Innovation

As SMHS strives to become a transformational health service of the future, we look within to develop game-changing ways to leap forward in the delivery of health care.

We encourage our staff to be innovators – to ‘dream big’ and create original ideas and scalable solutions to meet the challenges we face now and in the future.  

Kaartdijin Innovation Centre

Established in May 2019, the Kaartdijin Innovation Centre supports an organisation-wide innovation culture that empowers SMHS employees to be innovation pioneers and collaborative problem solvers.

How Kaartdijin works

Kaartdijin is a distinctive space where SMHS innovators work with the innovation team to push boundaries and test ideas towards realising innovations in the workplace.

SMHS employees submit ideas relevant to any part of SMHS and the health of our community with a view to presenting them to the Innovation Pitch Panel. Ideas that inspire the Innovation Pitch Panel are supported by the innovation team to work through rapid phases of development including design, prototyping, testing, refinement and implementation.

This is all part of the SMHS transformational journey – creating a culture of innovation that turns the health service’s goals into tangible initiatives and projects to deliver real benefits for patients, employees and the community.

The story behind Kaartdijin

Three women stand in front a window panels featuring Aboriginal artwork turtles. On the door behind them is the word 'Kaartdijin'.

The centre’s name is inspired by the Nyoongar language phrase ‘Goombah Kaartdijin Koort’.

One translation is 'Big dreaming heart', but the words have other meanings and a connection to knowledge and creation:

  • Goombah means big, dare to do
  • Kaartdijin refers to knowledge
  • Koort means heart, everything, people, connection.

Turtle imagery is used throughout Kaartdijin to represent the cycle of creation and learning. The turtle travels widely, going forwards, collecting knowledge and coming back home to create again.

Our projects

Since opening in May 2019, Kaartdijin has supported over 25 SMHS innovators to develop their big ideas.

At any given time multiple innovative programs and projects are in various stages of development, testing and implementation.

Read about innovations supported by Kaartdijin.

Our collaborators

SMHS is committed to engaging with people and organisations whose different perspectives, experiences and skills can assist to solve complex healthcare problems and bring innovative ideas to life.

The Innovation team help SMHS innovators connect with the right people to realise their idea, both internally and externally to SMHS and WA Health.

We thank our past and current collaborators for their contributions to developing a culture of innovation across SMHS:

  • CSIRO
  • Curtin University
  • Edith Cowan University
  • Fiona Wood Foundation
  • Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research
  • iPREP WA
  • MTP Connect
  • Murdoch University
  • Notre Dame University
  • Perth BioDesign
  • Serco
  • The University of Western Australia
  • Vantari VR
  • WA Health, including:
    • Child and Adolescent Health Service
    • Department of Health
    • East Metropolitan Health Service
    • Health Support Services
    • North Metropolitan Health Service
    • PathWest
    • WA Country Health Service
  • WA Innovation Hub

More information

SMHS Innovation Centre – Kaartdijin
Level 2 Administration Building, Fiona Stanley Hospital
Email an innovation enquiry

Last Updated: 11/10/2023