Charting a path to sustainable healthcare

Health System Sustainability Initiative 

In pursuit of a more sustainable future for Canada's health system, the O'Brien Institute for Public Health's Centre for Health Policy has demonstrated its commitment to thought leadership through the Health System Sustainability Initiative (HSSI). This initiative, led by the Centre, aimed to gather, produce, and disseminate evidence-informed recommendations to enhance the value for money in Canada's healthcare systems and improve overall health system sustainability. 

In 2023, having successfully wrapped up the HSSI, the Centre published a series of policy briefs presenting their findings. These briefs not only underscored the depth of the research conducted but also laid the foundation for informed discussions on reshaping the landscape of healthcare sustainability in Canada. 

Alberta 2023 

In 2023, the Centre for Health Policy also published a series of issue briefs to inform Albertans about major health policy challenges facing the province ahead of the provincial election. 

In conjunction with the release of the briefs, the Centre hosted two town halls — one rural, and one urban. Hosted in Pincher Creek, the rural town hall provided a platform for diverse voices, including residents, town councillors, a riding candidate, and local healthcare providers, to engage in a multifaceted dialogue regarding rural healthcare. 

Inspired by the town hall, a united effort emerged among residents, healthcare providers, and decision-makers to confront the rural healthcare challenge. Several audience members volunteered for the community's 'physician attraction and retention committee,' and a new initiative was proposed to create a scholarship for local high school students interested in careers in the healthcare workforce. 

Social determinants of diabetes outcomes 

In June, O’Brien Institute members met with the Federal All-Party Diabetes Caucus to discuss the social determinants of diabetes outcomes, forging a lasting relationship with policy-makers who are working to improve health equity and the conditions that determine health.