the staff and working within their structure. For QDoc, RRC Polytech students led four projects, including building a scheduling assistant that created interconnections between the app and free time in doctor calendars, using optical character recognition (OCR) to automatically upload patient health cards directly into the application and user testing of the online platform. 

“While they were in the learning phase, their contributions sparked ideas and inspired changes, some of which were ultimately implemented. Their efforts reflect how collaboration with emerging talent can drive innovation,” says Blessings.

Since working with RRC Polytech to build out its application, QDoc has expanded its partnership with the College to other areas, namely business administration and operations. In fact, many of QDoc’s current operations team came from the Business Administration and Business Management internship programs.

Karen Kabel, the Associate Dean of Creative Arts and Applied Computer Education at RRC Polytech, says all the leaders at the College are very proud of their students and QDoc. How could they not be? In 2024 alone, QDoc took home The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Prairies Award, the Spirit of Winnipeg Technology Award, the Digital Health Canada Community Leader Award and was one of the CIO Awards Canada winners.