de souza institute foundation

What de souza institute foundation does

de Souza Institute Foundation is a Canadian non-profit continuing education provider founded in 2008 with a C$15M grant from the Government of Ontario and housed within the University Health Network. It serves healthcare professionals — primarily oncology and palliative care nurses, advanced practice nurses, and an expanding multidisciplinary base of physicians, social workers, and pharmacists — through more than 30 standardized online courses and a five-tier designation pathway (Intern, Nurse Associate, Nurse, APN, Scholar) that has credentialed 25,000+ learners since inception.

Its core platform is a self-serve online learning management system offering interactive course modules, eMentorship, fellowships (APAM), and specialty programs such as the de Souza Psychosocial Oncology Certificate (PSCB), Foundations in Oncology Nursing (FOND), End-of-Life/Palliative Care (EPC) series, and the IPODE interprofessional program. The institute also operates CancerChatCanada, a peer support service augmented by an NLP-based Virtual Cofacilitator that performs real-time text analysis to flag emotional distress and route alerts to human moderators.

Revenue is generated through a mix of government grants, course and designation fees (with group and organizational pricing), multi-year enterprise contracts with provincial health authorities such as Alberta Health Services (O-PREP) and Nova Scotia Health, and targeted research grants including a C$247K Ontario Institute for Cancer Research award and a C$75K Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant. Distribution is anchored by institutional employer partnerships (Cancer Care Ontario, CANO/ACIO, CAPO, CNA, OICR) and remote-access channels such as Contact North.

Name

de souza institute foundation

Legal name

de Souza Institute

Website

https://desouzanurse.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Non-profit continuing education provider founded in 2008 within the University Health Network, delivering 30+ standardized online courses and a five-tier oncology/palliative care designation pathway to 25,000+ Canadian healthcare professionals, with multi-year enterprise contracts across provincial health authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Continuing Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAC

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDAGANAJ

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional Development & Training Materials

Keywords

• Oncology continuing education
• Palliative care training
• Cancer nursing education
• Healthcare professional development
• Online medical courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: de Souza Institute was established with government funding from Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The institute was created by the Ontario government in 2008 with a $15 million grant from the Government of Ontario.
2. Course Fees: Fees charged for courses, with group pricing available for organizations and special pricing for students/fellows/trainees at accredited educational institutions
3. Partnership Programs: Multi-year agreements with provincial health authorities such as Alberta Health Services for standardized training programs like O-PREP

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

de Souza Institute delivers standardized online continuing education courses, designation pathways, and mentorship programs in oncology and palliative care for healthcare professionals across Canada. The organization offers over 30 online courses, five-tier de Souza Designations (Intern, Nurse Associate, Nurse, APN, Scholar), and the AI-supported CancerChatCanada platform for psychosocial support. It also delivers province-wide standardized training through multi-year partnerships with provincial health authorities such as Alberta Health Services and Nova Scotia Health.

Product overview

de Souza Institute is an online education and training platform providing continuing education in oncology and palliative care for healthcare professionals. The organization offers over 30 online courses organized through its de Souza Designation Programs (Intern, Nurse Associate, Nurse, APN, and Scholar levels), the de Souza Learning Pathway structured across three proficiency levels, and the Education in Palliative Care (EPC) course series. Key products include the Provincial Standardized Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Course (PSCB), Foundations in Oncology Nursing Practice (FOND), CancerChatCanada (AI-assisted online support groups), eMentorship Program, and specialized courses like APAM and Patient Navigation. The platform supports over 25,000 healthcare professionals and is part of the University Health Network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Courses in Oncology and Palliative Care Over 30 online continuing education courses covering core competencies in oncology and palliative care for healthcare professionals including nurses, social workers, pharmacists, physicians, and other practitioners.
• Provincial Standardized Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Course (PSCB) Standardized chemotherapy and biotherapy education course delivered online with facilitated workshops, case studies, and interactive activities. Content is Canadian, up-to-date, and aligned with provincial and national guidelines.
• Foundations in Oncology Nursing Practice (FOND) Foundational 40-hour course covering pathophysiology, main cancer treatment modalities, the four most common disease sites (lung, colorectal, breast, prostate), assessment and management of symptoms, and oncologic emergencies.
• Education in Palliative Care (EPC) Course Series Three-course series (EPCA, EPCB, EPCC) providing comprehensive palliative and end-of-life care education based on CHPCA national principles, covering serious illness conversations, pain and symptom assessment, end-of-life care, and grief and loss.
• CancerChatCanada Free-of-charge professional-led psychosocial support groups for Canadians affected by cancer, delivered as text-based online support groups using AI-assisted monitoring of participant distress.
• de Souza Designation Programs Five-tier designation program (Intern, Nurse Associate, Nurse, APN, Scholar) recognizing healthcare professionals who complete comprehensive learning pathways combined with clinical experience and/or research components.
• de Souza Learning Pathway Structured three-level pathway for nurses new to oncology: Level 1 (Oncology Fundamentals), Level 2 (Chemotherapy and Biotherapy), Level 3 (Specialty in Cancer Care), totaling a minimum of 200 learning hours.
• eMentorship Program Online mentorship program for advanced practice nurses, generalist and specialized nurses, providing career support and guidance in oncology and hospice palliative care practice.
• Advanced Pain Assessment and Management (APAM) Online course examining pathophysiology of cancer pain, cancer pain syndromes, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for intractable pain in palliation.
• Patient Navigation (PNON) Course designed to help healthcare providers apply navigation principles throughout the cancer care continuum, with emphasis on care coordination and improving access for indigenous, ethno-cultural, and gender groups.
• Interprofessional Psychosocial Oncology (IPODE) Interprofessional course examining common individual and family experiences across the illness trajectory to understand and assess distress and coping from a family-centered standpoint.
• Oncology Practice Readiness Education Program (O-PREP) Partnership program with Alberta Health Services to standardize orientation of new employees within CancerControl Alberta, creating a province-wide accessible learning environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nurses' confidence increased by 30% after completing APAM course (research published in American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Alberta Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2016Multi-year agreement establishing the Oncology Practice Readiness Education Program (O-PREP) to standardize orientation of new employees within CancerControl Alberta and create a province-wide learning environment.
• Cancer Care OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner in establishing de Souza Institute; continues partnership for provincial cancer education standards and guidelines.
• University Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerde Souza Institute is part of University Health Network, Canada's largest research hospital network. UHN hosts the main contact address and provides institutional support.
• CANO/ACIO (Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal collaboration announced April 2016 to support oncology nursing practice across Canada, aimed at supporting nurses to achieve and maintain specialty certification.
• Nova Scotia HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized Oncology Nurse Transition to Practice Program providing educational support and direction for oncology nurses based on their experience and practice environment.
• CAPO (Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with common goal of promoting excellence in psychosocial care for cancer patients and families; collaborated on IPODE courses.
• CNA (Canadian Nurses Association)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting excellence in nursing care through education in cancer and palliative care; CNA represents nearly 139,000 registered nurses.
• Contact NorthminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnables de Souza access to healthcare learners in remote areas of Ontario; Contact North serves over 4 million Ontarians in 600 small, remote, rural, Aboriginal and Francophone communities.
• Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for AI-based tool development project for CancerChatCanada; one of 10 recipients in 2019 Health Services Research Grant competition.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Oncology Nursing Society (ONS): Largest US-based professional association for oncology nurses, offering continuing education, certification, and clinical resources. Highly comparable mission to de Souza, though broader US/global scope and a membership-association model rather than government-funded institute.
• Canadian Nurses Association (CNA): National professional body representing Canadian RNs (including certification programs CNA-certified de Souza supports). Comparable in delivering CE and credentialing at national scale, with much broader nursing scope.
• McMaster University School of Nursing: Academic nursing school that co-developed de Souza's eMentorship program and offers oncology-related CE. Comparable in educating advanced practice nurses and oncology specialists through formal academic channels.

Direct peers

• Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO/ACIO): National Canadian specialty nursing association that partners with de Souza and offers its own oncology nursing education and certification pathways. Direct overlap in target customers (Canadian oncology nurses) and content domain (oncology/palliative CE).
• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA): National hospice palliative care association whose national principles inform de Souza's EPC curriculum. Comparable in delivering palliative-care CE and standards at national scale.
• Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO): National interdisciplinary association promoting psychosocial oncology excellence; collaborates with de Souza on the IPODE course series. Direct overlap in psychosocial oncology education content and target audience.

Regional players

• Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO): Ontario-focused palliative care organization that delivers palliative-care education and conferences and partners with de Souza. Overlaps directly in palliative-care CE for Ontario healthcare providers.
• Cancer Care Ontario: Founding partner of de Souza and Ontario's principal cancer advisory body. Operates overlapping cancer-education initiatives and provincial standards that de Souza courses align to.

Others

• University Health Network (UHN): Parent institution of de Souza Institute and Canada's largest research hospital network. While not a direct competitor, UHN hosts de Souza and provides institutional reach into oncology training programs and clinical fellowships.
• Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Major Canadian cancer treatment center within UHN that serves as a clinical fellowship placement site for de Souza designates. Comparable in training oncology nurses but as a clinical provider rather than a CE platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/desouzainstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/371855045141
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-souza-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about de souza institute foundation