Health System Impact Fellows work to bring changes to our health systems
Press Release
From: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
October 29, 2024
Canadians deserve access to high-quality health care. To achieve this, improvements often begin with research that examines how health care services are organized, regulated, managed, financed, and delivered.
Today, the Honorable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced an investment of over $4.3M to help transform Canada’s health systems through the Health System Impact Program. This funding comes from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and partners, Michael Smith Health Research BC and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé.
The Health System Impact Program focuses on health system transformation to ensure that people in Canada have access to the highest quality care. Through this initiative, PhD trainees, postdoctoral researchers and early-career researchers will collaborate with health organizations across the country to lead projects aimed at generating evidence to improve Canada’s health systems, services and policies. For the 2024 cycle, CIHR is supporting 25 PhD trainees and 20 postdoctoral researchers who are embedded in 34 health organizations and connected to 19 universities across Canada.
These researchers will address a variety of critical health system issues, including optimizing primary health care, improving quality in long-term care homes, supporting the health workforce, advancing equity in cancer care, leveraging digital health opportunities, predicting antimicrobial resistance using machine learning, mitigating the health impacts of climate change, ensuring cultural safety in health care, enhancing mental health services, and more.
Quotes
“I would like to congratulate the 2024 cohort of CIHR Health System Impact Fellows. It’s so exciting to see these future research leaders join health system organizations to help tackle pressing priorities and improve care for Canadians. Their dedication to evidence-informed health system improvement and improving access to care for all people in Canada is inspiring, and their skills will contribute to real-world solutions and stronger health systems.”
The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
“Each year, the contributions of Health System Impact Fellows invigorate our health systems with fresh insights and innovative solutions. It’s inspiring to see our next generation of health researchers thrive in this dynamic environment. They are not just advancing Learning Health Systems; they are helping to reshape the future of health care in Canada, ensuring it is more responsive, equitable, and driven by evidence.”
Dr. Tammy Clifford
Acting President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
“Our long-standing partnership with CIHR on this fellowship is supporting researchers and strengthening evidence-informed policy throughout BC. The program equips PhD trainees and postdoctoral researchers to translate research into practice and drive positive outcomes in health care environments. That’s an important outcome — building both research and health system capacity.”
Dr. Bev Holmes
President & CEO, Michael Smith Health Research BC
Quick facts
- CIHR’s Health System Impact program began in 2017 and to date, 328 fellows (111 PhD trainees and 217 postdoctoral researchers) and 12 early-career researchers have been or are currently embedded within 139 health system organizations and connected to 25 universities.
- Through this program, fellows receive unparalleled mentorship from senior decision-makers from health system organizations and academic experts from across the country.
- The Health System Impact program is led by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research.
Associated links
- 2024 Health System Impact Fellows
- The Health System Impact Program
- Video: Health System Impact Fellowship program
- Read about the impacts fellows are having through their research
Contacts
Matthew Kronberg
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
343-552-5654
Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
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