Smart Healthcare: First-ever panel on universities’ role in solving Canada’s challenges

MONTREAL – Canada’s universities launched the first in a series of dialogues on challenging issues facing the country with a wide-ranging and thought-provoking discussion on transforming Canada’s healthcare system. Smart Healthcare: The role of Canada’s universities in addressing our healthcare challenges, a panel moderated by Dr. Guy Breton, rector, Université de Montréal, was a highlight event of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada’s centennial meetings in Montreal today.

The panel discussion was the first in a series called Leading Change Dialogues, which will look at how universities can bring their resources – students, faculty, ideas and cutting-edge knowledge – to benefit Canada and Canadians.

Dr. Breton noted that all sectors of society are concerned about Canada’s healthcare challenges and many are looking to Canada’s universities for solutions. “We will need to be more active as universities…to show new evidence, teach new practices and dare to influence public policies.”

The Smart Healthcare dialogue featured participation by an audience including many of Canada’s university presidents and invited healthcare stakeholders. They were joined by an interactive webcast audience that posed a variety of questions related to funding and delivery models.

In response to a question about what Canada’s universities can learn about what’s happening in healthcare systems around the world, panelist Andre Picard, Globe and Mail health columnist, suggested that we look beyond the Western world, to developing countries “where they’re forced to do stuff with no money. There are some really innovative things happening there…They show us the importance of primary care and not all the bells and whistles…And that’s part of the role of universities, to bring that international knowledge” to help in addressing Canada’s challenges.

In addition to Mr. Picard, the panelists were: Janice MacKinnon, Professor, School of Health, University of Saskatchewan; Jean-Louis Denis, Canada Research Chair in Governance and Transformation of Health Organizations and Systems, École nationale d’administration publique; and Arthur Porter, Director General and CEO, McGill University Health Centre.

“Canada’s universities are very engaged and serious about leveraging their talent pool and research capacity to help achieve sustainable healthcare of the highest quality in Canada,” says Paul Davidson, president of AUCC. “This was a very open and meaningful discussion about how we can achieve that through universities, governments, the private sector and communities working together toward a common vision that will impact the lives of all Canadians.”

The archived webcast of Smart Healthcare is available online at www.aucc.ca/healthcare.

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Media Contact:

Helen Murphy
Communications Manager
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
hmurphy@aucc.ca
613-608-8749 (cell)