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A unique partnership at ����91���︣�����߹ۿ�’s University has led to the creation of a series of conferences on healthcare – conferences that could lead to significant and lasting change in Canada’s healthcare system.

The ����91���︣�����߹ۿ�’s Faculty of Health Sciences, the Monieson Centre at the ����91���︣�����߹ۿ�’s School of Business, and the School of Policy Studies have compiled a star-studded, international roster of speakers for the Toward a Canadian Healthcare Strategy conference in June. The list of speakers includes the Right Honorable Paul Martin; ����91���︣�����߹ۿ�’s professor Don Drummond and Canadian Medical Association President-elect designate and ����91���︣�����߹ۿ�’s professor Chris Simpson.

“A university is well-suited to organizing this conference and starting a different type of dialogue for strategic change,” says Scott Carson, Director, Monieson Centre. “We should be able to move forward a long term vision and as a group are focused on what can be done about the problems and issues in healthcare.”

The ����91���︣�����߹ۿ�’s Health Policy Change Conference Series will advance these issues over three annual events beginning in June 2013.

“We want to create a template for sustainable change,” says Richard Reznick, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. “The notion that Canadian healthcare is a world leader is justifiably being challenged. Canadian healthcare is expensive and the outcomes are just passable. As a group, we want to facilitate the process of change.”

The first conference, Toward a Canadian Healthcare Strategy, introduces the potential for a strategy-based approach to improve the sustainability of healthcare and help control the rising costs to governments. Subsequent conference themes include change management strategies for a balanced approach to acute and chronic healthcare and understanding the political dimensions of healthcare transformation. The conference series is part of a larger initiative that also includes collaborative research projects, books and white papers to advance the healthcare policy discussion.

“The ultimate benchmark of success is developing a process of change, and ����91���︣�����߹ۿ�’s can be a catalyst in this change,” says Dr. Reznick. “We simply need to do a better job with our healthcare dollar.”

The conference runs June 13 and 14 at the St. Andrew’s Club in Toronto.